Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 7

Kyros

I looked at Estella's brother, my heart pounding against my ribs. The male's face was contorted in a snarl, his already long canines elongated into sharp fangs, his eyes glowing with a predatory intensity. He looked less like a fae and more like a wild animal, ready to tear me apart.

Panic clawed at my throat, my breath catching in my chest. I instinctively reached for the dagger at my belt, but the grip on my throat tightened, cutting off my air supply. My vision blurred, black spots dancing before my eyes. My hands moved to try to pull his claws away, my palms tingling with the urge to use my magic.

Estella's gasp was sharp and urgent, a slice that had my heart thrumming. Her father held her upright, her legs looked as though they were made of straw.

But her brother, seemed deaf to her pleas. His grip tightened further, his claws digging deeper into my flesh. I could feel the warmth of my own blood trickling down my neck, the metallic scent filling my nostrils. Ash burned the back of my throat and coated my tongue as I choked down my power.

“Trevino,” the brother growled, his voice a guttural snarl.

My gaze darted to Estella and her father. Estella's face was pale, her eyes wide with shock as she realized who I was. She clutched her father's arm, her knuckles white, her expression pleading. But her father remained impassive, his gaze fixed on me with a chilling detachment. A swirling vortex of shadows gathered around his head, coalescing into a crown of pure darkness.

Shit. My blood ran cold. I recognized that power, that aura of ancient magic. This wasn't just a father protecting his daughter. This was the face of the shifter King of Tenebris, and he knew exactly who I was.

"Prince of Eloria," the King of Tenebris boomed, his voice resonating with an icy authority that sent shivers down my spine, "May I ask what you were doing with my daughter? And why does her blood cover you?"

My mind raced, scrambling for an explanation, a justification for my actions. But the words caught in my throat, strangled by the fear that constricted my chest.

I struggled to speak, the clawed hand tightening around my throat, cutting off my air supply. I could feel the sharp points digging into my skin, a constant reminder of the precariousness of my situation. This had to be the eldest son, the fearsome shifter Atlas had warned me about.

"I wasn’t…” I choked out, my voice a strangled gasp. "I didn't…"

My words choked off in my throat and heat surged through my veins, a fiery response to the threat, and I could feel the skin on my hands begin to burn. I fought to control it, to suppress the flames that threatened to erupt. The last thing I needed was to piss the King off even more. Where was Atlas when I needed him? I'd never needed my brother's calming presence more.

Sweat beaded on my forehead, stinging my eyes and dripping down my face. I could feel Estella's gaze on me, a mixture of fear and pleading in her purple eyes. She wanted to help, I could see it in the way she clutched her father's arm, her knuckles white with tension.

The King's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "I don't believe you, Prince," he said, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. "And I don't take kindly to those who threaten my daughter."

"Let him go, Cyrus!" Estella shouted, her voice ringing with an authority that surprised even me. With a surge of strength, she pushed free from her father's grip and ran to her brother's side. Her teeth were bared in a snarl as she gripped Cyrus's arm and tried to pry his claws away from my throat. "He has done nothing but help me!"

Cyrus's head whipped around, his eyes blazing with fury. "Estella, what are you doing?" he snarled, tightening his grip on me. "He is our enemy! Look at the state of you! Do you expect me to believe he wasn't the cause of your injuries?"

His eyes softened slightly as he looked at his little sister, but his grip on me remained unrelenting.

I gasped, the pressure on my throat increasing, cutting off my air supply. I could feel the sharp claws digging deeper into my skin, and a warm trickle of blood slid down my neck. My vision blurred, and a wave of dizziness washed over me.

Estella's eyes widened in alarm. Her nostrils flared at the scent of my blood, and her cheeks flushed with anger. "He saved me, you over-protective ass!" she retorted, her voice shaking with a mixture of fear and fury. "I fell down a ravine, and he found me. He was helping me return to the shimmer!"

My heart swelled with admiration. This small, delicate female, who just moments ago had been struggling to stand, was now risking her own safety to defend me. I had never witnessed such courage, such defiance in the face of overwhelming odds.

Cyrus hesitated, his gaze flickering between his sister and me, still trapped in his grasp. He could see the truth in Estella's eyes, the fierce protectiveness that burned within her. But his pride, his duty to his kingdom, warred with his love for his sister.

"Let... him... go..." The words were drawn out, each syllable a guttural growl that seemed to emanate from deep within Estella's chest. Her voice, once soft and melodic, now resonated with a primal power that sent shivers down my spine.

She bared her canines, her teeth seemed to shift so that more teeth grew, their tips sharp as razors. Her hands morphed into sharp talon-like claws, and a snarl ripped from her throat, a sound that echoed the fury of the creatures of Tenebris.

Before her brother could react, Estella lunged. Her movements were a blur of motion, her small frame suddenly imbued with an impossible strength. She grabbed Cyrus's arm, her fingers digging into his flesh, and with a fierce yank, she tore his claws away from my throat. Cyrus stumbled backward, his face contorted in surprise and pain. I fell to the ground, my coughs the only sound in the stunned silence. I caught my breath, my throat burning.

Estella spun around, placing herself between Cyrus and me, her back to me, her arms spread protectively. Her eyes, now blazing with a fierce purple light, met Cyrus's with a challenge that could not be denied. She was a shifter. A warrior. A princess of Tenebris.

The King of Tenebris had more than one heir. More than one shifter. This changed everything. Should I tell Atlas? The information could be crucial, a potential advantage in the ongoing tensions between our kingdoms. But as I looked at Estella, her small frame standing defiantly against her brother, a wave of protectiveness washed over me. I couldn't betray her trust, not now. Not when she had risked so much to defend me.

I shot to my feet, heart still pounding from the close call. I glared at Cyrus, my hands clenched into fists, my nostrils flared with my anger. A hot cloud of steam blew from my nose as flames danced at my fingertips and swirled up my forearms. Cyrus’s eyes were locked on my hands, his body tense.

But Estella turned to me, her eyes pleading, and with a subtle shake of her head, she extinguished the fire in my veins. Her claws retracted, and her face softened, the fierce warrior replaced once more by the vulnerable young female I had found in the ravine.

Her head whipped back to her father as a her body stiffened with pain and a groan left her lips, her hand flew to her side, clutching the leaking wound. It was a miracle she was even able to stand. Must be a benefit of being a full-blooded fae of an ancient line.

“Enough!" the King of Tenebris boomed, his voice echoing through the tense air. The Kings eyes were heavy with concern as he flicked his head towards Cyrus. Wordlessly, he stalked over and swiftly lifted his sister up and into his arms, just as her strength faded and she fell.

“Prince of Eloria,” the King continued, his voice regaining its composure, “I appreciate you bringing my daughter back to me.” He paused, his gaze lingering on me for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable in his purple eyes. “I assume we can all just forget about this day,” the order was clear.

As if the words were a cue, Cyrus turned and began marching towards the border that separates our worlds. Estella’s eyes found mine for a fleeting moment before she was sucked into the shadows. In that brief exchange, I saw a kaleidoscope of emotions flicker across her face: gratitude, sadness, and a hint of something more, something that made my heart ache. The King gave me one more glare before he too was swallowed by the shadows.

I stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been, a hollowness growing in my chest. It was as if a part of me had been torn away, leaving an emptiness that I couldn't explain. I had known her for mere hours, yet her impact on me was undeniable.

“s**t,” I whispered, the word a breath of disbelief and longing. I had a feeling this was not the last I would see of Estella, Princess of Tenebris, heir of the shifter King. And I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a very, very bad thing.