** When their beloved mistress is murdered, a white raven and a black fox embark on a journey for revenge. Will the brave familiars manage to recover the stolen heart in time - or would they lose themselves? **
"Sometimes love is
what drives you to...
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Side by side, they crept through the black lilies. Shiny, dark flower heads bent under their steps, but not a single one was bent. Instead, the flowers dodged the nature spirits, allowing them to move forward eerily effortlessly.
Moments ago, they had discussed the final details of their plan, and now their hearts no longer rested in the box. Cian had freed them from their prison, and now they could breathe, whisper, and seduce.
But the two nature spirits could no longer be distracted from their goal.
They reached an intricate gateway made of black, sparkling stone that glittered and shone like a sky. But it lacked Cian's blue-black hair and dark eyes; instead, there was something menacing about the whole scene.
The heart of Prince Thrindar pulsed in Cian's hand. Lir held herself close to him so that she, too, was enveloped in the magical aura of the Lord of Deception.
Cian whispered soft pleas and commands to the heartstone... and Thrindar's magic obeyed.
Shadows wafted at the entrance to the palace, little more than loose mists of night, but Cian and Lir passed through this first barrier unseen and unnoticed. They seemed barely noticeable, like blurred darkness on a pale night.
The diamond with the glass veins in Cian's hand felt just as cool and smooth as when he first touched it, and all too easily, it whispered its wishes into the ear of the dead prince's magic... almost as if the fox wasn't using the heart, but the other way around.
But Lir was at his side, holding his hand and not letting him go. Her determination was as much an anchor for him as his iron will to save Heilyn's life.
The golden glow of Darianth's heartstone wavered in his companion's delicate fingers. The Prince of Greed and Desire could still be a valuable helper to them, for when you broke into a palace entirely of Fey, you never knew what to expect.
Cian and Lir crept crouched through a courtyard overgrown with shimmering bluish moonflowers. They nestled at the feet of the imposing castle, forming whole hedges on the sides of the main path made of dark stone slabs and stretching long tendrils like fingers up the dark masonry. Higher up, they covered small balconies, pretty bay windows, and twisted spiral towers. A delicate light emanated from the flowers, and the color of the leaves seemed to move as if moonlight was falling on water. An astonishingly beautiful sight that only the dark night revealed.
Suddenly, two broad-shouldered, tall figures appeared at the sides of the labyrinthine vegetation. It was too late to duck, so Cian froze, and Lir also stopped beside him.
Two guards approached them at a leisurely pace. They were clad in light armor and moon-white cloth, making their pale skin appear darker despite the lack of daylight.
They were not fey, and Cian could not place what race these creatures belonged to, but when he met the gaze of the two beings, a cold shiver ran down his spine. The pupils of the soldiers were dull and white as if someone had stolen their color and, thus, their life.
