...THE KIDNAPPING...
~ CAIN ~
Phwt!
A sharp whistle escaped my lips. The girl had questions to answer, and I wasn't about to let her run off without indulging my curiosity. After all, I had promised Aria I would take her daughter under my wing.
I didn't care if she didn't like it. She had no say in the matter. I would hold myself to my words, even if it meant dragging her kicking and screaming.
Kiera, or whatever the fuck her name was, wasn't going anywhere. Not unless I said so.
A few Daemun broke off and gave chase, but one of the idiots in front of me misunderstood my command. He thought I gave them the order to attack.
The fool charged me, fists raised.
It was laughable.
We were the same height, but his first swing was lazy and slow. I barely moved, letting his fist fly past me as I leaned just enough to avoid it. His movements were a child's tantrum, easy to read, easy to avoid. I could've ended this in seconds, but I held myself back since gathering information took priority over killing him.
"Careful, they do more than just bite," I warned as the Fyres, still circling nearby, growled in response. Their feral sounds filled the air. The storm was closing in, and I needed to keep my focus. Distortion magic cloaked the girl's pursuers, making it hard to discern their faces.
"I'll handle Cain!" the boy in front of me barked to his companion. "You go after that girl!"
He threw his weight forward and took another swing at me, but I slapped his arm down before one of the hounds could snatch him off his feet and rip him apart.
"Are you trying to bore me to death with conversation?" I drawled. "Because it's not working. Unfortunately, I need something more exciting to keep me interested. Something that makes my skin crawl off my flesh, makes my silver blood ooze out of open wounds and makes my muscles twitch and ache as they are stripped from my bones. Just thinking about it excites me. So then, which one of you will keep me company?" I asked, smiling widely to show off my fangs.
"Fuck you," the bigger boy snarled.
"Oh, I'd let you," I quipped, "If you keep me bent over long enough."
I winked, but the Fyres didn't appreciate the joke, and neither did he, because he slammed his foot down, lowered himself into a basic combat stance, and prepared his body to throw another punch.
His form was practiced to perfection, almost to a fault. His feet were spread apart, knees slightly bent, his body lowered, his hands raised slightly in front of his face, and his chin angled towards his chest.
Something wrapped around me, quicker than the boy could pull his arm back, and I was quickly pinned in place by something that weighed three galaxies. My eyes snapped to his companion, the skinny kid, holding out a hand as if he'd been gripping his fingers around my body.
Then, the other boy's fist connected with my stomach, and I felt my organs crush up against my spine.
'He's got quite an arm, I'll give him that, but I didn't come out here to get beat up by a few kids.'
I brought my tongue up to my palate and gave the Fyres the order to attack. They obeyed my command and went straight for my captor, but with the simple wave of his hand, eight of them perished instantly and the others decided to approach him more cautiously.
'Weight spells augmented to affect the afflicted's bone density, and cast without any incantation no less. A breathless spellcaster. I see. He's telling me not to take this lightly. Alright, kid. You have my attention.'
"Hey, don't you dare look away from me, Cain!" the boy in front of me roared. Another fist struck my body, damaging my insides with a massive blow. While I was still pinned in place by his companion's spell, he slid his rooted foot to the side for better balance, raised his other leg into the air, then, with a hard swing, delivered a devastating kick to my side, cracking one of my ribs in the process.
'Well fuck me, that's going to leave a bruise. Better heal that before Rivian sees.'
"Coda, I can't hold him much longer. He's too strong!"
"Shut up, Raven, and do what you are told. Go after that bitch before something else does!"
Thanks to my wolves relentlessly throwing themselves at the boy named Raven, I felt his grip on me slipping, giving me the edge to break free of his hold. Coda prepared himself for another kick and his leg became a blur.
I stepped aside, evading his strike, and placed myself behind him. I ran my finger down his spine, feeling his muscles tense up as a result. I poked him a few times, to gauge the strength and density of his muscles.
The smell of his fear excited me, and I felt my cock press up against the constraints of my jeans, but the unyielding fabric wouldn't allow me to get very large.
"Meldora," I spoke his name. "Surely you realize that bigger muscles won't change who you are."
He whirled around, ready to crack my nose under his elbow, but I guided his arm around my face with a carefully placed finger.
"Sorry." My eyes, still glowing gold, darkened a bit. "But my face is off limits."
"Do not underestimate me," Coda growled. Before he could strike me again, either with his fist or with his leg, I stepped back and put some distance between us.
"I expelled you because you were too arrogant, Mel, not because you were weak." I raised my hand out in front of me. "I have numbers. You don't. I have magic. You don't. I have combat experience. You don't. I have sexy golden-yellow eyes. You don't.And most importantly, I have dimples. You don't. I have you beat in every aspect. I believe it's 'me' who shouldn't be underestimated."
"You are still so full of yourself, Cain. You may have magic and killer strength, but I know your secret. You cannot even fuck me without Wilka's permission. You are no different than the Daemun you have summoned."
"Yes, and? Just because I follow certain rules doesn't mean you can take me on. I notice you're still as cocky as ever. It would have been more effective to cut me open if you were trying to get under my skin."
I reached for my kunai, which was in my back pocket, and leveled it with my gaze. I sank into a combat stance. I waved my hand at Coda, flexing my fingers and encouraging him to come at me.
He tried to kick the kunai out of my hand, but I lowered the blade and tilted it upwards, causing him to slice open his leg. I snorted, mocking his inexperience with a sarcastic laugh.
'I knew he was dumb, but who the fuck tries to kick a sharp weapon out of their opponent's hand?'
I stepped forward, swung my kunai horizontally, and watched Coda raise his arms to block my attack. My blade sliced into his flesh, and blood leaked from the deep cut just below his wrists.
"You watch way too many movies, kid."
"Shut up!"
I gasped dramatically and put my hand over my mouth, "What? Oh no, we can't have that. We both know how much I love the sound of my voice!"
He lunged forward, aiming a fist at my face, but his eyes quickly glanced at my side, making it obvious that he was planning on a different mode of attack. So, I ignored his fist and protected my cracked rib from receiving another blow. His leg smacked against my arm, but I held my ground and didn't allow him to shake me.
I brought the kunai to my lips, tasting his blood, and glanced over his shoulder at his companion. Raven was nowhere to be seen. It was unclear if he fled or pursued Kiera, but either way, he was gone. So were my hounds. Aside from one, they've all been returned to the nether, with their ashes scattered all over the wet terrain, mixing with dirt, dried leaves, and small sticks.
"Your opponent is me!" Coda snapped, delivering another kick. I snatched his foot under my armpit. I hooked my foot behind his rooted ankle, pulled my leg to the side, and placed my free hand onto his neck, pushing him down. I let go and let gravity do its magic. He landed on the ground with a thud.
"Yes, yes," I said, growing bored of him.
'Well, fuck, I thought this would be exciting, but aside from bulking up his body, Meldora didn't grow much these past two years. How disappointing. Here I thought he'd be enough to kill me. To top it all off, the setting for my death is perfect. I'm in the middle of a dark forest with barely anyone around. The rain is getting heavier as we speak, only adding to the dreadful atmosphere. I could scream and wail and no one would hear me. Just thinking about it has me all hot and bothered.'
I pressed my boot onto his chest and licked the other side of the blade. His blood tasted annoyingly average, neither sweet nor bitter. In a way, it was more of a letdown than Aria's had been.
"What do you want, Cain?" he gasped, clutching at my leg like a drowning man begging the tide to spare him.
"Information." I pressed my heel into his sternum. Not enough to break anything. Not yet. "You said something earlier that caught my attention. About dragging the girl's corpse out of this forest."
I paused.
"You see, that bothered me."
I leaned in, pressing harder, just enough to crack the top layer of bone and hear the hitch in his breath.
"That's a very specific kind of devotion. So tell me, what makes her so valuable that an expelled brat with nothing to his name would crawl out of obscurity to abduct Kade's daughter? Is it revenge? Are you planning to ransom her? No... you implied her value wouldn't diminish if she died, which tells me she's worth something."
I watched him squirm. The fear was starting to seep out of his pores. It smelled delicious.
"So. Why Kiera? Why now? And most importantly, how does this tie back to Henry?"
His jaw clenched, but I saw the twitch.
"Don't look at me like that," I murmured, amused. "I can smell him on you. His magic. His scent. You stink of him. I know you're working for him."
"Mort'kyr degas Myra!" Meldora screamed.
The words hit the air like a blade to the throat.
I tilted my head, annoyed.
His body twisted violently, limbs spasming as if puppeteered by agony itself. Foam spilled from his lips. His eyes rolled back. The scream that followed was raw—ugly enough to curdle blood, loud enough to chase the wolves back into the trees. His blood boiled beneath his skin, vessels bursting like overripe fruit. Then silence. His heart stopped.
I watched him die. Slowly. Painfully. Desperately.
I crouched beside his smoldering corpse, steam still curling from his nostrils. With one hand, I grabbed his ankle, the bone shifting slightly beneath his skin. The curse had done its job, but not well enough.
"Death won't save you from answering my questions, Mel," I said softly, voice cool and distant.
The threads between body and soul were fraying, but not severed. Not yet. Not with me here. I tightened my grip, magic pooling under my skin, latching onto his fading essence like a hook through meat.
"But I'm pressed for time," I added, standing with a grunt, his leg still in my hand. "And you just made that more difficult."
I glanced up, making eye contact with my hound. He knew, without being asked, what I expected of him. He walked off, taking me in the girl's direction.
"Let's go, Mel," I muttered, dragging his lifeless body behind me like unwanted luggage. "You'll talk. Eventually. Dead or not."
His corpse bumped against rocks and roots as I walked, limp and heavy. I didn't bother looking back. There wasn't time.
We moved like ghosts through the trees, silent and inevitable. Eventually, the forest broke at the edge of a river, where three of my hounds had her pinned. Kiera knelt in the dirt, arms wrapped around her head, trying in vain to shut out the sound of their clicking.
Something wasn't right with her.
Her body trembled, delicate and dull, like a candle on its last breath. Just like her mother, she had the same fragile pulse, the same broken machinery trying to mimic life. Her chest rose in shallow bursts, lungs too stubborn or too stupid to give out cleanly. She was going to faint soon. Then, if I did nothing, the slow spiral would begin. An hour or so of twitching agony. Then quiet.
How inconvenient.
I stared at her. Watched the blood drain from her lips. She didn't look like Aria. Or Kade. Not even a hint. Aria had that dull brown hair, always fraying at the ends and deep brown eyes that never knew when to look down. Kade was no better. He had similar dark brown hair, green eyes, and forgettable features. But this girl… was blonde. Curls the color of spun gold, too light, too clean. Eyes like polished amber. Too bright to come from dirt like them.
She didn't match either of them. Not one shared trait. Not bone structure. Not even the same damn nose. She couldn't look any more different.
"Of course," I muttered, not bothering to hide my irritation. "Just my luck."
I sighed. I knew Rivian and the boys were going to have a hard time warming up to her with that face.
I stepped closer, dragging the corpse behind me like it weighed nothing at all. The girl looked up, and the moment her eyes met mine, trailing down to the twisted shape at my heels, something in her broke.
She scurried back until her spine hit a tree, limbs trembling as though her bones had forgotten how to hold her together. Her breath hitched in short, panicked gasps.
The hounds growled low beside her, and she jolted, then stopped moving entirely.
"Hello, Kiera," I said, voice soft and almost kind. Almost. I glanced at the river behind her. "Going somewhere?"
She didn't respond. She was too busy shaking.
"Where's your father?"
Her lips parted, but nothing came out at first. She forced herself to swallow, hard, then spoke with a trembling voice: "I… I don't know."
"He left you behind?"
Her hands gripped the bark behind her as if she could melt into the tree. Her whole body trembled, and her eyes didn't blink once.
"He didn't abandon me," she whispered, her voice so small it barely counted as sound.
I leaned forward slightly, and she flinched. "Didn't he? Because I don't see him here. Do you?"
Tears welled up again, but she blinked them back.
"You don't know him," she whispered.
"I know everyone," I said, smiling without warmth. "But more importantly, I know him."
She opened her mouth, but no words came. Just the faint sound of her breathing. Sharp and uneven, like she couldn't pull in enough air.
"I didn't come for you, little shadow," I added, almost gently. "You're not the reason I'm here. But I promised Aria I'd take you home. Even if it's by force."
I paused.
"And between us, I really don't like breaking my promises."
She looked like she might throw up.
"I'm a man of my word," I continued. "So you'll come with me."
Rain cut through the trees in silver streaks. The wind hissed between the branches, and thunder cracked so loud it rattled the earth. I turned my head slightly, letting the moonlight fracture across my face, just enough for her to see the faint curve of my mouth.
"Get up and follow me."
She didn't. Her lips trembled. The girl was drenched, pale, barely holding herself upright. She clung to fear like it might protect her. It didn't. It only excited me.
"I-I'm not going anywhere with a murderer."
She flinched when I took a step forward.
"I haven't killed anyone," I said, voice low. "This boy behind me? He gave up before I even touched him. Fucking coward. As for your mother…" I looked past her to the hounds still pacing at the edges of the clearing. "She was torn apart by them. Not by me. All I did was watch."
Kiera's throat bobbed. Her hands shook and she tried to steady herself.
"But if you'd like to assign blame, go ahead," I added. "It won't change anything. She's dead, your father left you, and you're alone."
I stared at her for a moment longer before turning slightly, eyes flicking to the blood oozing out of her neck. "That wound will fester in the rain. You'll be dead by morning. Come with me. I will see that you are treated."
I seized her wrist and began dragging her through the trees, the rain soaking us both as thunder split the sky.
"N-no!" Her voice cracked with panic, barely louder than a whisper. "Let go of me!"
She slapped at my hand, nails raking skin, heels carving desperate grooves in the wet earth. She was frantic. A cornered animal.
"Stop that," I muttered, growing annoyed. She ignored me. She twisted, turned, and then bit me like she meant it.
I grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder.
The moment my arm wrapped around her waist, a surge of her power forced into me. My breath caught.
It was subtle, buried deep inside of her, but it was there. It reached out to me. Purred, as if greeting me.
Claudiseus.
My familiar. The thing I'd been searching for, torn apart worlds for, was right here... inside this screaming child.
She shrieked in my ear, "VINCENT! HELP ME!"
I wasn't listening.
Not anymore.
I could feel it, curled like smoke around her crystals, hiding beneath her skin like a parasite. He attached himself to her.
She clawed at me, pulled my hair, kicked and cried. "PUT. ME. DOWN!"
I didn't. I couldn't. Not now. My job here was done. I'd found him. And I could finally go home.
She bit me again, harder this time. My blood welled hot and slick. I didn't flinch.
For someone so obviously terrified of me, she was still brave enough to fight like it mattered.
"Are you always this pleasant?" I asked dryly, adjusting her thrashing weight as I trudged through the mud and around the bend.
My car came into view. Bright yellow, incongruous and jarring against the gloom like a grin smeared across a corpse. Rain slid off its polished frame in steady rivulets. One of the Fyres stood beside it, silent and still. As I approached, it stepped forward and bowed its head, a quiet gesture that marked the end of the chase.
My mind was on the thing inside her. The thing that belonged to me.
When I approached the car, the Fure stepped forward and bowed its head slightly, as if welcoming me back.
"Cain," it said.
Kiera froze, her body tensing as the Daemun spoke. She had been squirming in my grip, but she stilled at the sound of its voice. Her wide eyes flicked between me and the creature, her breath hitching in her throat.
"He has something to report."
Kiera's mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. She didn't know they could talk, and the realization only seemed to unsettle her more.
"Speak freely, Yazrah. You don't need permission." I transferred her to my other shoulder and carried her to the passenger seat, noting how she trembled against me.
"The clans are gathering at the edges of the barrier," Yazrah reported, unfazed by Kiera's discomfort. "He believes they are trying to cut off Cain's escape."
"I assumed as much." I opened the door and shoved Kiera inside, forcing her to sit. She didn't fight, too stunned to do anything more than stare at the Daemun. I buckled her in with cold efficiency, slamming the door shut before she could make a sound.
Dragging Mel to the back of the car, I popped open the trunk and tossed him inside. Yazrah didn't follow me immediately, waiting for me to speak.
"Send word to the others. I'll be returning to 86. They need not worry about me. Those of you remaining may hunt the other clans as you please. I will not stop you."
"Yazrah is most grateful," he said, licking his lips in a way that would've made anyone uneasy.
"Break your masks when you're done. Don't linger in this layer and whatever you do, don't speak your name in front of others. I don't want you taken from me."
"Understood, Cain. We will obey," Yazrah replied, bowing his head in acknowledgment before turning to leave.
I slid into the driver's seat with a sharp breath, my hands tightening on the steering wheel. Kiera gathered a few things to throw at me. First, it was my house keys, then a book about magical runes, and finally an empty water bottle. If she was trying to be cute, she failed, because she only made my pulse twitch with irritation.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked, voice tight with barely controlled rage.
"Let me out!" she demanded, her voice cracking. "I'm not leaving without Vincent!"
I couldn't hold back the sigh that escaped me. I looked over at her, my eyes narrowing.
"Stop acting like a child," I snapped, my tone colder than the storm outside. "I'm not going to hurt you, but if you don't stop fucking around, I might just change my mind." I flicked my gaze back to the road, but the words stung like acid on my tongue. I could feel my patience slipping.
She ignored me. Because of course she did. "No! Tell me where you're taking me!?"
Before I could answer, she grabbed the book again, smacking my arm with it.
"For the love of—will you please stop hitting me?" I growled. "I'm taking you to Lilah."
"Lilah?" She lowered the book, confusion clouding her features. "Who is that? What does she want with me?"
"Lilah's a place, Kiera, not a fucking person," I replied coldly, my eyes locked on the road ahead.
The barrage of questions didn't stop. "What did that Red do to me? What's marking? Why could my parents see it? And since when can they talk?"
"Any other fucking questions you want to throw at me?"
"Yes, why—"
"Enough!" I hissed, my patience gone. "I was being sarcastic! Gods, I swear to the stars, if you say one more fucking word—"
The words stopped on their own when she picked up the book again. My hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that the leather creaked under my fingers. My eyes were cold—too cold. I turned towards her, the car now an ominous cage. The air between us practically crackled with tension. She contemplated whether or not she should hit me again, but then lowered the book again when my eyes started glowing.
I didn't wait for her response. I turned the key in the ignition with an almost mechanical motion, starting the engine with a heavy, threatening growl.
I put the car in first gear to get some momentum, then shifted up to second and drove slowly down the twisting route away from Kade's cabin. The rain still hammered down, the windshield wipers dragging in time with the rhythm of my thoughts. I opened the windows slightly and leaned forward, extending my arm to reach the bottle of water I had bought earlier.
I handed it over to her. She threw it out the window.
The anger flared in my chest, but I suppressed it, a sickening calm taking its place.
"Thought you might do that." My voice was sharp, the sarcasm coating every word. "Good thing I bought two." I handed her the other bottle. She accepted it.
"Why should I trust you? I don't even know you," she spat, glaring at me.
'Feisty little thing. Alright, I've decided. I like her. She'll fit right in with the others back home.'
Her defiance didn't matter. I didn't care for her. I cared for Claudiseus. He was the only reason I even bothered to hold back. If it hadn't been for him... her body would have joined Mel's in my trunk.
"I'm Cain. I come from Ri'elle, Layer 86," I said, eyes fixed on the road as I shifted into a higher gear, the engine growled louder, as though matching my impatience. "As I said earlier, Lilah is a place, an island to be specific."
"How much...?" she asked, softly, suddenly calmer. "Mom said my Dad sold me to you. So... how much?"
"What? I didn't fucking buy you. Weren't you listening? I said I didn't come here for you. I came here for my familiar."
"He said they won't stop coming. He said I wouldn't be safe unless I was with you. Why? What did he mean?"
"Simple. It's because you have my familiar."
I glanced at Kiera. Irked by the sudden silence. Her eyes were closed, and her body was pressed against the seat, held in place by her seat belt. The blood oozing out of her shoulder wasn't red anymore. It was black.
"Fuck!" I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, the sound harsh in the otherwise tense silence.
'Dammit! She's got less time than I thought.'
The blood was a bad sign, one I couldn't ignore. She wasn't just injured—she was dying.
I fumbled for my phone, nearly dropping it as I pulled it out of my pocket, trying to keep the car straight with my knees. My mind was already racing as I dialed Thornwood's number. Five rings. Finally, her voice was on the other end.
"Cain? Aren't you on Layer 365? How are you calling me?" Her confusion was clear.
"How the fuck do you know where I am?" I growled. "Disregard my question. Find Reed. Get him to the mansion. I need his help."
Before she could respond, I hung up, frustration bubbling up inside me. It didn't matter. Kiera needed to survive this. For Claudiseus. I didn't have time to waste on questions I didn't have the answers to.