Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Zaira's POV

I ventured out, not shy or embarrassed, but brave. Anyway, I tried. Standing in front of him, I dug my fingernails into my upper arms, which I crossed in front of my chest.

Stay strong Zaira, she brave.

I kept repeating these words in my head, making them my mantra.

I wanted answers.

"What on earth were those creatures?", I couldn't hide my bewilderment and the still persistent fear from my voice.

He had risen again, leaning casually against a tree trunk.

"They were warriors from hell. They suck out your life energy so that only a shell is left.", he explained grimly, "Man also call them demons."

Dismayed and amazed, I gasped.

demons?

No impossible! Hades was imprisoned with his demons, I had read that!

Had they found an option to surface?

Just the possibility of it made me tremble. I wrung my hands, nervous for an answer to my question.

"But those aren't the demons of Hades, are they? That can't be possible, he's locked up, I read that myself!"

Aramis snorted, "Oh, and you really still believe everything that's in your beloved book," he sneered, laughing bitterly. "Wake up, Zaira, the world isn't the way we'd like it to be."

Anger seeped into my veins and headed straight for my heart.

Grrr!

He didn't have to explain that to me first, I knew that all too well from my own experience! My blood seethed in me, boiling on the highest fire. I felt my head turn red. i was angry So angry with him that he actually had the nerve to accuse me of not knowing how unfair the world was.

"I know that very well!", I hissed at him and I should have just stopped myself here, but purgatory was opened and the words just bubbled out of me, they had been locked up and closed for too long, "and you are guilty that it always stays like this!"

He came at me with angry stomping, hands clenched in fists, "I can't fucking help our mate tape ain't real!" he growled.

"That has nothing to do with it! You insult and insult me every chance you get!" I raised my voice, completely lost in my blazing anger. "And I'm sick of being treated like this, not by you, not by anyone else, by anyone !"

"And what are you going to do about it, hmm? Are you trying to stop me?" His body was so tense, as if he was ready to jump. His eyes looked at me coolly. "I'm not what you would like me to be, Zaira. I'm not nice or gracious. I I'm a cold-blooded monster who's killed more living things than can be counted."

"That's not true Aramis.." I whispered softly, closing the distance on him, the mate tie pulling between us, "You're not all bad and evil." It was true, I'd caught a glimpse of his gentle, caring side, albeit not for long, and I held on to that. “Perhaps the darkness overshadows the light within you, but you can change that. You're my mate, I-"

"WE ARE NOT THE HELL MATES!" he snapped.

"ARGH!" I ruffled my loose hair in equal measure, angry and desperate. "I don't know why you think that! There's no good reason to."

"Yes, there is! These demons-" he gestured behind him to where the fight had taken place. "Although they belong to Hades, they also belong to Serdas. And I was so focused on you that I didn't even notice them ! This has never happened to me, not even when I was five years old! That's exactly why Serdas created our Mateband, so that I could be easily attacked, make myself vulnerable and have a weak spot!"

"And why exactly would Serdas want you to be easily vulnerable? He's your cousin Aramis!" I countered.

"Because he wants to take over the world!" He exhaled in exasperation and raised his arms in the air.

A little calmer but with that certain expression on his face, like he was trying to force every single word into my brain so I finally got it, he explained, "Serdas always wanted more than just being a Guardian. He wanted power, as much power as Gaia and Luna had. So he joined forces with Hades. He created a small rift in the earth and caused so much chaos on Earth along the way that Luna and Gaia wouldn't notice." I would love to have him with each Asking detailed questions, finding out everything there was to know, but I knew just as well that it was important now that I listen to him. It was one of the few moments when Aramis revealed so much about himself.

"When the time was right, he poisoned the goddesses and they fell into a long deep sleep from which they would not awaken without further help." His features hardened with the rising resentment and he paced restlessly , "The rift to the Underworld, while not large enough for Hades to break out of, he is a god, he will find a way in time to defeat Luna's and Gaia's power. And Serdas only has to eliminate me, then." he has no one standing in his way."

Silence fell.

My head was spinning with the words, but I didn't have to worry for a second how I felt about Serdas. i hated him It was all his fault.

Because of him the goddesses are in danger, everyone who lived in Anifeira and Semeera is in danger! Slowly, the words that had been said began to seep into my full consciousness. He would destroy the world and oppress us all, nothing would ever be the same again. All werewolves and gi's would have to live in fear and all their freedom would be gone. My mouth went dry and a lump formed in my throat, making it impossible for me to speak.

It was a disaster!

"Do you understand now?" Aramis suddenly didn't look angry anymore, just tired. As if he had the whole burden of the two countries on his shoulders.

And maybe that's how it was.

I nodded my head.

"And so the demons are Serda's means of killing you?" I whispered.

"Exactly. Serdas doesn't know where I am, so he can't kill me with his own hands like he would like to." At these words I pricked up my ears. So that's why I couldn't detect his personal scent that was supposed to mark him. Now everything started to make sense, the pieces of the puzzle came together.

"But that doesn't stop him from sending Hell Warriors after me and letting them do his job," he added.

I swallowed. Fear wanted to climb my limbs, but I reminded myself that Aramis was a demigod, a cursed lycan, he couldn't be brought down that easily, he was the strongest werewolf I knew and he certainly wasn't going to surrender without a fight.

"We should go further. It's going to be dark soon and we should find another place to sleep before that to lie down for the night."

I silently showed him that I agreed, and then we quietly wandered side by side through the forest.

*

Hours had passed before it got dark and the cold wind rushed past us. I took a deep breath and let it out, not letting myself give up control in panic. I consciously focused out of Aramis and gradually calmed down.

I certainly didn't trust him on everything, but I did on this one. I was sure he was doing everything he could to stop Serdas and put the world back in order. It would never work out with us, even though I was sure he would never see that maybe it was real after all. I bit my lip to keep from crying. This wasn't my biggest problem at the moment, I would deal with it later once the goddesses were healthy and they could put everything back in order. Because that's what I had finally decided to do. I would help Aramis heal the goddesses, no matter what it took me to do it, I would try. And maybe if what Aramis said was true, and if I really was a healer werewolf, maybe I could.

We picked up a gear and quickened our steps. My breathing wasn't ragged and my knees didn't threaten to give out like on the first day. I gained weight, developed more muscle and my body was able to do more every day.

I slowly got stronger.

And even in spite of the cold, I wasn't cold. No, I got warmer. It started deep inside me, warmed up and slowly spread throughout my body. Every limb was gripped by pulsating warmth and my cheeks turned red.

I stumbled but just caught myself. I fanned myself with my hand, but the heat didn't go away.

What happened to me?!