Chapter 15

Epyra hadn't changed a bit from what felt like the few hours we had left it for. As soon as we land roughly, thanks to Cain's immaculate skills, the ship is surrounded by Celestial guards. They wield various weapons and expressions set in merciless stone.

"Ceceilia, wait." Cain stands at the bay door I'd open to step out into the light of the duel suns. His tail is tucked between his legs as he watches me step into the ring of guards clutching Mimas.

"On your knees." What looks to be the leader, adorned in an ornate helmet and Celestial wear. His pastel green eyes betray his stoic posture with a sort of sympathy. Cain comes out of the ship on wobbly legs and kneels beside me, eyes contracting and dilating.

I look up as Thakur approaches, absolutely enraged. Mimas writhes out of my grasp and bounds over to the Alpha with a raised tail. Centauri's father looks down with a glazed over look of surprise before picking it up.

"Thule has been overrun. We were ambushed and the crew was either taken or killed." I find his sorrow filled eyes and hold in an involuntary grimace.

"My daughter?"

Thakur's cold tone catches me off guard, my eyes fall to the ground littered in small stones in various colours. "She was taken by Yex." I look up again when he sets the astridian down.

"I knew it," he hisses under his breath, "it was only a matter of time before Yex went after us again."

On a whim, I stand up and step towards Thakur. The guard leader immediately lifts his sword to the underside of my chin as I meet Thakur's blank stare. "Yex and Halfling were part of it I know, but I can't figure out why they were so at ease with the fact that a whole kingdom was destroyed. It's like all that mattered was Celestials paying for it."

The sword against my neck falters and on command, it is lowered. Thakur sucks in a sharp breath and hesitates. "Why should I trust you? Out of anyone, the daughter of a murderer and human."

I take the chain from its place under the fabric of my shirt and hold the pendant up, the faintest bit of hope to it. "Please, I really do care. All I want is to have this all fixed and to have a home to go to."

The Alpha seems to zone out for a second before looking at me and Cain in turn. "Rai."

The guard leader snaps his heels together and stands ramrod straight in response. His sword is neatly tucked into its sheath at his waist. Thakur says something in a foreign tongue before turning to go back to the castle. Rai helps Cain to his feet and motions for us to follow him in the opposite direction.

The building we approach is a tall untouched sphene looking tower. The dazzling green-gold walls draw my breath away as the group enters its looming arches. Inside is all pearly white, almost to the point where is there wasn't any shadows it'd looks like an abyss. At the very end of the long hall is a wide room with a small platform like structure with the same foreign symbols I keep seeing.

Rai stops everyone at the entrance of the room and takes my arm, pulling me in with him. I turn to see Thaili joining the group looking mildly despaired for what's about to happen. I'm guided to the platform, told to kneel and face the cold diamond surface of the platform. Behind me I hear the distinct unsheathing of a sword, before I can register whats happening, there's a blade in my back piercing through my chest. I can't move a thing when it leaves and a frigid feeling envelopes my entire body. Below me, a pool of blood from my unmoving form starts to turn a stark white. Or maybe I'm delusional as my eyes start to droop and shut, freezing with the rest of me.