Ileus: The Dark Prince

"I blasted them in so many fragments that they would never be able to piece together and sent them back to their land. They were sucked in the Lands of Gaira, their true abode," he said in a menacing voice. 

Just then the door of the room opened. 

Anastasia whipped her head and found a couple walking towards them. The man shared some features with Ileus. He had dark thick hair that matched the color of his eyes and a square jaw. As tall as Ileus with broad shoulders, he looked refreshed. He was holding the hands of a woman who was breathtakingly beautiful. Her dark wavy hair that curled inwards framed her petite face. She blinked her long lashes excitedly over her green eyes, as she watched Anastasia with eagerness. She had a lovely halo around her face. Ileus had mentioned that she was pregnant. Together they looked lovely. 

Ileus turned sharply to see them and he got up. "Don't you people know how to knock?" he said and gave a bear hug to the man as the woman's face broke into a grin. Ileus turned to Anastasia and said, "Meet my cousin, Daryn and his wife, Dawn." 

Anastasia's eyes glowed as she watched them with rapt attention and they watched her with equal excitement. 

Dawn walked over to her and said, "You are heartbreakingly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." She leaned over her and pressed a kiss. "And angel…" she whispered. 

Anastasia laughed softly. "Thanks for welcoming in your home." Then she sniffed her and a surprised expression crossed her face, "Are you also a vokudlak?" 

Dawn frowned. She looked at Ileus with a question in her eyes. 

"That's a werewolf for you," he replied. "In fae language." 

"Oh!" she gaped at Anastasia. "Fae is amongst us!" 

Anastasia bit her lip realizing the weight of the wings in between her shoulder blades. Her face flushed a pink. She had never felt them when they were shackled. But their presence was overwhelming and the need to flare them wide open was even more overbearing. However, now that they were unshackled, she was… scared. She didn't know how to use them. Who would teach her? As if on instinct, her wings rustled. She had tucked them tightly and they had receded into shades. 

Daryn walked forward and he held her hand in his. He took her knuckles to his lips and pressed a light kiss. "We are extremely happy to have you here," he said with a glint in his eyes. "I have been telling Ileus to come here ever since he stepped in Yelgra, but I guess he wanted to keep you for himself." He winked an eye turning towards his cousin and Anastasia turned scarlet. 

"Stop teasing my wife!" Ileus said as he removed Daryn's hand from Anastasia's. "She is unwell." That was just an excuse for him to remove his hand because he didn't want anyone else touching his wife. 

Daryn looked at the yellow orbs of lights and then waved his hands in the air. The orbs vanished in the air making 'plop' sound like water bubbles. "I believe you must be very hungry, Anastasia," he said. 

Her stomach grumbled and before she could even nod, servants knocked the door. They brought in trays laden with porridge, fruits, breads, soups and blueberries. She gasped when her eyes fell on the berries. 

Dawn pushed a trolley in front of her and gestured to Ileus to move out. The servants set the food on the trolley and left. The first thing that Dawn did was to pick up the bowl of blueberries and give it to her. "Everyday in the morning these berries appear along with flower petals, gold coins and pearls."

Anastasia opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut when Dawn said, "You don't have to explain anything Anastasia. At first we didn't know what it was, but when our healers saw these, they knew what they were. You must have these berries because they will give you all the strength you need. By the way, this morning, there were red cherries also along with the berries." She picked up another bowl full of red cherries and gave it to her. 

Anastasia's lips tugged up at the way Dawn understood things. Anastasia barely remembered what it was to be spoken to so nicely or looked after so well. Over the past so many years of her life, she was subjected to harsh treatments that left a permanent mental and physical scar on her. So when Dawn gave her the bowl, she gazed at her cautiously. She really wanted to believe that Dawn meant well, but she held her emotions on the inside. Could anyone be this nice? "Thank you," she replied with gratitude.

Daryn pulled two cushioned chairs next to the bed and sat down offering the other one to Ileus, but Ileus being a shameless creature, he just hopped onto the bed and sat beside his wife. He leaned over and pressed a full-blown kiss on her lips to show his claim. Daryn rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Sometimes you act like a teenager," he said with a smirk. 

"I have seen you acting like one around Dawn," came the prompt reply. The fact was that now he understood why vokudlaks were lascivious around their mates. 

Dawn giggled. 

"Has Caleb come back?" asked Ileus as he took a red cherry from the bowl and gave it to Anastasia. 

"No!" Daryn said in an exasperated voice. "He has gone after Elize and I don't think he is going to come back soon." 

Ileus lowered his head. "I hope he finds her soon." Over the past few days when Anastasia wasn't with him, his situation resembled that of a man walking like dead. Misery and heartache were his constant companions and he hoped that no one ever lost their mate. 

"I hope so too!" said Daryn. Then in order to steer the conversation to a different direction, he said, "What are you guys planning now?"