Chapter 17 - Prey
Nesrin
I watched as they tied Apollo up. I watched as he was forced to run behind the beast I now knew to be a Nightrider. I waited long enough for them to move up the path before defending further down onto the forest and trying to track them down the path.
I forced the air beneath my feet to move me fast as possible as I moved forward. It was harder to use my magic here. Dark magic ruled this realm, and using my regular magic was more straining as the energy of this place seemed to suffocate it.
"We should shift," Ahmes suggested again. But doing so was too risky. I couldn't conceal our presence if we shifted. And now the concealment potion was almost conflated out of my system soon. I wouldn't even be able to hide my magic either.
Chapter 18 - SourceNesrinI pushed my magic into my palms, blasting air directly into the Commanders chest. He flew off of me with a cry as he slammed into a tree. The tree broke in half at the impact. I wanted to admire how far I had managed to throw the Vampire but didn't have time as I rushed to my feet.I turned and ran once again, forcing my limbs to move as fast as possible. Suddenly a hand gripped my braid, and I was flung backwards through the air. I screamed in fear as I flailed through the air like a ragdoll. A shadowed figure floated above me, and in the next second, their hand was on my chest, and I was plummeting faster towards the ground. I forced my magic around me, the air forming a shield between me and the ground as I tried to soften the blow.
Chapter 19 - Caged Apollo The cages smelt like piss and shit. Whatever beasts and beings they had captured during the trek through the South weresnarling and groaning as we passed. Claws, partially shifter arms, and bloodied hands reached for us through the gaps of the bars. Viggo continued to push me through the stench and past the cages that somehow managed to contain those monsters. The smell faded slightly as we moved further down the line. The beings encased in these cages were quieter and curled into themselves. Most had their backs turned to the bars. They had more human-like features, and we're most likely shifters and other beings that were banished here. "Don't stare at any of the others if you wish to wake in the morning," Viggo instructed as we stopped in front of the last cage
Chapter 20 - Royal BloodNesrinSleep had finally caught up with me before early morning. The Commander hadn't slept in his tent, but that didn't make me feel any safer. I fought off the heaviness of my eyes until they finally claimed me. When I woke, I was covered in thick furs. My cloak and pack were resting against a chair by the burning fire.My stomach turned at the thought of how easy it would have been for him to kill me. How easy it would have been for the Commander to drain me dry, and I wouldn't have realized or had enough energy to fight him off.But he hadn't done that. Instead, he had kept to his word. and I wasn't sure what to do with the information. Was he an ally, or was he just trying to buy my trust so he could take what he wanted?
Chapter 21 - RunApolloWe were escorted from the throne room, from hell. Actually, I was pretty sure the King of the underworld had more dignity than this male ever did.It took everything in me not to lung at him just for the way he eyed Nesrin up. Like she was a fucking snack he couldn't wait to devour. I was sure if I still had my wolf, I would have snapped, unable to hold him back. But, even without him, I still had this primal need to protect Nesrin. I noticed it before all of this, but I kept pushing it down. I might have even considered choosing her as my mate if things were different.But who was I kidding? If things were different, I would have never lost my wolf, and I would have joined the royal guards and probably never had a chance to meet he
Chapter 22 - SurvivalNesrinThe world around us was utter chaos. I was frozen in place. My mind was blank. All the training we had done over the last year vanished in this moment of pure and utter panic.I braced myself for the impact of fangs ripping into my flesh. But instead, I was pushed out of the Vampire King's grasp. My eyes locked on Apollo; I couldn't move, couldn't think."Nesrin, run," Apollo shouted. His voice snapped me out of whatever spell my fear seemed to be casing over me. The enraged growl of the Vampire king shook the ground.I looked at the King and then Apollo. His eyes pleaded for me to flee, to get out of this mess and survive this hell we had now found ourselves
Chapter 23 - BeastsNesrinThree days. We had been stuck in this forest for three days. Heading in some random direction. Without my compass and not knowing where the portal had to spit us out, we were blind.Without any actual food and water, we were weak. I shifted when I could, but it was also a huge risk. Ahmes made our scent all that easier to track. The dark magic clung to us like a second layer of skin and made it even harder to use our own magic to help us.We were reduced to reserving our magic and had to hunt for our food without it.My feet were raw from walking barefoot, and the dress I had fled in was hardly enough to keep me warm as we walked through the rugged terrain. So far, the only saving grace was that we hadn't encountered any creatures
Chapter 24 - LiveApolloPain, fear, and utter exhaustion, it was all I felt before I collapsed. Pain from where the beast tried to strike a killing blow. Fear for what would have happened if I didn't kill it before passing out. Fear for what would have happened to Nesrin if it still lived. Exhaustion because I pushed well past my limits to protect Nesrin.But now, I felt nothing. Now I felt like I was now floating in a pool of darkness, numb to the world around me. Numb to the guilt and regret I had been harbouring all these years.Everything felt so much easier, calmer, in the dark abyss surrounding me. I could stay here forever. I hadn't felt this free and weightless in a long time. I felt almost happy, safe, but something was missing. An empty space seemed to fill the spot where my beating heart shou
Chapter 25 - ShadowsNesrinIt's a strange feeling, being stuck between two realities, teetering on the edge of life and death. One reality was filled with promises of freedom, happiness, and never-ending possibilities. The other was filled with truths, twisted fates, and choices that would taint one's soul beyond redemption.I could hear the faint whispers of both places. The power of one's pull shifted constantly. I felt no pain here, but I also felt no peace. It was as if I was stuck in a dream I couldn't wake from.I could hear shadows whispering around me as I floated in the black abyss that seemed to cover me. The air was cold, and if I had a body, I knew it would have been frozen.The only sensation that seemed to change was the