Chapter 16

AYRA




"Why are you staring at me like that?" Ishmael asked, cocking a brow at me. 




Ever since Nathaniel had mentioned how long it took him to make these weapons, I was constantly in awe of how young he looked.




"You don't look a day older than twenty-five if I'm being honest."




"I'm flattered that you find me attractive."




"I didn't say that. I said you look young."




"Same difference, babe. Why are you suddenly questioning my looks and age?"




"Nathaniel mentioned how long it took you to make Draenhium weapons. It just doesn't make sense that you look like this. Hundred years for each one, and you've made six so far."




"Nathaniel is wrong. I've made ten." He chuckled, the shock apparent on my face. "Originally, I made four at the beginning. The flowers were plenty enough for that amount. After that time, it took a hundred years for a single flower to bloom."




"Do you grow the flower yourself?"




"Now, now, Ayra. A sorcerer never shares his secrets. Gotta love the old age, no? Everything requires a special type of plant. Wylim is no different."




I shrugged. "They probably didn't have much other than that."




"True."




Nathaniel strode into the living room Kai hot on his heels. "Let's go, Ishmael. We have only a few hours."




Something was going on. That explained Ishmael's unexpected visit.




"Go on. I'll be there in a minute."




Nathaniel's gaze fell on mine, silently asking if I'd be okay by myself.




"I'm good."




He nodded, following Kai out of the room. 




"You have a question," Ishmael said drawing my attention from the door.




"What do you mean?"




"Something is lingering on your mind. Ask your question."




"Do you have any book about demons? I don't think Nathaniel wants me to learn anything about them."




"I do have a couple of them, but if Nathaniel is against it, I can't give them to you. I still like it here."




"I understand. Go on," I said with a smile, trying to hide my disappointment. 




"Here's a thought. Why not ask him about it? I'm sure you can make him reach an agreement with you."




I had to fight back the laughter bubbling at the back of my throat. He didn't know Nathaniel. Talking to him was equivalent to talking to a brick wall - pointless.




"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."




***




NATHANIEL 




"I knew you'd come. Where are your minions?" Dalia asked. She turned away from the window, knocking the hood off her head. "Long time, cuz."




"You are here on purpose. You wanted me to find you. If you knew I was coming, why didn't you run?"




Especially when she knew I was pissed at her for attacking Ayra, it seemed rather odd that she wasn't scared for her life.




"You're bad, but not that bad. You would never kill your family."




"True," I mused, nodding in agreement. "If only you were my family. You lost that right after what you did to Aiden."




"I didn't do anything to him. I loved him," she said, her voice turning wobbly.




If I didn't know how conniving she was, I'd fallen for it just like I did many times in the past.




"I'm not here to banter words with you. I'm here to drop off a warning. Stay the fuck away from Ayra, or I'll be forced to hurt you, Aiden be damned."




I turned on my heels, heading for the stairs when she spoke, effectively being me to a halt. 




"You can't see it, can you? The bigger picture. Ayra will never be able to navigate this world if you keep coddling her. Sure, you might be safe on your little island, but it's only a matter of time before they get through to you. It will be a massacre. Especially if Ayra doesn't know what she is by then."




"What are you talking about?"




"Ayra is nothing like our mothers."




"I know."




"Funny you say that, and yet you treat her like a baby. It's quite ridiculous if you ask me. If she's comfortable, she'll never be able to find her footing. They want her memory to permanently be lost.




"There's a time frame on her memory. Even if she regains her memory, she won't be able to recall it all. They're fading away. If that lock isn't broken soon, she won't remember anything at all."




"And I'm supposed to believe the words of a liar like you? Stay away from her," I warned.




"Like it or not, I won't. Since you're not offering any help, I'll do it myself."




"If you lay a finger on her, Dalia, so help me… " I trailed off when I turned around to find the spot she'd been standing on empty.




*'Ayra?'* I called out through our link to check if she was alright. I wouldn't put it past Dalia to find a way to kill her again.




I began to worry when I couldn't get through to her. I couldn't even hear her thoughts.




I rushed out of the building, still trying to get through to her. I had just burst out of the gate when a heavy gust of wind blew past me, causing me to lose my footing momentarily. 




 "The fuck?" I cursed as I watched Logan and Kai fly backward, hitting their backs on a brick wall. 




I didn't have to look around to know Dalia was responsible for it. My thoughts were confirmed when I saw her standing on a boulder, her eyes glowing more than usual.




"What is this nonsense?" I bellowed, itching to lunge at her. I'd have done exactly that, but I couldn't risk my identity in front of Kai and Logan. At least, not this way.




"Well, they wanted to play a bit. I couldn't deny them that."




"Leave before I do something we both regret."




She giggled. "You can't do anything. It's all mindless threats."




"But I can do something about it," Ishmael said coming out of the woods.




"A sorcerer. I see. Until we meet again, Nathaniel," she said before teleporting.




"That is not normal. Since when could Nighthowlers teleport?" Ishmael mused as I moved to Logan and Kai's side.




Kai's ears were bleeding, and he was on the brink of unconsciousness while Logan was passed out on the ground.




"Fuck. She did damage to their ears. We need to get them home or they could die."




***




AYRA




"It's a week-long of nonstop fucking and parties. Orgies become so common at that time, especially if they've had loads to drink. If you don't want to see them get dirty, you have to leave the party by midnight," Kimberly said, coating her nails with the blue nail polish she brought. "Are you a fan of orgies?"




I laughed, shaking my head at the suggestive way her brows moved. "Even if I was, I don't remember anymore."




"Shoot. I'm kinda curious about your past life. I have a feeling it is going to be, uh, a lot."




"Well, you'll keep on wondering because- "




"Kimberly," Nathaniel called out from behind me.




Surprised by the way his voice sounded, I turned to face him, and sure enough, he had a grim look on his face. 




"He's not dead, is he?" Kimberly asked, already aware of whatever was happening with Nathaniel. 




"No. He lost his hearing." Kimberly gasped. "It's only for a few days. He was attacked by a Nighthowler. Same with Kai."




A Nighthowler. I didn't have to ask to know it was Dalia. Was it possible to hate someone without fully knowing them? Because I did. I loathed Dalia. My second interaction with her had been less than pleasant, and now, this.




"I'll talk to you later," Kimberly said, gathering her things from the lounger. "Let me quickly go check on Logan." She turned to Nathaniel. "He's at home, right?"




"No. He's at the hospital. The healer is dealing with them. You'll get more details from him."




Kimberly nodded before hurrying off, her worry for her mate evident on her face.




I locked eyes with Nathaniel, expecting him to say something, but he just kept staring at me. After a torturous minute of blankly staring at me, he turned on his heels, walking away from me.




*Strange.*