Chapter 2

Atarah shot her eyes open as she sat up. She gawked around the room. She was panting heavily, drenched in sweat. Her head was pounding as she tried desperately to even her breaths. Her eyes were bloodshot, watering from her unanticipated movement. She clenched the bed covers as she closed her eyes slowly, taking deep breaths. The air breathed a cinnamon scent, one she had familiarised too. She glanced sideways, at the male stagnantly asleep next to her.

The soft wind swept along her sweaty skin, while she assimilated the unilluminated room.

It wasn't as airy as her room in the castle but it proved just fine. The room was adorned. Dark oak wood had been utilized to construct the room, similar to the entire inn. The room had a large bed, with long rods on its sides inserted into the ceiling, a shade lighter than the floor. There were side tables placed on either side of the bed, with modest lamps set over them. A dresser had been positioned on one side, the shade identical to the rest of the furniture. On the other side was an open window, welcoming the moonlight.

Astra shifted to her side mildly.

As if detecting her movement, Lucien sat up.

He gaped around in the darkness, scanning for any threats that might have been lurking in the gloominess. Only once he had examined the room, he pierced over to Atarah who was glaring at him.

His features alleviated at the glimpse of her. She couldn't help but smile at his discretion. His eyes gleamed from the moonlight, the grey orbs twinkling like two tiny stars. He cupped her cheek with his callus hand, caressing it softly.

Even though Lucien looked drowsy, he was still the handsomest man Atarah had seen.

His golden skin accoladed his grey eyes. Even though his face was round, his sharp jaw was praisable. His dirty-blonde hair was tangled, glinting in the moonlight. All while his muscular figure made him further appealing. His breath-taking smirk found its way to his mouth, as his lips curled up with merriment.

"When I told you to go to bed early, it wasn't so you could wake up in the middle of the night," Lucien said his voice breathy. She chuckled silently at his snide remark, shaking her head.

"Are you okay?" Lucien asked. His voice was still groggy, its deepness music to her ears. "Yeah, just another bad dream," Atarah answered. Her own silvery voice was vaguely shaky. "Do you want to get out of here?" he questioned. Atarah moved her head to the side faintly, enough for Lucien to realize she wanted to sleep again. Her eyes had already grown heavy, each blink slower than the last.

He embraced her in his arms, her body warm, moving tamely with his skin, the feeling soothing both of them. She placed her head on his chest, his breaths hot against her neck, and slowly started stroking his hair. He placed a light kiss on her head, the vanilla scent filling his nose. He made sure she was comfortable as he laid back down and closed his eyes.

It was as if she had just fallen asleep.

Atarah roused to someone banging the door.

"Ok lovebirds, rise and shine, I know we had a rough couple of days and everyone is tired," a muffled voice came from outside the door, "BUT GET UP!"

The sun was at its peak, the room packed with light. A loud groan escaped her mouth as she buried her face into the pillow prompting Lucien to fidget. "I swear if you do not get up I will come in there and throw you both out of the window or maybe shower you with water, I know Atlas would love to help," the voice repeated.

The pounding on the door bloomed with every knock. Atarah sat up in her place, staring at the door with ditest. Her hair was disheveled, eyes were still groggy as she walked to the door and opened it.

"Why good morning," Fennis chirped out. Fennis was one of Atarah's best friends. She had known him since she was a kid. He had worked as a cook at the castle. Atarah had met him when they were both little kids. He had lost his mother and came to Ethopia, alone and scared. She loved him dearly but the bickering between them never stopped.

There were nine of them. Each with their skill set of unique powers.

There was Fennis, a tall, fair, young male, with green eyes and blonde hair, only a few inches shorter than Lucien. His long hair was pulled in a bun most of the time, his long, hollowed face a distinct feature. Even though he was a Fae male, unlike the others, he did not have pointy ears or long canines. He directed animals but hadn't discovered his powers until they'd left for this mission. So he was still mastering to control his ability, to use it as a weapon and as a way of defense. He would merge his brain waves with the animals, creating a bonding that would allow him to command the animal.

There was also the Creation Twins, Esma and Atlas. Both of them lethal and pernicious. The twins were very dissimilar, in both looks and personality. They were both tall and skinny, witty females that killed with the speed of lightning and were stronger than most men Astra had met. Their stealth would make them unnoticed. Like shadows in the dark. Atlas had brown, creamy skin that would shine gracefully in the sun, her hair a shade darker than her skin, long and thick, usually braided to keep it out of her face. Her eyes were a splendid chocolate brown, complimenting her skin. Atlas controlled the force of rocks and plants. She could crush the world in half, or envelope it in an unending darkness of long thick vines, all in accordance to her will.

Esma was the same height as her, muscular and smart. Her skin was a wheat color, tanned in all the right places, probably because of the time she spent outside training. Her eyes were a light blue color, swiveling like an ocean. Her hair was brown as well, a shade lighter than her twin's, that shone in the moonlight strikingly. Esma controlled the wind and water. Her magic had rather proven useful and powerful to them. She could flood cities with a flick of her finger, cutting off air for anyone she wished.

They were called the Creation Twins, for their stealth, death-like fighting skills and powers, that were of Earth and nature.

Then there was Ailani, Atarah's other best friend. A fierce warrior. She was a mortal but she was amazing with a bow and arrow. Her arrows had been carved out of a rare element that could cut through any force. She was also the wisest and smartest in their group, the one who'd usually come up with a plan. Unlike her talents, Ailani was very simple looking. She had shoulder-length, jet black hair with two red strands in the front, that went beautifully with her smooth, shiny skin. Her eyes were like crystals, the amber in them like leaves of Autumn. While her round face complemented her angular nose. No matter which of her names flew around, she was always nice to Atarah. A real friend.

Out of all of them, Zavia was the deadliest. She was said to be blessed by Henas, the God of Death. She could manipulate shadows to her will and command them to take over a person and torture them from the inside out. Her shadows fed on human blood, the more she killed the stronger she got. Shadows that could make a person's worst fears come alive. The Shadow Striker they called her.

She had scars all over her bone-white face, her hair was the same color as her skin, a moonlight color, striking in light. She bore the scars she wore proudly. Each scar told the story of a battle she had fought fiercely in. She didn't talk much and would keep to herself but in battle she would kill like a lion, brutally and gracefully, playing with her kill like food. Her eyes were blood red, only shaping her to look more like death.

Then there were Cassian and Jude. They were both rapacious warriors and close friends of Lucien. All three of them had stuck together, for years and years. They were like brothers and the two of them would not leave Conan's side, no matter what. Jude could command an invisible force, something that would take minutes to rip apart anything, if not seconds. Cassian could turn himself invisible bringing wrath on his enemies without them knowing what even hit them.

The group was now seated alongside a long, rectangular table. They made sure no one disrupted them by paying extra coins to the innkeeper. The room was big and airy. There were large windows in the room, conferring the dazzling view outside. Everyone was murmuring, the voices ramming with each other. Atarah leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath. Everyone was mustered in their conversations oblivious to her stare as she scrutinized them.

"You look like a duck who threw up and then drank its puke," Zavia started, frowning as she rolled her eyes at Fennis. He gasped dramatically as he shook his head, "Well you look like a chicken that's been washed vigorously in bleach," he replied sounding cocky.

"Yes and this chicken is going to scrape off those feathers you have with a long sharp knife and then stuff them into its pillow," she growled before turning away. Fennis only stared at the ground intendly.

"Water is not wet!"

Atarah snapped her head in the twins' direction. "Yes, it is. Why would it not be wet? It's water." Esma roared, "Did you eat your brain or something?"

Atlas let her mouth fall open. "Yeah maybe I did but at least I didn't sell a piece of my flesh because I was drunk," she regarded smirking. Esma furrowed her eyebrows, exhibiting skepticism and disbelief,

"What?"

She took a deep breath, gazing at Lucien who was smiling faintly at her, "Everyone!" she said loudly, acquiring everyone's attention.

They all turned to her, silence now smothering around them. "Even though I love this calm environment," she said gesturing her hand towards them, "I'm sorry to let you all know this isn't why we are here."

Tranquility now surrounded them like death, all eyes on her glued to her as she continued.

"All of us are here to repay the king of Belarus a debt he granted long ago. But my contacts there received some news yesterday. They say the king is building some kind of army. It's not of mortals or Fae but of creatures that are not from this realm. Disgusting, vicious creatures."

"They said the army isn't for himself but someone else, someone more powerful than us, more powerful than him. And no one knows who it is. It's still just a guess but I think if the king is playing under someone else then they are bound to be even more dangerous than him. We need to get to the bottom of all this. If it's true then that can prove very vital for all of us. I'm sure the army isn't going to be just for protecting Belarus," Atarah finished.

"How are we going to do that?" Fennis questioned, raising an eyebrow at her, his voice stern.

"That's what we came here for," Lucian replied, "We need to come up with a plan to stop him. It's going to take time and it may sound questionable but we can do it. We have to do it. Together."

Everyone was mute now. None of the calmness from earlier persisted in the air. It was pure apprehensiveness. Processing what they had just heard. The air felt bitter with the aroma of unsaid words. It had been two weeks since they had come together. Planning and plotting the downfall of his majesty. This was another obstacle they would defeat. And bring his highness to the bottom once and for all.

Zavia cleared her throat as she stood up from her chair, her maroon cloak shifting its position. Everyone's attention turned towards her. She flashed them a grin, slamming a dagger into the wooden table. The act sent a loud booming noise throughout the room as the table cracked slightly.

"Let's begin shall we?"