FM Chapter 22

Sorry for the month long wait. I’m still having issues with writers block and RL issues that made it even worse.

• Addis

Chapter Twenty Two

The very next day, Cian and Kai left to go find the missing children. Sitross and some of the other teachers wanted to go as well, but Cian denied their requests, telling them to stay to help keep those in the city safe. Sitross had sighed, closed his eyes and muttered, “I knew you would say that.”

Then, from his robes, he took out two bright orange crystals, passing one to each Cian and Kai.

“What is this?” Kai asked, feeling the gem heat up in his hands.

“You do not know what will happen out there.” SItross began, “Just in case the two of you are separated, theses two stones are linked. If the stone is crushed, the other will activate and alert the holder to the location the stone was crushed.” Sitross explained the entire process with a certain look in his eyes. He hoped that the two would never have to use these two gems,

Leaving with the stones in hand, the two began their journey to find the missing children. As they walked along the roads, Cian ‘s eyes continuously glanced over to his right to look at Kai. Kai’s face was blank, all his emotions hidden. It was just like when CIan had first met Kai. This made Cian uncomfortable. Lifting his hand up, CIan caressed Kai’s cheek with the back of his fingers.

Startled, Kai’s steps paused and his bright eyes looked up at Cian. Confusing glazed over his face, barely imperceptible. Cian gave a quiet chuckle before he leaned down and placed a feathery light kiss on those up turned lips.

Even more confused, Kai stood still, his eyes widening slightly as Cian pulled away.

His voice barely a whisper, he asked, “What was that for?”

Cian smiled lovingly, his fingers caressing Kai’s cheek lightly. “I felt as if you were beyond my reach and I wanted to bring you back to me.”

Kai’s eyebrows scrunched together, “But I’m right here?”

The meaning behind Cian’s soft smile shook Kai but they both kept quiet and continued on to find the lost children.

Half a day later, Kai stopped, his head tilted in a certain direction. “I think I can hear something.”

Cian listened as well before he nodded, “There seems to be something up ahead.”

The two hastened their footsteps toward the noise.

The wind picked up slightly, and then a huge gust blew past Kai making his moonlit hair fly all around. It tickled his face and shielded his vision. The gust ended as abruptly as it came. A wolf like Dire Beast stood before him, standing eerily still, its hackles on end, and its pure white teeth bared. An erupting growl echoed through the forest.

It wasn’t the Beast.

The growl was menacing and warning, Kai halted in his steps and stood completely still. The hair on his body was standing on its end. He could feel his eyes widen.

“Oh shit.” Kai whispered just as a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. Neither Cian nor Kai had the chance to even move before Kai was knocked down to the ground.

A body was holding him down, he could smell blood and there was a blur of movement as Cian reached out. He tried breathing but it hurt like hell just to intake one breath. One or a few of his ribs were most likely broken. The blur was Cian as he threw a cloaked man off of Kai and begun to fight them.

Kai couldn’t make out the face of the person but from a distance, he saw a small hut that seemed to stand out like a small elven retreat in the forest.

Soon after, Cian appeared next to Kai, his hair unruffled, but blood coating his hands. With a simple flick of his wrists, his hands were clean. Calmly, Kai looked at CIan and moved his head towards the small hut in the distance. Cian nodded and moved forward at the same time.

The outside of the hut was clean, but covered in ivy and moss. It had been in the same spot for who knows how many years to collect the plant life from around it. While Kai crept forward, Cian kept his senses on high alert just in case another masked person appeared.

Slowly, Kai opened the door. It creaked on its hinges as it showed the situation inside the hut.

In a small room with no lights and only one exit, all of the missing children sat huddled together on a cold dirt floor. Some of the children were only old enough to walk, while others could figure out that they were probably never going to go home again. Almost all of them were covered in varying degrees of bruises. The oldest were a light greenish yellow while the new ones were a striking bright purple. Some even had dried blood on their clothes, these ones looked as if they had been drugged and were unconscious on the dirt floor. They must have tried to escape and were punished for their actions.

“Cian.” Kai whispered, his heart aching for the children before him.

“I know,” CIan whispered, hating that his mate had to see children like this. “Let’s get them out of here.”

Kai reached towards the children, but almost all of them moved away from him. Scared and beyond frightened that he was there to do something worse. Kai tried soothing them, letting them know they could go home soon. A few of the children began to believe him, tears streaking down their faces as they thought of seeing their parents once again.

From the darkness, a cold laugh sounded out.

“Well, well. I never thought this would be how we meet once again.” Standing in the corner, his face a mask of pain and delight, Zee watched Kai.

He still had the same appearance from Earth. The same eyes the color of fire, like a molten liquid amber. His hair looked to be as dark as the night, with streaks of gold. Remembering how he arrived in this world in the first place, Kai became enraged.

He shouted out, “You!”

The smile on Zee’s face grew wide. He ran a hand through his hair as he watched the two men and many children within the small hut. “At least you remember me.”

Anger still seething through him, Kai demanded, “You were the one who took the children?”

Zee didn’t reply, but reached out a hand to grab Kai. Cian reached forward to stop Zee from touching his mate, but four masked men appeared from nowhere and distracted him. Afraid for the children, and knowing Kai would be ok, Cian led the four men away from the hut. The sound of fighting began to become a distant sound.

Still left with Zee in front of him, Kai dodged to the right and turned to run, but the man grabbed his shoulder. He was about to struggle when Zee strengthened his grip, making Kai feel as if his shoulder was about to break. The pain caused Kai to suck in a breath, hissing out loud. Seeing Cian still locked into combat with others, Kai used his Elements to hit the man behind him.

The magic hit Zee low, paining him enough to let go. Seizing the chance, Kai fled, not wanting the children to be caught in the crossfire, but Zee was replaced by two others that emerged from the woods. They surrounded him as they closed in.

Kai was backed into a corner with no way out and Cian was not in his vicinity.

Zee had his hands dangling at his sides, his smile was a little taunting as his said, “I can’t let you go this time. I need you to come with me.”

Before Kai could react, a hand filled his vision, striking the area on his side where his ribs were already broken.

Kais body really needed oxygen; his brain was making him go into unconsciousness. His hearing became muffled, he could only hear the sound of his voice and he begin not to be able to feel his own body. Zee was speaking but Kai couldn’t hear what he was saying. All feeling in his body was fading, even the excruciating pain in his side. Soon he was knocked out, nothing but blackness filling his vision.

The only thing he was worried about at that moment was Cian. He wanted nothing more than his mate to be safe.

~~~

When Kai woke up, standing before him was Zee, calming looking out at the expansive plains before him. Nothing else was around them and all was quiet. Cian and all the children were already gone.

“Why did you take me this time and last time?” Kai breathed through the pain in his body.

Zee looked behind him and whispered, “It was never my decision.”

Confused, Kai responded, “What do you mean?”

A sad laugh escaped Zee’s lips. “I am nothing more than a lacky for someone who has more power. We are all nothing put pawns in his hands.”

None of this seemed real to Kai. His brain seemed not to be functioning. “Who are you talking about?”

“My boss.” Zee said, “He needs you Kai, and I can only follow his orders.”

Who would need him? He didn’t even belong to this world.“Why does your boss need me so badly that he would be willing to capture so many innocents?”

“There are more secrets in this world than you will ever be able to comprehend, Kai. What you cannot see, is already known by him. He needs your blood.”

“My blood.” Thinking to this point, Kai froze. It couldn’t be? Could it?

“He knows what you are, Kai. As do all of those beneath him.”

“How?” Kai yelled, his fear making him tremble. He didn’t want his bloodline to implicate Cian, he would do anything in his power to keep his mate safe.

“The one who wants you, Kai, is your father.”