Chapter 41
Since he didn’t struggle much after96Please respect copyright.PENANANoq9brzhp0
they started moving, the Serpents didn’t see a need to bag him or knock him96Please respect copyright.PENANAMGLy0OfhWE
unconscious. While they walked through the down, he took a quick peek, and it96Please respect copyright.PENANAdGHH6VN3cy
appeared as though everyone in the village was on the side of the Serpents.96Please respect copyright.PENANAwgoVxHt19q
Even the normal seeming folk talked with the Serpents as if they were old96Please respect copyright.PENANANFxLmIEU9L
friends. He would have to investigate what would make a village so close to the96Please respect copyright.PENANA3bl1JV3uub
city turn on the King. He didn’t see Eliza, but he could feel her watching and96Please respect copyright.PENANAy587wgb0O0
waiting. Eve opened a door leading into an Inn where Serpents were eating and96Please respect copyright.PENANAouS4oRmEgU
talking with each other.
“Is96Please respect copyright.PENANANeg2YTO7Fn
that you Eve?” someone from behind the bar asked.
“Yea96Please respect copyright.PENANAgmHBT7m1zv
your old bastard it is.” She laughed. The bigger man launched himself over the96Please respect copyright.PENANAjD9b4kRUsV
countertop then picked her up on his arms spinning her around.
“I96Please respect copyright.PENANASfSp0rFeQN
see you completed your mission.” The strange man nodded appreciatively at96Please respect copyright.PENANAKA1PbavD2y
Vander. “Lord Cranton will be pleased, though I’m surprised he came on his96Please respect copyright.PENANAngn6kSWu4g
own.”
“Some96Please respect copyright.PENANACYHJHljpsR
of his squad members came with him, me included, but I took care of the96Please respect copyright.PENANA9tmPCYPRcc
troublesome ones then had our men kill the others.” Eve beamed. “You should96Please respect copyright.PENANAodQztqGf8u
have seen his face.”
“How96Please respect copyright.PENANAtiS8sR9nOz
many did we lose?” the man frowned.
“Seven.”96Please respect copyright.PENANAN8JLygM52w
She spoke. “I told you not to underestimate him.”
“I’ll96Please respect copyright.PENANA9uUWH4EiXr
have to triple our fee then.” Vander let out a cough causing the two of them to96Please respect copyright.PENANArRwk3eG3ve
look at him.
“I96Please respect copyright.PENANAHbspvlgdN6
don’t suppose you’ll introduce yourself?” Vander smiled. “It’s nice to let one96Please respect copyright.PENANAzfuKP6WmJg
know who he should address.”
“This96Please respect copyright.PENANAzEet3DJglX
isn’t high society any more whelp.” The man backhanded Vander across the face.96Please respect copyright.PENANAKQDWKfgaOp
“I don’t owe you a fucking thing.” Vander spit out a bloodied took onto the96Please respect copyright.PENANADweQMIAbus
ground.
“It’s96Please respect copyright.PENANAfodRu341FC
alright Batiste, I know who you are.” He smiled. “My grandfather told me so96Please respect copyright.PENANAfrJlmBL9wn
much about you. Glad to see you slumming around with traitors. I can’t wait to96Please respect copyright.PENANAbekaTthT6i
sink my sword into you.”
“Treat96Please respect copyright.PENANAmO9fVekEpQ
a guy to dinner first.” Batiste chuckled. He walked over then pulled Vander’s96Please respect copyright.PENANASVish7UZcB
head back until they were staring eye to eye. “Once they get what they want96Please respect copyright.PENANAwvSODmpyKt
from you, you’re all mine. I’m going to enjoy sending pieces of you to your96Please respect copyright.PENANAu6MelFZSRE
bastard grandfather.” Vander responded by smashing his face into Batiste’s96Please respect copyright.PENANA0EYssack01
nose. He stumbled backwards, blood pouring out of his crushed nose.
“Get96Please respect copyright.PENANACl1232wwod
him downstairs!” Eve snapped.
He96Please respect copyright.PENANAACuZGHTEFf
was roughly picked up and hauled away.
He96Please respect copyright.PENANA0gah5DpTXa
was thrown into a dusty corner and kicked one final time before they left him96Please respect copyright.PENANAsHluUuxTqY
down there. He slowly sat up and waited for his eyes to adjust to the gloom of96Please respect copyright.PENANA2Iy7xkNNTy
the darkness. There were two unconscious forms lying in the cell next to him.96Please respect copyright.PENANAuvPaJzxQFO
Eliza and Kiara. Thank goodness they were safe.
Upon96Please respect copyright.PENANAH70oSbZbuR
hearing the door close, he saw Eliza moved. She slowly sat up then turned her96Please respect copyright.PENANA2QzRShV3jj
head to look over at him. It took her a moment to recognize him, but once she96Please respect copyright.PENANAnSrPuVBw2t
did, she threw her arms around his neck.
“Vander,96Please respect copyright.PENANAXhgHYfA8ZF
why did you come?” she whispered into his ear.
“To96Please respect copyright.PENANAHRieoLFVmA
get the both of you back.” He responded, embracing her. “Is Kiara, okay? Is the96Please respect copyright.PENANADB9HpwxPWK
baby harmed?”
“No.”96Please respect copyright.PENANAqZoIRg1HgL
Eliza shook her head. “They only took her to get you and Cuvera here. They want96Please respect copyright.PENANAUDla0GWk36
the shards we possess, but how are they going to extract them from us?”
“I’m96Please respect copyright.PENANA5wYSP7BOrF
not sure, but whatever it is, it won’t be good.” Vander frowned. “We need to96Please respect copyright.PENANAziEOei55ry
get out of here before Cuvera shows up with reinforcements. We don’t want to96Please respect copyright.PENANAVl7v6iZn20
get in the middle of a drawn-out fight.”
“Do96Please respect copyright.PENANAfeQ6SWMGxK
you have a plan?” she asked.
“Let’s96Please respect copyright.PENANAmfXnl4bImj
just wait and see what happens.”
…
Kiara96Please respect copyright.PENANAKprTaePsmj
woke up a few hours later. She was doing alright, but Vander knew that she was96Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZMfs9L3Qu
worried about the baby. Eliza soothed her while they discussed their next96Please respect copyright.PENANA3vmebNGdmZ
steps.
It was nightfall before anyone came96Please respect copyright.PENANAmayr92YGW8
back for them. Batiste and Eve came down the stairs with a third person walking96Please respect copyright.PENANALL51d01V3j
behind him. Vander recognized the smell and let out a low warning growl. Peyton96Please respect copyright.PENANAFcmIDhFllz
Cranton smiled down at him with an evil glint in his eye.
“I96Please respect copyright.PENANAnb63GiJ7VI
told you he would come.” The man snarled. Vander lunged for him, but the metal96Please respect copyright.PENANAo0O73vp9IQ
bars kept him from leaving the cell.
“Come96Please respect copyright.PENANAxHahMHMJGA
here you slimy bastard.” Vander snapped. “I’ll snap your neck with my bare96Please respect copyright.PENANA5vCEbRe9LG
hands.”
“You96Please respect copyright.PENANASyHdMho5Pb
always were such a handful, Captain.” Peyton nodded at one of the Serpents who96Please respect copyright.PENANAdZgOP7VBBB
smashed him in the stomach with the butt of his sword. Vander fell to the96Please respect copyright.PENANA9SPjOs7lPt
ground clutching his stomach trying to hold back the tears.
“Why96Please respect copyright.PENANANVdAmAC5Bh
are you doing this, Peyton?” Kiara had woken up and while she was angry, she96Please respect copyright.PENANAN1fkJUHP19
wanted to understand. There was no way this kind man would do something so96Please respect copyright.PENANAqAVLSbD1P5
cruel for no reason.
“What96Please respect copyright.PENANAe4ZvdbFQzV
other reason is there?” Peyton laughed. “I crave power, always have. This is96Please respect copyright.PENANAuxqVPRrtYm
the only way I can get it. Now, take those two to the courtyard.” He pointed96Please respect copyright.PENANAYv8G9ZoZri
towards Vander and Eliza. “They have the shards we need.”
“What96Please respect copyright.PENANAoMZYhFmAxI
about the Queen?”
“Once96Please respect copyright.PENANAa6skJwVXaQ
the ceremony is complete, I don’t care what you do to her.” Peyton shrugged.96Please respect copyright.PENANASZOLv725Ga
“But for now, we need them alive to assure their compliance.”
“Understood.”96Please respect copyright.PENANAkqNbS57yaP
Batiste grinned. He instructed his men to open the door. Pairs of hands grabbed96Please respect copyright.PENANAaFA941pyUo
Vander, making sure he couldn’t move, while Eve grabbed hold of Eliza. Eliza96Please respect copyright.PENANA1imxWru1sP
tried to fight back, but Eve held a knife under her throat.
“Actually,96Please respect copyright.PENANAZo3J7Bb34r
bring the Queen with us.” Eve said. “If they try to fight us, we start chopping96Please respect copyright.PENANATBCzV7VDYl
off pieces of her body.”
“Do96Please respect copyright.PENANAOTTiJwcc8W
it.” Batiste ordered. Kiara didn’t even fight back when two more Serpents96Please respect copyright.PENANAx8DzQcdzSZ
grabbed her pulling her to her feet. The three of them were hauled from their96Please respect copyright.PENANAMGvDQinZ57
cells, out of the Inn, and into the square.
Serpents96Please respect copyright.PENANABwAfgk9F9Y
were stationed all along the space not giving any of them room to try and96Please respect copyright.PENANAY9xFi6wts4
escape. Kiara was dragged to the side while a Serpent held a knife to her96Please respect copyright.PENANAriENgXXbym
throat. Vander and Eliza were dragged to the center then their shirts were96Please respect copyright.PENANAxkSuGILwFx
forcibly removed from their bodies. The night air was cold, but warmth emanated96Please respect copyright.PENANAKmqvFmEDaF
from Eliza calming him down. They were forced to kneel afterwards. A strange96Please respect copyright.PENANAadYMhHbMZQ
man wearing a long black walked over to them holding a knife.
“Welcome96Please respect copyright.PENANABErcWBxzMz
to the ritual.” Peyton grinned. He walked into the circle also without his96Please respect copyright.PENANAQkB9sLBLCx
shirt. “We will be taking the shards from you and taking the next step in my96Please respect copyright.PENANAMcJe02A0ag
master’s plan.”
The96Please respect copyright.PENANA5nedV8Xvgi
black robbed person began to chant as he cut into his arms. He allowed the96Please respect copyright.PENANAYr2I8pad5o
blood to flow towards the end of his fingertips. He walked towards Peyton96Please respect copyright.PENANAzcbNgu0TGd
allowing the blood to drip onto the ground. He started to draw strange symbols96Please respect copyright.PENANAEbgBYaO1Lf
onto Peyton’s arms, back, and chest. Even from where he kneels, Vander could96Please respect copyright.PENANAz23Rn1bZZp
feel the power emanating from the runes, but it gave him a bad vibe from it.
Once96Please respect copyright.PENANAfd5A346F0f
they were done covering Peyton, the man walked over to where Vander knelt. “We96Please respect copyright.PENANA8jvbYrzIFW
will be taking your power now.” The voice whispered. Then he began to paint96Please respect copyright.PENANA5wFIjxendQ
blood runes on Vander’s body. As soon as the final rune was painted on, his96Please respect copyright.PENANAsNhQoVS85H
body was racked with pain. He fell to the ground violently convulsing while96Please respect copyright.PENANApXfcy5N1rU
blue smoke enveloped his body. The smoke traveled from his body towards96Please respect copyright.PENANA3Wo0zF92Nq
Peyton’s then it started snaking up his leg.
“Yes,96Please respect copyright.PENANA89WlyeFOPf
yes!” Peyton cheered. As the smoke reached Peyton’s mouth, Vander felt a very96Please respect copyright.PENANA6MO3NB5U9P
terrifying presence surrounding them. A void appeared between Vander and96Please respect copyright.PENANAOevy4nrV4f
Peyton, just above where the transferring was occurring. A familiar woman96Please respect copyright.PENANAxvKgVnR253
stepped out from between the dimensions followed by a large white wolf. Unna96Please respect copyright.PENANAe48SN3KPOK
had come.
“I96Please respect copyright.PENANADfHG44MW9p
was wondering what has happening here.” Unna smiled a blood red smile. Her96Please respect copyright.PENANAwskhRU1Ozj
presence caused the Serpents to collectively hold their breath, not a single96Please respect copyright.PENANAiYVOC50X1l
person dared to draw attention to themselves. Everyone except for Peyton.
“Unna!”96Please respect copyright.PENANANxRAILwF5I
He laughed. “Have you come to bear witness to your new chosen?” She smiled and96Please respect copyright.PENANAQqeLmMpC8s
started walking towards him.
“Do96Please respect copyright.PENANAseoCABps4i
you think you can handle my power sweetie?” she smiled. “Stronger men than you96Please respect copyright.PENANAjCfIRo7sjP
have tried and failed, are so certain you can do it?”
“I96Please respect copyright.PENANAcSh1Uec6Iz
can handle anything.”
“We96Please respect copyright.PENANAjJ6KAlTsJx
will see.” She pressed a finger into his forehead. Black energy traveled from96Please respect copyright.PENANAP18o92ONon
her body towards his. Peyton started screaming. The energy transfer started96Please respect copyright.PENANAJRoDbphNBW
reversing as Peyton started convulsing. He bent over in half as thick fur96Please respect copyright.PENANAxWktOosnH8
started sprouting on his body. His arms snapped in half as his leg buckled. His96Please respect copyright.PENANA7M8nBGmrMS
teeth began to fall around him as his jaw snapped and elongated.
“This96Please respect copyright.PENANAkliMj8J64r
wasn’t supposed to happen.” The black robed mage took a step backwards. Ritoru,96Please respect copyright.PENANA2BP6HT1aOs
spotting his chance, lunged forward, grabbing the man in his jaws then biting96Please respect copyright.PENANAVnRGK06dRV
down sending blood spraying all over the courtyard.
“I96Please respect copyright.PENANApg6zO1yHsx
thought you could handle my power?” Unna asked as Peyton still screamed in96Please respect copyright.PENANAZYRjZ0hONl
pain. “Unlike the others, you messed with something that wasn’t yours to96Please respect copyright.PENANAtf4MrZhJEP
control.” She took a step back towards Vander. “Vander, sweetie, this will be96Please respect copyright.PENANAG3q07mGB4E
the last time I save you. Next time, you’re on your own.” She brought her96Please respect copyright.PENANAgnPd4MKTZG
fingers up to whistle. Another portal opened. She and Ritoru stepped inside.96Please respect copyright.PENANAE4NIu5RuLi
“Good luck!”
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Vander96Please respect copyright.PENANA29VkWMi1CY
may have kept a hold of his powers, but now he was staring down at one of96Please respect copyright.PENANAGIuGwyO7Pn
Unna’s beasts. He had to figure out how to get out of here while keeping Eliza96Please respect copyright.PENANAi1cPe5BLAk
and Kiara safe. There was only one way he knew how: it was time to make a deal96Please respect copyright.PENANAnlBWo8fRAK
with the devil.