Sign of the Devil's Footprint [THE DEVILS CULT BOOK 1]

Chapter Eleven

Melione had to focus on keeping the light orbs in front of them. Her mind wouldn't stay focus on the task in front of her. They had left early for the Emerald Realm. As much as Melione didn't want to ever leave the Eclipse Sanctum and travel to another realm, she knew that she had too. Her mind kept going back to the deity she had witnessed being murdered by the cult's hands. They needed to find these murderers and fast. They weren't going to stop until they were caught and destroyed.

"Melione?" Grym brought his horse beside her and lightly gripped her elbow, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Melione shook her head, straightening her back as she looked over at Grym. She made sure that the light orbs were glowing bright again. Grym was leading her to the border and had to bring her back to reality dozens of times since they had been riding. She gave him a small smile before looking back to the trail. "I'm fine, Grym."

"No, you're not," he responded.

Melione shook her head as she held out her hand. Out of her palm shot up a small square. She searched the words written on the square to see if there were any news about if another deity had been murdered, but saw nothing. Only people from the Eclipse Sanctum were able to communicate this way to one another. The power of light that travels through their body gives them the ability to do this. She sighed as she closed her hand. "Still no word."

"Maybe they haven't found her yet," Grym shrugged.

Melione looked over at him. "Your realm is notorious for knowing everything that goes on in it. You know that."

Grym rolled his eyes as he took his hand off of her elbow and back to his reins. "I know, Melione. We don't know if what you saw is a vision of what had happened or of what is about to happen. Besides, I don't have the ability to communicate as you are able to with my people. It could take a couple of days before it reaches the Eclipse Sanctum."

Melione nodded and sighed. "I guess you're right."

"When we get to the capital, I'll send word straight for the High Priestess," Grym continued. "If it is something that's about to happen, she will need to know word about it as soon as we get there."

Melione dropped the reins for a moment so she could rub her forehead. "I can't get the images that I had seen out of my head, Grym."

Grym took a deep breath. "Tell me more about the Shani, Melione."

Melione knew what he was doing and was grateful for it. This was a small distraction, but it was good for the moment. "There's not much left that I could tell you about it, unfortunately. Although, it would make sense that it was the one who destroyed that entire village."

"They're that powerful?" Grym asked.

Melione nodded as they turned down another trail. They were getting closer to the border, Melione could feel it, but she continued answering Gryms answers. "They are. The Shani wouldn't leave any witnesses to it's destruction unless it was distracted."

"Everyone eventually died from that village."

"Correct," Melione agreed. "Whatever that other creature was in the middle of the village was what allowed the few people to escape." She paused. "I wished I knew what that monster was. It was too decomposed to identify completely. It had looked like a horned dragon, but I want to know which one. Not many would have the courage to stand up to a Shani."

"You had said in the village that everyone had fled before the monster attacked the village," Grym reminded her.

Melione nodded. "I remember. That was before I knew that it was Shani that attacked the village. For such large monsters, they are extremely quiet. The villagers wouldn't have seen it coming. The goo that comes from a Shani, when it meets flesh, decomposes it quickly."

Grym nodded. "We're here."

The border was now within eyesight. Two Eclipse Sanctum soldiers stood watching them, bowing slightly as they saw their head detective riding toward them. On the other side of the thin border, two Emerald Realm soldiers glared at her, but inclined their heads to Grym.

"We're here to investigate a possible murder in the Emerald Realm," Melione explained to the four soldiers. The Eclipse Sanctum soldiers stepped aside, but the Emerald Realm soldiers stood their ground.

Grym growled lowly. "We have to go through."

"You can go through, Detective Sunblight," one of the Emerald Realm soldiers answered sternly. "She cannot go through."

"We are investigating these murders together," Grym explained hotly. "In this case, she is my partner."

The soldiers looked at each other. "We will send word for High Priestess, Detective Sunblight. Until then, she cannot cross this border."

Melione understood the hatred that was between the people of the Eclipse Sanctum and the Emerald Realm. She tried not to let what they were saying affect her. She sat up straight in her saddle and looked down at the Eclipse Sanctum soldier standing next to her. "Is there a place for me and my partner to stay while we wait for their High Priestess?"

The soldier gave her a polite smile as he nodded. "Yes, Detective. You can stay in our barracks while you both wait."

"Thank you," Melione inclined her head before gently grabbing Grym's elbow. "Come on. It's not worth the argue."

Grym stared down the soldiers as he let her lead him to the barracks. He was silent until they got into their room. Melione could feel his anger bubbling up. She quickly locked the door and turned around, leaning against it. She watched him pace back and forth, mumbling obscenities under his breath.

"Grym," Melione called out to him cautiously.

He didn't acknowledge her. He kept pacing back and forth, mumbling under his breath.

"Grym," Melione tried again. She took a step toward him. She knew that it was going to take the High Priestess a couple of days to get here. Melione knew that their High Priestess never did anything fast, but she wasn't about to say that to Grym. Not when he was this upset.

"They can't talk about you like that," Grym growled.

Grym's growled caused a shiver to run down her spine. She liked it when he got this way, but he still needed to calm down. She gripped his arm and made him face her. "Grym."

Grym looked down at her for a second before crashing his lips onto hers. His hands gripped her hips tightly, hard enough to leave bruises. Melione wrapped her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair. His hands moved down to grip her ass, squeezing it. Grym pulled back from her lips slightly. "They can't talk to you like that. You're mine, Melione, mine." His lips moved down her neck, his teeth brushing against the sensitive skin. "I don't care what you say about us not being together, but you're wrong. You're mine and you will always be mine."

Melione couldn't help the moan falling out of her mouth at his touch and his words. "Then prove it, Grym."