𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟕.

~ Crystal ~

Last night, once my love and I bathed, Dionis interrupted our blissful night to inform us about terrible news.

The northern walls of all realms have fallen.

The creatures of the untouched lands now have full access to all kingdoms and among those beings lurk not only mortals and magi but bloodthirsty, dangerous beasts as well. 

Adonis didn't sleep and neither did the Lords and Armies - they have been hunting down those ferocious creatures ever since the news reached us. 

Hours have passed without a single missive from my beloved Adonis. It is late in the evening now and I have not slept a wink or eaten, my worry is constantly rising, building up a tornado of fears and anxieties within me. 

"What kind of creatures could possibly escape?"- I asked tentatively while Demetria sweetened the herbal tea for me and kept the pastries nearby, hoping that I will take a little bite at least.

"Oh, all sorts of horrid beings, Your Highness. Most of them are creations of magi and very few of them were made by the moon."- answered Claudia while brushing my hair, preparing me for bed that I will not lay in until my mate returns to me.  

"But whilst the list of those vicious creatures is endless, there are 2 beasts that cause the most gore and suffering: Sages and Nimh."- said Luticia, focused on the motions of her fingertips that massaged the lotion into my hands. 

"Sages are blind, venomous critters, who have outstanding senses of smell and hearing. Their snow-white skin is almost see-through, coated with thin, blue veins and revolting scars. Their mouths are wide, ornamented by rows of small, rotten, sharp teeth that tear through the flesh of people: mortal, vampire, mage, fae or werewolf it doesn't matter."- stated Demetria, her posture tense and watchful of our surroundings, and brought the cup of tea to me. 

"Nimphs are enormous serpents, who suck souls out of their quarries and eat their decaying corpses. The poison is within their fangs, one droplet is enough to kill a dozen of the strongest males. Their eyes, bright red and full of madness, can compel the prey to do the beasts' bidding too, but those critters prefer to feast on quarries instead because the untouched lands ran out of food a long time ago and now that they are free, they will do everything to satisfy their hunger."- Demetria described the other beast while approaching the bed to prepare it for me. 

"Those two critters have been the reason for the terrors of many for centuries. They leave nothing, not even a single bone, in the place of their prey. Magi created those beasts to craft their own army, but the monsters gained souls and minds with time and left their masters to cause gore and wake anguish and fright in every realm."- said Luticia carefully, almost as if afraid to speak of it too loudly, and I whimpered, my longing stare fixed upon my mate's side of our bed. 

"Have you heard any news? When will my treasure come back to me?"- I asked my maids worriedly, Eden bellowing inside me as we did our best not to touch the bond too much to let our mates concentrate and lead the Army. 

"No news yet, Your Highness."- said my maids mildly, giving me the same answer ever since the moment my treasure departed. 

"Please, Your Highness, rest for a little bit, at least."- coaxed Claudia gently and I shook my head.

"I am waiting for my love. I want to see him as soon as he returns and take care of him."- I spoke softly and curled in a little ball in the large armchair, the dark blue, silk fabric of my ankle-length nightgown glinting in the dim light of the chambers.

Demetria placed a blanket over me and tucked me in before the three of them left for their own chambers. I placed my hands on my belly, stroked and caressed it while listening to my babies' heartbeats, desperate to remain calm.