Ileus: The Dark Prince

Ileus held Anastasia's hand tightly and as soon as they stepped out of the portal, he picked her up in his arms and walked inside with her head pressed against his chest. His heart was pounding so hard that she could hear it and sense his anxiety. She asked, "How did you find me?"

"When Iona appeared, I knew that Lila was involved and it was obvious that she was not alone," he said. "So, I started questioning all those who were close to Lila, which led me to the prison and—" he sucked in a sharp breath as his body shuddered. 

"And?" she goaded him to go on. 

"And it led me to a small manor right next to the prison. The guards there narrated the horror stories of Lila and how she pressured and forced prisoners for her pleasure." 

Anastasia's mind became numb. There was something so wrong about Lila all the time. Her sweet and soft demeanor was just to fool people on the outside while she carried her nefarious activities on the inside. "At first the guards did not divulge the information, but later when I forced them by entering their cells, they had to reveal it all." 

She didn't ask how he used the force, but she could well imagine how ruthless he could be. 

"Lila had cast spells on many guards and prisoners and I had to go past those spells to get the information." He didn't tell that there were two guards who were her so trusted that he had to use extreme measures and yet they didn't speak. In the end, he just killed them for treason against the kingdom of Silver Vales. Seeing how he used force, the other guards started speaking for their lives." 

Anastasia clutched his shirt and curled a little more. "I don't think it was only the guards who did it. There has to be someone else involved." Who would have the guts to use a ploy to hand over Anastasia to the dark witch? 

"I am sure there is someone else, and for the last two days my soldiers are combing the valley to get the traitors out. Haldir is carrying out the job along with my father." 

"Your Father?" Anastasia was surprised. 

"Yes. My father is the Alpha of Silver Vales. It is ultimately his responsibility." 

"Oh!" 

They reached his room and he set her on foot. She caught his arms and their gaze locked. Scent of mist and woods surrounded her as her breath became ragged. He brushed her blood-stained cheeks with his knuckles and said, "You've made me crazy yet again. It had been an agonizing two days." His eyes were blurry. "I called and called you through our bond, but it was empty. The void was so huge that it could engulf me if I had not gone around asking for you." He rested his forehead on hers and whispered, "I am sorry for what Iona did to you." He kissed her over there and picked up her wrists. Seeing her burn marks that went all the way into her flesh, he was repulsed. "We need to heal them." Icy panic ran down his throat. 

Anastasia whimpered as the pain came back. "It wasn't your fault," she said, knowing that he was blaming himself. She had forgotten all about it. It was just an itch all the while until now. Pain surged through her body and her breath became ragged. She remembered how the chains slithered on their own and spewed venom every time she tried to move. There was so much misery burning through her chest all the time. 

He pushed the lump down his throat and carefully removed her dress. "You need a bath first," he said and covered her wrists with green balmy lights. Then he knelt and covered her ankles in that light. He checked her wings and when he was satisfied that they were fine, he took her to the bath chamber. Hot water was filled in the bathtub and the maids were waiting for them. He set Anastasia in the tub. Her wings were sprawled wide inside it. Even though the water was hot around her, the green lights were like ice all over her wounds making her feel comfortable. She took a deep breath and tipped her head back to rest on the edge of the bathtub and let the maids do their work. As for Ileus, he stripped his clothes and sat in front of her, watching the maids as they helped her take bath, as they took soft loofah and cleaned blood from every feather of her wing and from her skin. He spread his legs around her and gently massaged her feet, sending tendrils of magic to comfort her. 

She didn't know when, but she drifted off to sleep, and when she woke up, she found herself wrapped in the blanket of Ileus' warmth. His hands and legs were thrown over her and he had pulled her very close to him. The room was filled with the soft buttery glow of the hearth that was now burning the last log, its embers red hot. The canopy above them had encased the bed with its red and pink roses, which exuded pleasant fragrance. Petals glided in the air and dropped around them softly. She turned her face to see him and found him staring at her with those intense golden eyes. Her chest rose sharply. She took her hand to his cheek and cupped it. He leaned into it and kissed her palm. "I missed you, Aly." 

He closed his eyes. "I missed you too." He covered her hand with his palm and brought it to his lips. "My mate," he whispered. 

She observed that the wounds around her wrists had healed considerably and there were just some angry red marks remaining. "How long have I slept?" she asked. 

"Nearly half a day," he replied. He hadn't budged from the room in those twelve hours except once. 

Surprise flitted through her face as her eyes became wide. "Really?" 

"Hmm…" he hummed. 

She pursed her lips and then turned on her side to face him. Her hands went on his chest inadvertently and she made lazy circles in his hair. She looked at the tattoos on his chest and arms—ones that she had created. When she took her fingers over there, the ink seemed to move beneath her touch. "How is your mother?" she asked. A wing lifted and cocooned him. 

He took his hand to her arms and brushed his fingers up and down. "She needs to cope up and face reality. Father was with her for some time and then he left." 

"I feel sad…" she said. "For you and your sister…" 

"Iona chose her side consciously, Anastasia. Whatever led her to those circumstances—it was unfortunate, but no one can be blamed." 

She nodded because she knew the level Ileus had gone to find her. He had stationed himself along with his friends outside Vilinski for a year, and even went to the depths of Zmjia, risking his life and that of his friends. That reminded her. "How is Guarhaal?" she asked with a twinge of gloom. 

"I have revived him." 

"How?" she asked, stunned. 

"I learnt Iona's magic when I was fighting with her and used it to revive him." 

Gods!