28.

Keres looked askance at Desdemona, she couldn’t believe what she had just heard and when she weighed what she knew from this mysterious woman, she knew it was worth her getting into nay troubles of taking her to Belrynna. She stood up from the stone she sat on, “I don’t know why you’re telling me all this...” Desdemona cut her off before she was able to finish what she was saying.

“Why?” She flashed her canine teeth at her, “It’s obvious, isn’t it? Because I want you to help me as well.” Desdemona stood up and walked to where she stood, “It’s as simple as this, I'll help you get to Zinambra and track them until you peacefully get your revenge, but in return, you have to take me to Belrynna, deal?”

Keres weighed down her words, no one dared enter Belrynna unless he or she was either invited or caught as a slave. Whatever this woman wanted was something huge that she would risk her life to get to Belrynna without falling into those two categories. “For me to enter Belrynna, you know I have to be invited first, right?”

Desdemona grinned, seeing that her trap will soon caught her prey. She had been waiting for this time, “I know, and I believe you’re a very powerful princess that can sought that invitation herself. There will be a ceremony that holds after years in Belrynna, it’s getting closer, we can use that as an excuse. I won’t help you get what you want unless you promise me that you’ll help me as well.”

Keres stared at the way she was walking around her cave with a calm smile on her lips as though she has won a treasure and she wondered whether she could risk her clan for this woman. Because King Bhalthair of Belrynna was the most malicious king that has ever been recorded in the royal book. One will do all he or she could not to get into his bad book for that will call for a ruination of your entire clan or pack, no matter how powerful.

“I promise.” She avowed, remembering the smile on Jaromir’s face as the love she had for him stirred her heart. She could do anything for him, besides, she wasn’t going to do anything in Belrynna, she was just going to disguise this woman as one of her maids and take her there, and from then, she wouldn’t have anything to do with her. “But first thing, we will go to Zinambra tomorrow, together with you.”

Desdemona sipped her wine and grinned at Keres, her canine teeth glistening with her maliciousness. “Agreed. I suggest you get ready, it wouldn't be as easy as he had it. His was a fight against Aranya, while yours is a fight against Betla; and no one is as powerful as she is.”

Keres aimed for the door, she would love to see who this Betla was and why even in the records book her profile held little to no amount of information. “I’ll leave to Gantrick today.” And she had disappeared in a flash, leaving a chuckling Desdemona. Finally, everything was falling into place as she had always wanted it to. She loved playing with minds, knowing so well that they would never know what she had in her own mind.

Keres appeared in their suite where Katharina was waiting for her, “Get the birds ready, we’re leaving for Gantrick.”

•

Lorcán lifted her face and shook her vehemently, “Aranya,” he croaked, he knew this wasn’t time for him to be agitated. He had to act before the remaining life in her drifted out and he knew if that happened, he would never forgive himself.

She wasn’t moving, but the veins in her neck were pumping and he knew that Betla was yet to drain out the life in her. He could think of only one thing, and that was his blood. He had once saved her with his blood, right? He might be able to do that as well. He pulled his palm out and without a second thought, pulled out a short sword and dived it into his flesh. Blood came oozing out of his palm and he made sure it got directly into her slightly opened mouth.

He didn’t know the amount of blood she had taken from him and when he was sure the amount would be enough for her, he sealed up the wound and wrapped her into his arms. He didn't know where he would take her which he was sure didn't have any other being that would disturb her recuperation.