The Storm Tower | Vol.4, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

17.

Accompanied by a party of armed Arkangels, Jocasta led the trio into the forest bordering The Ark. The hunters marched ahead of them, guns at the ready as they traversed through the dense foliage. A brisk wind announced itself by blowing through Sebastian's clothes. The cold had a firm grip on his skin. Gritting his teeth, he shivered and tightened his jacket around himself.

He wasn't sure where the Arkangels were taking them, but he was starting to share Dorian's sentiments.

The entire situation was beginning to give him a bad feeling.

With every step he took, the stronger his suspicions grew. Surely a gargoyle or a gryphon wouldn't be causing Jocasta enough trouble for her to ask this favor of them. They also weren't known to reside this deep into the forest. Something else was waiting for them beyond the trees.

Sebastian wasn't looking forward to meeting it.

But if they had any shot of convincing the Arkangels to ally with them, then he would have to take care of his problem for her. Swallowing hard, he jammed his freezing hands into his pockets and continued after the hunting party.

Beside him, Imogen and Dorian theorized what kind of threat they might've been up against. Well, it was mostly Imogen theorizing and Dorian shooting down her ideas as soon as they popped up. It reminded Sebastian of a game of whack-a-mole.

"Maybe it's a vampire."

Dorian snorted. "You mean Nightling? No chance."

"Werewolf then?"

"Would've smelled them miles ago."

"Alright, then what is it then?"

"I have the same amount of information as you."

Groaning, she moved away from him and caught up to Sebastian. Nudging his shoulder, she lowered her voice. "What do you think it is?"

He shrugged. He wasn't in the mood to talk. His brain was too preoccupied with creating hundreds of scenarios where they all died at the hands—or claws—of a monstrous creature.

They were pretty deep into the forest now. The trail the Arkangels had embarked on eventually gave way to thick, ankle-height grass. Trees clustered together, forcing the group to weave between their skinny trunks. Sebastian kept close to the hunters. Jocasta walked in the middle of them, protected like royalty.

He arched an eyebrow at the woman.

He hadn't expected her to be the leader of the Arkangels. For years, the image of a ruthless, nasty-looking man had filled his head whenever he thought about the people who hunted his kind. While Jocasta did give off a menacing aura and a sense of power, she also didn't come across as the leader of a murderous group of zealots.

What is her story?

Shaking his head, he forced the question to the back of his mind. Her story wasn't important. She wasn't important. Not really. He needed her troops—that was it. They weren't allying to become friends or acquaintances. He didn't need to know about her, and she definitely didn't need to know about him.

"Alright," he finally said. "We've been walking for half an hour. Where are we going?"

Jocasta halted the party with the simple raise of a hand. Turning slightly, she smirked.

Sebastian scowled. "Listen, lady, I'm going to need some answers. And quickly. Or the deal's off."

"You're quite the firecracker."

"I'll show you a firecracker."

Imogen stepped in front of him before looking at the woman. "We just want to know what exactly you're asking of us. A bit of a heads-up would be appreciated."