Free Web NovelChapter 285: Chapter 285 Realm Of Darkness
Kiara
What the hell just happened? One minute I was talking to Willow and getting my thoughts straight, and the next I’m being pulled into this dark portal by a woman from my darkest nightmares. Willow screamed and held on to my arm, but the woman just cackled, said something in a weird language and Willow let go as if she had burned herself.
I landed on my ass when I went through the portal, and now I’m just sitting here and looking around the wilting flower field, which in some twisted way is trying to mimic the one Maze and I were in with Selene and Inari. I narrow my eyes, trying to think of where the fuck I have landed so I can tell Maze where to find me, only to realize that Winter is whimpering in my mind and curled into a tight ball of pain. I feel for our matebond, and a wave of nausea overwhelms me slightly. Our matebond is almost non-existent, although it is still there. I think it’s gone dormant or something, but if I concentrate I can feel Maze on the other end, he just seems very far away. Maybe it’s being stretched to its max. I just didn’t know that was possible.
"So, you are the new icky little Queen, huh." A taunting female voice says from the shadows. I roll my eyes. Should I be scared? Yes, I should be out of my wits with fright. But I am not, and I really don’t know why other that there’s happened so much shit lately that I have no fear in me any more.
"What is that to you?" I ask, crossing my arms and keeping my eyes trained on the darkness in front of me. I can see well enough in darkness being a fox shifter, but this is not the normal kind, and I have to concentrate more to see.
"You and I have a shared issue, and I think we can help each other." The voice says, but I am not interested in helping some deranged demon woman or whatever she is getting revenge on anyone.
"Uh huh. How so?" My brain is working very fast to determine how I can get back home from here, and where here is exactly. I know I can’t really rely on the normal stories I’ve been told as a kid, and I have to rely on the abnormal stories. One comes to mind. Something mom used to tell me right before bedtime - a story about how she and her friends went to the Realm of Darkness to free their Queen from the clutches of Keres, the Goddess of Darkness.
"You need a certain little lady dead - well two of them to be exact, and I can help you with that." Keres, who I am almost certain kidnapped me this time, says. Her voice is mocking and high pitched with excitement.
"What do I have to do?" I ask, crossing my arms. She cackles again, making shivers run down my spine. Damn she sounds as deranged as they come.
"I just ask that you and your mate denounce your throne and give it to my daughter." She says, stepping out of the shadow where she’s been hiding so far. I raise an eyebrow. Oh, so she just wants her daughter to rule as Queen, no biggie. Uhm, hell no?! freewёbnoνel.com
"And your daughter might be?"
"Narine." I sigh at her answers. Of course that bitch is the spawn of the mother devil. I should have fucking known.
"Yeah, no can do. So, what do we do now?" She just smiles, her dark eyes amused.
"You are as stubborn as your handsome mate, Kiara. I admire that about you, but who do you think will come for you? Maze? He has enough with Lillith now in his life. He will just turn to that little traitor girl and have his way with her instead. You are nothing to him. He doesn’t really love you. He just wanted the power promised to him by my sisters, and you came along with it. Think about it. A wolf loving a fox?! When has that ever happened in history? His kind sent yours packing ages ago." Her words creep upon me, into the deepest pitches of doubt and second guessing. I have never felt good enough for Maze, but he is my mate. We marked each other.
’Where was that when he kept deafening that demon girl? He let you leave the hospital room without coming after you. Frida and Willow came. He didn’t.’ A tiny voice says in my mind.
Keres observes me as her words make me wonder about our relationship and the meaning of our matebond. She doesn’t say anymore, she just waves her hand and a pool of black liquid forms in front of me, showing me Maze in the arms of Lillith. He is telling her how beautiful she is and how happy he is that I am not there anymore. She is in the hospital room with his family. They are all happy to see her. Jax and Willow praise her work, and say she deserves only the best gift for her bravery - to be the Queen with Maze as her King. She giggles as Maze kisses her neck and intertwines their fingers. Tears flowed down my cheeks.
"You can stop it by killing her, and I can help you dear." Keres says. I close my eyes, bringing my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. I keep my eyes closed, but the image of Lillith and Maze keeps playing in my mind.
Suddenly a burst of warmth and love flows through me. As if the matebond with Maze is bursting to life again. As if he is here with me. He is calling me. Telling me how much he loves me. How much of an idiot he was. That he was only trying to see the best in people, but he would never choose anyone over me. I can feel him in me, as if he is physically hugging me.
Keres must have felt the shift in me, because her dark powers press on even harder. Forcing all kinds of twisted images into my mind. Maze with Mira. Maze with Lillith. Me dead at his hands so he can have someone else. But the fire within me burns them away as they try to invade me.
Then the realm shifts from the penetrating darkness to a lighter version as five beautiful wolves suddenly appear in a flash. They are all beautiful, having mixed colors of each other, but the largest and most beautiful of them all is the one standing in the front; Galaxy. Even though I have only really heard rumors and seen her in flashes here and there, she really is a sight to behold. One of the wolves breaks formation, hurrying to me. I recognized her immediately; mom. Polaris is sniffing me all over to make sure I am alright, while the other walks over at a slower pace and gathers around me in a protective circle.
’Are you alright, Kiara? Did she hurt you?’ Mom asks, and I shake my head.
"No, not physically anyway. She tried to get me to work with her and place Narine on the throne for her help with killing Mira and Lillith." I say, standing amongst these magnificent creatures.
’We will face Mira and everything else when we go back, darling. Right now we need to get you out of here.’ Mom says, nudging me with her snout, but it seems that Keres has other plans. She screams something in the strange language again.
’Kiara, you need to shift. NOW!’ Abby yells in my mind, and Winter does not even hesitate to follow her command. We shift just before the field is overrun by demons and unnatural creatures of the dark.
"You are never going back. I will not let you leave unscattered again." Keres shouts from the far back of her hoard of attackers. The shouts are manic and desperate.
’We’re going to have to fight our way out of here. Are you ready to be one of the Star Wolves, dear?’ Abby asks, as Galaxy tears the first enemy to shreds.
’I’m a fox.’ I reply dryly, making her laugh in our mindlink. Winter jumps a second attacker who is trying to overwhelm Polaris. No way I am going to let them take down my mother!
’The first Star Fox! Or season Fox. Whatever. You’re family Kiara. Maze needs you to come back to him! He is slowly dying in the hospital because of the pain your lack of mate bond creates in him.’ I mentally gasp. Winter whines, fighting even more fiercely. She’s using her powers, and destroying demons as she goes. We are not going to let Alpha asshat die without telling him how much he fucked up, followed by how much I love him!
