Crimson Coils (The Snake Men Book 2)

Chapter 18

Madam Savari had many apprentices over the years. Most came from noble families within the tribe, others had come from absolutely nothing. Both had promising talent, and yet none of them satisfied her. 

That is until a young human girl came along.

Indeed, she had been surprised by her creativity and talent. That was a rare thing to do indeed, to impress her to such a degree. And under her wing, she was able to blossom. She had felt such satisfaction seeing her pupil turn into such a confident and well respected jeweler, much like herself. Mari was dedicated, her work was her passion and she loved it. She always delivered on time, and her work was beautiful.

But today felt wrong.

Madam Savari stood at the entrance to the tunnel leading out of the tribe, holding her hands together tightly. It had been two hours, and Mari hadn't returned. She was worried. She had honestly given her a bit of a hard time, since she had known that she had been with Rezran. She could smell his scent all over her, and in truth, she was happy for her. But that didn't excuse lazing about with him when there is work to be done. 

Now she was regretting her choice. Mari never took this long gathering the crystals. She had half a mind to look for her on her own. But despite her harsh attitude and characteristics, she was not a hunter, much less a tracker. She needed someone to find her, and she knew that Rezran would go to the ends of the earth to look for her. So she turned from her spot and went to find him. 

After much searching and asking around, she found him speaking with his father in the tribe's center. "Rezran! I must speak with you." she demanded, her voice coming out harsh to him. 

He flinched and immediately turned to her, she even got the Chieftain's attention. "Yes Madam Savari?" he asked, almost trying not to tremble under the gold snakes gaze. She almost wanted to laugh.

"Mari. I sent her out to get ash crystals. It's been two hours, and she hasn't returned." she explained. "Will you send out a search party for her?" 

Rezran suddenly stiffened, his pupils slowly turning to slits. His breathing became slow and steady, and he glanced at his father. His entire countenance changed, as would any who's mate could be in danger. "Allow me to search for her." he said, and not in a question either.

His father regarded him with a calm gaze. After a moment, he spoke. "Take Ziva and a few others with you." he said. "Anyone who threatens our family will know our vengeance." he ordered. He had accepted Mari as one of their own the minute she walked into the room with the Elder-Scales. The way his son had looked at her, how he had regarded her, had been what set it in stone for him. Her contribution to their society as well. She worked hard to earn her place among their people, and they protected each other, Naga or not.

No sooner than he'd gotten his approval, Rezran stormed off, calling for Ziva and a few guards by the gate to follow him. They joined him quickly and darted through the tunnel like demons crawling out of hell. It took them mere minutes to exit into the Wastes, and he began his search immediately. He opened his mouth and tasted the air, finding her scent among the smell of the ash and of dragons. Following it, he found the vents she had picked through, and continued following it to each one. As he moved, he found her footprints, and kept those in mind. However, as he came to the third vent, he noticed two more pairs of footprints, much larger than hers. He growled as he came to the vent, and circled the area, examining the prints. 

Ziva spoke. "Was she taken? Perhaps by males?" she hissed, angered that someone would dare take her friend. She examined the prints alongside him. It seemed that one of the men had taken her down from the vent, and the second man came later. All three footprints led off away from their home. The men had steady prints, but Mari's appeared staggered and uneven, as if she had been dragged away.

Rezran growled. "They took my mate. I am going to take her back. If anything has happened to her, I will take their lives as payment."

~/~

Mari sat in the tent in front of her mother and grandmother, both watching her eagerly. They had crushed her in a large group hug when she had arrived at their campsite. Now she was drinking some tea and sitting in silence across from them. To her left sat her father, and to her right, was the man she hated most in the world right now. Her mother and grandmother had bombarded her with questions of where she had been and what she had been doing, and now everyone in the tent was watching her in silence. She figured that she might as well tell them the truth... then get out of there as fast as she could. Aegis was still strapped underneath her jacket. If she needed to, she would use it.

"Well," she began, a bit awkwardly. "I ran away, because I couldn't marry Kavesh." she explained. "I went to a village, and became an apprentice to a master jeweler," she continued. "I fell in love with the... village leader's son, and we married." She finished, glancing at all of them. 

They all watched her with shocked expressions. Her grandmother dropped her teacup. It was so silent that she swore she heard the ash sifting outside.

"So," she licked her lips and rubbed her hands on her pants. "I would much like to get back to them now. It was lovely seeing you all again-" She began to stand only for everyone else to stand and for her father to grab her roughly.

Anger filled his gaze. "What's this then?! You just ran off, did a man's job, and married a man we don't even know? Have you lost your mind? Lost your way?!" he demanded angrily. "Foolish girl!"

Mari flinched, but before she could speak, her mother interjected. "Why would you not want to marry Kavesh? He's loved you for quite some time! He, and all of us, have been worried sick!" she cried out.

"Because he raped me!"

Even her own snap made her flinch, and it silenced her mother. Her father however, quickly broke the silence. "So he had you early! That's normal! You didn't need to throw such a fit over this!"

Kavesh then spoke. "You were scared of our marriage, I understand my love." He tried to reach for her hand but she flinched away from both of them, pushing her father away from her.

"Let me go! I am returning to my mate, and neither one of you are going to stop me!" she yelled.

At that moment, a shadow crossed the tent flap behind her, and loomed over her. A hissing growl sounded, and claws ripped open the canvas. Her mother and grandmother screamed, clinging to each other as they darted away from the beast - or rather, Naga, that encroached in their home. Rezran was terrifying, coiling around Mari as Kavesh and her father backed away and stood protectively in front of the women.

Mari came and moved closer to him, his arm wrapping around her waste. He fixed them with a burning golden glare. "What were you planning to do with my mate?"