Ráild bowed to her as he tucked his massive black wings behind his back. "Your Highness!" A cold half smile appeared on his face. "We have come to take you." His words were laced with bitter sadistic coldness.
Confusion and disbelief filled her mind. She recognized the others as a part of her team of bodyguards. She could feel Ileus's chest heaving with anger on her back. His men were right behind him and she knew that in front of these Faes, they didn't stand a chance. A shiver ran down her spine. How the hell did they come to know that she was right there? And the rumble that she'd been hearing—it was associated with their arrival.
"What will the princess do?" Ileus whispered, leaning his head near her ear. "Do you want to go back?"
"That is stupid to think!" She snapped, her voice heated.
"If you go with him right now, you will be very welcome in Vilinski, Anastasia." He suggested through his clenched jaws.
"No, thank you but I won't." She grated. "I have plans to take care of, and they will come to fruition with your help."
"You have a lot of trust in me," he remarked.
"Correction. I have more trust in you as compared to Ráild."
"You mean you feel protected with me?" The man had the ability to tease her even in such dire situations.
She slanted her head and stared into his warm honey eyes that now flickered golden. "Yes, I feel more protected with you." She wanted to sound sincere and thought that it came out correctly because it came out from her heart.
"So you promise that you won't stray anywhere after this? Not even in Óraid?" He asked in a whisper as if making a deal.
"By Fae!" She was getting irritated. "You are pathetic! I feel like crossing over to Ráild right now rather than listen to you!"
He raised an eyebrow and a smile tugged at his lips. He left the reins and became straight. "You may go. Chances are Ráild is going to love it."
"Would you let me go?" she asked with rage rising inside her.
"No princess, I wouldn't! That's where you are wrong!" A muscle flexed in his jaw. "Because I value your freedom."
Anastasia's body felt in sync with his heartbeats.
"And I would love staying with you!"
Beneath her cloak, a sharp edge of cold steel touched her hands and she shuddered. Ileus had passed her a dagger under the cloak. "Kill them and let me help you kill them!"
"I will!" she snarled.
"I wouldn't miss the opportunity to see you in the act, Ana." He chuckled with growing excitement and anger. "This is going to become one hell of a bloody place!" he growled.
Her breath became ragged. Anastasia looked at the waters below and the clusters started moving again.
Ráild took a step forward as other Faes bobbed up and down in the air around them. Tension had rippled through the air crazily. "I see that the two of you are having the last minute conversation," Ráild spoke as he peered on their side. "Good. Do your goodbyes soon. We don't have time."
Ileus stopped talking and glared at him, his fangs bared.
Ráild tsked. He tilted his head and said, "Why is poor Nyles unconscious?"
Ignoring his sentence,Anastasia asked, "How did you find me Ráild? And after what Iskra has done for me, you were the last person I had expected to lead this." She said waving her hand around.
"We found you a little late princess, but thanks to this vokudlak over here, it took us a very loooong time," Ráild replied.
"That didn't answer my question," Anastasia said coldly.
Ráild crossed his hands across his chest. "Well, just after you had crossed the first portal, we came to know about your location."
"How?"
Ráild jerked his chin towards her back. "Nyles had dropped in a clue. She had thrown one of your hair pins inside the portal."
Anastasia's head spun. So Ileus's doubts had been correct? Nyles had led them to her. Her body froze and her mouth fell open. Acrid taste of anger rose up in her throat. Her fist around the pommel of the dagger tightened. Unease grew as she replayed what Ráild just said. Betrayed by her childhood friend, by her only friend, by the only girl she was close to. Emotions pent up and she let them build inside her. Even though on the inside she could feel the knife of betrayal that Nyles had plunged deeper in her heart as she whispered sweet nothings in her ear, as she continuously said she protected her, on the outside she gave Ráild a cold glacial stare.
Ráild started laughing. "You look pale, Your Highness."
There was a pain in her heart and yes, she was pale. She had seen betrayals before, but this one was the hardest to digest. Nyles was very close to her. Her vision was threatening to blur. Her cheeks singed as she tried to fend off the tears.
"You can't grow weak, Anastasia," Ileus whispered. "This is just the first one you have seen so closely."
No, this was the first one she felt so closely.
Ráild continued, "The Crown Prince was immediately informed and he sent the team. I am so grateful to him that he made me the leader of the team!" Ráild said with his head held high. "After all, I need to atone my father's sins."
"M'lady!" Nyles called from behind in a feeble voice. She got down from the horse and came to her as fast as her feet could take her. She went to stand right in front of Ráild, bowed to him and said, "Thank god you all are here!" Then she turned to Anastasia and said, "M'lady, you must hurry up and get down. We will all go back and this incident is going to be erased from the history of Vilinski."
Anastasia stared hard and disbelievingly at Nyles.