MATURE FANTASY** slow burn* 🔥 He is a predator who thought he captured an ordinary girl... but her mind is sharper than any of his claws.
Ariana lives in the shadow of her monstrous father in a world barely held together by a treaty. Until her l...
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I found myself thinking back to all that had occurred since I first crossed the Bavadrin border a few months ago. Every memory, every interaction with Ariana replayed in my mind as I searched for where I had gotten sloppy and stopped viewing her as the threat that she indeed was capable of becoming. During her time in the Lysian lands, everything I observed led me to lower my guard without truly knowing it. I always harbored a sense of caution when things involved her, yet it was still not enough.
Those final hours of traveling from the Bavadrin lands after the unexpected turn of events were quiet. The trip home was welcomingly uneventful. No one made a sound, not even Kole, knowing I would speak to them when I wished to. My mood did not welcome anything other than complete and silent obedience from all around.
Unfortunately, my brothers did not harbor the same intellect and began an assault of questions as soon as we returned home.
Hours passed, and I allowed them to berate me with their opinions and demands for action. We sat together in a large room that had grown stuffy by the bickering. There were maps and papers with all the information we had on the Bavadrins and the Sidhe laid out on three large tables within the room. Much of it was outdated information from long ago. I had them brought up as soon as we returned and had been looking through them till the arrival of my brothers. That was when all planning went out the window, and an argument regarding their appetite for blood ensued. Eventually, we called for Kole and Eislyn to be brought to the meeting, for they were the ones whose opinions I was most curious to hear.
They entered together, clearly noting the tension in the room.
Kole tilted his head towards Eislyn. "What is she doing here?" The disdain which usually accompanied his words towards her appeared as though it were missing. Or perhaps the aggravating bickering between myself and my brothers had warped my view of disdain.
Eislyn raised an eyebrow. "I suppose your teeny tiny brain was not large enough to be of use, and so they called me for backup." It seemed as though she at least had not lost her bite. Usually, a comment like that from her would send Kole fuming, but he remained oddly calm.
"That's enough." My voice was not loud, yet it commanded submission.
It was not my favorite idea to get Kole and Eislyn together in one room when emotions ran high. Especially when Iver was in that same room. Such an environment was not conducive to progress. But in this case, it was necessary. We all needed to hear their thoughts.
"You two are as feisty as the day you both broke up." Iver grinned, though I caught his eye lingering on Kole. He too picked up on the change and was trying to elicit a response by using his words. Perhaps there indeed was something different with Kole's demeanor towards Eislyn.
"Stop being a child," Edmond growled, not wanting to deviate from the reason we were all gathered together.
"Careful, brother." Iver turned casually, viewing Edmond from where he sat.
