Bride To His Darkness-Chapter 343: Threats

When Ivan and Samantha were set to leave, Herbert showed up with Ivan’s black steed.

Ivan helped Samantha mount his steed before taking his place behind her, and Herbert had insisted he come along with them, as he could not leave the two people whom he was protective of to themselves. Moreso, his Majesty had decided to conceal his vampire essence by appearing human to the elves. fгeewebnovёl.com

He knew his presence was not necessary, but to secure their safety, he was obliged to stay by their side and be their third eye.

"Alright, you can come." Ivan eventually agreed after Herbert’s persistence, and the relieved guard quickly fetched his horse.

Together, the three of them left the tent.

After a thirty minute ride away from their hideout, they were instantly led to the central part of the deserted town. The air was thick with an eerie silence, only to be broken by the distant creaking of a loose shutter. Samantha didn’t know if she had prepared herself for what she was about to see, but as they entered, the desolation unfolded before her eyes.

A landscape of ruined houses, shattered windows, and an earthy path cracked and broken, as if nature itself had revolted. The broken earthly path snaked through the town as they kept moving, and Samantha gripped the horse’s reins in an attempt to soothe her anxiety. The once charming houses now stood as dilapidated shells, their structural integrity compromised by an unforeseen force, but luckily, all the houses appeared to be empty.

Samantha’s pupils dilated as the destruction stretched forth, her gaze shifting from one devastating building to another. The only ones who didn’t seem affected by the ruined sight were Ivan and Herbert, because to them, it wasn’t a new thing. Herbert, however, stayed vigilant as he scanned the surroundings with a stoic expression, ensuring their safety amidst the wreckage.

The broken town was a manifestation of her broken power, and she didn’t need anyone to tell her that. Samantha gazed at the aftermath with a sense of guilt, acknowledging the consequences of her abilities spiraling out of control. She wrestled with the realization that her powers, when unrestrained, could reshape a landscape and leave devastation in their wake.

Samantha’s thoughts drifted back when she felt Ivan’s hand overlap her nervous ones. The warmth of his hand gave her a little bit of relief, and she heard him say,

"Don’t dwell on it."

Her grip on the horse’s reins loosened, allowing Ivan to envelope her hand more securely. Samantha nodded before taking a deep breath and concentrating her mind on the path ahead. She wasn’t going to let this be her weakness, but rather, she was going to use this as an opportunity to strengthen her powers and get a good grip on it, so people like Marius won’t have to think that they can control her life whenever they pleased.

Pushing her guilt to the back of her mind, Samantha led the way. Thankfully, her brain could still recall the path to the elf community, and soon enough, she was leading them into the forest that had been taken by autumn. When they made it through and bursted out into the clearing, Samantha smiled in relief to see that the elf community was in no way affected by the earthquake.

However, her smile did not last long as the little community appeared to be in a really bad shape. It looked as if a serious fight had occurred, and that left a wreckage to the once peaceful community.

The people around had, expectedly, stopped what they were doing when they sensed her presence. Ivan dismounted first before extending his hand to Samantha, and she dismounted afterwards. Herbert stayed vigilant all through, and Samantha led them towards a quaint cottage belonging to the elderly woman elf.

To her relief, the elderly woman’s home looked less affected in comparison to the rest, and it made her wonder what exactly happened here.

Samantha knocked on the door twice and was received by Elara. The surprise in the old lady’s eyes were evident, but she ushered them into her home before Samantha could state why they were here.

"Nanna, how’ve you been?" Samantha felt prone to ask the old lady who arranged seats for them. She smiled warmly at Samantha before nodding her head slowly, but despite the relieved look on her face, Samantha sensed the slight worry that flashed in her face from time to time.

"You weren’t able to make it to the ship, were you?" Asked Elara, and Samantha lowered her gaze before shaking her head. As if to brush off the gloomy atmosphere, Elara turned to the two men who had followed Samantha here, and she welcomed them with a smile.

"I’m guessing one of them is your husband?" Elara’s inquiring gaze shifted to Samantha. She had turned her head to look in the direction where Ivan sat, with Herbert standing behind him, and it was more than obvious to Elara who her husband was.

"Yes." Samantha answered before facing Ivan, "she’s the Nanna I told you about. She gave me shelter when I was brought here by Brian, and she has been the kindest to me. They’ve kept me protected from the hands of Carmela too."

Ivan’s blue eyes shifted to the old lady, and he acknowledged his wife’s words before expressing his gratitude, "if there’s one thing I’m relieved to know about, it’s that you’ve been good to my wife, and for that reason, I owe you and your people. She’s told me great things, and it’s a good thing to know that not everyone has fallen under the influence of Carmela and Marius. But from the look of things, it seems you’re facing a problem of your own."

"A lot has happened," Elara began with an exhausted sigh, "we’ve heard about the destruction of Carmela’s fortress, and the people are more afraid of you after what happened to the councils who were proclaimed dead. I don’t know what happened while you two were in there, so I chose not to pick sides, but lately, we’ve been getting threats from Carmela’s guards."

"Threats?" Samantha frowned, "what kind of threats?"

"The first time they came, they took away most of our people’s personal possessions. They claimed we had a hand on the fall of their Queen and decided to vent their frustrations on all of us. Now, they’ve promised to take away our children if they have to come again. Brian has been busy trying to round everyone together, but we have nowhere else to go. This place is already our home."

"Why would they need the children?" Ivan arched an eyebrow, "sounds like a strategy to me."

"We tend to know too much, so we’ve always been considered a threat to Carmela and her way of ruling. More reason why we live on the outskirts."

"Where’s Brian now?" Samantha asked Elara who had stood up from where she was sitting to gather the medicinal herbs she had arranged at the side table.

"He should be tending to those who were injured from the fight. I’m heading there too if you wish to come."

Samantha rose from her seat and helped Elara with the tray. Taking that as a yes, Elara led her and Ivan to the next cottage where a few elves were being treated with magic. Elara stepped into the cottage with the tray, and after a minute, Brian was the one who stepped out.

"Sam?" He blinked in surprise, "you’re here?"

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