The girl stirred and opened her eyes. "M'lady!" she said. "You— you are here?" She gulped as if she had seen a ghost.
"Gid be drygo bio?" Anastasia asked, raising an eyebrow. Where would I be?
Nyles stared at her without blinking for a moment trying to understand the situation. "Zar se secate deslo sinoc?" Don't you remember what happened last night?
Anastasia narrowed her eyes. "Ne, ali imes li?" No, but do you?
She nodded. "I saw you walking to the portal and then you were entranced by it. I tried to hold your hand but you ended up throwing me against the wall!"
"Oh my God!" Anastasia's hand flung to her mouth. "I am so sorry Nyles!" So it was the truth that she had gone to the portal. She started trembling. What Ileus said was correct. Nyles had followed her and she ended up getting injured. "Did you get hurt? I don't even know what I was doing."
Nyles got up to her knees shakily and Anastasia held her hands steadily. "I know m'lady because that was the call to your home." She placed her hands on her shoulders and tilted her head as if in great sorrow. "M'lady, why are you resisting this call? It is not good for you. Every time you do that, a part of magic in your body is going to die."
Anastasia gasped. "Es Sta?" What? She was shocked as hell as what Nyles told her.
"Please m'lady. I am saying it for your benefit." Nyles sounded extremely pained.
Anastasia could feel it in her voice, but the revelation stunned her.
"I don't know how many times you will face situations like this. The journey that you are undertaking is harsh and the reality is that you will start losing magic slowly until you turn into a human. Do you want that? Are you ready for that?" Nyles asked, shaking her shoulders.
Anastasia's lips quivered and she lowered her head, feeling utterly confused. "I don't know Nyles, I don't know…" She pursed her lips tightly and looked at Ileus helplessly. "Moram da riji." I have to take this chance. She bit her lip and tension that was already forming knots in her stomach reached her heart. Her heart plunged. Would her magic die?
"What you are doing with that vokudlak—I can see."
Anastasia's face became red.
"Aed Ruad is not going to take this nicely. You are his betrothed. Who in the right mind is going to tolerate that his fiancé is with another man? With this kind of a behavior you may even be exiled. If that happens, Aed Ruad will become the undisputed king of Vilinski!"
Anastasia was not shocked, but extremely angered at Nyles' words. With disgust in her tone, she asked, "And who would dare to exile me, Nyles? Aed Ruad? Hmm?"
Nyles nodded. "Yes, m'lady. He is a very powerful man!"
"De li zhi vresti mozi Vilinski?" Anastasia countered, as fury rose in her chest. Does he hold that kind of power in Vilinski?
Nyles gaped at her. "Well, he can sway the opinions of the nobles—"
Not able to endure this conversation anymore, Anastasia put her hand up in the air. "Then you don't know anything about royalty," she growled. Irked, Anastasia walked away, feeling offended.
"M'lady—" Nyles called after her. But she was cut off when Ileus beckoned Anastasia to come out.
They were all ready to leave. Anastasia strode to him and followed him outside without giving as much as a glance to Nyles. She didn't know why that girl had become so paranoid. Or why had she started making things up. Anastasia was out on a purpose, and she wasn't going to let anyone ruin it. What she said about her magic—well it was too little as compared to other Faes. In fact if what she did last night was true–if she broke that portal, then her magic was only showing up. She would leave Sgiath Biò and take responsibility for her actions, for Aed Ruad's actions. She didn't realize when they reached their mount until Ileus made her wear a black cloak and covered her head with its hood.
"Thank you," she said as she watched him.
"I don't want you to get sick," he said as he buttoned her collar.
Her lips tugged up upon seeing how caring he was. She gazed in his gold eyes and the world ceased to exist. His hair had grown and was now falling near the shoulders. He had tied them in a messy pony at the back. And when did he shave? His square jaw was absolutely charming. She had a sudden urge to bite it and gulped saliva down her throat. He looked sexy as hell.
"What are you thinking Anastasia?" he asked, stopping his movement.
She didn't answer gulping at her lusty thoughts.
He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and found the answer. He bent down and leaned next to her ear. "I love that blush and can smell your arousal."
Anastasia's breath hitched. Before he straightened her cloak and brushed a light kiss on her cheek.
Whatever little coherent thought she had, fled her mind. And who was Nyles?
Soon they all mounted their horses and started moving towards the south. Ileus had allowed everyone to go ahead of them. Only Kaizan was behind them. Nyles was traveling with Zlu this time, her face contorted in disgust. Carrick and Aidan were leading the group.
As for Anastasia, she was again with Ileus on his horse, cradled right between his hips and leaning against his chest. He had encircled his arms around her protectively, possessively. As they moved along the track, somehow he ended up getting his hands inside her cloak and rested them on her thighs.
"You may remove your hands from my thighs, Ileus," she said, knowing fully well that he did that on purpose.
"You can stop feigning that you don't like it Anastasia," he said in a flat tone.
She poked her tongue in her cheek to suppress a smile. "How do you know I am feigning? It could be the truth."
