Chapter 112 How it all began 4
Ira's POV
The third sempyr gives a cold smile. “We will settle that debt with the warlocks in private. They should thank the ancestors we left their leader breathing.”
The Alpha King rolls his eyes so hard I imagine it must have hurt. “You are all far too proud for your own good.”
My father lifts both hands, as though to pacify the group.
“The fault does not only lie with us as leaders,” he says. “It lies with those we have failed to guide. I propose we stand together, each clan leader beside the other, and explain to our people exactly what happened. Let them see our friendship has not broken. Let them see the dispute between us has been resolved. That is the only way the fighting in the streets will stop.”
He looks around the table, hope flickering in his eyes.
I watch silently as the Alpha King exhales through his nose. “Ever since I lost my parents to the vampires, I have never favoured war. And if my son-in-law believes this will mend not just our unity but that of our members, then I will stand with him.”
Just when I think he's done speaking, he points one thick finger at each leader in turn. “But hear me clearly. If blood spills again, we return to this hall before raising our blades. As long as it involves another clan, the final judgement must be made by all of us.”
Nonchalantly Mariam flicks her fingers. A small orange fireball ignites in her palm. “Fine,” she drawls. “I don’t want war either. I only just found my soulmate and I intend to give her a long, peaceful life.”
She closes her fist, extinguishing the fire and leaving black smoke in its wake.
Suddenly she jumps to her feet, her eyes widening in fear, alarming everyone.
“S..something’s not right. My fire never brings smoke unless there's trouble.” She exclaims, shifting back so fast her chair falls to the ground.
Just then a gust of wind rushes through the window, causing the sempyrs hairs to rise, their chairs are flong off them and as those being pushed by the wind, all three, including my father are tossed by the door.
“We must exit now! Our auras are restless!” He shouts, but it quickly turns to a cough.
The Alpha King tries to rise. But his face contorts in pain as a hard cough rakes through his throat. Suddenly weak, he drops back into his chair, gripping the armrests.
Mariam collapses too, her assistant falls a heartbeat later. My hands turn to tight fists beside me as I watch both of them lie still, scared eyes wide open, their chests rising and falling shallowly.
One of the sempyrs lunges for the doors. He pulls the handle but just like I suspected, the doors have been locked.
“Guards!” The alpha king yells in agony, struggling to his feet.
Father rushes beside him, supporting his weight.
With the alpha king leaning against him, my father hurriedly approaches the door. At the same time two other sempyrs lift up Mariam and her assistant in their arms.
My father sweeps his hand through the air. Cold wind slams into the doors with the force of an angry bull. The strong wood splinters, its iron hinges breaking from the impact.
In panic they run. I find myself running after them, only one thought on my mind.
“Where the hell are the guards! There had to have been at least one loyal guard!”
Then like an answer to my question, the further we get from the hall, the more dead guards we see.
The moment they cross the threshold, arrows fly at them.
One buries itself in the shoulder of the sempyr carrying Mariam. He snarls but does not drop her. Another grazes my father’s arm and blood instantly darkens his sleeve. But he does not let go of the alpha king who seems to be getting weaker by the second.
The king stares in disbelief as his own guards surround him with hate in their eyes.
“HOW DARE YOU!!” He cries loudly, his body shaking with fury. “How dare you draw your weapons against your leaders. We all bled for you and this is how you repay us!”
“Kill them all!” Commander Andre’s voice rings out, right before he steps out from behind the crowd.
My father staggers back, “No…” he whispers, regret and guilt filling his eyes.
“I want no survivors!”
My father draws out his sword. “Andre! Stop this madness!”
But commander Andre simply laughs. “You lunatic. Did you really think I will spare you all after you bastards killed my mate?!”
The Alpha King, slumped against my father’s shoulder, claws at his tunic.
“My daughter…” His voice trembles as he drags my father’s head closer. “Go. P…protect my daughter and my grandchild. NOW!”
Before my father can answer, the king pushes him out of the way, wrenching himself free.
The sound of bones cracking precede the alpha king's shift. Fur erupts across his flesh and in seconds a massive black wolf stands where the man was, its lips peeled back in a snarl.
The moment he lunges, the whole place explodes in chaos.
But I don't see what happens as my father runs, his aura pushing aside his attackers.
A group of five guards rush at him but he waves his hand, causing the wind to spiral around him in tight, vicious coils, slamming them all into walls.
He doesn't wait to see if they're conscious and instead keeps racing down the hall.
He bursts through a narrow side passage, his shoulder hitting the door so hard it slams into the wall.
He keeps running, stumbling into one corridor and then another. His breathing growing rough and heavy, as though each breath is a struggle.
My eyes prick at the sharp piercing I feel in my heart, knowing that I'm probably about to witness how my parents died.
How the only people that loved me were killed.
He bursts through a wooden door then stops. For a solid seconds he doesn't move, his body frozen until a broken cry erupts from his throat.
“NO!!!!” He screams, running to the center of what looks like a study.
My mother lies face-down on the floor. Her arm is twisted, and a deep bite mark bleeds from her leg.
I step further into the room, my heart pounding as I take in how her hair is spread across the floor, a part of it soaking up in blood that I believe is from a head wound.
Father kneels beside her. “Baby,” he trembles. “What have I done!”
He carefully turns her over but at the sight a sharp scream rips out my throat.
"Ira, breathe," Ruel's voice flows to my hearing. "I'm here, I'm here baby."