074 She Took His Love

"My Lord." Metis called Erebus on his phone, "Kitty left the hotel with a huge backpack, and she got a plane ticket for Mount Alaric."

"..."

Instead of a plane, Erebus got on his new SUV the same afternoon.

He had to make arrangements of his city before he left. He left Tartarus in charge, and he didn't take neither Menoetius nor Themis.

Those two were NOT to be separated right now. She had been trying to accept his feelings now. Out of gratitude, yes, but she wanted to give him a chance.

None of his Dim Patronus was to follow him this time, except Metis. But she would take the next flight to catch him at the nearest airport -- the one that Kitty was going to arrive at. There was no direct flight to the penal colony of Mount Alaric.

Metis had to leave late because she was in charge of all the detailed managing work.

Erebus had been on the phone almost all the way driving to Mount Alaric -- the city needed him. Kitty's sudden leaving dislocated all his plan. He had to leave in a hurry to catch up.

Luckily, the flight was short.

If it was any longer than two hours, he won't be able to catch up. But all the waiting and procedures in and out airport gave him time to make up the loss in speed, and he got to the airport roughly the same time as Kitty did.

"Metis." Erebus said after the phone was picked up.

"Her flight landed half hour ago. There's a chance she's still there." Metis answered, knowing fully well what was on his mind, "She has no clue what to look for or where to look for it after all. She should not have been leaving the airport in a rush."

"Our source here?" Erebus didn't even bother to nod -- Metis cannot see it anyways.

"It was Uranus’s apanage. He's never close to any side, so we have few people there." Metis said, "I've asked them to go to the airport first, they should have been there."

"Get here when you can." Erebus hung up after this order.

The dark fog rose in his palm.

It would have been an eye catcher, if that airport wasn't too large and deserted to have any people around him.

However, two men went straight to Erebus not long after his spell was formed.

"My Lord." They said when they were close enough to keep their conversation discreet to passersby.

"Greetings. You are?" Erebus nodded.

"Harrison, my Lord." The tall, bright young man answered.

"Quinlan, my Lord." The shorter one with blond hair answered.

"The blue haired girl?" Erebus didn't waste time on any other stuff.

"We... we did see her..." The two men exchanged a worried look.

"And?" Erebus frowned at their hesitation. That was NOT a good sign.

"Well, she left." Harrison said, trying to out with the most important information first, "We..."

"Walk with me." Erebus turned to the direction of his car, "Why didn't you stop her?"

"We tried." Quinlan said, "She had doubt in us, of course, but..."

"But?!" Erebus was losing his patience.

"But then Princess Allura came and took her." Harrison continued, seeing the anger rising within Erebus.

"Allura?!" That was the least likely answer Erebus was expecting. "How could she had been-- how could Kitty had gone with her even?!"

Kitty JUST ran into her throwing herself at Erebus. Allura was NOT Kitty's favorite person right now.

"But Kitty recognized her." Quinlan said quickly, and he turned to Harrison, "I told you that was weird!"

"She did!" Harrison exclaimed apologetically, "She went to her before she even got off the car!"

"Say no more." Erebus sighed.

It was HIS car!

Did Allura planed all these the moment she took his car? How could she had known Kitty could come to Mount Alaric?!

Even his schedule was known to very few. How could she had known Kitty would be here?!

Erebus had never felt so threatened by a danger so close to him. He had this feeling twice this month.

"They headed north?" Erebus started the car before the other two could finish putting on the safety belt.

"N-north, yeah. How did you know, my Lord?!" Quinlan exclaimed.

It was where the secret exiles of the witches were executed.

But of course she knew. Allura knew at least his mission from the King, if not also his secret plan about the investigation into the mysterious puzzle on that parchment roll.

But somehow Erebus felt like she knew that, too.

He frowned with a dark look on his face, and the other two didn't dare talk for a while, knowing that they messed up by letting Kitty go with Allura, though there was little they could have done --

They cannot, and were not powerful enough to disobey a royal.

"Aloha!" Allura came through the moment the call got through.

"Where are you?" Erebus asked in a ice cold tone.

"I KNEW you care about me!" There was a faint phoniness in her excited tone.

"So?" Erebus didn't care for her purposely mis-interpreting.

"Well, in your car. Thanks for the great gift!" Allura giggled, "Heard that it worth a lot, I'm touched."

As if she lacked that kind of financial freedom.

"Where is Kitty." Erebus said in a slow, dangerous tone. He was tired of her game.

"Did you know," Allura didn't cared about his tone at all, "that 'aloha' also means... love?"

Erebus frowned at the last word.

She knew.

She knew he marked her. And that was a piece of info that only his Dim Patronus knew. If he was secretly wishing that the mole was not among them, her reveling that she knew about this certainly took that possibility away.

"Don't you dare hurt her." Erebus said with true anger now.

"I'm so scared. You are so mean." Allura giggled again, "What if I just cannot help myself?"

"Allura! If you dare hurt her, I--"

Allura didn't let him finish his threat: "You are aware you are talking to your Princess?!"

"Try me." Erebus's anger was boiling.

"Ohh, I intend to, my love," Allura giggled, "On our wedding night I'd surely be savoring THAT."

"Sure, let's get to it then." Erebus squinted his eyes dangerously.

"Easy, tiger. We will get to that." Allura mocked, "You, are, mine."

Her voice seductive, her tone filled with viciousness.

"Don't hurt her. Anything you want, we can talk." Erebus suddenly surrendered.

He got Allura's intention.

She wanted Kitty dead.

He didn't pay much attention to Allura because he knew she wasn't really into him. It was just a joke to her.

But she won't allow her toy to be others'.

Of course she wanted Kitty dead.

BECAUSE he marked her.

For all the pain and misunderstanding he had been through after he marked Kitty, this was the moment he regretted that the most.

He almost hoped he never did. At least Kitty wouldn't had suffered for any of this, not the hurt from him, nor from her.

"Aww, really? Anything?" Allura prolonged the last word, teasing Erebus. She knew she won. She won the moment she took Kitty.

"..." Erebus paused before he said, "Please."

The two young wolves in the car held their breath at that. They didn't even know how to respond to their Lord's sudden show of weakness.

They didn't know any of human expression that fit this moment: Sorry? Pity? Fear?

"You are scared?" Allura was laughing.

"I'm scared." Erebus said, "I'm scared of what I might do to you if anything happens to her. Give her back, and I'll play your game. I know she doesn't mean to you enough for you to risk your own life."

"That was mean." Allura's voice turned cold. She felt a real threat in his tone, and she didn't like it.

"You want war? Or you want a game." Erebus asked, knowing that she was upset. She was rarely crossed like that, never in her life maybe.

"Ohh I want a game alright." Allura said with pressed anger, "And the game is on, already."

"Give me Kitty, and we will play.".

"That would be cheating," Allura found her phony, seducing voice again, "Considering, she IS the game."

"Allura!" Erebus growled at the phone.

"You have been asking the wrong questions, silly. You should not be asking me where I am." Allura didn't let his anger affect her this time:

"You should ask, 'where is Kitty?'"