The Last Silvermaw Hunter

Chapter 16

"What?" He asked. 

A Phoenix and the man she's tied to. I froze when I heard the voice, I looked to Zhoron and knew he had heard it to.

It's a surprise that you chose to stay. 

"I have no idea what you mean." Zhoron told him.

You think that I don't know what you already know? The voice responded. Vashak tensed, his irritation flowing down our bond. 

What is it? I asked him, keeping my back against the tree. 

"He knows who I am Phoenix." The voice echoed through the clearing. 

"And who are you?" I question, stepping away from the tree. Turing in the middle of the clearing, trying to find out where the voice was coming from.

There was a power just on the edge of my mind, just behind the wall. I knew that they could shatter them if they wished, but then there was another. One of light, where the other was of shadow, strengthening the mental wall, shielding me. 

Zhoron flinched when the darkness slammed against my walls, cracking them but they fused together. From him or me, I couldn't tell. 

Vashak. Find her and get her here as fast as you can.

Within seconds he was gone. I summoned my power and I forced Zhoron out of my head and reinforced my walls. I sent a wave of power out searching for when it would collide with another's.

Three feet to my left, fifteen feet behind me. I turned to shadow and mist and rain and I followed the source of the power, in the distance I could hear Zhoron yell my name as I disappeared from view. I moved through the  trees, tracking the power to a huge tree and behind it was a thing of nightmares. 

A mix of dragon and human. A human form with a scaled body and unholy yellow eyes with slits thin as paper. Tusks jutted out from its jaw, twisted and stained with red. Something moved on the ground behind it, and holy gods, this thing has a tail.

Slowly it turned to me. Your curiosity always got the best of you Adorite Griffin. 

Before I could get back to the clearing, the thing broke through my shields and grabbed control of my mind. He forced me back into my mortal shape. I tried to hide my fear, but it's impossible to hide anything from someone who holds you mind in their hands. 

I feel weak, controlled. I know that with just one single command from this thing and I would have no choice but to follow through. I hate this, the fear I feel and the utter feeling of not being able to fight back. I know I can fight, but even with him controlling my mind, I feel utterly powerless.

The ground shook with the impact of something - or someone - landing, "That's enough Zorhos." The thing slowly looked behind me, the grip loosened, just the smallest bit. It was enough for me to slowly gather my power.

 I froze at my mother's voice, I never heard that tone from her, even when I was younger. "You always knew how to make an entrance, Your Majesty." He hissed his grip still a death trap for my mind.  

"And you know what it would mean for you to kill her." June replied.

Zhoros turned back to me, his fingers twitching at his sides, like he was restraining himself from reaching out and touching me. "But she would would be so good in my collection." He whined.

Disgust rolled in my gut. God's no, I refuse to be in his collection.

June sighed. "She's not yours to steal."

"She's mine."

Zhoros back arched as Zhoron's sword went through its chest. Shock flickered in its eyes as he looked down. Zhoron pulled his sword back and watched as Zhoros toppled down, falling face first into the dirt.

I whorled on my mother, her armor was a beautiful ivory color, the armor covering her arms and legs overlapped each other - like scales. Her chest plate had an emblem of...wings? Two wings that spread over her chest and the tips of the wings rolling over the top of her shoulders - by the looks of it. She had two swords strapped to her waist, one dagger strapped to her thigh. She never looked like the mother I knew then she did with the protective look in her eyes.

Thank you. I whispered down our bond.

Always.

"You're welcome, by the way."

My mother's lips part as she tries to say something, but I beat her to it. "I didn't ask for your help." I snarl.

Gentle, Adorite. My mother chides. She's hiding the amusement in her voice.

I'm so sick and tired of people telling me to be gentle. My power rolls under my skin, itching for release. 

Zhoron leans against a tree, his arms crossed, looking mildly bored. "Well to bad you got it," his voice holds a bit of amusement, and that only made my annoyance as well as my anger grow. I didn't realize I threw my dagger at his head until he caught it mere inches from his face. He lowered it from his face then looked at me with his eyebrows raised, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

 Oh, how I want to punch that look off his face. I clenched my first, my power brushing against my knuckles. It takes all my willpower, not to go over there and do it. 

He gripped my dagger by its hilt, a smirk slowly curled on his lips. I swallowed as he prowled closer. He stopped in front of me, that damned smirk still on his face. I watched his hand tighten against the hilt of my dagger before lifting my face to his, "I would like to see you try and hit me." He whispered voice low, I hated how I shivered at it.

Then I realized what he meant by that I laughed, "You heard my thoughts." Not a question, a statement. 

"Not that hard when your walls are down and you're projecting your thoughts." He responds coolly. His hand still clutched onto my dagger.

I hold my hand out, glancing at my dagger, then to my hand as I look at him. "I need that back." 

He smiles now, it's weird how it makes him more beautiful. Oh, for the love of the gods above and below. I am not doing this right now.

"You want it back, take it back."