Ileus: The Dark Prince

They all turned to see Anastasia, and gasped collectively with shock. They all froze as they watched her with wonder in their eyes. A few seconds later, they all flew to her and bowed to her. "Greetings, Goddess Anastasia!" the man said in a melodious voice. "We came to warn you."

Goddess? Anastasia's brows creased with puzzlement. "Who are you?" she asked in a very low voice. "And how do you know me?" 

"We are fae of this realm, Your Highness," said the man and bowed again. "And we came to know of your presence the moment you stepped in our realm. It took a long time to find you." He rose and then flew to her eye level. "Please accept our prayers. It will give you the strength to survive in this world." 

Anastasia stared at the tiny man with tanned skin. Did he mean that the exceptional amount of power she was experiencing was because of the offerings? A shaky breath left her. "I— I am not a goddess. I am— I am—" 

"We know everything about you oh divine one," said the man. "You belong to the ancient bloodline of pure bloods. We have been waiting for your arrival ever since we heard the prophecy. You are a god… our god." 

"You are mistaken," she rasped. 

He said, "Child of sky, child of earth, you shall know no peace till you know your birth." 

"My birth?" Anastasia was flabbergasted. How could they refer to her as a goddess when she was just a princess? Her mind scrambled for logic, for answers as her body lined with goosebumps. And what about her birth? If they knew everything about her, then what was this mystery? 

The man continued, "Please keep accepting our offerings. Every offering is going to make you powerful. The more, the better." Saying that he snapped his fingers and they all disappeared. 

Anastasia gaped at the events that just took place. Hundreds of questions bounced around in her head. When she came in, her eyes met the golden ones of her husband that were twinkling with a semblance of exhilaration. She went to sit next to him and he pulled her closer to him. "I heard what they said," he said in a soft voice, cupping her cheeks. He always knew there was something special about her. "And I am honored to be your mate." 

"Did you hear the words he spoke about my birth? What did he mean?" she asked. 

He shook his head. "I don't know." 

In the afternoon it was decided that they would move away from Ixoviya because it was apparent that Maple was following them in that direction. In the wake of the events that took place in Ixoviya in which Sedora was thrown out and Caleb ascended the throne, their path was predictable. 

The group moved southwest. Ileus' agitation was becoming evident with his growing silence. They camped inside the deep forest several hours after the sun had set. The weather was cool and Ileus wasn't speaking much except offering her food, but as she sprawled on the grass under a starless night, he came beside her and the next thing she knew was that she woke up on his chest. They barely slept for a few hours when they saddled the horses and traveled southwest, deeper into the jungle. She didn't know how long they had traveled but it was still night. Suddenly from the corner of her eyes she saw something hanging in the trees on her right. She thought it was a figment of imagination and she closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, she saw something hanging again from the trees on her right. 

The limbs of vampires that they had slayed a few days back were hung on branches of trees tied in ropes, at regular intervals. Her stomach knotted and her heart plummeted. Ileus' arm tightened around her waist and that was the first anxious reaction she felt from him for the first time in many days. She could sense the tension that had built in his muscles when they became rigid. 

"We need to go back," said Kaizan in a low voice. 

Ileus nodded and they turned quietly. 

She scanned the trees on her right. The putrid smell was overwhelming. She could hear the buzzing of flies. She saw something hanging from the trees again—round orbs that looked like— 

Oh gods! 

Those were heads of the vampires tied in ropes and hung in a line. 

"Ileus?" She said shakily. "Do you remember these?" 

"Yes." 

"We killed them four days back, but very far from here." 

"Al," Kaizan called him in a low voice. 

"I know," he snapped. "Do you have your dagger, Anastasia?" he asked.

She heard him pulling out his dagger. With one hand he held it on the side of Lovac while with the other, he held her closely. "I do." 

"Pull your sword out of the saddlebag." 

As she pulled her sword silently, she heard soft snaps of others drawing their weapons. The air became thick with coppery smell. Magic. 

"Are there more rogue vampires?" she asked. 

"I don't think vampires would decorate trees with their own, sweetheart," he replied and her heart skipped a beat after hearing him call her sweetheart in a long time. "I think Maple and her people are around. This is a warning for us that they are not far." 

Anastasia's breath hitched as her throat became dry. 

"Yes, sweetheart, I am going to keep the invisibility spell around us." 

"Why don't you burst into mist?" she asked. 

"Because that is a sure sign I am here with you. Now keep your sword steady. If you see them, kill them first, think later." 

She bit her bottom lip and then tightened her hold around her sword. "I will." 

A second later Kaizan shouted. "Ileus!" In a heartbeat, Ileus clasped his hand around her and snagged her to the left. She heard something whizzing past her arm. Her head whipped to the right as a white beam of light hit the rope on which the heads were hung and came down with a branch. 

"They are in the front!" Guarhal shouted. "In the trees!" 

"Shit!" Ileus growled and then kicked Lovac on the side. The horse took off at a great speed. "Swords!" He shouted. Magic crackled everywhere. Darla jumped from her horse and shifted and so did Kaizan. They charged in the front along with Seashell. 

Ileus guided Lovac past all of them as he pressed Anastasia on the horse to cover her completely. A bolt of white beam hit him and he fell from the horse, skidding several feel away from Lovac.

Lovac reared. 

"Ileus!" she shouted as her heart pounded. She gripped the reins to stop him. 

Ileus got up to his feet. Anastasia's body froze at the big wound on his left shoulder. There was blood on his white shirt. Angst exploded in her heart. Her lips quivered as she tried her best to soothe herself. 'He would survive that wound. He will.' 

A beam of white light again whizzed past her and Lovac lost control. He reared again and she could no longer control him. She slipped down. "Ileus!" she shouted. Strong arm caught her before she touched the ground surrounding her with his warmth. 

Suddenly the air was filled with the same stench, as the one in Zor'gan.