Taken 16.

Wicked Schemes for Freedom.

“Won’t you return to the castle?” Saytor asked sitting beside the witch in his garden of roses. “No I like it here, it’s peaceful and I don’t intend to go back ever, even when my child has seen the sun.” Mier exclaimed harshly but Saytor sighed.

“You do know he will hunt you, and the bond you two share can’t be broken, you’re his claim.” Saytor expressed worriedly but Mier chuckled. “No such thing will happen, I made sure of it.” Mier replied as he took a rose into his palm. “You’ve been here for almost three days Saytor, don’t you wish to go back, Marcos must miss you terribly.” Mier smirked watching Saytor’s face contort into utter shock.

“Don’t look so surprised, I’m a Wrath witch.” Mier explained with a chuckle and Saytor sighed. “I’m surprised you knew about us, it’s still new but we’ve uh—we’re trying it out.” Saytor explained and Mier scoffed. “You do know he’s the equivalent of a demon king right, if Alquin finds out he’ll kill you both.” The witch replied and Saytor nodded.

“I know Mier, but Marcos deserves better, Alquin doesn’t love him, their relationship is based on the fact that Lake had to be a pureblood royal demon.” Saytor argued and in Mier’s mind the image of Lake when the mark of the goddess showing he was the next king appeared on his skin repeated itself over and over. “But what exactly can you do about that.” Mier contended and the demon knew the witch was right.

He couldn’t do anything, Alquin was the king and he was the general who had fallen for the king’s claim. “I don’t know Mier, I feel like at times I should just kidnap him and we hide away in the vampire kingdom.” Saytor chortled and Mier chuckled along with him. “I know this is going to sound a lot like treason, but you and I both know Alquin will be the death of us all if we keep doing as he commands.” Mier exclaimed looking out to the roses in the field.

“What are you suggesting?” The demon knew this was treason but if anyone could help him and Marcos it was the witch. “I can break the claim on Marcos if you can get him here, bond him to you, what makes Alquin powerful that everyone doesn’t know is the amount of mates he has, I figured it out when I left the demon capital.” Mier explained and Saytor was now piecing everything together.

“Are you saying that his plan was never peace only conquest and power?” Saytor couldn’t believe what he was hearing, had Alquin made them all believe in the name of peace, something that was never rooted in peace. “I’m saying, Alquin claimed six individuals he put under his control, those individuals gave him power through the mate bond, as you know all mates share power, the more he mated with each mystic prince from a different kingdom—.” Mier was cut off by a loud roar from Saytor.

“The more he got powerful, damn it!” Saytor yelled and the birds all around fluttered away. “How didn’t I notice, he’s more powerful than any mystic alive right now with all the mates he’s claimed, that’s why he didn’t kill Tristan or Jon when they, oh goddess.” Saytor had finally realized the truth about his friend and it hurt him deeply, Alquin was once his lover, his friend and he would do this in the name of power. 

“Can he be stopped?” The demon general asked. “Yes but it’s a long shot and needs a lot of discretion, which is why I had asked you to be okay with treason.” The witch responded as the demon sat down again next to him. “I can’t let him rule us like this, his plans for the other kingdoms if ever they rebel make sense now and I don’t think you’ll like them.” Saytor asserted and Mier sighed.

“Get Marcos here, I will break the bond as I did with Villa and myself, but I will need to place his bond with another and who better than you, Alquin won’t feel it unless he tries to use Marcos’s power.” Mier stated and the demon nodded. “It won’t be easy to get him out, but I will get him here.” Saytor promised with his hand clutching his knees desperately. “If Alquin is ever to find out, run, don’t look back, don’t even rest, run.” The witch warned and flicked his finger opening a portal for Saytor.

“I know you don’t want to waste any more time.” The demon nodded gratefully to the witch. “I will be back soon, I will also reassure Alquin that Lake is safe, goodbye Ramier.” Saytor spoke as the portal engulfed him and he vanished. Ramier knew he was playing a dangerous game but Alquin had messed with a Wrath witch and he had to face his fury.

“That didn’t take much convincing.” Everin mumbled sitting next to Mier, who chuckled. “How’s my little nephew.” The 6’5 fae spoke gibberish toward Mier’s stomach making him laugh. “Act your age Everin.” The witch chided but Everin kept on with this gibberish. “I’m acting my age, stop being uptight, anyway give me those feet of yours which look badly swollen as you do a summoning spell for me.” Everin ordered taking Mier’s legs onto his lap.

“Who exactly do you want to track?” Mier asked as Everin massaged his feet. “A conniving, extremely powerful exiled Lycan royal, his name is Lampard Crescent.” Everin asserted and on the ground, a pentagram formed with runes carved into the earth. “I summon the shade of the blood hunt.” Ramier whispered to the pentagram and a dark smoke rose from it, it turned in a small vortex until a creature made of darkness, with the head of a hound and the body of a mountain lion appeared.

Everin took out the blood of the lycan he wanted to find and fed it to the creature. “Find the one who owns this blood, and bring him to me alive, but not unharmed.” Everin ordered with a grin, he wanted the lycan to have a taste of his own medicine, he had the gall to poison him now he was going to face a shade born from darkness. The creature vanished leaving a satisfied Everin.

“Have you secured the borders, you know he will attack, and I haven’t severed his biggest power source.” Mier warned as the fae moved to his other foot. “I’m sure we’ll be fine, but for extra precaution, I did have my mate put several barriers so we should be fine.” Everin stated and Ramier nodded. The two of them had ever only wanted peace but mystics like the Bloom family, or the BloodShade didn’t see it that way, they always wanted power and to put others under their thrall.

“How about dinner, and oh I did bring something to watch as well, I picked random movies, best to be on the safe side when Lake is involved.” Everin mumbled as he and Mier got up from the bench, Lake walked into the barrier giggling as usual with Ajax. “Where have you two been?” The witch asked and Lake ran to Mier and hugged him. “Look dad, look uncle Everin.” Lake cheerfully showed his treats to the witch and fae.

“You can have them after dinner.” Mier instructed as the boy ran inside. “My love.” Ajax kissed his mate lovingly. “Oh I’m tired, by the way a group of rebels were slaughtered in the east.” Ajax informed and the three found it odd but it had nothing to do with them, so they ignored it. “Must be the guard, who cares.” Mier replied as they all walked into the house happily.

“Dad, I gotta pee and I’m hungry.” Lake whined and Mier laughed looking at his son. “Go to your room and do your thing, I will be up there to check on you after I make you some ham sandwiches, which are obviously going to be eaten by your uncle.” The witch replied and Lake walked to the bathroom whilst Ajax laughed when Everin glared at Mier. “Let’s see you not eating these sandwiches.” Mier countered and Everin surrendered.

“Fine you win, anyway lasagna, what else for dinner?” Everin asked. “Just go green, it is veggie night.” Mier replied with a wink. This was what he was striving for, to just have peace without worrying about a tyrant or someone trying to be a usurper, just peace.

****

Lera was on his knees choking on blood, he couldn’t see his assailant, he couldn’t see anyone for that matter, he couldn’t cry out for help and definitely couldn’t ask the assailants for it. “I told you didn’t I, tell the king the truth dear Lera, it’s been a while since you conceived your illegitimate brat, won’t you tell the truth.” Malia sang in the shadows so she couldn’t be seen.

“If he comes to know what I did he’ll kill me.” The demon choked out more blood until the crushing hold on his neck was gone. “You have until tomorrow, tell the king what you did or die, better yet break the claim and live with your actual mate happily, don’t you want that, doesn’t your mate want that.” Malia asserted and to Lera whoever was speaking was right.

His mate wanted him and their child, what exactly was he doing striving to be with Alquin when he could have peace with his mate, he could break the claim on him, all he needed was an elder to do the ritual, then he could go far away like the witch did and be happy. “I’ve made my decision.” He called out into the darkness. “I need an elder, I will break it.” He announced as his throat healed.

“Meet me at the outskirts of the city tomorrow evening, I will have everything and better make sure none see you leave.” Malia ordered and the demon Lera nodded and picked himself up, he had to tell his mate of the plan. Malia walked out from the shadows as he watched Lera walk away, she didn’t want to kill Lera’s child and was glad he took the second option out.

The demon set out to find Marcos, she wanted to see how he was, it had been a stressful few days for him. When she got to the room that only she and he knew, she was surprised to see Saytor wearing his clothes and Marcos also dressing. “You have got to be kidding me.” She exclaimed and Marcos grinned though embarrassed. “I knew you guys were boning.” She added with a chuckle.

“It’s been a while and he’s been good to me.” Marcos defended. “Yeah I can see that obviously.” Malia chortled and Marcos along with Saytor facepalmed. “I found Ramier and what he told me was a little infuriating.” Saytor mumbled next to Malia who was intent on knowing what the Wrath witch had said to her other best friend.

“Okay let’s hear it.” She stated but instead, Saytor made images on the wall appear with his memories of the talk with Mier, both Marcos and Malia had their jaws dropped. “This is what his father always wanted, he followed right in his footsteps and Ramier saw it all, with his little time here, how didn’t we see it.” Malia growled. “We’re his friends or used to be, we were blind.” Saytor muttered as Marcos clutched his stomach.

“I should’ve known.” Marcos added sadly. “With Jon, Tristan and Lera he’s powerful, but tomorrow I can get Lera’s bond severed, I told you I’d handle him, now you need to go to Ramier because your bond gives him a lot of juice too, get to Ramier as soon as possible, we can’t afford to let him get away with this.” Malia ordered and the two lovers firmly agreed.

“It seems we have a lot to handle.” The demon exclaimed before she walked out of the secret room, she had to find the elder and have the ritual done sooner than later. In all this while as they all went by their plans no one seemed to notice that the king of the demons had gone to raise his army of hellhounds and hell creatures, he planned on putting the fae in their place.

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LMJ