Your Mistake... Nyxion (1)

Your Mistake... Nyxion (1)


Vaelora's POV

“Answer me,” Elder Ryder said, standing before me. I glanced up at him, then lifted my arm where the deep cut throbbed, blood darkening the torn fabric.

“I was attacked while taking her to safety,” I lied. “I do not know where she is. I ran to you because you're the only one who can find her.”

I moved my gaze to Margaret, who was still screaming, her hands covering her face as blood slipped through the gaps of her fingers and pattered onto the floor.

“I came because I thought she attacked us after she found out the lady had escaped from prison,” I added, returning my gaze to him.

He stared silently at me, searching for whether I was lying or not. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip to keep my face as expressionless as possible.

We stared at each other without moving, and finally, he looked away when he noticed nothing.

Relief washed over me and I quietly placed my hand beside me. I watched as he picked up the katana and walked towards Margaret, his robe dragging across the floor with a soft scrape.

He lifted the sword and placed the tip of it at the middle of her skull. Margaret's body stiffened instantly, her shoulders trembling beneath the blade.

“You,” his voice came out hoarse, “will pay for what you’ve done. Guard.”

The man behind me stepped forward.

Ryder withdrew the blade from her head, then faced the guard. “Sell her at the market. Send the money to a brothel.”

“Understood, Elder Ryder.” The guard bowed and quickly moved in her direction.

“N-no, my lord! Please, have mercy!” she screamed as the guard dragged her to her feet and away from the room. “I let revenge blind me! I was foolish! Please!”

The door slammed shut behind them, leaving the both of us in the room. He breathed heavily, walking over to the chair and slumping into it.

He threw the katana on the floor and pressed his hands over his head as he fell deep into thought.

“She doesn’t even know her way around this place,” he muttered, and my brows lifted as I had no idea whom he was referring to.

His fingers gripped a handful of his hair tightly, and I could see them pulling hard against his scalp.

“Vaelora,” he said after a long silence. “Where is Nyxion?”

My mind skipped a beat as the atmosphere in the room shifted, the air turning heavy, and my thoughts spun as I searched for a reasonable answer.

All I had to do was keep his suspicion off me and make him believe that the lady was attacked and taken away.

“I don’t know, Elder Ryder,” I answered. “I barely managed to slip back into the palace without getting caught. The guards were everywhere.”

Elder Ryder exhaled heavily and got off the chair, walking towards me. “I’ll find him myself.” He walked past me to the door before leaving the room.

My shoulders slumped as relief seeped through me. I swallowed against my dry throat and quickly walked out of the room after him.

“Where are they?” voices thundered from the distance, and I turned my head in the direction it came from. Unsurprisingly, it was from the same gate I had come from. About three guards were in the middle of a discussion, and from the frowns on their faces, things were not going well.

“Stop!” someone thundered ahead of us, and I turned my head in that direction. Ryder had stopped, and my feet slowed to a halt too.

I watched as the bulky man stood in front of us, blocking the way. “The Alpha isn’t receiving visitors. Come back tomorrow.”

I moved my attention back to Elder Ryder, wondering what he would do next.

He didn’t answer and instead clasped his hands behind his back.

“Inform the Alpha that I am here,” he said.

“I said the Alpha isn’t seeing anyone. Come back tomorrow,” the bulky man replied stubbornly.

Elder Ryder didn’t speak for several seconds, as if giving the man a chance to reconsider, but when he didn’t move, the next thing that happened before me was something I never expected.

Elder Ryder’s figure distorted, and a heavy breeze blasted across my face, causing dust to sting my eyes. I hissed sharply and covered my face with my arm, and at that same time, a strangled cough sounded in the air.

I lowered my arm and forced my eyes open to see what was happening. My eyes stretched wide in shock as blood spurted out of the man's neck, his eyes widening in shock, disbelief, and anger.

But the deed was already done.

His legs gave way and he crashed onto his knees, his eyes rolling in their sockets before he fell face down to the floor a few steps away from my feet.

My lips trembled as blood pooled around him, his body spasming violently for a few seconds before going still.

“Keep moving,” Elder Ryder’s cold voice sounded in my ears, snapping me back to reality. I quickly went after him, stepping over the corpse as I did.

We took a left turn, and at that same time, two guards greeted Elder Ryder and brushed past him. I shut my eyes, waiting for their screams, and just as expected, after we took a few steps, they raised an alarm.

I quickened my pace, and soon we were standing before a huge building far away from the chaos. The exterior was almost identical to Lady Aerila's building, but this one loomed darker, its windows tightly shut.

“Stay here. Don’t let anyone enter,” he ordered, climbing up the stairs to the door ahead.

I did as instructed and stopped moving. I turned around and stared at the route we came from, the distant shouts echoing faintly, and at the same time hoped that Aerila hadn't woken up yet.

It would be trouble if she returned to this place.