Chapter 173: Chapter 173

SEVENTH MONTH OF YEAR 992. DAY OF THE TRAGEDY.

DAHLIA:

“AAhhh!”

I couldn’t bear what would happen. I closed my eyes and hoped that when I opened them, we’d still be in one piece.

I held my breath, anticipating the painful crash with the bolder Tristan had leapt into. I counted ten seconds, then twenty seconds. Realizing that we were still alive on the thirtieth second, I opened my eyes.

“We made it,” I cried a bit in relief.

“Of course,” Tristan said in a matter-of-factly tone.

Before I could congratulate him further on that awesome way of losing the Falcon Wings, a rope suddenly wounded itself around my arms, and I was immediately pulled upwards and backwards from where I was seated in Tristan’s back.

“Tristan!”

Tristan immediately growled back at me. “Samalah!”

“Shadow Rune heir, I must thank you personally for bringing the bearer of the red ruby to me earlier than expected.”

Out of the corners of the rocky forest came hundreds of Blasted Ones, and in the highest rock came their silver haired and breathtakingly handsome king – Helion Cosco, the supreme leader of the Apricus Kingdom.

“King Helion, we came to make a deal with you,” Tristan shouted, “but first, set my companion free!”

At King Helion’s signal, one of the Blasted Ones nearest me untied me from the back and led me down safely into the ground.

“And what kind of deal are you talking about, Shadow heir? I guess you did find my long-time pet, Casior to be able to know what we were going to do,” the king said dryly.

“I know you are holding my sister hostage! Bring her to us, and we will give you the stone back.”

“Hmm, I am up for anything as long as I get the red ruby in the end,” the king said in a sly manner. He looked at one of his men. “Bring the girl here.”

After a few more agonizing minutes of waiting, several vampires came, and they were dragging someone with them.

“Livia!”

Indeed, it was Livia Jeteris whom they were trying very hard to bring near the place where we were. She looked as if she had been battered. Her hair was in wild disarray, and her lips were bruised.

“You animals! What did you do to my sister,” Tristan cried.

“We were only teaching her what could possibly happen when she refuses to become part of the Apricus Kingdom completely.”

I gritted my teeth, while Tristan growled loudly. So everything that Sir Casior said was true! They were really trying to force Livia into becoming one of them.

“Brother,” Livia cried on top of her lungs. I can see the bones of her neck sticking out from her dress. She had been beaten and starved. What else did they do to that poor child?

“Lady Livia here is our dear guest, but apparently, she hated being amongst us. We don’t tolerate disrespect in our kingdom, so she was only punished accordingly. In fact, the actual punishment has not yet begun, so you shall be witnessing it.”

“No! What are you doing?”

“She seduced my favorite knight, Casior, when she’s nothing but a filthy wolf. Tell me, isn’t that alone deserving of a severe punishment, Shadow heir?”

“King Helion,” I interjected, “aren’t you and Talandor allies? If you don’t recognize Lady Livia as a part of Talandor, how about her being a part of the Shadow Rune pack, o-or better yet, she is your own wife’s child! How can you be so cruel to her?”

“She-wolf… I see you are the new owner of the red ruby…”

It felt like my heart suddenly stopped beating as soon as King Helion’s intense gaze rested on me.

I hated the aura of this king. It looked like a ton of bad ideas were crossing his mind as he looked at me from head to foot.

“King Helion, you promised Casior you would release my sister as soon as you get the spirit stone. Please fulfill your promise and refrain from harming her further!”

“I did no such thing, Shadow heir. I promised to release Livia, but I didn’t promise that she’d remain a wolf when I release her!”

“No, please, King Helion,” Tristan pleaded. “We will give you the spirit stone soon! We just have to release its binding with a ritual and -”

“I don’t need a ritual to unbind the stone, child,” the sly and fierce leader said. “I’ll tell you what, I like the spirit stone container. Why don’t you hand them over to me, and I’d release your sister right now.”

“Hand them over?”

“Yes. That girl, her child, and the stone – hand them over to me and I would release this wolf.”

So that was what the king really wanted, not just the stone but me and my child! How foolish were we to have fallen into this trap!

I opened my mouth with disdain. “King Helios, I-”

“As you wish”

I turned my head sharply to him. I couldn’t believe what I just heard from Tristan! Did he just agree to give me to the king of the Blasted Ones?

“Listen,” he said dropping his voice before I could even protest. “You could still use your powers, right? Just turn yourself into water like you always do to escape that king. I will cause a stir, so that you can escape.”

“Are you insane,” I said, panicking, “I can’t do that!”

“Why not? You were certainly skilled enough to have written all those letters sending the rogues and Count Jeteris’ men to stop us, so why can’t you trick the king and escape?”

“Because I am not Samalah,” I said in earnest.

I knew I was probably not making any sense to Tristan, but this was a life and death situation!

I thought that if I at least underwent the ritual, there was a possibility that the sprit stone could safely separate from me. After all, the stone itself had assured me that it would help me and never put me or my child into harm’s way. However, giving me to the Apricus King was another matter!

“Tristan, I am not your slave or your possession! How can you sell me off like this?”

“Why can’t I,” he said indifferently. “You caused all that chaos while we were on our way here. Wasn’t it because you wanted to harm Livia?”

My eyes widened in fear. “Did you… Did you meant to do this all along? Did you mean to give me and my child to the Apricus King if he asked for it?”

Tristan was looking at me like I was purely evil. “Why not? You’ve been nothing but a nuisance to Dahlia and Livia. You connived with Count Jeteris. You also didn’t say anything when Kaist recognized you as his mate. Wasn’t that all because you planned to steal the throne,” he said harshly. “I am only trying to stop the evil that will further come from you…”

I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to slap him and hurt him and hurl things as him. I wanted to injure Tristan until my heart feels a little better, and yet the only thing I could do was to let a single tear fall from my eye.

So in the end, he still didn’t recognize me at all, and he was willing to bet my life and the life of my child for his sister…

“Very well,” I said softly. When I recovered enough, I shouted the same words to the Blasted Ones.

“Very well, King Helion! Release Lady Livia. I will come with you...”