When hearts meet

Chapter 22 ~ ancient views

Men stared at her, gawked at her, ran away from her. The smells of desire and fear mixed together crept inside her nose and she couldn't help but smile her iron teeth bare.

But she had to hurry, so Manon increased pace as she almost flew through the streets of Velaris, ignoring the people watching her. Normally she would have taken her time to walk through this extravagant city, inhaling all the smells. But now--not now.

She barged up the stairs, glaring at everyone who even dared cross her path. A whirlwind of white and silver was what Manon was as she rushed up the stairs, her strong legs carrying her easily.

She knocked on the door, harder than was needed. "Come on ancient one." She snapped as it took a whole minute for the door to open.
Amren leaned in the door opening, her hair liquid onyx. Reminding her of a bastard Demi Fae.

"What is it?! How dare you interrupt my meal?" Amren barked, glaring up, up, up at Manon. The queen of the witches inhaled and smiled. "Lamb, again? Do you slaughter them yourself? Or did you turn lazy over the years?"

Amren gave her a smile that meant death. Manon gave her the death grin in return. "Why make my own hands dirty when I have people who do it for me?" She said, her red lips curling in a devilish smirk.
"Why are you here?"

Manon's eyes turned serious and she swirled around. "You have to come to the House of Wind. It's an emergency."
Manon was halfway down the stairs when Amren hissed: "What sort of emergency? Can I eat first? Take a nap?! It's midnight, Manon."

"Bryaxis returned. He's asking for you."

                               ~

The Ravens were ravenous as they plummeted down from the skies, their eyes sharp and beaks wide open, ready to pick them apart.
She couldn't run, her legs were chained to the ground. She couldn't reach her hands upwards to use her magic, because they were placed in iron gloves. If she used her magic, she'd burn her own skin.

She could only scream hard enough for Brion to hear, but he was oblivious as he walked her way, smile on his face, eyes bright like the stars. "GO AWAY!" She shouted at him, as she knew they'd attack him too. The crows cawed loud and sharp, like the servants of pain. They crashed down, upon Brion instead of her. They picked at his hair, his skin, his eyes--those beautiful loving eyes....

She screamed till her throat bled, she cried till the ground was soaked in her tears. And when the crows finally departed again, all that was left was a bloody, eyeless face--

Ciana slowly opened her eyes, unable to move, paralyzed from fear. She didn't dare look to her side, too scared to see Brion's cold corpse. Too scared...tears trickled down her cheeks but she was frozen and couldn't wipe them away.
Her breathe came out in raspy whimpers and her heart pounded like she was running miles and miles on end.

A shadow hovered over her, and her heart stopped. It took her a full second to realize it was Brion who looked down on her with worry in his eyes.
"Ana? Are you alright?" He whispered, stroking his calloused  thumb over her soft cheek, wiping away the salty tears.
She shook her head, unable to voice her relief that he was still with her, that he was still alive.

He sighed and lifted her up, pulling her against his strong frame, hands on her back and on her head, his fingers tangled in her silver hair. "It's okay, sweetheart. It was just a nightmare." He murmured, his voice infinitely gentle and soft. She'd never heard him speak to her like this--like he would take away the pain if he could.