Chapter 516: [Bonus chapter] Revenge (2)
Ileus wanted to go near Anastasia and wrap his arms around her to soothe all the anxiety that she was filled with. He could sense the terror she had undergone, the hatred with which her blood was humming with and the revenge that was making it boil. A muscle in his jaw ticked.
"You would never know the pain experienced, Aed Ruad, never! You conspired with too many people to feel what others experienced. You were too greedy back then and you are too greedy now too. Because of you so many innocents died, because of your mother's ambitions two girls lost so many formative years of life. Iona and I were broken, we were so alone that we didn't know which path to choose, we didn't know what was right and what was wrong. While you made my life a living nightmare, you made Iona a living nightmare," Anastasia rasped, as her chin trembled thinking of all they both had undergone.
Ileus's throat bobbed with a rising tide of sorrow. He knew that his heart would lurch every time he would think or be reminded of how his wife and his sister were tormented at the hands of these bastards. He could feel Anastasia's pain, which was so raw that it exploded in her veins. He wanted to take away all that pain from his mate.
Anastasia—his mate, lover, friend, wife. So young, and yet so wise. At her age when most girls were in their schools in the human realm, here she was… a princess and pregnant with his child. And she had taken all the responsibility beautifully on her shoulders.
He bit his bottom lip to stop himself from getting up. Let her do as she pleases with the man who was lying on the floor. If she wanted to kill him, so be it. He wouldn't interfere. He would just sit there and watch carefully. It was his duty to bring the man to her, and that was all. He knew that Anastasia was always burning with that revenge. She was quiet about it, but he would often see her staring out of the window into the distant horizon, as if waiting… waiting for a chance to lighten the burden… of avenging all those who wronged her. Aed Ruad perhaps topped the list.
Anastasia raised her Evindal sword.
"No, no!" Aed Ruad's eyes widened when she lifted it right over his right wing. Terror pulsated through him like waves. "I did what my mother asked me to. She is your real tormentor!"
"And you aided her. And I hate all those who inflict pain on others knowingly. I hate all those who have stolen the life of others." And she did what she wanted to for a long time, but this time the action was simply… impulsive. She stabbed her sword into the bone of his right wing, slashing it into two, as the sword cut through it like a knife in warm butter.
He screamed with excruciating pain. "Noooooo!" He wanted to get up, but his body felt like a rock. He could experience the pain but couldn't do anything to alleviate it. He had to… suffer, like a silent spectator to his own torture. "Anastasia, please, you have to believe me!" Thick blackish-red blood oozed out of him and spread on the floor. His breath became ragged and chest heaved up and down, as he looked at Anastasia for mercy. If she would pardon him once, he would take the chance to kill her. And then wouldn't be bothered if he was killed. At least he would have his revenge in the end. But right now, he had to play her, play her with his piteous face, with his pitiful pleas and let her know the kind of pain he was having. She was too compassionate. He had to tap that emotion. Because if she pardoned him, Ileus wouldn't do a thing. The wolf was so much into his mate that he was staring at her quietly from a distance trying to be ethically right. Foolish. If it were him, he would have been killed immediately. But not for now… Patient. Be patient. The pain was extreme, but he had to bear it. His mind had begun to clear, as the haze lifted.
Anastasia rose to her feet and ambled to the other wing that was sprawled open on the cold stony floor. She knelt beside him with her sword's tip on her ground and left hand supported on its hilt. She brushed her fingers over his left wing and said, "I remember how my wings pulsated with silvery light and blood when they opened for the first time. My mother would have loved to capture that moment in the fountain of memories, but I came to know that you had overthrown with the help of winged demons and declared yourself as the crown prince." Sorrow bubbled up and she stopped speaking for a while. Her fingers stopped as she controlled the sting of tears in her eyes. She started brushing his wing again. In a soft, calm yet deadly voice she said, "Did you think that marrying Siora would have helped you? Did you really, really think that you would become the king of Galahar after killing Iona?"
Through his pain, Aed Ruad stilled. How did she know that he had married Siora? How did she know of his plans? Did Siora tell her?
Anastasia chuckled and as if reading his thoughts remarked, "Have you forgotten that Adrianna can reach the cells of unsuspecting victims without them even knowing what actually happened to them?" She gave a side glance to see his reaction. When she found him staring at her, she added, "She read what was there in Siora's mind and your marriage to her was the first memory she encountered." She laughed amusedly. "I have to say that Siora was such an optimist. She married you? You?" She threw her head back as she laughed more. "Well, bravo!" she said as she wiped a tear of amusement that came out of her eye. She steadied herself and then looked at his face with coldness of a hunter. "You said that it was your mother who was behind all the torture. Does that mean that you have redeemed yourself?" She glared at him, the silver of her eyes pulsating more. It spread out like a lightning streak to her temple. "But now your mother is in the celestial prison at Vilinski, then why did you marry Siora to take revenge from Iona? Why did you come here, to Draoidh, to take revenge from us?"
Aed Ruad didn't have an answer to it, but he had to say something very quickly. "It was— it was all Siora's plan. She pushed me into it! She wanted me to kill you, but I refused!" He lied outrightly. And why not? Siora wasn't alive to see what he was saying. He had to manipulate Anastasia some way or the other. "I begged her that I didn't want to get into this again. I was happy to stay away from all the nonsense, but Siora goaded me. She wanted me to become the king of Galahar. And I am a normal man. Who wouldn't want to take that bait?" He breathed. "But I took the bait like a stupid fish.. Please Anastasia, show mercy."