Standing tall, face hooded, he was intoxication at its most mature as she walked up to him. He did not
attempt to move until she was in touching distance. Tilting his head, he took her right hand in his own,
engulfing it as he tugged her close until she was encased in his hold. Face tucked in his broad chest,
She inhaled the musky scent of him, and closed her eyes, revelling in the perfection of his hold.
The heat of his lips on her hair was her undoing, gripping the robe tighter in response. The comfort too
great to warrant any explanation. No words to understand it, it was what it was like she’d spent her
whole life in this man's embrace. His voice quiet in her presence, embrace strong and possessive.
Clare raised her head to look at him, though she could see blackness in the hood, his cold eyes froze
her in place.
She looked closer, air caught in her chest when she saw the pair of mesmerizing sapphire blue eyes.
They had the luminescent of a cheetah at night, but he defined the word exquisite. A true perfection,
without seeing his face, she knew he was perfect, he would be to her. Looks weren't important to her
now, just him.
The heat of his breath on her forehead as he brushed his lips across her skin, his voice melodious to
her ears, “Caidrians waiting. I have to let you go now.” After her reluctant nod, she heard his soft
chuckle as he moved toward the edge of the cliff pathway. Apparently, he was going to jump down to
the bottom. Clare screamed in panic, “WAIT.”
The man’s hood turned with his body, his face a shadow, but she could see his eyes that glow
resembled an aqua gem, “Who are you?”
His voice was deep, his accent- none, his tone that of an ageless perfection, “That Princess is for you
to decide.”
The words stood between them, just when she thought he would speak again he jumped, and
instinctively she ran to the end of the pathway to see him drop but instead watched him vanish mid-air,
gone.
Her heart pulsed at the glimpse of this man, his touch alone held her spellbound. All her worries
vanished, all the blood spilt around them, mindless in that space of time, it was just her and him.
His voice, inhumanly masculine as the words left with the tune of addiction, lured her, entranced her,
compelled her and now she starved for more.
She pushed the thoughts away and for some reason her mother flashed in her mind, punishingly
brushing the image of Barbatos as he stood with her mother’s heart in his hand. Choosing to ignore the
worried frown on Caidrian’s face she asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, shifter bites heal fast.” He showed her his arm, the bleeding had stopped, and the tissue was
only red and scarred where the wolf had bitten into his flesh.
She cleared her throat, “So does he have a name?”
Instead of answering her Caidrian pointed to the dead on the floor, “Those are Shapeshifter’s, stray
ones.” Wiping his sword on his pants he added, “The Asguardians were hunting them, we’re to side
with Asguard in most situations, so they saw us as a threat the minute we arrived, and the guy in the
robe is someone you should stay away from, far away from.”
“I didn’t even see his face.”
“He can see you, that’s all that matters, unfortunately, I’ve given my word to keep his identity hidden
from you for now, why I agreed to something so stupid is beyond me but I did.”
“So what! We never really keep to our word! it’s just a lame way of getting people to tell you stuff.”
He inhaled a breath, “You are a deceptor full in, aren’t you, let’s go.”
“A statement isn’t an answer to my question.”
Caidrian speeded his pace, holding the packets with what looked like a lot fewer clothes “You can’t
understand until you know your place. Lightwatchers are restorers of balance, our existence is to
protect the earth and all kinds in it, how are we to be taken seriously if we can’t even keep to our word.”
She had nothing to say to that, he was right, she didn’t understand. Clare couldn’t deny that there was
honour in keeping your word, no matter how ancient it sounded. Dropping her head in shame, his pace
slowed as he put a hand over her shoulder, “This world has a lot of darkness but there’s also good in it.
Deceptors are a good example, their compassion is that which we can never understand, you should
know, you have lived as one for eight years. Your emotions are more human than a descendants’, but
you are still a Lightwatcher, and in our line of work human emotions will just get you killed. Holding on
to him.” He gestured behind Clare with his indicating by ‘him’ he meant the mysterious man, “He will
just make it sooner for you Clare.”
She glared at the harsh undertone, “So you don’t love, or feel, soulless hah? You said you loved my
mother?”
Caidrian didn’t look at her, as he walked with the packets hitting his legs, making swooshing sounds, “I
do love and feel, but I learnt to control my emotions, you have to if you want to stay alive. Tempters
manipulate the weak, they feed on pain, fear, heartache, I wouldn’t give them that satisfaction.”
Clare ignored the man claiming to be her father and picked up her feet. A few meters away she
shouted half-heartedly, “Where exactly is this realm, this walking is just making me sick, we’ve been
doing it for hours, might I remind you it’s almost completely dark, and my stomach isn’t getting any
better.” When she received no answer, she huffed, “How’s Nathan getting to the realms?”
He shook his head, “He used a portal, stop being so lazy, it’s actually not that far.”
She hunched her shoulders as they walked up a steep hill, “I feel like I’ve been walking for hours, and
all this, it’s a lot to take in, and In my defence, I’m tired, exhausted actually, INCASE, you didn’t know,
let me inform you of my day,
I was out till early this morning, getting massacred by the gigantic Alonso, that guy is huge, have you
seen him?”
Caidrian hissed, “Yes, and you should stay away from him, I don’t trust him.”
Clare rolled her eyes, “Sure you don't.”
She hunched her shoulders as they walked up a steep hill, “I feel like I’ve been walking for hours, and
all this, it’s a lot to take in, and In my defence, I’m tired, exhausted actually, INCASE, you didn't know,
let me inform you of my day,
| was out till early this morning, getting massacred by the gigantic Alonso, that guy is huge, have you
seen him?”
Caidrian hissed, “Yes, and you should stay away from him, | don’t trust him.”
Clare rolled her eyes, “Sure you don't.”
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