Soulless Mate

Eleven: A Visit

^This is exactly how I pictured Zeron <3

Loved him so much that I covered this picture

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The morning hadn't come soon enough. Reina hadn't slept all night, and she felt her body growling colder and colder until she began to involuntarily shiver. Not good, she'd thought. She wasn't supposed to shiver. Shivering was bad. Shivering reminded her of the water and bathing, and she wanted nothing to do with it.

But Reina hadn't dared to move throughout the night. Next to her, Zeron's mother had been sound asleep. So Reina focused on hearing the female's breathing. It was very relaxing, and for a while, Reina had been lulled to a semi-slumber. But then the dawn came and something evil exploded in the air. Sayora had jerked awake, her dark eyes snapping to Reina to check on her. When she was satisfied that Reina wasn't harmed, she got out of the bed, gathered her robe, and moved around the room. It looked like the female was trying to sense something, and from the way her body tensed up, she was alarmed.

In a few moments, Bertha was called and the castlekeeper got on her knees, looking under the bed where Reina suspected was something evil. But Reina played oblivious and watched the two females with curiosity.

"Seems to be nothing down there, my lady," Bertha said finally, rising to her feet and dusting off her trousers. She didn't look as huge compared to when she wore her full castle clothes. "Must have been in your head."

"I know what I felt, Bertha," Sayora said, still unconvinced. She lowered her voice and gave Bertha a sharp look. "Watch Raymond very closely. Don't let him out of your sight. If Wraythe finds him..."

Bertha's arms flexed slightly. "That won't happen." She looked around the dark room, also sensing the evil in the room. "He's in battle now. If anyone found him, it's the rogues." She said this louder than necessary, and Reina saw some sort of intent in the castlekeeper's face. She was raising her voice deliberately. "Goin' outside is costly, but he's gone out there. He's gone. And when he's gone, he's hard to find. Might as well wait till he decides to come back all by himself."

"And when he comes back, I'll bring in the shamans," Sayora said darkly, her eyes right set right under the bed. A malicious, hateful look twisted on her face. "A cleansing is long overdue, especially in this castle. Even my sons are getting rowdy because of it."

Instantly, the air shifted. Reina thought she was imagining it, but the curtains ruffled and she heard a demonic growl somewhere between the walls. The bed vibrated slightly, and Reina's eyes widened. Sayora quickly moved to her side and pulled her close, telling her to be very quiet. Reina held her breath and watched as the souls on the walls began to drip to the ground. Then the malice in the air was gone, rushing back beneath the bed, and Sayora noticeably relaxed.

"What was that?" Reina whispered.

"Something that shouldn't exist," Sayora replied discreetly. "Don't worry, he won't hurt you."

He?

Bertha shifted, moving toward the doorway. "I'll bring breakfast up here if you'd like," she offered. She wasn't looking at Reina, and Reina suspected she was feeling uncomfortable, judging from what happened last night. Besides the argument with Reina, there was the part with Raymond. From the way Bertha was still holding her arm, her fingers latched on the exact spot where Raymond's demon raked her, Reina knew last night was real.

"That would be nice," Sayora said. "Thank you, Bertha."

The castlekeeper made a grunt of acknowledgment and shut the door behind her.