Ileus: The Dark Prince

With the rain pounding on the outside, and fire on the inside, the small cave that they had found today was comfortable. Autumn was giving way to the winters, Kaizan had informed. There was chill in the air up here in the mountains. A few days back he had gone away for a long time after he had almost locked her in a small cave by closing the mouth with a boulder he had rolled single-handedly. He had gone in the afternoon and returned just before nightfall. And after that he had directed her to only go up the mountains. The slopes were inclined sharp and Anastasia didn't know as to why was Kaizan only taking them up, but she had no other choice than to follow him.

The vokudlak didn't allow her to walk even if she wanted to. He would shift in his wolf form and make her sit on his broad, strong back and take her up. 

Tonight, they were sitting in this small cave, taking a rest after a long day. They found this cave when evening was giving way to the night. It was a shallow cave with a low ceiling that was covered with moss, on the side of a ledge. 

Night had come early because of the cloud cover. The temperature had gone down and thunder grumbled in the distance. 

Anastasia took a deep breath and then got up to lie down on the fur pelt that Kaizan had made for her. She stared into the crackling fire and they reminded her of someone's eyes… She tried to curl but these days her body was feeling tight, very tight. Her breasts were swollen and her tummy was tighter than ever. For the first few days she had vomited a lot, but after that she adjusted and she stopped vomiting. Life had become so… monotonous. There was no purpose. She had tucked her wings so strictly behind her back that she didn't want to open them, didn't want to fly with them, and the vokudlak never encouraged her to fly. She peered at him and then closed her eyes, the exhaustion of the day setting in. Soon, she drifted off to sleep. 

Kaizan shifted back to his human form and covered her with another fur pelt that he had made today. After that, he walked outside in the pounding rain, rolled the boulder he had marked long back and covered the cave's mouth. He shifted back in his wolf form and went to lie beside Anastasia to warm her further with his fur. He pulled her closer to him and placed his paw on her fur. A tear rolled out of his left eye. 

It had been a month since Anastasia had plunged the Evindal sword in Iona. No one knew that the repercussions would be so serious. As soon as she had plunged it, she had begun to pass out. Ileus had caught her in his hands before she fell to the ground and he along with Darla had darted to her. 

Haldir had grabbed Etaya by hair and pulled her back inside the Kralj Palace. There was no sign of Aed Ruad. Dmitri had rushed to Adrianna who was mourning the loss of their daughter and Ileus was looking shocked. His face was etched with the same pain that he had seen more than a year back when he was in Vilinski, seeing Anastasia married off to Aed Ruad. It was the pain of permanent loss that he anticipated. "Anastasia!" he shouted. 

Kaizan could feel the shudder in his body and panic registered in his mind when suddenly Anastasia began fading. It was as if her body turned into grains of golden glitter and fell on… him. The next moment he found himself getting sucked out of that place. He shouted Ileus' name, he shouted for help, he felt Ileus grasping him as if wanting to come with them, but only he found himself with Anastasia in someplace of the world… of the Lore… Somewhere deep in the jungles. She was lying unconscious next to him, her wings sprawled limply and her skin pale like a ghost. 

Shock flitted through him as he ran around and shouted Ileus' name again and again, but only heard snarls and growls of wild beasts. Panic crept up his throat making it hard for him to believe what had happened in a few seconds. But right now, his primal protective instincts had flared. He had picked up Anastasia and rushed to the nearest spot of safety—a small cave in a crevice of a mountain. 

Over the next few days, Kaizan would run wild everywhere to understand what happened. Anastasia had forgotten everything, her memories washed away like waters washing the sands of the beach. She would look at him with those sapphire eyes that had so many questions, and his heart would fill with pure anguish. He knew that Anastasia was pregnant, and he knew that he had to keep her safe, had to somehow find a way out of this place, and had to find Ileus. 

The girl had just proclaimed her kingdom back, she had defeated the worst enemy of the Lore, Etaya, and now… now when it was time to reap the benefits of her efforts, she was thrown in this wilderness for the girl who she saved from the dark spirits, for the girl who was kidnapped because of her… The irony was not wasted on him. Somehow the fate of these two girls was intertwined. 

Kaizan, over the next few days had come to terms with the frustration, with the raging madness in him for the sake of Anastasia. He had to because he had to keep her baby safe. Her baby was the heir of so many kingdoms. 

He lifted his head to see if she was comfortable. She seemed to curl in the warmth of the fur and fire. Satisfied, he closed his eyes and then drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow he will resume the steep ascent. It was important that they reach there. 

------

When Iona opened her eyes next, she found herself in a small tent, covered in a bedroll. Pine and mist smell swept her senses and she knew that the man was somewhere around. There was a brazier burning directly in front of her. She lifted her head and groaned as it pounded with pain. Suddenly, those green eyes once again came into her view and she found herself singing. She drank his features—a large male with intense green eyes. His shell-colored horns were curled back against his dark hair. He was big, with broad shoulders and sensuous lips that looked firm and soft. He looked fearsome and terrifyingly... handsome. 

"How are you?" he asked with a worry in his tone. His warmth was exuding out of his chest. He stared at her intensely. 

She could barely speak. Her throat was parched and lips cracked. He got up and rushed to pour water for her from the pitcher. He helped her sit up a little and made her drink it. Iona gulped the whole glass down, coughed a bit and then rested back on the pillow. After sucking in a deep breath, in a hoarse voice, she whispered, "I am… better." Yes, she was better than what she was on the cold, frosty grass. And why was she feeling as if she was naked?