Chapter 28 Blood in the darkness
Back at the tunnel, Fernanda and Yolanda heard another terrifying growl which was followed by a vicious snarl. "We have to go back your highness," Yolanda said, tightening her hold on Fernanda's hand.
"We can't. We haven't come this far just to go back again. What is that though?" Fernanda asked, "Must be a rogue, I'm telling you Fernanda, this isn't safe. I apologise for not foreseeing this but I have to get you back to your chambers. If anything happens to you, King Sebastian will hunt me down and take my head." Yolanda said in a rush, pulling Fernanda back.
Fernanda's eyes began to well up with tears, this wasn't how she imagined everything to go. They were so close to escaping, why did the rogue had to show up at that moment.
She snapped back to reality when the growl got louder and nearer, it felt like it was chasing them. No, the unknown beast was actually running in their direction.
Their quick steps became quicker and soon they were running. The torch Yolanda was holding had fallen from her hand and gone off so they were running without any form of vision.
"Good heavens!" Fernanda whispered breathlessly when she looked back and could vividly hear the racing footsteps of the approaching beast.
Fernanda tripped over, pulling Yolanda down with her. "Are you hurt?" The Maidservant asked but there was no time for an answer as the beast had already caught up to where they were. They couldn't see who or what it was, but they certainly felt it presence. Its snarls, anger and hunger.
"Go away!" Fernanda yelled at it but the rogue werewolf responded back with a harsh growl. It wasn't completely dark in the tunnel, at least not enough for Fernanda to not see the glowing green eyes and bare fangs of the dark coloured beast.
The presence of the beast was so sinister that it made both of them freeze. "Fernanda!" Yolanda screamed in anguish when the rogue reached for her right leg and tried to yank her towards itself.
"No! Help!" Fernanda screamed again, gripping Yolanda with everything strength in her. "Let her go!" She bellowed at the rogue, now angry at it.
During the struggle, Fernanda felt a chill crept up her spine. It wasn't her fear, nor was it because the tunnels were cold. The cold sensation was from the presence of something... Or someone.
Everything that happened next happened so fast and incoherent, the rogue wolf stopped growling and went limp on the ground after being attacked by a someone whose figure she couldn't clearly make out in the darkness.
She reached out for Yolanda who had passed out from her injury, "Help us!" Fernanda cried out, trying her best to stop Yolanda's bleeding.
"Fernanda!" She heard Sebastian call her name but just as she was about to answer, she felt a hand pressed against her mouth, silencing her while also lifting her up at the same time. She tried to scream again but her voice came out in a muffle.
For the first time ever, she hoped Sebastian would come for her. She hoped to see him. For the first time ever, she would rather let him have her than anybody else. The same man she was running from was whom she wished would come save her now.
She saw Sebastian, in his majestic Lycan form charging towards her capturer, trying to stop whoever it is from taking her. He was faster than lightening, but it turned out the person who took her was even faster.
A dark shadow wrapped around her, and the last the she heard was Sebastian's angry growl before both of them vanished into thin air.
Maya kicked stones as she waited with the horses, for Yolanda and Fernanda. She had initially been confused about what path to follow ever since Levi gave her that daunting task. Maya felt stuck and unsure, but she just couldn't abandon Fernanda and she also couldn't betray the order by killing one of her own.
Though she doubt they still saw her as loyal at the moment, judging by the way Lucius had attacked her. Lucius... He is dead now, Levi killed him like he was nothing but an insect.
That's why she couldn't do what he had asked her to do. She made him believe she would, but her anger made her do otherwise.
The order had come for Fernanda, she only hoped that the queen was safe. "You have to make it outside of the palace, Fernanda." She whispered worriedly, caressing the horse beside her.
"Waiting for someone?" She was startled when she heard a familiar deep voice say from behind her. She turned to meet Levi's piercing and impassive gaze, "Who I wait for, it's none of your business." Maya retorted, her face tense from different kinds of emotion running through her body.
"Sorry to break it to you but it's all my business. I gave you a task witch, I didn't ask you to wait by the roadside and kick rocks." Levi replied, swiftly covering the distance between in two strides, gripping her neck with his right hand.
Maya wasn't fast enough to yield so she found herself choking and trying to break Levi's grip from her neck. She needed air.
"The Queen has been adopted by one of those filthy nightcrawlers. I'll ask you again, who were you waiting for?" Levi snarled at her.
"And I'm sorry to break it to you but I'm no longer interested in being your messenger, not will I tell you anything." Maya said through her chokes. In that moment, she finally decided to defend herself.
She looked directly into Levi's eyes and made him see multiple rogues approaching from different angles. The illusion distracted him for a good minutes, making his grip on her neck soften.
Maya immediately freed herself a gave him a punch in the face. Levi was too distracted by what he was seeing to care about a punch. He swiftly pulled Maya behind him with his hand tightly holding hers, and brought out a dagger from his back pocket.
Although there were no rogue werewolves, Levi thought he was seeing them. Regardless, he seemed focused, controlled and calm. Seeing how the vice commander wanted to protect her from whatever he was seeing made Maya speechless.
"Why?" Was all she could think.
"Go." He said to her, "Run!" He said again with gritted teeth when she hesitated. Part of her wanted to remove the illusion but another part of her told her it was wise for her to run.
She took one horse and began to gallop away. Fernanda wasn't coming, neither was Yolanda. The order had come for Fernanda, and got her too. Everything was in motion, the prophecy was beginning to come true.
Seems like the catalyst would be awakened soon after all.