The True Queen- Book Two

Chapter Thirty-Two: Illyana

We wake early and start our journey again. We don't move too fast. There is no need to. We will be back in the city by the end of the day. A smile fills my face when I see the familiar towers of red stone across the flat desert that marks the points back to the city. Still, this place amazes me. The sun is cool as the winter fast approaches yet it sill illuminates the burning orange towers of stone and the mountains in the far distance in a spectacular golden glow. A long sigh leaves my mouth and Kai looks over. He smiles when he sees my expression.

"I shouldn't have come here," I tell him. "because now I don't want to leave." He chuckles.

"These lands are special," he says, agreeing with me. "But they aren't the only places in Vivelle that are beautiful. Soon, it will all be yours." My heart flutters with a mixture of excitement at the prospect and with joy at Kai's belief in me.

"Let's hope your people agree to follow me," I sigh and stroke Razan's fur. Nishka and Kai move closer to me and Kai leans over to whisper in my ear.

"I don't think you have to worry about that," he tells me. I smile, feeling that familiar flutter in my stomach.

"You think so?" I ask.

"Yeah," he replies. We fall into silence as we enter a valley of sorts. The atmosphere after last nights admissions has been a strange mix of tense awkwardness, but also a pleasant acceptance and understanding. Having to hide my feelings and relationship with Kai less has lifted a weight of both our shoulders and though we know it could still be dangerous for both of us, we aren't willing to give it up. I sigh as I look back at the valley. The gap between the sides of the walls of stone is large. Allowing us to easily all walk in a straight line, not that we do. Though ground beneath our feet is just as flat as the last few days of our journey. The wolves easily walk around the scruffy bushes of the red potato and dryweed bushes that grow randomly throughout these lands. Around us, great monuments of stone rise into the sky. Their cliff faces sheer with spectacular layers of different coloured and textured red and orange stone. They are so large, they they cast shadows over us. Stesha shouts and it echoes. Hali laughs and slaps him, telling him to shut up. A strange feeling falls into the pits of my stomach and Razan stops walking, his head lifting up and his ears pointing. Nishka has also stopped and her ears flick as she listens. I look at Kai. His eyes are looking around at the rock faces that surround us.

Suddenly, they don't feel as friendly.

The other wolves have also stopped, picking up the same thing that our wolves do. A tense silence falls over our group and I can feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest. Hands rest on weapons as the wolves begin to start slowly walking again. Razan is alert though. I can feel it through our bond. A long wine leaves his mouth, echoing the nervousness and unease everyone can feel. Something definitely isn't right. I glance as Una. Lucian's bright blue eyes are scanning the rocks, his ears twisting and twitching at every sound. She already has her sword drawn and resting in her lap. She looks at me, her jaw clenched. Lucian begins to get closer to me and Razan. I frown at her.

"I have a feeling," she begins, "that if anything is there waiting to attack, you're the target..." she tells me. Karn is also getting closer to me on the back of Nyxa and I can see Kai making gestures to the rest of the group. Hali looks back at me, her face paling as her wolf slows down so I can get closer. My breaths are loud in my ears as my hands come to rest on the hilt of my sword. A whistling rings through the air. I let out a huff as Razan tenses beneath me before jumping high and snapping the arrow out of the air with his mouth. Had he not jumped, that arrow would have been in my chest. Razan drops the snapped arrow to the ground, lifts his head and howls. 

Chaos ensues. Arrows begin flying from all directions. I let out a scream as one skims my arm. Razan jumps barks, his ears pinning back and his muzzle pulling from his teeth as he lets out a low growl. He moves sharply, knocking me off his body before stepping over me protectively, using his body as a shield. Other wolves have done the same to their Lupine. Kintara Wolves, once bonded to their Lupine, are indestructible near enough. They only get hurt if their Lupine does or by another wolf. So, the wolves all form a protective circle around us. I huddle against Una as Lucian pushes her into the circle. My sword is drawn now and I can taste the salt from my sweat as I lick my dry lips.