Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Elora’s POV Abigail saved me, she saved my life knowing she would expose herself, expose her family. She nearly died to save me. And I feared what Silas was going to do to her. I could feel the bond, feel them and right now they were all in shock. But what happens after the shock wears off, what happens when Silas wants to break the curse again? I try to hop off Silas’s lap, but his grip just gets tighter Matitus and Dragus both sitting on the floor with us.

“I’m sorry, Elora. I don’t care about the curse; I just need you, please forgive me” Silas whispers into my neck, clutching onto me like I am his lifeline.

“Let me up please Silas” I ask, and he reluctantly let’s go allowing me to stand. Turning around and looking down at him. I could tell he had been crying, it looked strange to see someone so cruel as him to have tears stains on his cheeks.

“Are you going to leave us?” Silas says, looking up at me. I don’t know what to say, I love them. Even when the bond was gone, I still loved them. But this was toxic, Silas was toxic.

Instead of answering I walked away, I could feel their eyes on me as I turned on my heel and walked out. Feel their worry through the bond. I couldn’t allow them to have this much control over me. It was annoying and couldn’t be helped but I had to draw a line somewhere. They needed to learn to compromise. I knew Dragus would follow me blindly, maybe even Matitus if I left. But I didn’t want it to come to that. As much as I hated him, I still couldn’t bring myself to leave him.

Walking into the kitchen I look for Abigail and Marian. They weren’t there but one of the cooks told me they went outside so I decided to see if I could find them. Walking past the library to the front door, I was stopped by Dragus.

“Where are you going?” he asks, and I could feel his unease through the bond like I was walking out on them.

“Abbie and Marian went outside, I am looking for them,” I tell him, and he lets out a breath. I go to open the door when I feel a hand on my shoulder, sparks bursting across my skin and I look over my shoulder to see Silas. He places a cloak over me.

“Don’t stay out there too long, it is especially cold today,” he says before tugging on the cloak and turning me to face him. He ties it closed before letting me go and I open the door and walk out. I see Abigail and Marian by the gates and head over to them. Abigail was arguing with one of the guards wanting permission to leave.

Abigail seemed distraught as I approached her, screaming hysterically for the guard to open the gate.

Marian was trying to calm her down but failing as Abigail grew more frantic.

“Abbie what’s going on?”

“I found a text my mother couldn’t get out, they were captured at the eastern wall, they have Claire” she sobs.

“It’s alright Abbie calm down, I will speak to Matitus”

“No, no. You know why you can’t Elora. I can collect my daughter, but mum has to stay till she is granted clemency” she pleads, grabbing my hand. Looking at the guard I can tell he is a vampire by the crimson colour of his eyes, he folds his arms across his chest refusing to step aside.

“Move, let her out now,” I tell him. He smirks at me, stepping forward menacingly.

“You don’t give me orders woman, now get back inside to your owners,” he says before spitting next to my feet.

“I said let her out, now step aside leech” I yelled at him. He grabs my arm, yanking me to him. Enraged that he thinks he can touch me. I palm him in the face, only I wasn’t expecting the blow to actually hurt him. He starts screaming in agony when I feel energy burst from my palm as it connects with his face.

Blinding white light spurting from my hands and I wasn’t even sure what I did, but he started screaming.

“My eyes, my fucking eyes” he screeches, he pulls his hands away from face and I could see I had blinded him. His eyes turned milking white. He growls lunging at me, my shock making me slow to react as he knocks me to the ground. Abigail screams and Marian tries to pull him off me only to be shoved to the ground.

“You’re dead now bitch” he growls his fangs protruding, I struggle to get him off, fear consuming me as I see his fangs so close to my face. Abigail screams before blasting him with her powers, green light shooting from her and the smell of leaves hitting my senses before vines shoot from the ground and pull him off, wrapping around him and pinning him to the ground. They only hold him down long enough for me to get up when I see more jump from the brick walls to help their fallen friend. The man gets up lunging toward me but before he attacks, only he is blocked when Silas hand wraps around his throat. I could hear the snapping of his bones, the wheezing as he tried to breath around his crushed windpipe when he let him go. The vampire drops to the ground clutching his neck. Silas growls loudly and I see Matitus and Dragus stalking towards us, feeling their anger vibrate through me.

“That bitch blinded me” The vampire screeched, having healed from Silas crushing his neck.

“That bitch, is my mate” Silas growls before kicking him in the face. The other vamps put up their hands in surrender, backing away from us and the three dragon kings. The man on the ground coughs on his blood. Silas glaring down at him before he reaches down grabbing him. Matitus walks over pulling me into his chest, I go to turn back to Silas when Matitus pushes my face into his chest, just as I hear it.

The sound of flesh tearing. The sound was sickening before Abigail threw up next to me. Matitus lets my face go and I turn to see Silas holding the man’s head by his hair, his body on the ground at his feet, with blood pooling around it and I fight the urge to throw up. Marian is white as a sheet. Matitus and Dragus however are unfazed by the gory scene before them.

“Now, what happened?” Silas says, turning to me.

“He wouldn’t let Abigail out to retrieve her daughter,” I tell him, and he looks to Abigail.

“Where is she?” He asks, watching her, his eyes glinting oddly more like a snake than a human as they flicker.

Abigail shakes her head and I hear Silas growl when she refuses to answer. I grab his arm making his eyes dart down to my hand.

“She is at the eastern border, they were caught trying to leave,” I tell him, and he furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why was your daughter and mother leaving the city?” he asks, turning his gaze on Abigail. I could hear her heart start beating erratically in her chest.

“Silas please” I beg knowing Abigail would rather die than answer.

Silas grips my hand pulling me to him. He grips my chin forcing me to look into his snake-like eyes.

Abigail’s heart rate beating so hard I was surprised she didn’t faint in her panic.

“You lied to me, you said she was Fae,” he says, gripping my chin tighter between his fingers.

“You would have killed her and her family.”

“What makes you think I still won’t?” he says, his eyes darting to my lips. His arm wrapping around my waist pulling me closer, my body now flush against his.

“Because you don’t need to Silas, she is no threat to anyone” I whisper. He growls softly before tugging my face closer, I could feel his breath move across my lips. His scent overwhelms me before he kisses me softly. His tongue ran across my bottom lip wanting access. My lips parted and he groaned before plunging his tongue into my mouth, tasting every inch of it before pulling away leaving me breathless.

“Open the gates,” he says, turning to another guard who nods his head and obeys his command. The gates open and Abigail rushes out.

“Matitus will go with you, so your mother can get out?” he says. Abigail nods.

“Get her mother out,” he says to Matitus. Matitus nods following Abigail.

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing Elora, you said they weren't a threat. So, I am trusting you,” he says, pecking my lips. Dragus steps closer to me, his fingers brushing the back of neck making me look at him over my shoulder.

“Come on, it's cold,” Dragus says, looking towards the castle. Marian was already walking ahead and was nearly at the doors. When I went to follow her, I heard someone call out my name. Turning around, I see Lilith by herself standing across the road. I smile before rushing over to her.

“Lilith, where is your mother?” I ask looking around for anyone that resembles her. Lilith was shaking from the cold and I pulled off the cloak I was wearing before draping it over her.

“Where is your mum?” I ask her, hugging her and trying to warm her. Lilith shakes her head, making me pull back.

“She died, she got sick, and I couldn’t find medicine” Lilith says, tears running down her cheeks.

“What about the rest of your family, your dad?” she shakes her head.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, trying to find someone she might have been with.

“I was looking for food, the dumpsters over here sometimes have good things in them” she tells me. I feel a hand on my back intuitively knowing it is Dragus. I look up at him. Lilith does too, before stepping back. I scoop her up not wanting to leave her out in the elements alone and hungry. Turning around I look at Dragus, but he says nothing, just looks over his shoulder at Silas who was watching us. He turns around and starts walking inside but he didn’t say I couldn’t bring her, so I start following after him. Walking across the road when Dragus takes her from me. I looked up at him worried he was going to make me leave her, but he kept walking with Lilith in his arms.

Lilith looks unsure in his arms and fearful but says nothing. Walking inside Silas is waiting by the door.

Dragus places Lilith on the ground and she rushes over to me, grabbing my shirt and looking up at Silas. He stares back at her like he doesn’t know what to do with her.

“Where have you been staying?” I ask looking down at her. She takes her eyes from Silas looking up at me.

“With some other kids in the fabric warehouse, it has power there, the entire city has power now,” she says excitedly. I smile down at her.

“So, there are more kids there” she nods her head and my heart clenches at her words. Dragus holds his hand out to her, she hesitates before placing her tiny hand in his. One of the maids comes out and Silas calls out to her. I watch as the woman walks over nervously.

“Find her some clean clothes and set up a room for the girl” he tells her, and she nods before smiling down at Lilith.

“Come let’s make you something to eat,” Dragus says to her and I watch them walk off toward the kitchen, Lilith looking over her shoulder at me and I nod encouragingly to her.

Turning to look at Silas, he is watching me silently. My thoughts going to the other children Lilith mentioned.

Silas cups my cheek, his thumb brushing my cheek bone.

“Say it,” he says, his eyes carefully watching me.

“The other kids” I start to say but know he won’t agree.

“You want to help them?” he says, making my eyes dart to his and I nod. Silas kisses me softly before turning and grabbing another cloak and draping it over my shoulders.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“You need to come too; they will run from me,” he says, opening the door and motioning for me to go out. I dart out the door, and Silas grabs my hand, holding it in his.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because you want me to,” he answers. “Besides, there is plenty of room till we figure out what to do with them,” he says, tugging me against his side.

I stop, wondering if he would do something else. Silas stops but is still holding my hand.

“What is it?” he asks. I hesitate before asking.

“Will you open the gates?”

“Well yeah we kind of have to, to find them,” he says but I shake my head.

“No, the border gates.” Silas scrunches up his face.

“You want me to open the borders? You don’t know what you’re asking, Lora.”

“Yes, I do, people want to leave the city and you should let them,” I tell him, he tugs my hand, and we keep walking.

“You think we have the borders closed because we don’t want anyone let out?” I nod at his words.

“There are worse things out there, than in here that’s why the borders are so heavily guarded that’s why no one leaves Elora”

“What do you mean?”

“It doesn’t matter right now, let’s find these kids you want to help,” he says, draping his arm across my shoulders.