Blood Ties

4

As it should be
~
Accalia
~

"Try anything, and I snap your neck."

A wave of fear flourished through Accalia so strong she was sure she would collapse, but before she knew it, she was on her feet.

Lycus could crush her throat so quickly, fast as blinking and no one would catch on until Cadence's body met the floor.

Accalia shook even thinking about it because she knew Lycus would do it without question. Without blinking.

"Put. Her. Down." Gabriel commanded his brother.

Accalia saw from the corner of her eye the weapons Erisa and Tristan had drawn.

Erisa clutched a sword, levelling it up to Lycus and the anxiety was so numbing that Accalia could hardly look at her. Tristan had his gun pointed at him and there was no mistaking the lengths he would go to protect his cousin.

Accalia stared into Cadence, the blackness of her eyes never dropping from Lycus as if she expected this.

Cadence was impulsive and reckless, but hardly, if ever, faulty. Something drove her back to the pack and the more Accalia observed her struggling cousin, a plaster on her neck came into view and Accalia stifled a gasp.

"Lycus put her down!" Accalia cried out.

Lycus's head tilted to the side at her cry, but his focus settled back on Cadence.

"Do you have any idea of the destruction you unleashed on all of us, girl?" Lycus spat at Cadence, those fingers closing tightly around her skin.

"Nah," Cadence choked out and flashed Lycus a chilling smile, face flushing beet red. "But now I'm glad about it."

Lycus roared in her face and slammed her back into the wall, bangs clattering through the house. Cadence's eyes glazed over and she steadily went limp.

"Erisa, pass me your sword," Accalia ordered.

Erisa nodded and threw the object to Accalia's waiting hand. She caught it, ignoring the slices of pain rippling through her back and straightened up, stalking over to Lycus.

She spun the sword around, getting used to the heaviness and power. The last weapon she used on a person was piercing a stake into Cole's neck and that resulted in weakness, not strength. It resulted in hunching over, covering up and flinching like those claws were laying into her back all over again.

She hasn't fought in so long because she hated it. She hated the violence, the torment and the pain it caused for others.

Accalia held the sword right at Lycus's neck, edging the tip of the sword into his skin. "Let her go!"

Lycus simply shook his head. Cadence gurgled for air and clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the suffering to be over.

"Lycus—please," Accalia begged, the back of her eyes burning and trying to dig for the humanity he had shown her. "Please."

A gunshot wailed through the house and a bullet pierced right by Lycus's boot, a hole in the floor.

"Accalia," Tristan roared, holding the gun that was directed to the back of Lycus's head and she whipped around to face her brother. "I will kill him if he doesn't release her."

Accalia knew she may be considered a fool. Perhaps Lycus will hurt her as well, but it didn't hinder her from piercing the sword right into his arm that held Cadence in place.

Lycus hissed in pain and released Cadence to her feet.

Accalia let go of the sword, a shard of rage flashing across her and punched Lycus square in the face.