His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 153: Two Kingdoms

{SSTP – I see Fire by Celtic Woman}

~ Idalia ~

My brows tugged together to the soft shushing sound filling my ears; a muffled dragging sound and the occasional crunching of snow underfoot roused me from the depths of my sleep. Slowly, I blinked, disorientated as I stared at white and grey skies with trees mostly blocking the view of soft snowfall.

While my surroundings appeared to be the forests blanketed in snow, I was wrapped up in layers of furs. Warmth radiated from different areas along my body. I couldn’t make sense of what was happening and let my body drag me back into unconsciousness. My dreams became a little restless from there.

Were they dreams? It was a little surreal and confusing. Anytime I slipped from the darkness into a dream, the skies from before gradually turned to a light blue, and the skeletal branches reaching for me began growing upwards, becoming lush with greenery. There was no longer snow, and I began to get feverish.

’Lia, everything is okay," Eryx’s deep voice rumbled through my mind and the slight moan I made faded. I turned slightly, reaching for him.

There was a sudden jolt, my body swaying a little, and I turned and looked ahead of myself. Am I being pulled by a sledge? Kharis’ large form was ahead of me, and dragging the sledge with my body on it.

A black wolf appeared by my side, jogging and lowering his head so I could pet his face.

"What..." I trailed off as my fever made my hair begin to stick to the back of my neck, and droplets of sweat formed. Moving aside slightly, I reached behind me for something that was digging into my hip and pulled it out. It was one of those magick gems.

They must have surrounded me to keep me warm, but now, wrapped up in a cocoon of layers, I felt smothered, restless, and too hot. I pulled the blankets down, sitting up, still trying to blink away the sleep from my mind and figure out what was happening.

Colour surrounded us with vivid greens and yellows, the sound of the wind rustling through the trees calm and serene. The snow was now like a thin frost clinging to the grass, sparkling under the bright sunlight that filtered through the gaps in the canopy.

Why was I being dragged through a forest that seemed to be melting? The last thing I remembered was facing Deyanira and Eryx... Goddess, Eryx’s bones cracked and... Tears filled my vision as that crushing pain erupted through me again.

Eryx was alive, though.

"Eryx..." I whisper, sounding more vulnerable than I meant to as I look at his large wolf and then sigh as he shifts mid-leap and lands in the sledge, pulling me into his arms. I clung to him, smelling his scent and listening to his heartbeat as he kissed my cheeks, my forehead, and my neck.

"Everything is okay, my love," he whispered in that smooth accent. His presence soothed my fragile self. I was completely healed, and besides the slight grogginess from waking up, my body felt rejuvenated.

A sudden huff sounded from ahead, and Kharis’ voice filled my mind. ’If you two are done cuddling, some of us are actually doing the hard work here.’

I stifled a small laugh, glancing at the large wolf in front of us. "Apologies, Kharis. We didn’t mean to take your efforts for granted."

Kharis gave an exaggerated shake of his fur before slowing his pace. ’That’s right. Appreciate your hard-working warrior." He snorted. ’Cohnal and I need a break anyway.’

Eryx sighed, rubbing a hand up and down my back before hopping off the sledge and helping me to my feet. Kharis and Cohnal stretched as they shifted into their human forms, both looking exhausted but still alert.

"Where are we?" I ask through a yawn. "What happened?"

Eryx proceeded to tell me about Deyanira and how she’d been cut into parts, burned to ashes, and then sent to different parts of the kingdom, including being tossed into the sea for safe measure.

’We’re at the Northern Border,’ Cohnal added, glancing at the looming iron gates a few hundred feet ahead. ’Once we pass through, we’ll be in the Kingdom of Sun and Fury.’

I inhaled sharply. "We’re that close already?" I didn’t mind being taken while I rested. Apparently, I’d been passed out for a week, and the North was starting to crumble under attacks from the Fae.

As we sat in a close-knit circle, eating this morning’s kill over a fire, the men updated me, adding more reasons why I had to be taken to the South. I didn’t like the idea of fleeing, but Alaric didn’t want me to be used as some sort of bargaining tool.

"A fire magick user burned down two villages," Cohnal said grimly.

"Pyrrhus," I whispered, my eyes widening at the Beta’s words.

"He left nothing but ashes in his wake," Cohnal finished.

I swallowed hard, but it was Kharis’ next words that sent a shiver through me. "And another Fae... Female caused the deaths of virgin she-wolves."

"What?" I gasped. There were only two female Fae I’d met, one had magick of the earth and plants, and the other, Asa, who I had yet to learn what she could do. "How?"

"She lured them into an icy lake near the mountains."

I clenched my fists, my breathing uneven. "Asa..." I whispered, the name alone making my skin crawl. The woman was scarily charismatic. She probably smiled and laughed as those poor girls drowned.

My shiver followed my thoughts about the Fae. Fortunately, I think she liked me. I wouldn’t count on that.

Eryx noticed my reaction and placed a hand on my shoulder. "She won’t touch you," he murmured. "I won’t let her."

"I don’t think she’d try anything. I don’t think any of them would. They just want to use me..." I trailed off, shaking off the cold dread creeping into my bones after realising they might actually want to kill me now after escaping them. I’d forgotten about them for a while because of Deyanira.

I nodded, trying to shake off the cold dread creeping into my bones. "We should keep moving."

Without another word, we shifted, our wolves sprinting forward toward the iron gates marking the divide between the North and the South. They loomed tall, blackened with age, the heavy scent of iron thick in the air.

Those patrolling the area acknowledged us with bowed heads. The fort stood tall to the side in the distance. I’d heard of many battles among these fields and plains between the two kingdoms. Now, it seemed one problem had been resolved, creating a treaty between the kingdoms, but I was leaving Ice and Claws in disarray.

I spared one last glance at the snow-dusted forests behind us in the distance before stepping through the iron gates.

Beyond the gate, the world shifted. The air grew warmer, the scent of pine giving way to something drier, the horizon stretching out with sandy mountains and vast deserts. The change was gradual but undeniably different between the two kingdoms.

I released my breath as I stared ahead at the kingdom that was to be my new home. The Kingdom of Sun and Fury.