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Forræder : Traitor

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-&-

Chapter 37

I was torn from the memory as fast as I had been thrown into it, my breath tearing from my lungs in a hoarse gasp. It had felt so real, the first time I met Adranus- it was like I had relived it all over again. And the power, I had used it before. He showed me how to, taught me how to. I-I just couldn't remember how.

But I could use it to get out- to destroy them all. Adie said I could. I just... I just needed to remember.

Lightning struck the ground again, this time barely a few yards from the platform. It was getting closer, so close I could feel the heat against my skin. I had to choke down a scream.

Now wasn't the time for a panic attack, no matter how badly one wanted to rack through me. I forced my eyes from the burning ground the lightning bolt had caused, and watched the light slipping from my fingertips- felt its power as it tugged at my chest.

For once, I needed it for myself. Needed it to save me, even if it seemed to have a vendetta against that. The power flickered upward, slowly licking at the top of my hands before it disappeared into the machine. More, I needed more. I had to overpower the pull of the metal, and I had to do it fast.

I closed my eyes, let out a deep breath, and thought of the one person my soul seemed to crave the most. I needed to remember how he was when they returned from the Galacian Islands. Lying unconscious in the middle of the castle. Hysterical, bloody- dying.

Just remembering it made my heart ache, made my chest clench painfully. The power reared inside me, surging quickly from my chest to my fingertips. It didn't like the memory either. Save him, always save him. It never mattered what happened to me, only Eirik.

My headache from before grew and my eyes kept shifting in and out of focus. I didn't... I didn't feel so good. I strained my eyes as much as I could to watch the light flowing from my hands grow until it overpowered the absorption of the machine.

The hot light of the power surged over the back of my hand and up my forearms as the howling thunder grew. The ruby against my chest warmed the louder the storm screamed. The lightning was coming, I could feel it. I started to panic as the light finally reached the bindings, its heat growing as it began to eat at the leather. If I didn't escape in time, I was toast- literally.

The relief that hit me the second my right arm tore through the badly burnt leather, quickly disappeared as Liberius shouted something below and light began to illuminate the sky. I held in a scream and hurriedly undid the strap around my other arm before tugging at the one around my stomach.

This was so not good.

A howl rose in the distance, one that shook through every inch of me. It was so loud, so terrifying, that the storm even seemed to pause for a moment. Even the shadows surrounding the clearing stilled, their dark forms slithering in and out of focus. Then they grew, quickly swirling in an even larger, more vicious mass.

That panic rose in my chest again.

"He's coming..." I vaguely heard Liberius shout as the lightning started to build once again.

Yes, Adranus was coming. I could practically feel my heart swell in my chest, and my head grew foggier than before. Adie... after so long, after he left me in the Heavens, in the cave- he was almost here.

The relief of that knowledge was short lived as the clearing began to fill with light once again. I went back to undoing the last strap as fast as I could, those hyperventilating pants starting in my chest. They didn't help my headache either.

It took a lot more effort to undo the last buckle than I wished, but I undid the strap before the lightning stuck- I just didn't make it off the platform. The slammed into the machine in the exact spot I had been tied to, its bright, hot energy literally flinging me from the entire platform.

I screamed, white, hot pain shooting through my body as I soared through the howling wind and bitterly cold air, screamed as I landed yards away- my side hitting the hard, cold ground and jarring every bone in my body.

Agony shot through me, straight from my side to my spine and head. I gasped, my head falling back to the damp ground as stars swam in front of my eyes. I tried to swallow my sob as the shadows that had parted for my landing began to circle in a flesh-hungry mass around me. I heard Liberius shout somewhere behind me, probably furious, but I was too busy trying to sit up to care.

That howl sounded again, it's dark, murderous roar shaking through me more than the impact had. It was closer now, nearly here. He was nearly here. The shadows didn't pause this time but grew in ferocity as they began to swirl in a massive cyclone. Those red eyes and sharp teeth all molding into one, colossal, black mass.

"Adranus..." I breathed heavily against the pain ringing through me and placed my bruised palms against the hard ground in some form of balance.

Then there was a mass of howling reverberating through the clearing- and my skull. Their vicious, blood curling sounds roaring over the storm. "No..." I gasped in horror as they all reached my ears, my eyes widening as my heart clenched in fear. I knew those howls, knew the leader they followed.

Oh god, he had found us. Eirik and the others were coming for me- and they were all going to die. "No, no, no, no." I gasped as I pushed against the ground and pulled myself slowly to my feet. Pain shot through my side and up my back, but I tried to ignore it as I looked hurriedly around the darkness.

Lightning had stopped striking the machine, but I could see it brewing overhead once again. I had to get Eirik away from this place before those demons killed him, before he got caught up in whatever mess was between Adranus and Liberius. But I couldn't see anything over the dark mass swirling around me, couldn't even see the machine or Liberius.

I wanted to scream North's name, to tell him not to try and save me, to go back to the castle, but there was no use in trying to yell over the storm. I held my hand over my eyes as the violent wind flung dirt and natural debris across the dark expanse, and that massive black cloud started to break away into individual shadows once again- shadows with four legs, barbed tails, long fangs, and red eyes.

I gulped.

We were all going to die.

I took staggering steps backward, the pain in my side shooting down my leg as I stumbled away from the demons. But they knew I was there, watching my every move- watching their next meal. My eyes widened in horror as one turned towards me, the others all stomping off in the direction of the oncoming wolves. I gulped and staggered further back. A vicious growl pulled from the creature's lips.

"N-Nice demon thingy..." I slowly held my hand up in front of me, as if that would stop it from advancing.

Right.

It bared its fangs, its red eyes glowing in the darkness as the talons on its feet sank into the ground. It stalked towards me, hunting its prey. Dying by lightning didn't seem so bad at the moment.

"I don't taste good." I pleaded with it, as if it could understand anything I was saying. "I promise, you won't enjoy eating me." But it ignored me and started that deadly circle most predatory creatures did to their future meals.

The gold-power had disappeared the minute I was flung from the platform, and it made me want to scream. Figures my own soul didn't care that I was about to die. Then again, maybe it knew that wasn't a bad thing. Eirik was here somewhere, I could feel it, and if I died he would know. He wouldn't have reason to fight them anymore. He would leave, he would be okay-

"Ah!" I let out a loud, ear-splitting scream as the demon lunged at me, its fangs reflecting the lightning striking down at the same time, and its talons poised to tear into my flesh.

I threw myself to the ground and flung my arms over my head in some form of protection, any form of protection as useless as it was. Just because I knew it would save Eirik, didn't mean that I actually wanted to die.

There was a loud, vicious growl from behind me, and I peeked my eyes open just in time to see a large, dark mass fly over my head and slam into the demon inches from my face. I couldn't stop the other scream that tore from my lips as the new creature ripped viciously into the demon, sending black wisp-like smoke and ooze in every direction.

I knew who it was though, could feel that heart stopping tug in my chest from before, from every memory and dream I had ever had of him. His wolf was massive, far larger than any I had seen before, and even more terrifying than the apparition of him in the cave had been.

Adranus stepped back from the mutilated demon at his paws, raised his head to the storm in the sky and let out a loud, vicious, howl. The ferocity of it actually made my stomach twist.

I could only sit on the cold, damp ground and stare at him wide-eyed as he lowered his head and shook off the black ooze coating his dark fur. There was a brief pause, one the whole world seemed to share.

The storm stopped raging, the demons running in full force all around us froze, and the wind no longer bit into my skin. Then he turned slowly towards me, growls slipping past his fangs as those red eyes locked with mine, and time stared again.

"Adranus..." His name slipped past my lips on its own accord, my hands trembling against the ground as they held me from falling.

The God of the Moon, and all that entailed, was shaking in absolute anger before me. Those red, ruby eyes glowing in fury as he continued to growl at me. There was no recognition in that stare, no hint of ease as our gazes locked. My chest felt like it was collapsing in on itself.

He was so different than the Adranus I remembered, the one who only gave me soft embraces and loving smiles. But I did not fear him, even if he truly had forgotten me. He was min måne after all.

I rolled slowly onto my knees, my dress torn and ripped in every direction, not that that mattered now. I slowly held my hand out to him, praying he would come to me, hoping beyond all hope he knew who I was. Those red eyes were hard, furious, as they flickered over every inch of my face- before he slowly lowered his head and took a step towards me. A relieved smile pulled at my lips.

Then that red gaze softened, and he eased slowly towards me. His large paws sinking heavily into the damp grass as thunder roared across the sky once again. My Adranus, after all this time-

A demon launched out of the darkness and crashed into his large side, sharp fangs and talons tearing into black fur. He howled as the creature tore at his flesh, his eyes once again ablaze in fury as he began snapping viciously at the demon on his side.

"No!" I screeched as thick, red, blood began to pool on the ground. The gold-power was back, demanding to be used. Adranus was hurt, bleeding. He needed its help- he needed my help.

The two supernatural beings had rolled down a sharp dip in the clearing, their fangs and claws digging viciously into one another. I crawled unsteadily to my feet, that pain from before rearing its ugly head, as the light from the power began shining from my hands.

I raced down the small hill after them, my breath leaving my lungs in painful pants as I ignored the chaos swarming around me. The wolves had finally reached the chaos, and they were everywhere, each one engaged in a deadly battle with a demon, or two. I had no idea where Liberius was, or Eirik, but the storm was still raging and Adranus needed help. That was all I could think about it.

I had just hit the bottom of the hill when another demon caught the corner of my eye, one running straight at the two as I was. "No!" I screamed as the creature went straight for Adranus's exposed side, its vicious fangs snapping at his fur.

An impossible, almost unbearable heat engulfed my arms, before I flung them out in front of me, the light from the power leaving my hands in a vicious wave before it slammed into the demon.

There was a horrid, piercing scream, and then silence as a sickening burning smell filled the air. The demon had completely evaporated. "Whoa..." I mumbled as the light slowly died away, and even though the heat went with it I could still feel its phantom ache against my skin. The pain in my head came back in full force, and I staggered backward as the power disappeared.

There was a sharp howl from Adranus, one that sent a piercing chill down my spine, before he finally got his massive jaw around the demon's throat.

I was suddenly very lightheaded, and dizzy- Oh, so, very dizzy...

I fell back against the hill- hard. The impact jarred up my spine as I sat dazedly blinking over at the abnormally large wolf. I watched as he tore the demons to shreds and threw what was left of it into the mass of fighting bodies.

He shook out his fur again, his paws pounding into the ground, before he began turning in a small circle, his head shifting slowly in every direction- looking for something. I never saw this form of him in the Heavens. He was only ever a man.

I knew he liked taking on the wolf when he came to the mortal realm, knew he loved running with them every night before he knew me. They were his favorite in all creatures he held under his reign. I took that from him, took his time with them. He stopped traveling here because of me. The thought hit me out of nowhere and was more depressing than I thought. It made my head ache more than it already was.

He paused when those red eyes flickered over to me, but I was falling the rest of the way to the ground to really pay attention. I rolled on my side with groan. It was hard to ignore the pain now, the gold-power had zapped every ounce of energy in my body and I just wanted to sleep...

My eyes had barely closed when something cold and wet nudged my cheek, but I just wanted to swat it away as the storm thundered overhead and the carnage reigned around us.

A growl sounded in my ear, one that suggested against ignoring the massive being hovering over me. I let out another groan but forced my eyes open to blink up at the large wolf looming over me anyway. His eyes were hard, his lips pulled back in a small snarl, but I didn't pull away as he started to lower his snout once again.

This time when the cold, wet, touch brushed over my forehead, a slow, warm, wave of relief spread through me. The pain in my side eased away, and the dizzy, sleepy feeling swamping my eyes faded.

I sat up slowly and rubbed my hand over my forehead as he pulled away. Those red eyes no longer seemed furious, and although they were still hard, I could see concern swimming there. Despite the situation, it made me smile.

"I'm okay, thank you."

He blinked then stepped away slightly, that massive form of his blocking the storm from view as he crouched down beside me. It took a minute to realize what he wanted me to do, but as the lightning struck the ground once again and more demons started to notice us, I quickly grabbed onto the thick tuft of fur at his neck and pulled myself onto his back.

He was soft, far more so than I was expecting. The blood and ooze like substance coating his side matted the thick fur but did not take away its beauty as what little light in the clearing reflected off its pitch-black color. Figures even his animals were unearthly beautiful.

He barely waited long enough for me to hold onto him before lunging to his feet and started running up the hill. The number of demons had definitely dwindled, but so had a few of the wolves. Lifeless bodies laid sprawled out across the dark clearing, freshly killed wolves turning back to their human forms, or even the demon's corpses in solid, blurred masses.

I prayed we didn't cross any of the Generals. I wouldn't be able to handle it if any of them died. If Eirik had died- I shook my head against Adie's dark fur and let out a shaky breath. No, Eirik wasn't dead. I would have felt it. He was fine. He had to be.

Adranus was headed for the clearing's edge, to the dense safety of the forest, from the danger of the storm. Hope began to rise in my chest the further from the demons we grew, those thick trees and dark leaves I once had been so frightened of looked like as perfect as the heavens.

We had gotten so close to the tree-line, so incredibly close, when the demon side-swiped us. It caught him off guard and hit his side with such force it sent us both flying through the air. I was thrown from his back and crashed against the ground on my same hurt side from before.

"You've got to be freaking kidding me." I groaned as I forced myself into a sitting position and rubbed my hurt arm.

Adranus had landed beside me, a dark growl tearing from his throat as he pushed himself from the ground and shook the dirt from his fur. The demon that had crashed into us completely disappeared.

"Leaving so soon? You only just arrived!" The deranged voice of that lunatic Liberius reached my ears, and I let out a strangled groan as he appeared just a few yards away.

"Freaking wonderful."

Adie jumped to his feet without hesitation, and placed his large, bruised body between that freak and me- a long, vicious growl pulling from his lips. Liberius rolled his eyes.

"Will you not face me as a man? Or has the great God Adranus truly forgotten how to be one?" His voice was a mocking taunt, one the large wolf in front of me didn't take very well.

I stood slowly to my feet as he began to shake, his body trembling as the muscles and tendons began to shift. My eyes widened as I watched the monstrous wolf turn slowly into a very large, muscular, and very naked man. It was not the time nor the place to grow all bashful, but I couldn't help the blush that stained my cheeks.

Saying he was tall would be an understatement. I had always figured Eirik to be the largest male I had ever seen, but the God of the Moon beat him by far. Even in my dreams he had not seemed so massive. Then again, he was an immortal being.

He towered over Liberius, and the build of his back alone looked stronger than the Mountain itself. No mortal man, nor wolf-borne, could ever appear as he did now. He truly was a god. And he was about to tear that nuisance apart.

I watched in sick triumph as that snide amusement slowly left Liberius's gaze, and a brief flash of fear fell over his face. "Ah," He started on a meek croak, before clearing his throat and starting again. "So, you have not become as ignorant as I thought."

Adranus growled, those thick muscles straining as he rolled his shoulders. My stomach fluttered at the sight. "Get to the trees, Emrie." I jumped slightly as his voice reached my ears, and only caused that blush staining my cheeks to grow.

Good God Emrie, there was more important matters at stake.

"Not without you."

He turned his head enough to glance over at me, those red eyes hard as stone. His face was exactly as I dreamt it, as I remembered. Perfectly sculpted, sharp angles and high cheek bone. He looked so much like Eirik it hurt.

Eirik... I needed to find him- needed to make sure he was okay. I didn't care about the inner turmoil between him and Adranus raging inside me. I just had to make sure they would both be okay.

"That wasn't a request."

I gulped at the look he shot me, at the hard planes of his face and the dark color of his hair. No matter how unearthly, eternally beautiful he was, he could be frightening when he wanted.

"I-I know." I stammered and glanced around frantically, my fingers running furiously through my tangled hair as the storm continued to scream overhead. "But I'm not leaving without you."

And Eirik. I needed them both. I needed-

"I'm afraid neither is possible. I promised the little bitch and that soul of hers to Lord Arie, and he's expecting me to deliver."

My breath caught in my throat at the vicious snap of Liberius's words, at the horrid red clouding his putrid eyes. Adranus growled and stepped back towards me, his large hand reaching behind him. "I will destroy you both before he gets anywhere near her." I closed the distance between us quickly and grabbed onto his large hand before he pulled me flush against his very hard, and very bare back.

"You cannot kill a god, Adranus. You above anyone should know that." Liberius sneered, his lips pulling into a sickening smile as Adie let go of my hand to wrap that huge arm securely around my back, keeping me pinned to his.

"You should know by now, Forræder. There are worse things than death."

-&

Still so many secrets with so little time *sigh*