Page 146 of A Crown Without Mercy

Sylvana slapped her arm to the side. “I would rather die than drink from you right now.” She cupped the amulet in her hands and placed it against her forehead.Nicolai, can you hear me?When she didn’t get an answer, she curled her body into a fetal position and wept; all the while she continued calling to her mates.

Muriel opened a small leather pouch and pulled out a few leaves. “Sylvana, suck on these. They will help with the pain.”

When Sylvana didn’t respond, Muriel gently moved her hair from her forehead, and cupped her swollen, bruised cheek in her hand. “Sylvana, please, it will help. Ranan got the tonic from a Faye and it’s stopping you from healing. I assume it is also what is preventing you from using your powers. Please trust me—”

Sylvana’s good eye snapped opened and she looked at the blurry image of Muriel’s face. “Trust you?You want me to fuckingtrust you?After what you did? How do I know you are not drugging me in servitude of that piece of shit Ranan?”

“I fucked up, Sylvana! And I know you have no reason to trust me now, and there are no words that can be spoken to make you believe me.” The tears streamed down her face, and she sobbed. “I can’t apologize enough, but I want to make this right. I will do everything I can to get word to your mates.”

Sylvana stared at her and based on the look in her eyes and on her face, she reluctantly reached for the herbs and placed them in her mouth.

“I need to look at your back.” Muriel pulled the blanket to the side, held the lantern over the wound and gasped under her breath.

“I assume it’s bad?” Sylvana mumbled.

“No, I just—it—it looks a little infected is all, but it’s not bad,” she replied, as she placed the blanket back over her.

Mordeci and his legion covertly walked along the edge of what seemed to be a never ending black void, having cloaked themselves within the swirling, ghost-gray mists. They listened intently as the sounds of the battle being waged off in the distance seemed to grow closer the further they traveled.

“Pay attention and try to pick up on any scent, no matter how minute that would indicate Sylvana was in the area,”Mordeci relayed telepathically.

Although the air was cool and crisp, there was a dead flavor to it, as if hundreds of bodies had been left to perish on the battlefields of the past. “The dead are all around us in this godforsaken place,” Rhazien said to no one in particular.

“The void feels more like a wall than an energetic field,” Mordeci added.

What sounded like a whirlwind of disorder and violence growing closer stopped them mid-stride. They readied their swords, stood with their backs to the void, and listened intently; the anger they heard was ingrained in a Faye’s muffled words. They then heard a loud thud, which sounded as if a body had been slammed onto the ground.

“Keep moving,” Mordeci said.

They walked a bit further and a body exploded from the mists, nearly slamming into two of the cloaked warriors. The Lycan rose to his feet and spun around, having picked up on their scent, and as they slowly backed away, a blur of color and vicious movement appeared and lunged for the Lycan.

“Take them out,” Mordeci ordered.

Two of them lunged for the Faye, covered his mouth, and held him back while another plunged his dagger into his heart. Mordeci and Norix, along with a few others, surrounded the Lycan and diverted his attention toward them while Rhazien snuck up from behind and swung; the Lycan’s head rolled from his shoulders and his body slumped to the ground.

Mordeci waved his hand over the bodies, leaving only their ashes behind. “The mists will take care of the rest. Keep moving.”

One of their warriors in the center of the line called out. “Anyone else feeling a ripple in the air?”

“Yes,” another replied.

“Split your line, and ready yourselves on either side,” Rhazien demanded.

Rhazien, Mordeci, and Norix ran down the line and met in the middle where the ripple was being felt.

“It feels like water parting,” Rhazien said.

“Is it opening?” Norix asked.

“I am not sure but be ready. We have no idea what is about to enter or leave the veil if it is opening,” Mordeci said.

As the ripple grew, the warriors stepped back and noticed a small whiff of smoke swirling from within the void carrying with it an unfamiliar scent.”

“Stand fast and be prepared. Whatever, whomever, it is we need to end this as discretely as possible,” Mordeci said.

The ripple grew in intensity and a colorful glow radiated from what looked like a rip in a piece of fabric. It expanded and contracted multiple times and without warning, the loud screech of an owl cut through the silence when it appeared from the tear and disappeared into the mists.

“A fucking owl?” one warrior questioned.

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