Chapter 8: Shifting Devotions

I hissed as Medea’s sword touched my skin, leaving a small, thin red line across my cheek.

Silver.

Fluke’s once-incessant howling turned to rough, deep growls as she sensed my sister’s wolf, Prim.  My feet immediately stepped back as Medea lunged at me again, this time, aiming for my chest.

“What, are you scared of a little silver, my dearest sister?” she mocked as she walked towards me.  “I thought you were the strongest? Surely this won’t cause any harm to you.”

Her laughs grew louder as she saw my claws bare out of my hands, decorated by golden nail guards that I inherited from our mother before she passed away.

“You think you can scare me with those toys of yours, Hestia?  Although… I think that’ll look good on my collection… Once I fucking slit your throat!”

I braced myself from Hestia’s attack, searching for an opening so I could bury my hands on her skin.  However, before she could even reach five feet near me, a massive blade sliced through her path, almost cutting her nose.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you hurt my Queen,” Kieran warned, his eyes burning.  And with the mate bond between us, I could feel his wolf…

“Step aside, you lowly mutt.  This is a fight between sisters!” Medea spat on him before she struck him right through the eye, temporarily blinding him.  Kieran stumbled on the ground, covering his eyes.

Medea… you don’t know how to play fair, do you?

I grit my teeth, letting Fluke take over my body.

Fluke’s silver fur glistened under the moonlight as we ran towards Medea, our fangs aimed at her throat.  I spat as soon as I tasted Medea’s blood trickle on our mouth.

I don’t like the taste of the blood of a dirty bitch.

Medea stepped back, her hand grasping at the wound on her neck.  She glared at me, tightly clutching the dagger in her hand.  And surprisingly enough, despite Augustus being her Vassal, he did not step in as Kieran did for me.

He seemed… out of it.  Even the maid, Isobel, who simply closed her eyes in one corner of the garden near the entrance to the manor and stood straight, as if she was waiting for orders.

And if my hunch is right…

“Medea and Hestia Locke!  Stop this right on this instant!” Castiel commanded before he raised his scepter.  However, before he could cast a spell on us, a hidden force knocked the scepter out of his hand.  It flew towards the waters, sinking deep—

“Augustus, this bitch attacked me.  Are you going to let your Queen be humiliated like this?”  I heard Medea ask.  As soon as I turned around, I saw Augustus charging right at us, at a speed that even Fluke, who was controlling my body, was unable to avoid.

Augustus slammed his massive body against mine, his hand immediately wrapping around mine.  His mere fingers felt as if an industrial machine was crushing my neck.  Fluke tried to resist his overwhelming power, as it grew harder and harder for us to breathe…

“Au–augustus!”  I whimpered as I took over my body once again, grabbing his wrist.  “It’s me, Hestia—”

I watched as his once dull, void eyes got filled by their original shade of green that rivaled even the finest emeralds and jades of the kingdom.  I watched as those eyes, filled with intent to kill me earlier, got flooded with…

His grip around my neck loosened a bit.  Medea immediately ran towards us, her hand raised, as if she were forcing her pet dog to do tricks.  “What the hell are you doing? I told you to kill her! Kill her, Augustus! Kill her for me! I am your Queen!”

“Augustus…” I called to him, as I stared deep into his eyes.  I know that with Fluke’s newfound power, we could subdue him.  But I couldn’t shake off this strange feeling about Augustus.  And while I hate to meddle in my ex-husband’s affairs, his glazed green eyes made me want to do otherwise.

His mouth gaped, as if he wanted to tell me something.  However, before Augustus could utter a word, a massive hand grabbed him by the collar, forcing him to let go of me.  Kieran pinned him to the ground and rained dozens of punches to his face that, by the time Castiel cast another barrier between the two of them, his face was almost black and blue.

“I said, enough!”

Castiel’s once-clear barrier turned blue, prompting me to pull Kieran away. Hestia didn’t even bother with Augustus.  Seeing Castiel’s temper, she just turned and left with her maid.  Kieran refused to budge for a bit, until I grabbed him by his ear and pulled him away from the barrier.  Bolts of electricity crackled through the barrier wall, reminding me of how powerful Castiel’s spells could be, especially when he was angry.

He would not be appointed as the High Priest for the Mother Goddess at such a young age for nothing.

“Are you alright?” Kieran softly asked, his fingertips brushing against my neck.  My attention shifted to him as his ruby eyes pulled me once again.

“Yes, I’m good…”  My voice trailed off as he softly massaged my neck, starting fire once again deep in my body.  “Kieran…”

“Why didn’t you even fight him?” His voice immediately switched from worry to pure annoyance.  I winced as he applied pressure to my wounds.  “You didn’t mind body-slamming me on jagged rocks when we were training.  What, are you worried about hurting that fucking asshole?”

I shoved his hand away, but Kieran just pulled me and carried me on his arms.  He stepped to leave the gardens, but was immediately stopped by Castiel.

“Kieran White, we’re not yet done here,” Castiel warned.  “As a Vassal, do you not know that it’s against the rules to attack another Vassal off-competition?”

Kieran faced Castiel, who was still healing Augustus’ face with his powers, and scoffed.  My arm tightened around his neck as I wondered what his loose cannon of a mouth would say this time.

“Your Eminence, you clearly saw who attacked first.  That oh-so-esteemed Alpha of yours almost killed a Queen candidate.  Surely that’s against the rules too, don’t you think?”

“And you did a number on them, too.  I’m not playing favorites.  I’m being fair.”

“Fair to what?  Fair to whom?”  Kieran repeated.  “Oh, and don’t use the Lycan Codex on me again.  Because you can take that Codex of yours and shove it right up your a—”

“Kieran,” I scolded him, before snuggling close, using my last shred of dignity to steer him clear from another fight, “I want to rest.  Take me home.”

He looked smug as he looked down at me.  “As you wish, my Queen.”

“Hestia!”  Augustus called, making Kieran stop.  I glanced back at him, to his deep, green eyes… “Can we talk? Please, listen to me…”