Chapter 71

~Ryuu~

Ryuu had Calea stay behind once he saw Nye return to his mother. The pit of his stomach churns with disgust. He knew Aneth, Koa, and Nye must have left for a good reason, and from what Nye had told him, it was because of that letter. But Ryuu couldn't swallow what his father did. Why didn't he come back with Nye? Did Aneth not allow it? Regardless, Ryuu now had a bone to pick with his father. For days, Ryuu had to see his mother crumble inside, drowning his soul in angst. No more. He wouldn't let his father get away with such treachery. Ryuu knew these woods like the back of his hand, like the ambient sea. The salty sea smell led him, and it was stronger now. As he stopped, he heard Aneth's voice, and there was a roughness to it, which elicited a small growl from Ryuu. He comes into view and sees Aneth above his father, who is a bloody mess on the sandy shore. The remnants of a fight, a challenge, but something didn't feel right.

The blood dripping off Aneth's hands makes Ryuu's fist clench, the blood of his father. His nails dug into his palms. "You would stop them from coming back home, Aneth?" Aneth doesn't respond at first, then slowly turns around to Ryuu. With a distant look on his face, Ryuu's senses grip his gut and make him more alert. 

"Aneth?"

Once Aneth's eyes lock with Ryuu's, Ryuu sees an odd shimmer in Aneth's eyes, one that was never there before. "What has happened to you?" Ryuu stills himself, and his heart starts pumping with anticipation. 

"Run, Ryuu," his father choked out, wincing as he clenched the sand. "Run." His father says more urgently. Ryuu shakes his head, "I will not leave you–"

"RUN!" 

When his father roars out, Aneth lunges forward, his eyes frenzied. Not himself. Ryuu dodges Aneth's attempts to strike but barely misses one, and he scratches his side. "Ugh!" Ryuu knew he couldn't take Aneth's head-on; he was too strong. Ryuu's only hope was the water, but Aneth was intent on keeping him on land, and every time Ryuu looked into Aneth's eyes, he felt the intense desire that Aneth was out to kill him.

And like a spark igniting a fire, something clinks, "That letter…" Ryuu races away, trying to get to the shoreline. His breath ragged and Aneth right on his heels, suddenly he feels Aneth's fire scorch his back. "Ah!" Ryuu cries out and tumbles over from the pain. Aneth grabs him by the back of the neck, his claws digging into his throat, as he picks him up off the ground. Ryuu can't reach Aneth's grasp, "Stop Aneth! This isn't you!" Ryuu tries talking to him, hoping something will stop the hex. It didn't make sense! Aneth was supposed to be impervious to magic. Ryuu feels Aneth falter and looks down at the sand sinking beneath them. A jolt of hope gives Ryuu enough energy to take himself from Aneth's grip. As he turns around, he sees his father on one knee, his forearm sunk into the sand. "Go! Ryuu!" His father roars. Ryuu could see his father's injuries were taking a toll; if Ryuu obeyed him, he feared he would never see him again, but amid his thoughts, Aneth grabbed hold of his ankle, crushing it. "Ah!" The searing pain makes Ryuu drop to the ground. Aneth pulls Ryuu towards him, every movement agonizing as Aneth's nails dig into his legs, drawing him in. Aneth crawls out of the sinking sand and grabs Ryuu by the throat, cutting off his air. Ryuu had never been scared for his life, but the thought of dying from one of his Pride mates, especially one he grew up with, killed him even more.

Ryuu's lungs burn, and his vision blurs, he could hear the screams of his father, his hearing ringing in his ears. But something else, a familiar shriek rips through forest, a purple hue glows off Aneth's hand, and loosenes. Ryuu rolls out from Aneth, crawling away, catching his breath. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees his mother in all her fiery glory, striding forth like a predator on the hunt. Her eyes blaze with the primal nature to protect her young, even from her mates.

Behind his mother, he sees Nye, and a wave of relief comes over Ryuu, and he collapses onto the sand bank. He had to get away despite his injuries. He looks back at his father, if Ryuu took him to the waters, his father wouldn't survive the shift, he was too weak, and blood would draw in predators. Ryuu makes himself get up and stumbles to his father; he grabs him and pulls him into the shaded wood area. "Father." Ryuu shakes him, and his father coughs up blood, Ryuu's heart starts to ache, a rush of fear makes his hands clammy. His father cradles the back of Ryuu's head and places his forehead on his own. "You will survive. You are strong." Ryuu says to him, a lump growing in his throat.

His father lets out a dry chuckle, "I should kill you myself for not obeying me." Ryuu chuckles bittersweetly. "I won't let you go. I will stay." His father's head falls back against the trunk of a tree. Then his father smirks, "Get ready to witness your mother's wrath; even upon us, she shows no mercy." Ryuu turns around and sees Aneth stand up, his chest heaving, his eyes staring daggers into his mother's eyes. Aneth never looked at her like that; no, this was the product of magic. Turning his attention to his mother, he notices the tension in her muscles, like a snake coiling up to strike. And the forest becomes silent as if it was hiding.

The air crackled with tension as his mother faced Aneth. Once filled with warmth and modest power, his eyes were now clouded with a malevolent gleam, the result of dark magic. Calea had spoken of it, and Ryuu knew it was nasty to wield. Aneth's powerful frame, now tensed and ready to strike, seemed more deranged than he usually looked. 

"You will not harm my whelps! You are sick, Aneth; something controls you!" His mother's voice was a mix of anger and resolve. Ryuu could hear the raw pain in her voice. He knew reasoning with Aneth was futile; the magic had made him deaf to her pleas.

Aneth roared a sound that pierced through the silence of the forest and charged. It took all of Ryuu not to interfere. His mother sidestepped with the grace of a dancer. He could see the experience in her moves, light and agile on her feet, her eyes calculating and fierce. 

Despite Aneth almost killing him, Ryuu hated the idea of harming him. He watches as his mother acts quickly to prevent Aneth from hurting himself—or anyone else. At least, he hoped that was the case. He couldn't see his mother killing any of her mates.

His mother's skin glows a purple hue, and Ryuu stares in awe at how his mother looks. Her poisoned-tipped nails were dripping with poison, slender like needles, and shining like onyx; his mother was prepared to defend herself. Aneth swung him at her in a wild frenzy. His attacks were sloppy and not like those of Aneth. His mother ducked, the rush of air from his swing makes her hair flare up as it passed over her head. With a swift motion, she stricks the back of his knee with her nails. Ryuu could see a slight hesitation in his mother's strikes. Ryuu suspected his mother wanted to destabilize him without causing serious injury.

Aneth stumbled but didn't fall. His rage only seemed to increase, and he swung again, this time more calculated, more dangerous. She spun away from him. Ryuu swallows hard, his gut clenching and sweat running down his brow. 

"Forgive me," he hears his mother whisper, knowing she is speaking to Aneth even though he can't hear her.

Summoning her own power, she extended her hand, releasing a beam of glowing purple energy. It struck Aneth square in the chest, sending him reeling back but not down. Aneth roared again, the sound more pained this time. Ryuu held his breath. His mother's body shook. Ryuu hoped something would weaken the hold of the dark magic that gripped Aneth's soul.

Aneth's eyes flickered for a moment, a brief return of clarity. Ryuu's heart skips a beat, a falter of hope as he sees the rage take over again. Aneth lunged, but his mother was ready. She rolled under his swing, coming up behind him, and cast out her power with precision. Her strike connected with the base of his skull, a calculated blow intended to incapacitate rather than kill. Ryuu feels frozen; time slows as he stares at the scene before him, Aneth's body stilled, his mother's other hand clenched, her chest heaving, her head down as if she was trying to keep her composure.

Aneth crumpled to his knees, a heavy thud to the ground. His mother rushed forward, catching him as he fell. She cradled his head in her lap, tears streaming down her face.

"Please, come back to me," she murmured. Ryuu limps forward, his ankle almost healed. "Mother," he falls before her. Aneth looks pale; his eyes darken as if he hasn't had a wink of sleep in years. Ryuu watches as tears drip from his mother's eyes to Aneth's face. Ryuu places a hand on hers. Nye comes to Ryuu's side, his icy stare unreadable, but Ryuu could feel his intense energy. Nye had a natural intimidating presence; it lived in his eyes and demeanor and swims in his blood.

Nye leans down to Ryuu, with a dry smirk, "We need to have a little talk with your witch."