Shadow Princess

Chapter Sixteen: A Mindless Illusion

Julius stands behind Callista and Jacob, as he speaks to her in a low tone. For the pass five hours, Callista has refused to speak, even for a moment. Julius remembers the feel of her against him, his lips pressed against hers. He inwardly sighs at himself, the pathetic feeling that now circulates within him. The dark path beside the mountain kept them hidden, until the shadows dispersed under the light of morning. It has been five days since they left Silver City, trekking through a pack on the hunt for his blood.

The clouds above them shuddered and rumbled, light flashing through the skies. Julius and the males watch it with intensity as storms are never good news. Callista starts murmuring quietly to Jacob, answering questions without letting any of them know what happened at the Fae club. The horses were left behind at the infirmary tents by Granite City, as they ran for their life. That put a damper on things as well, the favor Julius and Davis had to provide to get those horses. Another story for another time. The sky opened and started to pour, leaving Callista shivering. The trees on their left swayed with the wind, dripping with rain.

"Now its storms?" Davis mutters from beside him, his brown eyes taking in the dark sky. The clouds rolled in, covering the morning sky.

"Apparently," Julius says, "but we have to keep going. The Kingdom Road should be about an hour away if we are lucky."

Jacob looks back at him, his eyes weary as Callista speaks to him. Julius tries to not overhear, hoping to not set her off. Last night was a mistake, no putting it lightly. He could not have feelings for her because of what he did and what he is about to do. He looks away, focusing on the path before them, the trees disappearing on their left all together. He nods to himself, the surroundings becoming more familiar. The Kingdom Road will take the straight to the gate of Outlaw Village. The path merged into sand as they get closer to the rocky road.

Callista stops answering him, her lips pulling into a frown as she takes in the surroundings. The tress dispersed all together, leaving them in an empty plain, with path heading east. She stops, forcing the others to as well. The rain never let up, the lightning flashing across the plain, lighting it up. Her eyes sparked with familiarity, but Julius frowns and shakes his head.

"I-" she starts, but cuts herself off, unsure of herself.

"What?" Keiser questions, "Have you been here before?" His voice is filled with sarcasm and he's mocking her. Callista doesn't spare him a glance but continues to take in the surroundings. Keiser's eyes darken with rage at the dismiss he got. He strides forwards and yanks on her arm, whirling her to face him.

"Do not ignore me," he snarls softly, still loud enough for all of them to hear. Julius shut down every emotion that goes through him, the hand on the arm his trigger. He calms down, the red tint of anger receding. "You do not want to make me an enemy, Callista."

With a burst of hatred that blossomed in her eyes, she quickly snaps her arms back. "I don't give a shit. I am already facing a time limit, aren't I?"

Jacob hangs his head, and Julius now understands why he kept looking back at him. Davis and Keiser look pissed off, his hand darting forward and grabbing her neck. He brings her closer, her legs flailing as he is nose to nose with her. He bares his fangs at her, enhancing her scent of fear.

"Stop," came her voice, but it came out choked. Her silver eyes meet Julius's, pleading at him to stop. "Julius, please."

Keiser lets out a sharp laugh, his eyes looking over his shoulder to meet his. "Julius, are you going to help this damsel in distress?"

He scoffs, sending a signal of doubt through her. "Of course not, but I can take over."

Keiser looks back at Callista, her hair now sticking to her face from the rain. "Be aware of who you trust. This one is the reason your friend and you little dog are dead," he pauses, "Well, your friend would be, if you weren't on the phone."