Chapter 69

~Nye~

Nye leers at Aneth, who holds the letter in their hands. It killed him to leave Kamari and Iginis. "You're starting to make me loathe you. And I suggest you choose your words carefully before you make this horrid decision." Nye says through his teeth, pacing back and forth like a tiger in a cage. And when Aneth doesn't answer, he growls. Aneth looks over his shoulder at Nye, his nose twitching. "It took all of me to do this, Nye, don't push me further. I will sink you so deep into the ground your body will meet Veldon."

"I wonder what your face would look like if I drown you." Koa's face was stone cold, and his voice sinister. Aneth turns towards them and glares at the paper. "I've told you why she couldn't come and shouldn't see this."

"You put my whelp in danger. Why Aneth?!" Koa lunges forward. Nye's chest burns with a familiar feeling, and he desperately wants to burn Aneth alive. It made him question their way of life, and Aneth moved within shadows. The letter Aneth had picked up from the Red Stag was addressed to Kamari, and it had an off scent. Aneth had opened it and saw the handprint of a child in blood. Nye knew a threat when he saw one, and Javall was after their whelps. Javall's bitterness made it imperative that they make a move Javall didn't know about. But Nye knew Kamari would fight tooth and nail for their Whelps, her family, and as much as he wanted to fight against it, he knew why Aneth did this; Kamari could snap; he's seen how she acts when it happens. Nye felt it firsthand. That kind of power came with a cost that could hurt her. It was the other reason Aneth kept Mael alive, which Nye loathed. Nye hated thinking Kamari could be bonding with that hideous creature in their absence.

Koa kicks the head of one of the hunters who had the stupidity to hunt them. The stench of human flesh annoyed him, but they got a nice map from one of them, one that showed Paldania's Kingdom. Nye glances at the bodies as if it were whelps play—no challenge for him, no fun. Aneth snatches the map from Koa's hand. Koa hisses, and Aneth's response is a nasty snarl, a warning before sending Koa to Kaldea's hell. Nye sighs heavily, "Do you realize what you've done by making us leave her, Aneth?" Nye's soul felt like it was eating him alive. And from the look in Aneth's eyes, he knew. "She will be fine," Aneth's statement came with underlying pain in his voice. Nye swallowed hard, knowing how Kamari would break; his mate might have been strong, but when it came to something like this, leaving without explanation and making her stew in her thoughts, it was horrid for him to think about.

Part of their journey consisted of scouting the territory of Paldania in silence. Koa made that easy, swimming below the depths, using echolocation to see the structures he couldn't get into. Being airborne was too risky, so Nye and Aneth stayed on land, waiting in the shadows for Koa to return. When he returns to shore in human form, Nye stands up, "Well?"

"The map is reliable, although, there is a magical barrier, I was careful not to touch it. The sea life behind it didn't come through; they are stuck on the other side of the barrier."

Aneth lets out an annoyed growl, "Magic. A pain." Nye looks at him, "Well, aren't you the master of it now?" Nye says with a massive amount of bitterness. "Can you not break through its walls?" Nye smirks with malice behind it. Aneth closes the distance between them, "Careful with your words, Nye." Aneth says through his teeth. Nye leers at him as Aneth walks away and towards Koa. The ache in his soul drowned him; being away from Kamari and Ignis made him feel empty even though they were trying to protect her. But Nye thought they were doing more harm to Kamari than good. But Nye was waiting, watching Aneth's every step, every breath, the lightest hint of weakness to dethrone him. Even though Aneth said he used what magic he had left on the seal to Mael's prison, Nye didn't trust it. Nye could smell the remnants of it. As dusk melts the sun in varied colors, they settle in to sleep far from any humans. Nye waits and glances at Aneth and Koa's breathing. He knew when they were asleep. For years, Nye had gone by the code of his kin; it soaked into his skin and pulsed through his blood, but his connection to Kamari and Ignis was something he couldn't risk losing. He had searched far too long for his mate to lose her trust completely. Aneth had followed the rules like him, but bringing Mael into the pride made Nye lose the bit of respect he had for him to let someone in so easily. 

Nye would have killed Mael. No questions asked. But he hated that what Aneth did made sense, it should rational to Nye, but his complex emotions mixed with his love for Kamari, made him question things he never would have before. Nye stands up, making his steps softer than feline's, and roams far out before shifting and flying to where his heart belongs. He couldn't bear the thought of Kamari's soul-crushing because they left without explanation. As he arrives, he descends outside the kingdom, where the people are asleep in their homes. Nye makes his presence known amongst the guards. Their faces blanch, and he smirks, then places a finger to his lips and walks past them. They knew better than to cross him in any way. Once he's in, he ascends the stairs, and his ears perk up once he hears his whelp voice.

"Mama! Look," Nye's heart melts as he hears Ignis and then hears fire crackling. "Ah! No! Ignis," Kamari's frantic voice makes Nye smile. His little one would light things for the hell of it.

"Outside, you may blaze things, but not in your home." Kamari's voice makes his heartache, and the feeling of contentment and anticipation runs rampant in his blood.

"My father does it," Ignis says, "With his hands!" Nye hears the defensive tone and a hint of rebellion in Ignis's voice. "Where is my father?" Ignis asks. Then he hears Kamari's voice, a mixture of pain and an attempt to hide her inner sorrow. She clears her throat. "Out." That's all she says.

"Out? On a hunt?" Ignis asks.

"Yes."

Nye's eyes twitches, he rounds the corner, then stands in the doorway, Ignis is the first to see him, she had grown since he'd seen her, "Father!" She runs towards him, he picks her up his instinct to protect making him hold her tight, "Hello little one." Kamari had her back turned, but he saw her drop a glass and freeze. She didn't turn around, but he could feel the fury building within her. He places Ignis down, "Go prey on something in the gardens, bring it back, dead." He smirked, and Ignis chirped as she ran off. Suddenly, the door slams shut, and Nye sees Kamari's hands glow purple.

"You have some fucking nerve." Kamari's voice is vicious, and Goddess, he's missed it. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but smirk, knowing it could piss her off.

"Hello, darling."