FOREVER KNIGHTS: #13 Salvaging Souls

Crone’s Cottage, Northern Netherwood

TEVERIUS

The night was still and quiet.

“He’s not out here, Ser.” Luca said in his high voice. Strange on such a large man.

Serdephe gave him a look over her shoulder. “He lives out here. He’s always out here. Even when you don’t think he is.”

“Even the dogs can’t find him.”

“He’s here somewhere.” She insisted.

“I know you don’t want to give up, Sweetheart. But he’s clearly avoiding you.”

“I know.” Her lips tightened. “I don’t understand why!”

He sighed. Knowing her well. “Which only makes you want to find him more.”

“I have to! He needs to talk to me!”

“I wonder if he feels the same.” Luca grumbled.

“I don’t care.” She said waspishly over her shoulder.

“I’m aware. I’m tired. Can we go rest for the night?”

She groaned loudly in objection.

“Come, Ser. You want to go dance tomorrow which means we’ll be out late. And you know I’m no good to you when I’ve not enough rest.”

She rounded, shoulders slumping as she pouted. Thudding back through the trees toward the cottage. Luca in tow. “I don’t understand why you can’t simply sleep in, in the morning.”

“You know well I can’t sleep once the sun is up.”

Aggravated, she was quiet as they wound through the trees heading back to the cottage without any light. She used her acute senses to find her way. Knowing her way well and feeling every movement of a branch or shrub.

Luca’s eyes reflected yellow in the moonlight. Eyes one might see on a cat. Allowing him to see perfectly.

They returned to the cottage.

Luca gave her cheek a quick kiss as they parted ways for her to head upstairs to her chamber.

She turned at the stairs and saw him checking on the crone, Hales, laying on the furs before the fire.

He was speaking soothingly to her. Her pallor was very gray, and she’d been having episodes where her body would quake so hard it’d rattle the furs of her.

Luca grabbed them and pulled them tenderly over the crone before walking to the wood bench next to the wood table. He caught up the fur near one armrest and pulled it up over his shoulders as he settled in.

Serdephe averted her attention to going upstairs. “I will find you, My Wolf.”

Serdephe awoke to the sound of Luca’s pained moaning coming from downstairs. Her eyes snapped open and she became fully alert. Realizing there was a hunched shadow coming toward her in the dark.

Closing her eyes and inhaling she recognized the smells of Hales’ deteriorating body. But her instinctive senses gathered that the way Hales was moving now was threatening.

“Hales?” She asked.

With a wild screech the woman dived on her. Becoming visible in the moonlight shining in on her.

Hales’ head was bloody. Trickling down her face. The same red shade filling her dark eyes. She was shrieking like a dying woman as she fumbled and caught Serdephe’s slender neck. Her hands cinching around it with violent strength as she began strangling Serdephe. Lunging forward and back so hard that she rocked Serdephe’s head several times against the wall and the frame of her bed. Smashing her down into the reed bedding.

Serdephe was gargling for air.

Elven Tunnels, Northern Netherwood

Deep in the dark of the tunnels. Teverius’ cheek was scrunched over a fist propping his head. Elbow resting on the bone arm of his throne.

There was a rumble in the stone halls of water flood through. A sudden rush of it. Being drawn from every bit of rock and root. Pouring in waves back toward the direction he entered.

Toward the crone’s hut. He sat up straighter. Blue eyes flashing in a glow that was nearly white. He was no longer listening to the woes of the man knelt at his feet. No longer feeling the stroking hands of the elven women on his knees as they reverently caressed him.

He stood, stepping from their reach and numbly following the water. Something is wrong.

Seeing the water surge up toward the entrance with such force it blew open the disguised door. He ran out after it. Emerging into the wash of moonlight. Seeing that water was snaking through the woods, flowing around trunks as it rushed in the same direction.

Being summoned. He realized.

His immediate fear was for his little Huntress. Serdephe!

Unsure what was happening, he leapt in the air, forcing his limbs and back to contort into his most comfortable form. The alabaster panther. His clothes shredding and falling limply into the water as he landed in a splash that surged up around him. Framing his white-blue eyes set on the direction of the crone’s hut. His fiercely muscled shoulders worked as his legs pumped through the water growing increasingly deep as it collected into a river as wide as the NetherRunnel. As he rounded the back of the cottage, he saw the irrigation creek was flowing in a backward waterfall to climb onto the bank. Surging toward the cottage and gaining speed. He got ahead of it and tucked his head to shoulder the door of the cottage. Pushing his way in.

He aimed for the stairs. Already smelling blood. Don’t be hers. He took the winding narrow stairs. Stumbling awkwardly on giant cat paws as he forced his way up them. Sliding once before catching his footing as the water began filling the floor of the shelter.

He heard a man shouting in objection to the water and heard furniture overturning.