Chapter 55
ELARA’S POV
I perched on the bed, a wrinkled jumble of fabric and sobs. Clara was gathering my belongings with cheeks streaked by tears, murmuring a gentle mournful melody.
In spite of my appeals, Ronan continued to demand that I depart. Could I fault him? It was entirely my responsibility…I hadn’t been truthful with him, I actually guided Darius into his pack and he endured immense hardship due to me.
Simply due to me, everything he provided was affection and empathy and I…I couldn’t even return the favor.
An hour afterward, Kael rapped on the door. “Time to go.” He stated, his tone a deep vibration that provided scant comfort to my broken spirit. I assented wordlessly.
Glancing at Clara I exhaled. “You don’t need to accompany me, Clara. This consequence is mine to endure solo.”
She grinned sorrowfully, “I was directed to trail you wherever regardless of the destination, Miss Elara. This is my consequence as well, not solely yours.”
My chest throbbed at her statement. I couldn’t fathom that I was causing blameless individuals to endure on account of my recklessness.
I realized she wouldn’t yield so I chose to cease. “Okay,” I replied, compressing my mouth into a narrow stripe. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” She grinned, then shifted to the note that rested on my table. “Shall we compose something for Martha?”
“Perhaps a farewell message?”
“Yeah,” she assented.
“Okay. Grant me a few moments.” I approached the table and extracted an empty sheet of parchment along with a quill and pigment. Jotting down a handful of phrases, I penned a farewell note to Martha and expressed gratitude for all she’d done. Clara was correct, I ought to at minimum inform Martha.
Once I finished, I passed the note to Clara who hurried to assist in sending it. Kael returned once more to look in on me.
“Elara-”
“Just grant me a few moments. I needed to handle something crucial.”
He released an exhale. “Okay. I get it.”
A short while later, Clara returned, panting heavily. “I’ve handed it to the courier. He understands the task.”
I rose from my bed and moved toward her, resting a palm on her shoulder. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
As we exited my chamber and then the palace, the murmurs of servants trailed us, most appeared pleased, whereas others merely shook their heads in sympathy.
I positioned myself beside the awaiting coach, I pivoted, my gaze scanning upward along the palace structure… My respiration faltered as my sight settled on Ronan. He was at his bedroom pane gazing downward at me with a look that could sour cream.
Disdain.
Pure, unalloyed disdain.
Then abruptly he spun around, banging his drapes closed.
My chest plummeted like a rock hurled into the pond, a substantial impact mirroring the agony that spread across me.
“Elara…” Kael summoned gently from behind.
“I know I know.” I ascended into the coach as he eased in next to me, his fingers extended to clasp mine, reflexively I recoiled, jerking my limb back as though he’d attempted to seize something repulsive. He exhaled, a noise that conveyed heaps of his exasperation and then grew quiet.
My gaze shifted to Clara who sat ahead of us, she peered through the pane with reddened eyes, her wordless sorrow a sharp disparity to my inner theatrics.
Then it hit me.
Cael!
Oh no… Due to my foolishness, she was enduring profoundly. I extended and seized her limb offering it a soft press, she didn’t reply, simply clenched her eyelids as though the anguish was excessive to tolerate.
And honestly, it was.
The coach jerked ahead, I ventured not to glance rearward as it proceeded. I remained motionless, merely weeping softly until I slipped into slumber.
I was roused by a booming tone. It was Kael, fluttering my eyelids ajar, I bolted upright upon grasping the disorder we faced.
“Ambush!” Kael bellowed, his tone strained with restrained wrath, prior to me absorbing anything, I spotted projectiles from a distance. Clara yanked my limb dragging me downward as the projectiles poured forth, shattering across the timber of the coach and stirring a tempest of alarmed cries and neighs of steeds.
Clara screamed beside me, her tone engulfed by the abrupt turmoil. I lacked even a moment to feel frightened.
“Clara come.” I clasped her limb, creeping outward, Kael positioned externally, his gaze locked onto me.
“Both of you. Conceal yourselves.” He shouted, shoving us toward the woods close by. Right as we fled, a projectile pierced directly amid us, embedding between the gap separating Clara and me. I pivoted to glance rearward and inhaled sharply upon witnessing a projectile embedded straight into Kael’s limb.
“Kael-”
“Get away!” He snarled. Right then, four wolves commenced charging toward us. Clutching firmer on Clara’s hand, we both dashed further into the woods, it was dense, excessively dense to discern the routes we pursued, the growls were nearing, signaling how near our unidentified foes were.
“Dead end.” I panted as we both halted before an enormous boulder, it was overly massive for even three males to shove aside. It obstructed the route ahead, the sole paths were those on our right and left.
“You know what?” I stated amid frantic respiration, gaze flitting to and fro, vigilant as the pawsteps of the wolves drew near. “Flee in that alternate path-”
“But-”
“Go!”
She assented and dashed left, as I dashed right. Ideally, we could manage to divert the wolves. The growls amplified as I fled, my strategy succeeded. I drew them from Clara, either that or I was their primary target. As I fled, my legs gave way, causing me to collapse onto the damp turf, prior to rising, a wolf leaped directly above my skull.
My pulse faltered as I remained immobile, the quartet of them now encircled me, observing me as though I were quarry.
“Who dispatched you?” I inquired in spite of my terrors. If I was to be slain, at minimum I merit knowing by whom.
Abruptly a projectile soared from above, impaling the wolf ahead of me. I pivoted to glance rearward, my gaze expanded upon settling on Kael and Clara. In spite of his wound, he could still aim at the wolves.
He fired another, the gore splattering across my features, my limbs and digits were immobilized in place, incapable of stirring.
He fired the third, then the fourth.
“Kael, I-” Prior to completing my statement, he collapsed onto his knees, exhaling sharply in agony.
I propelled myself upward, hurrying toward him, I grimaced as I examined his injury, it was profound.
“Clara- go fetch my blade, now!”
“Okay.” She assented and departed, a short while later she returned with my knife. With a grimace, I cut my hand, allowing the blood to pour openly onto his injury. The surge of potency. The nearly euphoric wave of restorative force calmed us both.
The agony in his gaze diminished, he inclined his head to regard me, his look now a blend of something unrefined and exposed.
“Thank you.”
“No,” I shook my head. “Thank you for preserving my existence.” I then shifted to Clara, “You summoned him didn’t you? In spite of the reality I instructed you to flee?”
She gulped deeply, her gaze locked on the earth. With an exhale, I extended for her limb. “Thank you too. I am indebted to you both.”
After a short period of mustering our energies, we all proceeded back to the coach. I grimaced at the spectacle before me. Every one of Kael’s sentries were slain, including the steeds, and our coach was ruined, together with certain of our possessions.
Who might have perpetrated this and for what reason? I question if it was Darius. It couldn’t be him right?
Kael’s features contorted into a profound scowl, he advanced nearer to the corpses. “Ryker.” Was all he uttered, instantly terror engulfed me.
Ryker. Kael’s stepbrother.