4: Flame Sapphire

Emmett’s POV

Twenty years ago, Maduro and his army had invaded my father’s clan, The Blood clan, in the middle of the night. The Blood clan was feared amongst the twelve clans, because we were the only clan that had magic. Though we were feared and stronger than the other clans, we were peaceful, my father, Thano, made sure of that.

But the other clans conspired and with Maduro leading their combined troops, destroyed the Blood clan. I was just fifteen years old when that happened. They killed everyone who had magic and those without magic were taken hostage. My parents were killed in the attack, myself and my sister, Leia, were also taken hostage. 

I was beaten and tortured just for fun, while Leia was raped almost everynight by Maduro’s men and all I could do was watch from my cell with tears in my eyes. Until one night, they took her away and I never saw her again. 

I had prayed for death but it never came. 

Then five years later, a strange prisoner was brought in and I struck a deal with him that led to my escape from captivity, alongside some of my people I could find and we disappeared beyond the mountains and into the shadows. We formed a new clan together with the people who already lived in the shadows, including castaways and rejects of other clans.

It has been twenty years of waiting for an opportunity to get my revenge on Maduro and everyone that helped him destroy my home.

I downed the rest of my drink, the sour wine tingling the sides of my mouth. 

Kora was not what I expected.

I had been expecting a snotty princess, a spoilt brat. A kind of princess that would be easy to break. But the woman I had seen earlier was tired, dark circles under her eyes, and bruises on her neck and arms. Even with her small frame, her green eyes burned with a fire of resistance and a backbone one developed from years of hardship. She did not appear scared, not even when tears welled up in her eyes, she just seemed more of tired than terrified.

And her hair….

If I didn’t know any better, I would think that Maduro tried to trick me by passing of someone else as his daughter, but his blood flowed through her veins, I could smell it. It smelled just like Maduro’s everytime he had come into my cell to visit, to gloat about how he had conquered the indomitable Thano Blackburn of the Blood clan and how he had taken Thano’s heir hostage as a souvenir.

Kora would be difficult to break. But I will break her and I will be sure to relish every moment of it.

“It’s almost sundown Em,” Ike said in the same solemn tone he uses every other sundown for the past ten years.

I nodded. The pinkish orange sky was clear of storm clouds, it was going to be a beautiful night. It was too bad I wouldn’t be able to see it.

“Place guards outside her room. I get the feeling she’s a runner.”

“Already done that. One last thing,” Ike said as he walked beside me, “Lillith sent a message. She says she has news.”

“I will pay her a visit in the morning.”

We walked in silence until we got to the east wing of my mansion, which was completely quiet, sealed off completely from any human presence, except the four hefty men guarding the entrance of the east wing.

They all bowed their heads before pushing the steel double doors opened and closed the moment Ike and I walked in. This has been my routine for a decade now, one would think I would have gotten used to it. But I still feel the same way, ostrasized and alone. 

Only Ike walked the halls of the east wing. The helps came in every morning to clean up and then leave again. But no one dared come close to the east wing at sun down.

I sighed when the steel doors of my bedroom fell open. Another wretched night.

“I will  help you get settled,” Ike mused as the rattlling sound of chains echoed.

***

The SUV pulled to a stop outside Lillith’s small hut. Dark smoke rose to the sky from the back of the house.

Ike held the passenger door open and I hopped out. As usual the surrounding of Lillth’s hut reeked of burning sage, with a hint of flowery frangrance. 

The bubbly woman, with long, salt and pepper hair that touched the sole of her feet, flung her bamboo door open and waved at us. Lillth was one of the original inhabitors of the shadow. She was a priestess and a healer.  

“Come on in,” she screeched with a wide smile. “I will make tea,” she said and disappeared into the house before I could turn her down.

I settled into her worn couch, while Ike stood behind me. Ike was always on alert and the only thing close to a family I had. He would lay down his life for me in a heart beat. I had wanted to make him the commander of my shadow army, but he had choosen to be my beta, in other to be close to me at all times, for my safety.

Lillith returned with three tea cups on a tray. She handed a cup to me, then Ike and took the last cup.

“You said you had important news,” I said, putting the cup down without taking a sip.

She took a sip of her tea. “Yes. It’s about the flame sapphire,” she said, a serious look cast a shadow over her creased face.

The flame sapphire. It had been inactive for over five centuries. “Is it missing?” I asked.

“Worse. Five days ago, it glowed.”

My eyes widened in shock.

“Could it be a mistake?” Ike asked, the fear in his voice was obvious.

“No. Shira, the priestess of Ravenshire Pack, sent word to me asking if our sapphire had also glowed.”

It was confirmed, the shadow wolf’s power had been activated and he or she could be anywhere. Now the frenzied hunt for the shadow wolf would ensue. 

“We have to find it first,” I said.

Lillith nodded. “If any other clan finds it, they would certainly want to use it for evil. If we can find the shadow wolf first, we can destroy it and save the world.”

I chuckled. “Who says I want to save the world? I am going to make it burn!”