A Court of Moon and Blood

Chapter Nine

We made it..

I smiled down at the village as I looked at both Cassian and Azriel who were looking in every direction, though I had them both glamored, height wasn't something that I could change, and they were both huge compared to me. I looked down at the village, looking at every flickering light that turned on, and every child running through the village, to think that Syrepheal was somewhere here.. I looked at them both, "We split up. Not by much, but we look for him. You said he has deep black hair and green eyes? If he's here he would be glamoredthough if he were to be glamored the whole time he might be using less power, keeping some true features to keep it less hard on him.." They both nodded slightly and we all began to walk just slightly in different paths through the village. All within eyesight of each other. Children passing by me, excusing themselves as they did.. I was the size of a short mortal woman.. I guess I blended in well enough. As I continued to walk around, slightly on the edge of the village, there was one smaller house on its own spot of land, I tilted my head slightly as I slowly began to walk towards it, a soft thudding sound as I got closer became more clear. I stopped as the shine of an ax caught my eye and I watched as it swung into an already half cut tree trunk. And a man with longish black hair breathed deeply. My eyes glinted as I saw him, my heart pounded hard in my chest as my eyes locked onto him. The moon light caught on the side of his sweat beaded face, it was him. I knew it was him. And he was.. My cheeks flushed, He was extraordinary..

I took a deep breath, about to step forward as Cassian stepped infront of me, "What are you doing?" He said quietly and I tensed up a bit before pointing to the man, "That's him." Azriel looked at the man I pointed at and narrowed his eyes slightly, "How can you tell.." I narrowed my eyes at them both as my eyes glinted, "I believe my intuition is just telling me I have the right idea.I was right about you both wasn't I?" Cassian looked at Azriel and smirked a bit, "I got this one." He turned and looked at the man, "Hey, peasant" He began to walk closer to the man but he didn't respond, "Chopping wood for some coin?" The man's head shifted slightly but didn't turn all the way, "Not interested." My body tensed at his tone, his voice. I watched Cassian's Illyrian wings shift a bit, Azriel's eyes continued to monitor the man. "And who gave you the right to speak that way to me huh?" His head turned slightly to the cabin and he smirked slightly at the noise within, "Mm, you have a family inside? A woman? Maybe she'd like to have a little fun?" His tone teased as the man's head turned ever so slightly, and red eyes gleamed in between the strands of his hair.

His body seemed to faze. The glamor.. My heart stopped for a moment, the air around us felt heavy. I could see both Cassian and Azriel's Illyrian wings fold in tightly at the glance. Azriel's wing moved just slightly infront of me as he didn't move his eyes from the man, but he spoke towards Cassian, "That's enough Stop it." The glamor shifted back into place but the air stayed as thick as it had, the man's nose flared as he seemed to see the wings. Did hesniff the air? "Illyrians." I was right. It is him. And he seemed almost what the stories had said of him. As he stepped forward Cassian slightly shrank back, the man smirked a bit, "You hold yourselves quite high for the lower legion." His eyes focused on Cassian and Azriel he didn't recognize them. Only the wings. My glamor worked enough I supposed. He didn't even look at me. "Kneel." His voice sent a serge through me, it seemed stronger as Cassian dropped to his knees and Azriel grabbed me, causing me to kneel along with him as a pulse of power shot right over my head, making my hood blow off of my head, I gasped softly as I looked behind us, the trees behind us all had a perfectly cut line throughout at least two dozen trees cut so fast the trees didn't have time to fall.

My heart pounded as I looked back at the man that now stood infront of Cassian, I tensed up as I began to stand, "W-Wait-'' Before I could finished my words a women opened the back door of the cabin showing an older women, she paused for a moment but smiled as she looked at us.

"Oh! Steven, are these your friends?" The man stiffened, his demeanor instantly softening as he smiled at the women, "Ernist! Go back inside, I'm just.. Having a talk." She smiled at him softly, "Oh don't send them away, I never see you talking to anyone in town unless they need help. Come, all of you, I've made dinner." He tensed up, "Really it's not-" her eyes grazed to me and tilted her head, "Aw.. you have a woman in the snow Steven? How rude!" She came out, walking past Cassian and coming to me, offering me her hands, "Come on dear.. You seem freezing.." I looked at the man softly before slowly taking the woman's offering hands, she helped me stand and brushed the snow from my cloak, "Come on Steven, it's alright. There's plenty to go around." The man's eyes shifted to Cassian and Azriel as they slowly stood up, the women leading us into the cabin as Cassian and Azriel followed behind me and then man leering behind them both as we went into the cabin, the man practically slamming the door shut. The older woman let go of my hand as she went to a closet in the room and grabbed something before heading back to me, holding out a different, thicker cloak and I smiled in thanks before bowing my head slightly. The womens eyes shifted to the man, "Steven.. You know you don't need to hold up the act." The man's eyes snapped to the women, his glamor fazed again. My eyes snapped to hers as well, "I know that you are of fae Steven, as are your friends. You are all safe. And welcome here." My heart pounded as the man shook his head slightly looking at the women, "Ernist.. When.." Her smile widened as she went up to him and cupped her hand on his cheek, "You're a sweet and honest man, Steven. Whether or not that is your name or not, Steven is what I'll call you. Fae or not, you are my friend. And your friends are safe here." She looked at me softly, "Even you little fae." I blushed softly as the man's eyes shifted to mine.

I froze for a moment but I looked away looking at the women and I took a short deep breath before my eyes dulled and I stumbled back and fell onto the small couch, my bright white hair fell down to the length of my back. And Cassian and Azriel's bodies and wings showing true. The man's expression lurched as he looked at them.. And his eyes shifted too. His glamor shifted.

"Cauldron.." His voice seemed to break, his once normal green eyes now piercing with their vibrant color. "Cassian.." He looked at him, his eyes shifting to the other side, "Azriel.." Cassian and Azriel both took a deep breath, their wings tucking in as they went up to him but the man punched both of them in the center of their chests, "What in the hells are you two doing here?" His shocked expression shifted to anger, the old woman only smiled before leaving the room. The two of them looked at him, I stepped forward, I could feel every step taking more energy from me then I had. "I-I brought them here." His eyes shifted to me and I went to speak but my feet stumbled under me and I fell into darkness.