Melody of Blood and Night

Sixteen

"That would be madness." A voice called out from behind them. They whirled around, only to find the Prince and his brother standing there.

"It's a chance you shouldn't take." The boy-prince spoke. In the dark, she couldn't gauge his expression, only the startling paleness that plagued him.

Zaivian on the other hand, shuffled nervously, scuffing his feet in the sand, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He looked like he would give a hand and a leg to be anywhere but here.

"Why are you still here?" Caelan jeered, glaring daggers at the Royal brothers.

"Not by choice." The Crown Prince muttered under his breath, just loud enough for them to hear.

"You-" Caelan began, nostrils flaring, taking a step towards Zaivian, chest puffed out.

But the boy-Prince intervened, hands extended, palms facing him, "-What he means to say, is that we can help each other out. I know of a way around The Pass of Orix." Kaius said.

"You mean going around the Twin Mountains, through Thelis and then to Adreynia. It would take us months on foot." Aedlyn said coldly. "No. There is another way. I can show you." The boy-prince revealed.

"Why would you help us? Because if I remember correctly, you did try to kill us." Caelan probed, eyes narrowed accusingly, hands crossed. Kaius paused, dipping his head, "Because...because we can't go back. She-" his voice cracked.

Zaivian stepped up behind him, squeezing his brother's shoulder, "-She will have us killed on sight. We must save Caestros. Esmain has fallen, we can't let the same fate befall Adreynia and Thelis. We just wish to accompany you. Then we can go our separate ways."

Aedlyn stood with her hands folded across her chest, listening to what the boy-Prince had to say, eyes trained onto the ground, forehead puckered in thought. She felt their stares resting on her.

"Alright." She said after a moment.

"Are you seriously going to do this!? He tried to kill us for crying out loud! What's to say he won't try to do so again!?" Caelan burst out.

"We do not have another option, Caelan. They are just a means to an end." Aedlyn finished darkly, shooting the brothers a shadowy look, conveying a dire warning.

Kaius nodded, "Let's go then, before....." he trailed off, nervously glancing at the body lying on the sand.

"This way." Ghislaine, who had remained silent all this time, spoke, beckoning for them to follow her.

They proceeded to grab the leather satchels and bags that Caelan and Ghislaine had packed while Aedlyn sheathed her sword, fastening the baldric across her waist. "Are you sure we must find the healer, Ghislaine?" She asked while picking up a mud-coloured cross bag from the heap.

"Ghislaine?" She questioned again when she received only silence as her answer, shoving the things that had fallen out, back inside.

"Going somewhere, sister?"

Fear formed a lump in her throat as her heart sank to her stomach. She almost couldn't bring herself to look up, but lifted her head, slowly. What she saw fuelled the terror festering inside her further.

It was indeed her Aerilyn, holding her blade, no longer engulfed in flames, but obsidian hued nonetheless. 'Ravensteel,' she realised with sickening dread.

"Let her go." Aedlyn demand. Aerilyn laughed, eyes glinting with mockery, "Always with such preposterous demands. You know I cannot do that."

"Yes, you can. It is me that you want."