"Apollo is a three-day trip- two days at best. If you want, my sheets will welcome you in them before our arrival." The prince's voice was silky and alluring just like his aura. He played it off as if he just wanted intimacy, as if he was acting on lust yet his words were poetic like a lover. Asilver-tongued lover,as it seems he meant to only be offering sex.
"It is never going to happen." I bit out and frowned in disgust, well I at least tried to make it look that way because my body was all for it. Eager.
"Never is better than impossible." The prince chuckled and led his horse to the front of the group. I steeled my thoughts of him and blanketed them with thoughts of Apollo. The kingdom now seemed to rule nearly all of Terran with a powerful kingsitting on the throne. A king powerful enough to save the whole of Terran from darkness and a king powerful enough to kill whatever and whomever stood in his way.
Solaire Gideon.
The uncertainty in the wind carried a shiver down my spine.
Chapter 40
Last Stop
The prince stared at the steaming fresh-skinned bodies of Apollon soldiers. They seemed to be hung the same way as the bodies found in Litara. I held the urge to scrunch my nose in disgust. The thing responsible for doing this was either inexplicably evil or had a strong intent on torturing these soldiers for their own purposes.
"Cliftolights?" the prince asked while still staring at the corpses, he had to have already known the answer, yet he had a close friendship with denial, just like he did with his pride. It was day two in our travels to Apollo, and we had only stopped once to rest the horses and eat. The sunset that was now upon us warmed the land around and created a golden hour acrossthe forest. It was a clear indication of how close we were to arriving, the sun, even while setting was absolutely beautiful. The brightness was enough to give me a slight headache.
"No. Cliftolights do not torture. They go straight for the kill," I answered and took my eyes away.
"We set camp for the night. We leave at first light." The prince gave out the orders and walked off, his golden cloak reflected the sun's golden rays making him look more like the Apollon prince he truly was.
"I wouldn't say it would be wise to set up camp where fresh bodies were just slaughtered, Your Highness." Inanov followed the prince with Akiel at his side. I walked alongside Red who began assisting in setting up the tents within the parameters.
"I am going to have to agree with Inanov on this, my Prince." Akiel stood in front of the prince who came to a stop.
"That is the point. The person... or thing, that did this. Is still here. I can scent it. Have all men on watch,itwill show its face sooner or later and once it does—" The prince catches my eyes with his and smirks.
"—then we kill it," the prince finishes his sentence, leaving both Inanov and Akiel frowning. It was a risky gamble to assume we would be successful in killing it considering it had continuously been able to take down a large group of men and torture them.
***
Fires were being lit and torches were embedded onto the ground to give the forest clearing enough light after the sun had set. It did little to reveal the critters in the forest or the tall, dark trees with leaves that appeared almost black in the darkness of night. The heat this close to Apollo was nearly unbearable even at night. It forced me to take my armour off and stay in the blackinners that still held my blades tightly. Red had ensured all my belongings were kept in the prince's personal tent because the prince stuck true to his words when he told me that I would have to sleep in the same tent as him for better protection. The thought caused goosebumps to spread along my arms.
I crossed the groups and huddles of soldiers around the campfire, laughing and sharing lecherous stories. In the middle of the clearing, I spotted Akiel, Hulin, and Red all laughing and cheering on while they seemed to watch something in animated interest.
My body itched to go back to the prince's tent and grab the violin to use against whatever enemy stalked us, but if I did use the violin, it might as well just cost me my head. I didn't need to depend on it either, I had used my fire blades for all these years and have survived this long.
"You love the power it gives you. Admit it."The shadows chuckled in unison in my mind.
I don't need it.I repeated it to myself like a mantra. All those thoughts seemed to vanquish when I looked at what the boys had been cheering and spectating.
My mouth ran dry when I spotted Inanov and the prince sparring with swords in their hands. The prince was shirtless and glistening with sweat, he fought very differently than how he looked. The prince looked graceful, pristine, and elegant. His fighting however was rough, hard and brutal. He looked like the Prince of War rather than the Prince of Light. His ferocious eyes caught mine, and I couldn't help but step back. Those eyes... The little girl who lived inside my mind cowered at the look. At how similar it looked to—
Inanov had his feet kicked from under him and fell, groaning in discomfort. The prince laughed and held a hand out to him so that he could pull him up. He looked more like himself now, it made my thudding heart slow down.
"Your turn, warrior." The prince pointed his sword at me. My heart began pounding once again but for a different reason this time. I was going to have a heart attack if this onslaught to my precious organ kept happening.
"No," I answered firmly and ignored the look of disappointment radiating from the spectating group. I turned the opposite direction and tried to erase the image of the prince's sculpted back off my mind. The prince tsked. "Never would I have guessed you would decline a fight for the fear of being defeated."
I froze. "I wouldn't be defeated," I answered.
"Come on, Mor. Show them who's boss!" Red cheered.
"Yes, Mor. Show me." The prince mocked him, but it didn't make Red frown, it just made him smile wider which put me in a very difficult spot. More soldiers gathered around and were anticipating the fight that I had just declined. I bit into my cheek and tightened my braid. The prince's smile looked wild when I stepped into the small circle that had been made for the sparring session.
"I had almost thought it would take more convincing." The prince chuckled lightly. I unhooked two of my fire blades and the prince raised an eyebrow at me.
"They're just normal blades when no fire is wielded," I reassured the prince and left out the part where the blades whisper destructive little things to me about setting everyone and everything alight.
