The Rise of Light (Book 3: Together Forever)

Downfall

Vera's POV

I glanced over at Cloudscale. My love. 

Aurora came prancing up to Zephyr. She was smiling broadly at Zeph. I rushed to her. Wanting to embrace her. My beautiful daughter.

And there was Nightengale. Beautiful and strong as she stood beside her mate. Zephyr rushed towards Nuffink. Night and Falcon landed and were talking giddily. 

My Aunts and Uncles all walked by me as if I wasn't there. As if they couldn't see me.

I wanted them to seem me. I tried roaring at them. Yelling screaming that it was me. That I was here. Right in front of them. That I was safe and sound.

They didn't care. The only noise was the dreadful clanging of a bell. One that repeatedly banged over and over until it was stuck in my mind. It was practically in my ear as I tried desperately to hold onto my family. 

My claws dug into the ground as I woke up. The bell in my dream was actually someone hitting the bars of my cage.

The fireproof chains on my wrists. My ankles. Around my back. The smell of blood smacked me in the face. They had dragged Cloudscale in front of me, after we had been captured, and killed him.

Tears stung my face as I remembered that I would never see him again. He had promised to love me until the day he died, and he had.

The one that should have been my mate was dead. I hissed at the man in front of me. My feet were soaked in water. The cage was opened before my bonds were removed from the wall. Three men grabbed me. They dragged me into the rain before I could so much as try to attack them.

A flash of white scales flooded my view. I craned my head around. I saw the chief walk forward. He wore a pelt of scales. White scales. Nadder scales. I screamed in undiluted fury. He had ordered Cloudscale's death. And now he wore my love's skin like a robe. They wanted the unholy offspring of lightning and death, herself. They wanted the Shadow Demon. Well, they would get her.

Claws sprouted from my fingers faster than a Speed Stinger could hit you. I hit a guard across the throat with my claws, then another. And while the third stood, frozen, I removed his life's blood. Then, I rushed at the chief before anyone could react. He fell quickly. 

An iron grip grabbed my wrist as they all stood stalk still. Their chief was dead. I snarled at them. My face was contorted in complete and utter hate. Daring them to come closer. To try to steal more from me.

I roared again, wordlessly. I looked around at the fear in their eyes. Good. They should know what they've done. I sagged in defeat. I was never getting out of this one.

This was to be my end.

"Shadow Dem-"

"My name... is Vera Haddock," I said.

"You are no Haddock. A Haddock would never slaughter innocents," someone shouted.

"You are no innocents to me. You killed my fiancé. And you will kill me. You will leave my daughter without a mother, and for that, you all deserve to die."

"You are sentenced to death. For the murder of our Chief and three warriors. For treason against your own kind."

"I was born a Night Fury. I have lived as a Night Fury. I will always be a Night Fury. I will never betray my kind."

They dragged me over to the cliffs. The churning waters below seemed to lap greedily at the steep rock-face. The sky flashed with lightning and was quickly followed by thunder.