Bound by Roses (The Bound Series Book 1) (4 page)

Saledii screamed until her voice gave way with a crack. She cried, but the pain did not cease. The Wolves’ teeth dug deeper with every beat of Saledii’s heart. Blood soaked Saledii’s chest. Warm at first. In the breeze that blew from the courtyard, it quickly grew cold. The Wolf Queen removed herself and stared at the ghostly Saledii. Blood glistened down her arms and onto her once bright slip as it clung to her flesh. The blood continued to pour from the gaping bite.

“Tell me,” the Wolf Queen spit some of Saledii’s blood to her feet. Mouth still dripped with the rest. She kept her paw upon Saledii’s chest, nails still dug, “where is the location of the spell book?”

Saledii’s breaths shallow and hard, each accompanied by a spurt of blood. The voice that came from her mouth was harsh, “I do not. Know.”

“YOU LYING BITCH!” The Wolf Queen stuck two fingers into the fresh wound on Saledii’s neck. Nails sharpened inside as she twisted around. Saledii’s raspy, cracked screams did not bother the Wolf Queen. Her warm tears added to the blood. Digging deeper the longer Saledii withheld the information. She hooked her fingers up and punctured skin. The Wolf Queen enjoyed listening as her prey suffers. It was melodic to her ears. Eyes closed she swayed her head back and forth before growling again, “I will not ask thrice. Now tell me!”

Saledii’s hands gripped her throne’s arms, nails dug into the ancient wood. Blood from broken nails stained the grain. Sharp inhale; Saledii screamed at the pain, “There is a price. For what—You seek!”

The Wolf Queen lessoned her grip from Saledii’s wound. Fingers slid out slowly, glistening, “There’s a good girl. Give me the spell book.”

“I-I can only g-give you the B-bloodstone,” Saledii pleaded, her body began to shiver uncontrollably.

The Wolf Queen removed her grip and extended her blood soaked hand towards Saledii, “Very well. The Bloodstone then.”

Saledii was pale. She shivered from the blood loss that pooled, and poured like a waterfall off her throne. She fought through the agonizing, eye stinging pain and raised a hand above her head. Feeling around blindly with her fingers through the intricate mural of the Wolf Queen’s defeat by her father Lord Red. Saledii pushed in the radiant sun that jutted out slightly.

A click.

A rustle.

A crack.

A flash of scarlet light, and jewel, smaller than an orange, perfectly spherical fell into her open, blood soaked palm where it camouflaged so well it disappeared. Only a tranquil glow beating like heart gave away its location in Saledii’s blood. With great reluctance, Saledii stood, breathes deep and erratic. She swayed slightly. She shivered. Lush lips turned blue. Pumpkin eyes, with tiny pupils stared deep into the wide, dark eyes of the Wolf Queen. Human features disappeared in the firelight that still raged behind her.

“My, what b-big ears you have,” Saledii commented, a hand holding the throne while the world spun rapidly, head swum with two faces before her eyes. The Wolf Queen merely smiled.

“All the more better to hear the screams of our prey with, my dear,” the Wolf Queen jested, hungrily moving forward.

“My, w-what big eyes y-you have,” Saledii wobbled, clutching the jewel tight, her own hand still dripped blood. Her eyes could barely remain open. The Wolf Queen began to blur. The room blurred. She shivered. She blinked. Saledii fought the tiredness that swept over her in warm, calming waves.

“All the more better to see the Bloodstone with, my dear,” the Wolf Queen, with a half wolf paw, reached for Saledii’s hand.

Saledii withdrew playfully and with a smirk looked at the beast, “then watch as I destroy it—BEAST!”

With ease, Saledii smashed the Bloodstone upon the ground. Two shattered shards flew upwards, before raining down like red chunks of ruby. The two broken halves chimed like small bells as they danced around and spun upon the marble blood soaked floor. In the firelight, the halves lost their glow, and looked almost grey.

The Wolf Queen’s snout contorted, and jutted forward. Teeth glistened brilliantly. She howled from the deepest part of her body. The words echoed throughout the room and beyond, “What have you done?”

Howls resounded throughout Zhan’ding. Even the Wolf that flanked Saledii, howled deeply in despair for her treacherous act. Saledii, overcome by fear and exhaustion, fell hard into her throne. The blood splashed and ran wildly to the floor. Her skin grew paler with each passing moment; blood barely trickled down her neck. Shivers uncontrollable now.

Anger and blood lust in her jade eyes, fur erupted across the Wolf Queen’s body. Arms extended outwards. Paws large. Claws glistened, ready to strike down Saledii. Fur ran up to her elbows. Bushed tail, swayed back and forth behind her. Her feet turned to paws, knees twisted in and around. Fur quickly covered the rest of her body. She stood monstrously huge over the pale and bloodied Saledii.

“My Queen!
She
did not want her dead,” the Wolf came before Saledii and tried to calm his Queen.

“Rose Red should have thought of
that
before shattering the Bloodstone!” The Wolf Queen stood upon two legs, chest covered in blood. With a swipe, she knocked the Wolf before her away. He flew through the air. His tiny body slammed upon the wall. Heavy steps and the Wolf Queen approached Saledii in her throne.

“My, what b-b-big teeth you have,” Saledii’s eyes grew heavy. The world began to darken. Her head bobbed up and down.

“All the more better to tear your flesh apart with, my dear!” The Wolf bellowed. She lunged with a guttural growl towards Saledii who could barely move.

A bright, blinding light of grey, and aqua pushed the immense beast back. The colors swirled around the bright star-like center like mist. It followed the Wolf Queen and stopped a few inches from the beast. A deep feminine voice called from the center, pulsating as it spoke, “
She will not be pleased, if Lady Red were to perish.
”

The Wolf Queen stood before the swirling mists, claws still extended. Snout foamed in rage, “Stay out of this Fairy!”

“
It is my place to intervene when necessary,
” a masculine voice called out.

“And what if she died while attempting a desperate escape?” The Wolf Queen snarled, huffing violently. The swirling mist lessened in intensity as it approached Saledii, silently as a spirit.

“
Then allow the hope of escape,”
Saledii felt two eyes pierce and stare at her as the mist spoke, “
Run! Run fast! Run hard!
”

“Who are you?” Saledii barely awake asked.

“
RUN
!” The mist released a shriek that curdled Saledii’s blood, and made her heart race. What little blood left leapt from the wound upon her neck.

The Fairy rushed the Wolf Queen, while an extended fiber of swirling mist pushed her away. The Fairies mist blanketed the room with smoke. It enveloped the Wolf, who coughed violently. Saledii with heart racing, held onto the arm of her throne for support as she stood. The Wolf Queen bit and clawed at the mist, but it did not move. Saledii wobbled at her throne. Her eyes could barely make out the mist. Dots of light seemed to sparkle throughout. Saledii could not tell if it came from the Fairy, or from the blood lost.

The mist pulsated one last time, before its thickness began to dissipate. “
Run you fool
!”

Without wasting another moment, Saledii ran as best she could. Her bare feet slipped upon a trail of blood. She fell forward roughly. She crawled her way through the unbarred entrance to the tower stairs. Climbing to her feet she attempted to take two at a time. Breathes short and difficult. Lungs burned. Eyes stung. Darkness clouded the edge of her vision. Head swirled. She continued to shiver. A hand tried to contain what little blood exited her neck. Her blood soaked slip clung to her body, and restricted her movement.

Fires raged across the city. The city bells continued to chime deeply.

“I am coming for you!” A deep howl resounded up the stairs. Saledii stumbled into her chambers. She slammed the door closed before she hobbled to the balcony. The pain was numbing.

“You can run child, but you cannot hide the fear on you!” The Wolf Queen sped through the thinning mist on all fours. Claws dug into the stairs with such force that she tore away stone. She launched full speed through the chamber door. It splintered off the hinges. The two heavy wooden doors crashed towards Saledii’s bed. She herself stood weakly upon the balconies railing. She swayed when the wind blew. Arms close to her chest, she shivered uncontrollably. Slip, blood soaked clung to her body tightly. Skin white as snow, lips pale and blue. Both Saledii and the Wolf Queen locked gazes.

Time froze between the two. There gaze almost eternal. It was the Wolf Queen who on all fours crept forward slowly that broke the unending gaze. Her hair stood on ends and her teeth glistened in the pale moonlight. Eyes glowed like fireflies in the darkness, “Come off child. Before something unfortunate were to happen.”

“What you seek I know, but you shall never have,” Saledii closed her eyes and fell. Gracefully backwards off the railing, weightlessly through the sky she seemed to plummet.

The Wolf Queen hurtled forward but could only watch Saledii’s fall. The last line of the House of Red fell for eternity. An eternity that ended abruptly as her fragile, pale form impaled on Gozan’s out-folded hands. The Protector caught she who needed protection. Body broken. Saledii’s eyes open at impact. Her body convulsed and quivered as the light of life left her beautiful pumpkin eyes. The life left much faster than had she been killed by the Wolves’ own claws.

With one mighty deep howl into the dying city, the Wolf Queen leapt over the balcony herself. She landed gracefully on all fours before the broken Saledii. She stared at the young woman. Bones pierced tender flesh. Limbs hung awkwardly. Torn slip danced in the Wind. What blood remained ran like mighty streams down her limp arms. Drops dripped from her fingertips. The Wolf Queen’s companions leapt over the dying tapestry flames. Besides their ruler it dropped the two halves of the Bloodstone. The beast’s eyes locked low as he winced back,

“What can be done about the Bloodstone, my Queen?” The Wolf sat and bowed his head low as the Wolf Queen approached the dull, broken stones. She sniffed them. She moved them around with her paw.

“If the Witch wants information. She will repair the pieces. Prepare to leave.” The Wolf Queen stated.

“But our orders?” The Wolf barked.

Her bright jade eyes shone in the darkness a fierce fire, “Lady Red revealed that it was not here. Our orders are complete. Prepare to leave.”

Picking the Bloodstone halves back into her mouth carefully she darted off into shadows. The second Wolf, alone, howled into the burning night sky. The howl danced upon flame and fire. Upon ash and ember. It carried upon the Winds that blew. His was followed by howl after howl. They came from all corners of the city. As the howls ghostly song faded, the Wolves fled Zhan’ding.

They left the city destroyed, and dying. Enough remained alive to tell the tale. Zhan’ding would burn throughout the night.

One.

The cool sea breeze washed over the majestic, glistening white stoned city of Ashok Orai. Lights from the streets, and homes twinkled in the twilight, a cluster of fireflies that danced stationary dances. The now silvery moon shone its approval down over the vast city as she too watched the lights flicker. Marguerite White, skin white as snow, hair the color of a raven’s feather and lips redder than the rose, stood upon the High Tower and looked out. The High Tower crafted of the whitest stone, a beacon and symbol of hope to the city, and all those that can see it upon the vast countryside. Marguerite stared down upon her prosperous city, upon all that had been built over the vastness of Ages. She inhaled the sweet and slightly salty sea air as it blew around. A smile and a sigh of contentment crossed her face. She stood a silent sentinel over her city. She was the last of the House of White.

The Winds suddenly changed their direction. They wanted to warn her. Silent vigil of appreciation vanished. The sweet scent of the sea air that filled Marguerite's nostrils faded to what should have been the softness of the Hessen forest. Tonight, the smell of leaves and of life was different, and strong. It was the stench of burning, the stench of blood, and the stench of death. It was a foul combination that blew over Marguerite’s fair nostrils.

Her eyes pulled away from the city gaze to the horizon. The plains were dark, the forests outline even darker. The stars in the sky gave way to an orange and red pulsing glow, a dying star behind the trees. Billowing black smoke rose. The moon itself became clouded. For even she did not want to see what transpired outside of Ashok Orai.

“Rose Red,” Marguerite’s heart sank.

A fair voice cried out behind Marguerite, “My lady!”

A young woman, who could have been her twin, but black hair longer than her own and eyes violet to Marguerite’s hazel. She stopped at the balcony. Next to Marguerite, both gazed forward.