The End of Innocence: Book 3 of the Kinstone series

(Me)

I cry harder and harder, feeling my mother’s forehead pressed against mine. My hands feebly clung to her cape, “Mom…Mom,” I whimper through my cries. I have never before been happier in my life to see her. My mother…my mother is really here.

I cried hard, feeling her hands clenching around my tiny frame. She’s here…my mother is here. Blood from my mouth spatters onto her outfit the more I cry.

“Shhh…I’m here…I’m here, my love. My precious, precious girl,” tears drip onto the top of my head, “I’ve missed you, my girl…you can’t even begin to imagine how much I’ve missed you.”

I look up at her, “Mom…I’ve missed you too,” my voice cracks and chokes, seeing her violet eyes shimmering in the moonlight as tears stream down her face. “Marron, she…she’s…”

Rachel places her fingers over my lips, shaking her head, “We’ll talk about your sister later, but for now…I know, my girl…I know.”

She summons a handkerchief and wipes away the blood from my face, tossing it away. Her hand then parts my hair from my face, stroking my cheek. It felt warm and soft, yet trembles as it smooths over my skin. My cheeks are raw from all of the tears, I rasp for breath, feeling my lungs move unnaturally against my ribs.

A cold nose then presses against my cheek, turning to see my bonded wolf staring gently at me with his ice-blue eyes. I lean forward and reach up to him. My blood-drenched hand digs into his fur.

“Missed you, Papa Wolf,” I rasp.

He gently licks away my tears, his tongue felt hot and smooth, yet wraps my body in a gentle chill, soothing the searing pain which coursed throughout my body.

“I have missed you as well, my little Aria.” His voice sounded both tired but alert. How long…how long have you been searching for me? How often did you go out?

I take another breath, wincing. Rachel reaches down and strokes my ribcage. I groan, feeling her fingers going over a few of the broken ribs.

“Two…no, three broken.” She then reaches into her cape and pulls out a vial containing a purplish liquid, handing it to me. “Drink, sweetheart.”

I hold the bottle and weakly pop the cork on it, and down its contents. The liquid tastes sweet yet bitter. I cough as I down it.

“Easy now, drink slowly.” Her hands then smoothed over my ribs, feeling as she pushed them back into place, sending her healing magic into me, helping further my recovery.

I slow my drinking. Strength and energy slowly return to me, it didn’t bring me back hundred percent, not even close, but enough to get back onto my feet. She pushes the broken ribs back into place. I wince and groan, feeling them move within me. Once the last rib is reset, I let out haggard, tearful sigh.

“Regulus was going to kill me and bring me back,” I cry again. “He was then going to send me back to the Manor and steal the lantern. He wanted me to hurt or kill everyone there.”

My mother’s eyes bulge as she stares at him in horror, “You would dare violate my daughter in such a manner, just to further your own gains? And then proceed to have her harm all those she loves in this world? Have you no shame?”

His hands clench tightly into fists, but gives a soft and dark smile, “All of that and more, my dear Rachel.” He eyes move up and down, examining her, “My, my, how long has it been since you last wore that lovely outfit?”

She snarls at him, “You goddamn bastard.” She then eyes Diana standing behind Selene. She tilted her head in confusion as to why she was here. “Diana,” she says, motioning her over to us, “come here dear child.”

Diana growls, launching herself at the barrier, slamming her fist into it, “You bitch. Why are you holding ‘her’?”

The barrier rippled from repeated blows upon it. Rachel stared on it confusion, “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t I hold my daughter?”

The girl again slams her fist into the barrier, causing it ripple once more, “She’s not yours,” turning towards Regulus and Selene, “What the hell is a ‘Kinstone’?”

He stares on in surprise, watching as both halves reunite, glowing brightly, only to suddenly disappear, “A Kinstone is meant only to be shared between those, although not of blood, who are meant to be family. Each person shares a bond stronger than blood.”

He then grits his teeth, “Why…why didn’t I foresee this?”

The girl grew angrier, “Speak English dammit!”

He glares at her, “It means that your child was destined to become hers,” snapping back.

She turns slowly, eyes filling with rage, “You fucking bitch!” slamming her fist into the barrier over and over again, “You stole my child from me!”

Rachel’s mouth hung open, “Your child? What on earth are you talking about? You should be no older than Aria.” The girl wails on the barrier, glaring venomously at me, eyes now glowing with magic.

I let out a cough, finally feeling able to breathe easier, “It’s her,” rasping, “she’s my mom.”

Rachel’s jaw drops, staring at Diana, then at Regulus, “Have you no respect for the sanctity of the grave?”

My eyes drift up, “He’s the one who killed her. He’s been trying to kill me for the past two years, and back in June.”

Her grip around me tightens, eyes bearing daggers onto him, lips curling into a snarl, “You…you son of a bitch, you nearly forced me to watch my daughter die.”

She pulls me closer to her, slowly lifting the both of us to our feet, with Fenris bracing me from behind. My legs wobbled somewhat as I rose, my hand pressed on my bonded’s back, supporting me until I finally stood on my own.

The barrier hummed and rippled with each successive strike from Diana.

“A black Uldulvan wolf,” I hear Selene remark. “A wolf said to only to be born in times of great change, wolves of the king.” She snarls, “To think those deserters still exist in this world.”

She then stares at Fenris, “Wait…I. No, it can’t be the same wolf as before.”

Before? What do you mean?

Rachel turns to her, “Selene…Nethune? How is this possible? You shouldn’t even be here. The last time I saw you, it was over four hundred years ago and not…dead.”

The wight smirks, “Well…things do happen,” looking to me, “now I shall take my revenge upon those who killed me.” Her dark grin grew, “Others have heard the call of Nethune, the rightful rulers of the world, they stand ready to reclaim that which had been stolen from them, each bearing the centuries old grudge towards your house, little Aria.”

My mother pulls me even tighter than before, “Do not involve my daughter, you undead whore.”

She smirked, “Oh my. To utter such language in front of children.” She shook her head, “Tsk, tsk dear lady. Here I believed you to be of better quality.”

I glare at her, “Piss off bitch.”

Selene sighs, shaking her head, “Children.”

A green glow emanates around us, causing me to heave in pain, feeling weak, and ready to throw up. I look up to see Diana’s hands engulfed in dark, sickly green flames. Bluish flames spark around me, causing her to pull back.

The girl then slams her fists into the barrier, causing it to crack. Behind her, a formless mass began to emerge from with her flames. I moan heavily, nearly losing my footing.

I peer over to her, watching the mass begins to take shape. Even brighter flames erupted around her, as the visage of what appeared to be long, heavily-built legs, at their tips formed hooves. The being leaps up front behind her yet wreathed in flame. Its body is dark, yet pulsing lines of green flame flow around it.

It took the visage of a horse, but appeared to be actually evil. Its face looked straight at me; its eyes were empty hollow cavities, only then to be filled with tiny balls of dark green flame. Its gaze appeared to be solely directed towards me, as though my very presence offended him.

My eyes widen knowing what stood before us on the other side the barrier…a nightmare. A horse said to be born of the flames of death and misery. They despise the living, wishing all those not touched by death to quickly do so.

If there was one thing these beings hated more than the living, it were those of the spirit realm. They stood as among the multitude of beings that all stood in opposition to them. Celestial, holy, purity, take your pick, it didn’t matter to them.

It angrily drags a hoof across the ground, snorting heavily, neighing loud as it rears up and stomps on the barrier, shattering it. The creature then neighs, sending out streams of hellish flame which forced Rachel to let go of me, separating me from her and Fenris.

Diana then leaps onto the horse and charges towards me, grabbing me by the throat and hoisting into the air as we dash into the forest.