Of Fangs And Fury

Chapter Fourteen

Caderyn

The future King and all of his men off to rescue a fair maiden. But, I heave a thick breath, this is no fairytale. Deep in the Forest Of Night, we follow a trail that isn’t a trail to a waterfall that isn’t a waterfall. Racing against the setting Sun, we are expecting to find Lara before it is completely below the horizon.

And if for some reason night falls, we will not stop. I will burn the forest to ash just to light the way. Amongst my small army is the best physician and healer I could gather, though I dare not think of the possible states Lara could be in when we find her. The notebooks hadn’t given much insight to any sort of torture plan, rather, letting her waste away - “making her disappear” as literally as possible.

The only thing I can be thankful for in all the time it has taken to find her is that I have learned to embrace my mutation. The thing I used to hate most in the world is now my biggest strength and I have found a few ways to use it to my advantage. Instead of getting locked up, the scales forming a brick wall, I – in my fury, in my passion – have found a way to treat them more like chainmail.

Somehow, in a way that Lara will be able to explain to me I am sure, I have let the scales spread like armor, but in the places I need a full range of motion they are supple, practically liquid.

“Caderyn!” the scout yells over the roar of the falls, “There it is!”

Rushing forward, the sting of magik makes my whole-body spasm, focus, Cade! Stay focused! Through the glamour, we all crowd around the mouth of the tunnel. I look around quickly, “This is it.”

My boots slam against the stone, but I surprise myself by leaving my sword in the hilt. Though my blood boils with a desperate cry for vengeance, I only have one goal: to find Lara.

As my men rush past me, I wait for the physician and healer to catch up. Luckily, they had been combat-trained, akin to The Great War field medics, so they are right along with me as I head in. The cave is far from organic, the harshly carved walls and ceiling giving some resemblance of a tunnel.

Of course, the notebook had had a crudely drawing of the tunnel system. Bobbing and weaving through my men taking down a surprising number of Pure-blood Devotees, we finally reach the corridor lined with cells. One hand behind me, slowing the medics, I carefully step forward.

I can feel different magiks bouncing back and forth from my left to my right, some passing through me in waves of heat. So far, all the cells are empty, I close my eyes and listen. But the crashing sound of the waterfall reverberates against the stone, making it increasingly difficult to pinpoint any other sounds.

Eyes tight, my breath catches, and my heart thuds against my chest. One hand stopping the medics behind me, one hand reaching forward, I sidestep cautiously. Finally, my hand is stopped by an invisible, magik wall. In the so-called middle of the corridor is another glamour to hide the final cell.

My fingertips move across the hidden wall until it comes to a jagged edge. Stopping for a moment, I move forward until my boot hits the base of this makeshift corner. Finally opening my eyes, I bring my other hand around to find the other side of the doorway. Wider than I anticipated, I am at the point of no return – no matter what I might find, no matter what it might do to me, I must carry on.

Scales tight, fangs out, full of fury, I go against the glamour that combats me like a hailstorm. Invisible shards cut through my clothing only to scape against the golden scales and bounce away. Forearms crossed in front of my face; I can still feel a few cuts across my cheeks. Finally, after one final push, the storm ceases.

My arms lower, my eyes open, and –

There.

There she is.

My Lara. My precious, miraculous Lara. My mate, my Queen, mia dea.

I focus not on her injuries. I focus not on the paleness of her almost translucent skin. I focus not on how protruding her bones are, almost tearing through. I focus not on how tiny and fragile she looks. No, instead I focus on the ever-subtle movement of her chest. I focus on her breathing.

I focus on the faint sound of her heart.

She’s still alive.

As I finish closing the space between us, my eyes stay on her chest and the way her shoulders lift with every inhale. Finally, at her side, I kneel and release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. When I dare to brush back a few strands of hair from her face every so softly with my fingertips, I feel giant tears roll down my cheeks, my chin, my neck.

“Mia bella Lara... cosa ti hanno fatto? Sono qui, amore mio... oh, amore mio.” Sliding one leg out, I curl around her awkwardly, trying to raise her into my arms as gently as possible. There is a flutter of her eyelids, and she coughs as I bring her closer to my chest. “Sei al sicuro ora, Lara. Sei al sicuro ora, amore mio.”

One arm under her legs, my other hand secures her rib cage, her shoulder then rests against my shoulder, her head in the nape of my neck. I can feel her abdomen expand as has inhales become deeper, and just as I stand tall, I feel her little hand curl upwards. “Cade,” my name escapes as a raspy whisper.

“Yes, Lara, I am here.”

“C-cade,” she coughs. “Cade… I figured it…” but then she becomes limper.

I cradle her against me, feeling her chest rise and fall against my own. Under my breath, I pray “Gli dei oltre questo regno l'aiutano. Prendi tutto da me, maledicimi, ma aiutala. Per favore! Per favore….”

It is when I turn to leave the cell that we come face to face with the end of a longsword. It is when the blade is retracted, pulled back, and curved to swing down through us that I immediately twist, bringing Lara’s body down, with one of my knees slamming against the dirt, my shoulders curling around her like a shield.

The sound of metal bouncing off metal rings in my ears, the blade skipping across my fully scaled back. Staying in this protective position, it is only moments after that I hear my men breach the cell and take down the assailant. I lift my head to find that Lara is looking at me, the ever-subtle shape of a smile on her lips.

Delara

Magik, science, potions, machines… it all passes by in a blur. I had been lucid enough to know that Cade had saved me but slept long enough that I was home safe in the palace, (perhaps induced by medication or spells).

In a fog, only two things breakthrough: Cade’s hand on my hand and the sound of Catarina’s purr.

Caderyn

Curtains drawn tightly to the side with the windows wide open, sunshine, and fresh air pours through our bedroom. The warmth of the evening Autumn Sun balances the frosty breeze. Plus, there is the gentle tinkling of the windchimes Lara loves so dearly along with the consistent purr from the feline.

A fortnight had gone by before they had deemed Lara stable enough to be moved into our bedroom. Finally, two days ago, early ante-meridiem we brought her in here. Ever since, I have barely slept, keeping watch over her.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, my elbows are hard on my knees. One hand curled around a fist; I brush a knuckle across the tip of my nose. Then, as I start chewing on my lip, I look over at her. Healthier looking, sure, but still in a deep sleep that concerns me.

Completely exasperated, I jump up from the bed and head to the window. The cool air feels nice, and the scent is rather refreshing. But the pleasant moment passes, and I look back to Lara. Why isn’t she awake yet? She should be enjoying this with me.

After staring out the window without really seeing, I hear the muffled sound of movement under the covers. Because of the muted rustling of fabrics, I turn around to see that Lara has uncurled from her little spoon position to laying on her back, her arm curling upward.

Falling onto my side of the bed, my hand instinctively reaches for her hip, my eyes searching her face. “Lara?” I murmur.

She sighs softly and blinks slowly. “Cade?” she smiles.

My heart explodes with emotion, and I try to blink away the tears, not wanting to miss a moment of seeing her beautiful smile. “Oh, my amore….”

Her eyes drift around slowly, “How long has it been?”

“You’ve been asleep for almost two days.”

There’s a long silence in response, and her brows furrow slightly, “I can’t believe what I did…,” her voice cracks. “I put you in danger.”

Shaking my head, I bring my palm to her cheek, “It doesn’t matter now. I was able to protect us. I will always be able to protect us.”

When her expression softens when she looks at me and she starts slowly, “So… you don’t?”

Knowing exactly what she means, I reply without hesitance. “I don’t.”

Her beautiful eyes glisten, her smile wide as she reaches for my face. “I love you.”

I touch our foreheads together, “And I love you.” Forever, for always.