Ileus: The Dark Prince

Aed Ruad shook his head with a smile as he picked up the piece of bacon and gobbled it up. "Then you have to start preparing for tomorrow morning." 

"Yes! I will leave for Silver Vales before the break of dawn. I am going to remain there for the next two days. Come and meet me on the border after two days." 

"I like your confidence," he remarked. 

"And I like your informant." She was going to help that man for the next two days. 

That night, Siora couldn't sleep properly as her mind came up with a thousand strategies. She was still not believing that she was this close to getting back to the throne of Galahar. Once Iona would be killed, Rolfe, her traitor son, would follow her to death as her mate. 

And the next morning, she woke up very early. She turned on her bed to see that it was empty. She took in a deep breath and then got out of it. She dressed in slacks and a white tunic and wrapped herself with thick furs. When she was ready and she came out, she found Aed Ruad giving instructions to his men. As soon as he saw her, he jerked his chin towards the dining room. She knew that he wanted to talk to her about the plan. But she was so eager to leave that she was finding it difficult to sit on her chair. She tapped her foot all the while until he came. 

Aed Ruad came and sat on the head of the table. He placed food on her plate and asked her to eat. Impatient as hell, Siora gobbled the mashed potatoes and rye bread. "I need to leave early, Aed Ruad. The travel is long and if my horse gallops to Silver Vales, it will still take more than a day to reach the borders. So, please just let me go!" 

"Have your food," he instructed. "I don't want you to be hungry when you leave." 

She gritted her teeth and just to get out of the place, she picked an egg and ate it after sprinkling salt over it. "Can I go now?" she asked exasperatedly. 

"Relax," he replied. "I will be taking you there." 

Siora's mouth fell to the floor. "You?" 

"Yes," Aed Ruad replied slowly. "Traveling on a horse is going to be a waste of time because we have only two days." 

Her face cracked into a grin. With Aed Ruad, she would reach in a few hours. 

Aed Ruad dropped Siora a mile from the border. "Be careful," he said, as he flapped his wings and landed on the ground. He tapped her horns. "Hide them." He was sure that even if she hid them, Rolfe would be able to see. "When you reach inside the pack's territory, make sure that you directly go to my informant." 

"I will!" she said. Aed Ruad turned back and took off while she started walking towards the pack's territory. Her magic was thrumming inside her and she wanted to use it to travel fast to the pack, but she let it drop inside her like a coil. She would need it all to fight against Anastasia and Ileus. As for Rolfe, his magic was nothing compared to hers. She chortled at what fates had given him as a mate—a woman who had no magic, a woman who was nothing but a burden to the kingdom of Galahar. Iona didn't deserve to be the queen of a kingdom that was so ancient and so valuable and of course, so rich. Siora clutched the sides of her tunic as she trudged through the snow. She decided to hide her horns just before she would enter the borders because she would have to continue to hide them and that would use her magic. 

Siora entered the territory and just before doing that she used her magic to hide her horns. She pulled the hood of her cloak further in front of her face. The weather was in her favor. It was snowing and hence kept most of the denizens inside their homes. As she passed through the lonely streets, she could smell the wax and oil of the candles and lamps from inside the homes. It was already afternoon when she reached the business establishment of the informer Aed Ruad had instructed. The podgy man with chubby fingers was giving harsh instructions to his people. "Take this bail of milk to the backyard," he barked the order to a man. Then he turned his head over his shoulder and addressed a girl. "What the hell are you standing there for? Go to the kitchen and help the butcher with the meat!" The girl scurried away. 

Siora dropped her bag to the ground and walked to the man, her green eyes scanning the surroundings. 

"Who are you?" asked the man when she bowed to him with politeness. "Go! Get going. I don't have time nor do I have any more employment left," he tried to ward her off even as her beauty struck him. He hadn't seen her around before.

She bit her lip, pulled her hood back slightly, and in a very low voice said, "Aed has sent me." 

The man stiffened at her words. The woman in front of him was the fae's assassin. The way his shoulders tensed, it was as if he had forgotten to breathe. All his thoughts flew away. When he remembered what she had come for, he said, "Please follow me to the backyard. You have to look after the deserts and vegetables." He didn't wait for her answer and spun around to go inside his shop. 

Siora followed him. There was no one who was bothered about what was going on between them. The loud sound of voices, mixed with minor brawls, clank of metal and wet smack of water and milk overtook the senses. 

The man walked all the way down the alley to the backyard and stopped in front of a small room. He opened the door and stepped inside. Siora stepped in too. As soon as she was in the room, she noticed the rotting smell of vegetables in sacks and barrels of ale over there. There was just one window and that too was shut. He closed the door behind him. "I am Hank," he said. "I know who sent you. These are your quarters for two days. You have to chop these vegetables and someone will come to pick them up. Today there will be a delivery of milk pails to the mansion. You can accompany the men who will be delivering." Saying that he turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "Please don't come out of this room otherwise. There is too much of a risk. I will be fulfilling my part of the deal and once you have done your work, you will not return to this place. If I see you back, I won't allow you to enter. I will deny ever seeing you. At all times, you will be covering your face. I don't want anyone to see or remember who you are!" The woman was very beautiful to go unnoticed. "And after this I won't speak to you. Figure out things your way."

"I will make sure of that," she replied. 

Saying that Hank left and Siora was left alone in the room.