Ember of Hope

His head was spinning as he read through the pages of the journal written by his beloved Katie... each word a blow to his heart... the betrayal unbearable. His mate, his love, his Katie had betrayed him in the worst way possible. She had shredded his very being with the claws of her lies.

Suddenly something flashed in his mind and images started to play in his head as if a dam had broken …

Images... So many images

Memories... So many of them

Emotions... Too much of it

Happiness... when he found his mate

Despair of his people... when they were cursed

His captivity and the war... he remembered it all... Katherine’s letter confessing her doing... And then he remembered getting ill but after that his mind was a clean slate. He couldn’t remember a thing even if he tried. His head started hurting... his vision got blurry... He grabbed his head and fell to his knees... it was like someone was hitting his head with a sledge hammer...

he didn’t know how long he sat there... the journal lying in front of him... mocking him of his foolishness, his mate’s betrayal.

“Alex?” Katie called out...

He lifted up his head and focused his burning eyes on her...

“Why?” He seethed. The venom in that one word shook Katie. And it was then that her eyes dropped to the journal lying open on the floor in front of him... her face leeched of all color... she opened her mouth to answer then closed it... opened it again... and closed it... as if words had suddenly left her alone to deal with the mess she had made...

She too fell on her knees, right there in the doorway. She wasn’t sure she could ever speak again. Her throat burned with panic and unshed tears. She just kept looking in his raging eyes and the hatred they held for her. What have I done she thought to herself. All this trouble and I still lost him.

“Forgive me Alex” she whispered.

“I don’t even know who you are anymore Katherine. How dare you ask for my forgiveness? You took everything from me... from my people... you left them in such despair... for so long...” he roared. His eyes were blazing ambers. She shrank back from the rage pouring out of him.

“What happened there Katherine? I know now you lied to me about the reason we had to leave. What did you do to make me leave them?”

So he hadn’t read the whole tale of her wickedness yet, “I – I ...” She stuttered.

“Tell me”. He bellowed making her jump.

“They think you’re dead”.

“How? Tell me everything... now...”

“I used a potion on you that made you ill. Everybody was worried but they didn’t know what your ailment was. And then I placed a corpse in your place disguised as you… and took you with me”.

In his rage he punched the floor in front of him and roared. He was wreathed in flames indicating that his dragon was out of control. “Go” his voice was a guttural growl.

“Alex please”. Her voice was barely a whisper. He snapped his head up reeling his flames back in. She could see his struggle but she knew he would never hurt her. Only his eyes were an indication now of how out of control he was. Suddenly he stood and stormed past her, out of the room and then she heard the outer door open and slam shut. He would now cloak himself and go for a flight. The tears she had held prisoner for so long finally spilled out of their confines.

.......................................................................

Standing outside the bars of Valiance’s holding cell, Damien worked hard to control his aggravation. The man who was on duty to deliver the meal at the check post that day had been attacked that night before he could report on duty. He was still down in the healer’s crypt healing from a nasty head wound.

Damien’s anger rose. Valiance was being kept in chains to stop him from going after the girls. If he hadn’t been stopped; Damien knew very well what kind of hell he would’ve unleashed to find his mate. Hell, who wouldn’t? The man had spent half a century bound by a curse and waiting for her. Damien himself was going insane for Sarah and they hadn’t even acknowledged their bond yet. He didn’t even know if they ever could. And he still would shred apart the world to find her. And with Valiance out of commission, it was up to him now to find the girls but he was still nowhere close.

The new guards had been appointed to the check post and Dimi’s worst suspicion was proving to be right with every minute that passed and every clue that was erased before it could’ve been found. Somehow Velar was behind it. They were once again trying to brew trouble. Nobody in Evreux would dare harm Valiance’s mate. He was their prince and despite his calm disposition, he was ruthless when his loved ones were threatened. Besides, why would anyone want to do it? There was no news of any kind of trouble or rebellion against the government anywhere in the kingdom. He’d asked his men to double their efforts in keeping an eye on things and to look for any clues if anyone within the country was behind this kidnapping.

Earlier when he went to see Valiance, he had looked at Damien with such pain filled in his bloodshot eyes that for a second Damien had wanted to let him free to take his revenge from whoever had wronged him and his mate.

“Please man” Valiance had begged and Damien could do nothing but to hang his head in shame. He’d run out of there with his heart breaking and his resolve strengthening.

Where are you Sarah? Damien rubbed at his chest over his heart as if he was in physical pain. All the unsaid words; thorns in his heart… all the pain choking him.

.................................