Tainted Bloodline...🩸

28.

_POV: AT VALMORTH'S CHAMBER_

Dust scattered everywhere, sight foggy and dusty, as Forsythe and the others coughed, struggling to regain their footing.

"What the—"

The pendant, nestled in Forsythe's cape pocket, floated in the air, shining with an array of colors. Forsythe's hand instinctively reached for it, but as his skin made contact, a searing burn forced him to recoil. "Ah..." He hissed, nursing his injured hand.

_POV: AT THE LEGION CLAN'S ASSEMBLY_

"Is she going to be alright, Dad?" Aria sobbed, clinging to her mother's hand. King Lyrad's shoulders fell, his expression etched with worry and uncertainty.

Queen Zephyrine's gaze snapped to the chest box Lax placed at the room's center.

"What's that?"

Lax stepped forward. "We found it... we think it might help with the trace." He paused, examining the box. "It has a keyhole, but no key."

Nimue's voice came almost immediately like she had been rehearsing

"Mum, Dad, everyone... I-i have a confession to make."

Nimue's head fell, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I found this boy... not too long ago... he was captured by Callisto."

Her parents' eyes widened, and her mother's grip on her hand tightened.

"Haven't I warned you—" Queen Zephyrine began, but Nimue interrupted.

"I was saving someone, okay?! I didn't only feel the need to save him, but felt drawn to him... like he called out to me."

Lord Xoray's commanding voice cut through the tension. "Who's this boy?"

"Asher..." Nimue replied.

King Finnan leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

"So what about this boy? Is he werewolf... vamp... fairy... wizard?"

Nimue shook her head. "I don't think he's either... he was brought to Tenebrous by Callisto... not for feast, but for something else."

Her eyes scanned the room, her voice laced with sadness. "I've been practicing wielding my magic, and I'd sense when something's off... but in his case... Asher... Asher didn't perceive as human nor supernatural. When I touched his face..."

Aria recalled, "I could only see darkness... pure darkness, and I felt nothing coming from him."

"I think he's tied to all of this," Lax said.

Before Lord Valios could respond, Lord Xoray intervened.

"We had never thought to know if Valmorth might be ahead of us, did we?" His fingers tapped the throne seat.

The room fell silent, the weight of Lord Xoray's words hanging in the air.

"What if he's actually the one we're looking for, and Forsythe already has him?"

"W-what?... You think Asher's the Forbidden?" Nimue's brow furrowed.

Lord Xoray remained silent, his expression unreadable.

"Well, we can't just stand here..." Queen Ayla spoke up, her hand intertwined with her husband's.

"But what about Queen Lyrebird?" Nimue's eyes flashed with concern.

_POV: AT VALMORTH'S CHAMBER_

Forsythe burst through the broken wall, fog swirling around him. "Where is he?!" he yelled, frantically scanning the empty slab.

Valmorth followed, equally alarmed. "Find him!" Forsythe's voice echoed off the walls.

_POV: THE VISION_

Imara's grief consumed her. By a river, far from Tenebrous but within its borders, her life flashed before her eyes. Death beckoned, but an inner power stayed her hand – not her baby, Nabril, but the swirling energy within.

One fateful night, hiding in a cave with Nabril, Imara overheard a group discussing:

"This is the Veil," the first man said.

"Cool!" a younger, timid voice replied.

"Remember, it separates us from the human world," the older man explained. "They must never know of our existence. This Veil can only be broken by a powerful, combined force... else nothing."

"Why are you showing me this?" the younger voice asked.

"Lord Forsythe wants to ensure no supernatural escapes," the man replied. "We're searching for a lady... I heard he and his gang torched her hideout and killed her husband, but she survived."

"Aww, poor thing..."

"We need to guard this place and watch for anything strange," the man cautioned.

"Strange?" the younger voice scoffed. "Why does Lord Forsythe need her, anyway?"

"It's none of our business," the older man warned. "Stick to the plan and avoid trouble, Jeff."

Imara listened intently, crawling closer...

To be continued...