The Tears • Book Three

Chapter 12- The Claws

Song: This little Girl by Cady Groves

Author's Note: I hope you like my story! Feel free to voice your opinion, ask any questions and point out any mistakes I make.

Nia's POV

I send Chloe out to follow Star's scent as I go through my Hounds and choose which ones I'll bring with me on the hunt. I've mentally decided on the 10 strongest ones, including Balto, and depending on where Star is, I'll bring the right number. When Chloe returns a couple hours later, she is panting slightly. She bows her head to me, informing me,

"Star is at the castle of the Gato Reino Kingdom, along with the two other traitors. I could smell them all." Chloe growls angrily at the thought of them, as do I and all of the other Dark Hounds, since they are bonded strongly to me. I call out to my Hounds,

"I am going to take 20 Dark Hounds with me, and the rest of you will stay here waiting for word from me for if I need backup or not," I turn to look at Lauren, who is standing next to me, and Chloe, who moved back into the crowd, "Chloe, Lauren, you two are my generals. While I am not here, I am leaving you two in charge of the Dark Hounds." Turning back to the Hounds, I order, "Listen to them like you listen to me, unless they purposely go against one of my direct orders. If they do so, you have permission to kill them."

As I pick the 20 I am taking with me, all of my Dark Hounds roar in triumph. I go down on my knees, digging my hands into the earth as below the surface, I craft a magnificent sword made from the best materials. It rises from the ground and I put it across my back in a strap I put there earlier today when preparing for this. I climb onto Balto's back and pull out the sword again, holding it proudly above me as I call out to the other Hounds coming with me,

"Follow me to the castle of Gato Reino, where the traitors dare to hide! Keep them alive for now, we are going to capture them and bring them back here. Then, we kill them!" The Dark Hounds howl out in triumph as Balto starts to run to my sister's castle. She is going to regret keeping those traitors safe.

"Antonia, I have an idea." Balto mentally says to me.

"What's your idea?" I ask, and when he tells me, I smirk evilly at the idea, "Good idea, let's put it in action."

Ivy's POV

A few hours after breakfast, as I sit in my office working on paperwork, my messenger bursts into my office panting heavily with a very frightened look on his face. I stand up and walk over, directing him to a chair. He rests and gets back his breath, and I gulp, asking,

"What's wrong, has something happened?" He breathes deeply before shakily telling me,

"Queen Antonia is outside of the main gate in the courtyard with 20 beasts, and she is demanding you turn over the traitors or she'll attack us." My heart starts to beat erratically as I think of my sister, how she has changed so much. A tear slowly rolls down my cheek as I storm out of my office, going to the armory to put on my golden armor. It's magical and shifts to fit my body when I shift.

Still in the armory, I change into a Siberian tiger and let out a battle roar that only my fighters will understand. They all rush to the armory to put on their own armor and some of them grab bows. I shift back into my human form to speak with them.

"There's an enemy waiting outside our wall. I have summoned you to get ready for a possible war between us and the Shadow Shard Kingdom. I am going to try to talk to Queen Antonia, but I can not promise anything. Her beasts are called Dark Hounds, and are extremely hard to fight. But I will be out there fighting with you if it comes to that. I can only hope it doesn't."