*** MILLENNIA’S POV ***

  • Leave!

Silva commands Foresto. He stands stock-still, doesn’t move, doesn’t blink. His eyes are still caught up by the view.

  • Skulls.. Death itself marked her..

His lips open to let out the words without intonation. They are not loud. Looks like Silva has no more patience. She cuts his neck in one quick move. Drops of his ruby red blood fell down on my eyelashes, wall and the floor. I blink a few times to process what is going on, what just has happened. My fingers curl tight around the edge of the table and my body prepares to fight for life. She kicks him out of the house without opening doors, as he is a thing and weighs nothing. I hear his body’s heavy impact with the ground. 

  • Who are you?

She lands instantly in front of me. Vampiric speed. I find myself trapped in restraints between her hands, body and table behind. She is far away from the act of the friendly woman. This creature is threatening me. 

  • We met before.

I give to her the first answer which comes to my mind.

  • Don’t feed me this bulshit! 

She grabs my throat and pins it high to the wall. My feets don’t reach the floor.

  • WHO. ARE. YOU?!

She roars in a low throaty animals’ voice. I start to sense her for the first time. She has royal blood. 

Air. I need more.. air. This struggle isn’t deadly, but it’s hell kind of painful. I try to escape. She blocks almost all my moves. 

  • Those marks!

She points with the finger. I have no idea what she talks about. I try to kick her and finally gulp some air in my hurting lungs. She brushes her finger on my belly.

  • Helliana marked you! How did it happen?!

In her fury she tightens her grip. All my efforts are useless. I can’t escape her nails causing me damage. My vision starts to blur.

  • HOW?!

She digs her nails in my abdomen and hiss in pain. She lets me drop down and looks into her burned and healing fingers, then back to my eyes.

  • You can’t stay here.

Her voice suddenly has changed. She looks more calm, not furious, composed. I feel the rush behind her words and it drags my attention. 

  • Go.

She lets me free. 

  • Silva..

She shakes her head, not looking at me. 

  • You don’t belong here. 
  • Silva, help me.
  • I can’t fight. I am too old. I can’t protect you.

She speaks as she doesn’t hear what I said. Turns around preparing to leave. 

  • You are queen! 

She twirls and glares at me in silence. Noone of us moves. Silence battle taking its place. Gazes are crossed as swords in a near fight. Her shoulders slump and she takes a seat.

  • Now you sense me. Who are you?

Her eyes are narrow and her purring voice is calm and gentle.

  • Black princess.
  • I guessed so. 

She exhales deeply. 

  • Silva, help me.

I plead with her. I have no place to go or to stay.

  • You can’t stay here. They will come after you.
  • Who?

Her eyes meet me in surprise.

  • You are bonded. He will find you.

How does she know? I don’t comment. My gilt is still fresh and its heaviness sinks in my chest poisoning everything. My broken heart each time shutters when I think about him. I try not to break in front of her. We share a moment of silence.

  • What about those marks?

She points to my abdomen. It’s already healed. I see clear as moony night two new tattoos. Skulls. I shrug my shoulders.

  • My body fixates my past on the skin.

She shakes her head slightly in refusal.

  • It’s not past, mi querida. It’s about the future.
  • Silva, I survived. Twice.

I point to two new tattoos. She shakes her head again in disagreement.

  • My father told me about those marks. My mother got one when she was pregnant with me. I was supposed to have one as well.

I feel a prick in my chest. What does she refer to?!

  • P.. pregnant?

My shaky voice gives away my astonishment. She nods. I sit with an open mouth. I didn’t plan. We never spoke about kids. Between two separate bloodlines.. Is it possible? Which bloodline will the children belong to?

  • You have a bond..

She cuts her words. Eyes are widening and her lips move without letting out any sound.

  • Silva? Silva! What’s wrong?
  • Cymru..

I nod shyly. 

  • How do you know?
  • Cymru and I share Helliana’s bloodline. And YOU..!

She breathes heavily. Her words leave her body with struggle.

  • Black and.. Cymru!.. Two bloodlines.. How?!

I shrug my shoulders.

  • We didn’t..

She shakes her head. Eyes don’t look at me. She jumps on her feet. Doesn’t wait for my answer.

  • You have to leave! 
  • Go!
  • Now!

She purrs so quickly I barely can understand her words. She undoes my cuffs still free hanging on my wrists and turns to leave. 

  • Go! 
  • Silva. 

I catch her wrist and tug.

  • I have no place to go.
  • I am too old. Too weak to help you, to fight against Cymru!
  • Silva, please!
  • You are between kingdoms. Don’t drag me in this mess!

She pulls out her hand and leaves in speed.

  • Silva! It’s your blood as well!

She stops in a midstep, her back to me. My heart hammers.

  • I want to stop the war. I want to hide myself. Disappear.

She spins and comes toward me.

  • He. will. Find. you.

Silva says those four words as a snake through her teeth and with the last word her finger points at me.

I let out a breath I was holding. 

  • If only he.

She burst into a loud laugh and her hands slap against her thighs.

  • Silly, mi querida, you can go to him now! 
  • As you mentioned before, I am between kingdoms. My brother won’t stop.

Her bright laugh crosses the night air again. 

  • Cymru, my dear child. He is Cymru! He will defeat Black.
  • I love both of them and I don’t want war any more! As long as I remember, our kingdoms slaughter each other. They are two and I am only one. If I disappear, there will be no reason for war.

Suddenly I feel vulnerable. With my hands crossed I hug my belly.  

  • Help me disappear. 

Her eyes slide on my lower part. She swallows hard. 

  • I might know the place. It’s no good, but it will serve you for a while. 

She shakes her head.

  • Mind my words, mi querida, he will find you.

Continue reading chapter 03