It took about two more days to get to “the rest”.
The Priest had led them to pass through a waterfall, right into a cave while making use of a couple of words that were certainly spells that helped to keep this hideout a secret.
For Belladonna, each moment felt too long. She wanted to see the Chaneller as soon as possible. She just couldn't stop thinking about Eli, their last moment together and her child that she had lost. Maybe she could use the power of the gem to reverse time, this time around she would do things differently and have everything that she had lost.
All she needed was a Chaneller and her life would make sense again.
Belladonna clutched her hand around the pendant of her necklace as they stepped further into the cave. She could hear the sound of the water gushing until it became fainter and fainter. They were moving away from the mouth of the cave and deeper into the cave.
It was quiet, like there was no one here… and that was when it happened.
Suddenly, someone swung past her and snatched her away to a section where they stood on the stone etched into the walls of the cave. A hand was clasped around her mouth while another held her tightly to her captor. The space they were standing upon was so little that Belladonna feared that her captor might push her and she would fall to her death. Her muffled screams of Alaris’s name caught his attention.
“Let her go unharmed or you’ll regret it!”
Many people came out of the shadows and that was when Belladonna realized that they were never alone to begin with.
The Priest that was standing next to Alaris looked around quickly and his eyes settled on a red-haired woman with a glare on her face and a sword in her hand.
“Nyka, he is the Heir! Take us to the Chaneller immediately—”
“Priest Uza, you brought invaders into our territory. You have finally crossed the line. You shall be stripped of your title and disciplined accordingly.”
“You are not listening!” The Priest tried to fight the hands that dared to hold him captive. “I have brought the Heir to us! He came from the sky with fire—” his eyes danced with madness as he yelled. “Look at his hair! His eyes, just like his mother’s. He is different from us, he is the one! He saved us, he will save us.”
Nyka and her followers watched “the Heir”, observing him for a moment until they finally laughed.
She held the Priest’s shirt in a tight grip as she leveled the sword against his throat. “Do you think we do not know about your insane obsession with those jumbles of words? Prophecy?” she spat on the cave floor. “That was why we sent you away and now you have killed some of your followers to make your black magic and come up with “the Heir” that you are so obsessed with.”
“It was a willing sacrifice!” The Priest gritted. “And no, I did not create him, he saved us from the army of the White King! He came from the Sky with fire and rage! As it was written, so did it happen! He is the heir!”
“Take them all away, including that peculiar thing!” She looked up at where Belladonna was held captive. “Get rid of the female too. Kill the three of them.”
Alaris hissed. He certainly didn't have the time of the day for this. His wings sprouted from his back and he flew to Belladonna, and yanked her away from her captor. He stayed in the air, Belladonna held securely in one hand while fire danced in the other. The Priest watched from below with glee as the rest stared on in shock and confusion.
“Kill?” He questioned.
“Your dark spells gave your creation deceitful powers!” Nyka gritted to the Priest as she held her sword, her eyes fixed on the “creation of the Priest”, a product of his obsessive desire for the saviour to be true. “Come down and might be merciful while granting you death!”
Alaris hissed.
This female was stupid.
“Granting me death?”
With a flick of his hand, the ball of flames that danced around his fingers traveled through the cave, merging with the flames on their torches, then it returned to him as a bigger flame that laced his hand.
Darkness filled the cave and he was their only source of light.
“THE ONLY GRANTOR OF DEATH THAT EXISTS HERE IS ME!” His voice rang through the cage like a commanding thunder, flames curled around his tongue as he spoke and his hair was the colour of red and blue flames combined.
The people below took a step back in great fear. Only those from the Seven Houses had the power to control flames and fly. The House of Zoter had been destroyed a long time ago, and everyone who had a direct link with the House had been killed, along with the House that was loyal to it.
Now there were only five Houses.
Who was this?
“My name is Alaris De Vontia! Son of the Past King and Queen of House Zoter, Bearer of the Death Gem and the Heir of the Lost Throne. I am the Saviour that was promised. I have come to bring you freedom, and rain fire on the armies of the White King! Vengeance will be ours! We will take our rightful place in Vestros and all our enemies shall bow at our feet! I am your Prophecy!” He paused, looking around, his eyes zeroing on Nyka. “If any of you wish to challenge me, then declare it now. I just might be merciful while granting you death.”