Chapter 41
Since he didn’t struggle much after65Please respect copyright.PENANAUXinvvqQZV
they started moving, the Serpents didn’t see a need to bag him or knock him65Please respect copyright.PENANAqmsCaNVaMj
unconscious. While they walked through the down, he took a quick peek, and it65Please respect copyright.PENANA4TQfeWUqpH
appeared as though everyone in the village was on the side of the Serpents.65Please respect copyright.PENANAoq6YvGJeC4
Even the normal seeming folk talked with the Serpents as if they were old65Please respect copyright.PENANAb5Nz9GyoU5
friends. He would have to investigate what would make a village so close to the65Please respect copyright.PENANAdLgYDRDwnR
city turn on the King. He didn’t see Eliza, but he could feel her watching and65Please respect copyright.PENANAm98ocXk3sV
waiting. Eve opened a door leading into an Inn where Serpents were eating and65Please respect copyright.PENANA3IfI51AL1v
talking with each other.
“Is65Please respect copyright.PENANAVaCrlHYLXW
that you Eve?” someone from behind the bar asked.
“Yea65Please respect copyright.PENANArQK8YxLN7l
your old bastard it is.” She laughed. The bigger man launched himself over the65Please respect copyright.PENANAwN14cQQMu1
countertop then picked her up on his arms spinning her around.
“I65Please respect copyright.PENANACFyd5ZrFpk
see you completed your mission.” The strange man nodded appreciatively at65Please respect copyright.PENANAGAiVxogSap
Vander. “Lord Cranton will be pleased, though I’m surprised he came on his65Please respect copyright.PENANAHoAFXZJtV0
own.”
“Some65Please respect copyright.PENANA532MWsgVPB
of his squad members came with him, me included, but I took care of the65Please respect copyright.PENANAM4BLsorRzt
troublesome ones then had our men kill the others.” Eve beamed. “You should65Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZuwIdhTgU
have seen his face.”
“How65Please respect copyright.PENANAzXboWAEdYm
many did we lose?” the man frowned.
“Seven.”65Please respect copyright.PENANAU898tV7HSx
She spoke. “I told you not to underestimate him.”
“I’ll65Please respect copyright.PENANAk5ooJpjuAV
have to triple our fee then.” Vander let out a cough causing the two of them to65Please respect copyright.PENANA3hycVSYFzo
look at him.
“I65Please respect copyright.PENANAHB3GVHtOLw
don’t suppose you’ll introduce yourself?” Vander smiled. “It’s nice to let one65Please respect copyright.PENANAqo4HDdxDQY
know who he should address.”
“This65Please respect copyright.PENANAcMuaBNpJy6
isn’t high society any more whelp.” The man backhanded Vander across the face.65Please respect copyright.PENANAofhKwJhND1
“I don’t owe you a fucking thing.” Vander spit out a bloodied took onto the65Please respect copyright.PENANAVe1psFuUKS
ground.
“It’s65Please respect copyright.PENANAN0Aa3k5qY2
alright Batiste, I know who you are.” He smiled. “My grandfather told me so65Please respect copyright.PENANArFRIwViCrY
much about you. Glad to see you slumming around with traitors. I can’t wait to65Please respect copyright.PENANA3h93CnxqxP
sink my sword into you.”
“Treat65Please respect copyright.PENANAf5pQsmmc9n
a guy to dinner first.” Batiste chuckled. He walked over then pulled Vander’s65Please respect copyright.PENANArdFy5tNr8v
head back until they were staring eye to eye. “Once they get what they want65Please respect copyright.PENANAZCoSk7f8k1
from you, you’re all mine. I’m going to enjoy sending pieces of you to your65Please respect copyright.PENANAB8iW4iO5qY
bastard grandfather.” Vander responded by smashing his face into Batiste’s65Please respect copyright.PENANAKa5eIXxZ7f
nose. He stumbled backwards, blood pouring out of his crushed nose.
“Get65Please respect copyright.PENANAW6s3SdCur5
him downstairs!” Eve snapped.
He65Please respect copyright.PENANA73aGBVrhg3
was roughly picked up and hauled away.
He65Please respect copyright.PENANA7re8iOMFVb
was thrown into a dusty corner and kicked one final time before they left him65Please respect copyright.PENANAwVuOxQmorl
down there. He slowly sat up and waited for his eyes to adjust to the gloom of65Please respect copyright.PENANA5qwn6dGNTq
the darkness. There were two unconscious forms lying in the cell next to him.65Please respect copyright.PENANAXPcCWl4NZZ
Eliza and Kiara. Thank goodness they were safe.
Upon65Please respect copyright.PENANAP9L4eylDxM
hearing the door close, he saw Eliza moved. She slowly sat up then turned her65Please respect copyright.PENANAWGjTYeGFzW
head to look over at him. It took her a moment to recognize him, but once she65Please respect copyright.PENANA6cz2FUT4UV
did, she threw her arms around his neck.
“Vander,65Please respect copyright.PENANAUDJeh2cVpz
why did you come?” she whispered into his ear.
“To65Please respect copyright.PENANAdkIpYD58X5
get the both of you back.” He responded, embracing her. “Is Kiara, okay? Is the65Please respect copyright.PENANAOaVN9Sr9uj
baby harmed?”
“No.”65Please respect copyright.PENANApk9W90oMCQ
Eliza shook her head. “They only took her to get you and Cuvera here. They want65Please respect copyright.PENANAVR7bqDIVuV
the shards we possess, but how are they going to extract them from us?”
“I’m65Please respect copyright.PENANAZOBWx5iiUH
not sure, but whatever it is, it won’t be good.” Vander frowned. “We need to65Please respect copyright.PENANA6Q3iUwps9M
get out of here before Cuvera shows up with reinforcements. We don’t want to65Please respect copyright.PENANAXcUeKcP6oK
get in the middle of a drawn-out fight.”
“Do65Please respect copyright.PENANAqfZAl0Uwvh
you have a plan?” she asked.
“Let’s65Please respect copyright.PENANA7P7kam29HL
just wait and see what happens.”
…
Kiara65Please respect copyright.PENANABwNQtgRMXU
woke up a few hours later. She was doing alright, but Vander knew that she was65Please respect copyright.PENANA2MYgZOoh1a
worried about the baby. Eliza soothed her while they discussed their next65Please respect copyright.PENANANtkei1Dk5q
steps.
It was nightfall before anyone came65Please respect copyright.PENANAqR8p0O4Ae2
back for them. Batiste and Eve came down the stairs with a third person walking65Please respect copyright.PENANAN8aZtsfdQD
behind him. Vander recognized the smell and let out a low warning growl. Peyton65Please respect copyright.PENANAQsp8bMI7zB
Cranton smiled down at him with an evil glint in his eye.
“I65Please respect copyright.PENANAIUbGA0U2yA
told you he would come.” The man snarled. Vander lunged for him, but the metal65Please respect copyright.PENANAIGB4yZzOYQ
bars kept him from leaving the cell.
“Come65Please respect copyright.PENANAVirDBOxyWq
here you slimy bastard.” Vander snapped. “I’ll snap your neck with my bare65Please respect copyright.PENANA4vmrcUSlgo
hands.”
“You65Please respect copyright.PENANAOG96f9gtQL
always were such a handful, Captain.” Peyton nodded at one of the Serpents who65Please respect copyright.PENANAQy1uu7y27C
smashed him in the stomach with the butt of his sword. Vander fell to the65Please respect copyright.PENANAWHeKLIbXF4
ground clutching his stomach trying to hold back the tears.
“Why65Please respect copyright.PENANAXJSPqSyIE6
are you doing this, Peyton?” Kiara had woken up and while she was angry, she65Please respect copyright.PENANAC4NxloRNFt
wanted to understand. There was no way this kind man would do something so65Please respect copyright.PENANAk3MLUyXjma
cruel for no reason.
“What65Please respect copyright.PENANA5fZPumyys6
other reason is there?” Peyton laughed. “I crave power, always have. This is65Please respect copyright.PENANAicHUdGs0uj
the only way I can get it. Now, take those two to the courtyard.” He pointed65Please respect copyright.PENANAGZowEopzQp
towards Vander and Eliza. “They have the shards we need.”
“What65Please respect copyright.PENANALqOeXi3vdS
about the Queen?”
“Once65Please respect copyright.PENANA4ys8Haj3Xn
the ceremony is complete, I don’t care what you do to her.” Peyton shrugged.65Please respect copyright.PENANAwGvHv8L7EJ
“But for now, we need them alive to assure their compliance.”
“Understood.”65Please respect copyright.PENANADIUR1MuMO0
Batiste grinned. He instructed his men to open the door. Pairs of hands grabbed65Please respect copyright.PENANABI3H3VNQYQ
Vander, making sure he couldn’t move, while Eve grabbed hold of Eliza. Eliza65Please respect copyright.PENANAxhbEipnrGN
tried to fight back, but Eve held a knife under her throat.
“Actually,65Please respect copyright.PENANA70mbRMEDPZ
bring the Queen with us.” Eve said. “If they try to fight us, we start chopping65Please respect copyright.PENANAm5Q2Q3k36l
off pieces of her body.”
“Do65Please respect copyright.PENANARZzL46cLii
it.” Batiste ordered. Kiara didn’t even fight back when two more Serpents65Please respect copyright.PENANAaU47Smn7eA
grabbed her pulling her to her feet. The three of them were hauled from their65Please respect copyright.PENANArRt4nh5EcC
cells, out of the Inn, and into the square.
Serpents65Please respect copyright.PENANAuyhlSVTJHG
were stationed all along the space not giving any of them room to try and65Please respect copyright.PENANAHLpkGGZuV4
escape. Kiara was dragged to the side while a Serpent held a knife to her65Please respect copyright.PENANAmfmtCeNhY5
throat. Vander and Eliza were dragged to the center then their shirts were65Please respect copyright.PENANAwTs3LogZYG
forcibly removed from their bodies. The night air was cold, but warmth emanated65Please respect copyright.PENANAPSa4GcP9nR
from Eliza calming him down. They were forced to kneel afterwards. A strange65Please respect copyright.PENANAz2uYbR3THt
man wearing a long black walked over to them holding a knife.
“Welcome65Please respect copyright.PENANAAbuO7auPh0
to the ritual.” Peyton grinned. He walked into the circle also without his65Please respect copyright.PENANAaINSO5pKcc
shirt. “We will be taking the shards from you and taking the next step in my65Please respect copyright.PENANAMqnOgJ4BPC
master’s plan.”
The65Please respect copyright.PENANAYp9FrOksxz
black robbed person began to chant as he cut into his arms. He allowed the65Please respect copyright.PENANAsrslrGiOzp
blood to flow towards the end of his fingertips. He walked towards Peyton65Please respect copyright.PENANAs9TjlqcOVK
allowing the blood to drip onto the ground. He started to draw strange symbols65Please respect copyright.PENANAgWBPiSsg4k
onto Peyton’s arms, back, and chest. Even from where he kneels, Vander could65Please respect copyright.PENANAVMHpBULcus
feel the power emanating from the runes, but it gave him a bad vibe from it.
Once65Please respect copyright.PENANALLcACVRUvU
they were done covering Peyton, the man walked over to where Vander knelt. “We65Please respect copyright.PENANA4p8vbAzJAb
will be taking your power now.” The voice whispered. Then he began to paint65Please respect copyright.PENANADkXikVOjvI
blood runes on Vander’s body. As soon as the final rune was painted on, his65Please respect copyright.PENANAKdM54zNY2d
body was racked with pain. He fell to the ground violently convulsing while65Please respect copyright.PENANAulgkRpz62M
blue smoke enveloped his body. The smoke traveled from his body towards65Please respect copyright.PENANAyWvhRIdZet
Peyton’s then it started snaking up his leg.
“Yes,65Please respect copyright.PENANALytjRY9tMS
yes!” Peyton cheered. As the smoke reached Peyton’s mouth, Vander felt a very65Please respect copyright.PENANAPUno1uDL3x
terrifying presence surrounding them. A void appeared between Vander and65Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6FqhwkkuW
Peyton, just above where the transferring was occurring. A familiar woman65Please respect copyright.PENANADQqCa7FxLB
stepped out from between the dimensions followed by a large white wolf. Unna65Please respect copyright.PENANAJjLKMnyKHb
had come.
“I65Please respect copyright.PENANARxLKDcOS9L
was wondering what has happening here.” Unna smiled a blood red smile. Her65Please respect copyright.PENANAyIci5BJcKn
presence caused the Serpents to collectively hold their breath, not a single65Please respect copyright.PENANAx56wcsS3KO
person dared to draw attention to themselves. Everyone except for Peyton.
“Unna!”65Please respect copyright.PENANAPAWKjWyQ2C
He laughed. “Have you come to bear witness to your new chosen?” She smiled and65Please respect copyright.PENANAfr6VzSMyql
started walking towards him.
“Do65Please respect copyright.PENANAHfbR83bkis
you think you can handle my power sweetie?” she smiled. “Stronger men than you65Please respect copyright.PENANA66yUS35lO8
have tried and failed, are so certain you can do it?”
“I65Please respect copyright.PENANAQpTpjlwP4T
can handle anything.”
“We65Please respect copyright.PENANAONCb0wTUgV
will see.” She pressed a finger into his forehead. Black energy traveled from65Please respect copyright.PENANAgJCV9qeBGE
her body towards his. Peyton started screaming. The energy transfer started65Please respect copyright.PENANAA9WxNJJHPt
reversing as Peyton started convulsing. He bent over in half as thick fur65Please respect copyright.PENANAaQoGDTo0OP
started sprouting on his body. His arms snapped in half as his leg buckled. His65Please respect copyright.PENANALbuJUl6Km5
teeth began to fall around him as his jaw snapped and elongated.
“This65Please respect copyright.PENANANYUmWa7YZD
wasn’t supposed to happen.” The black robed mage took a step backwards. Ritoru,65Please respect copyright.PENANA3rt7U1fOSS
spotting his chance, lunged forward, grabbing the man in his jaws then biting65Please respect copyright.PENANAIM2bb29qbk
down sending blood spraying all over the courtyard.
“I65Please respect copyright.PENANAhjrpA0ewnk
thought you could handle my power?” Unna asked as Peyton still screamed in65Please respect copyright.PENANA13AKwXOrvN
pain. “Unlike the others, you messed with something that wasn’t yours to65Please respect copyright.PENANAI80xlLQ8uX
control.” She took a step back towards Vander. “Vander, sweetie, this will be65Please respect copyright.PENANA6JjAyDkuZh
the last time I save you. Next time, you’re on your own.” She brought her65Please respect copyright.PENANAhf55NDTQx3
fingers up to whistle. Another portal opened. She and Ritoru stepped inside.65Please respect copyright.PENANA4Wg5OxsOVq
“Good luck!”
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Vander65Please respect copyright.PENANAE98To7Zk7a
may have kept a hold of his powers, but now he was staring down at one of65Please respect copyright.PENANACyd919rhQn
Unna’s beasts. He had to figure out how to get out of here while keeping Eliza65Please respect copyright.PENANAgyqXbNCTUW
and Kiara safe. There was only one way he knew how: it was time to make a deal65Please respect copyright.PENANAetFhoex4NW
with the devil.