Page 31 of To Love A Monster
“She has been sick for several days but forbade me to speak of it, fearing it would worry you two. I am so sorry, Daegon. One moment we laughed, and the next, she would not stop coughing. I tried to help her, but nothing I did gave her breath.” Anger grew inside me at her words, for how could my mate keep such a secret from me? She had made me promise to never keep anything from me, even if others had told her to do so.
“WHY DID YOU HIDE THAT FROM ME? HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME!” The crowd parted as the harsh words left my lips, my heart breaking when I saw the tears start filling my mate’s eyes. I wanted to console her, but my anger had me in a dark embrace; however, a wave of anger and sadness I had never felt.
“I am sorry—she made me swear not—”
“LEAVE ME! DO NOT TOUCH ME! MY MOTHER IS DEAD! How could you keep such a secret from me? Why did you not tell me! You have broken my heart!” My ego and anger had gotten better as I watched my mate rush from my side. I was behaving like a true berserker Orc, something my mother despised since she always told me my words could be harsh.
“Think on your words Daegon, for once they are spoken, you cannot take them back.”
AYLIN
Tears streamed down my face as I quickly packed a small bag, my entire body shaking, my stomach churning as my mind refused to calm down. My mate was more angered than I had ever seen him, but he was right. I should have told him about his mother’s illness. Guilt was filling my soul faster than I could stop it, my heart aching as I could still hear Daegon’s wails from our hut. There was only one thing I could do to make this right, I had to see his cursed Necromancer. I had to beg them for her life and give Daegon his mother back.
I snuck around to the blacksmith hut, Soryn hammering a shield, his eyes capturing mine as he looked at me strangely once I entered. “Aylin? Why are you here? Can you offer my sympathies to Daegon, his mother was a truly beautiful soul.”
“Soryn, Daegon is angry with me. I withheld his mother’s illness from him and now she is dead. I must see the Necromancer. I must beg for him to give Daerla her life back, for Daegon blames me for her death, and I cannot live with that! Please Soryn!” I fell to my knees as he knelt in front of me and took my hands, his gaze wandering as he no doubt searched for Halla.
“Aylin, this is madness. The Necromancer will ask for life in order to give it, it is a balance that cannot be broken. What will you give?” His words frustrated me, but he was not going to convince me otherwise. I would walk through the snow and ice for as long as I needed to bring her back.
“Please, Soryn, please just tell me where I can find him. Please.” I cried as I felt my stomach churning again, a flutter in my belly as Daegon’s words repeated in my head. I broke his heart, and I now had to fix it.
After much convincing, Soryn finally revealed where I could find the Necromancer. It was an almost five-day walk through the Bloodhill forest, which I used to call home. He told me there would be many beasts in the forest beyond the forbidden boundaries, but they would not harm me if I simply ignored them. Soryn spoke of a clearing in the woods, where the air was thin, and everything was black and rotted by death.
“Please keep this secret, Soryn. Do not speak of this to Halla or Daegon.” He nodded and offered me his silver dagger, a green jewel sitting beautifully on the stone handle.
“This will keep you and your unborn safe, the blade is imbued with magic of a since fallen witch. One strike will kill whoever or whatever tries to harm you.” I hugged him tight before slipping from the blacksmith hut, my heart aching as I could still hear the cries of agony from the village.
The air was cold, and the snow was falling heavily, so my tracts would not be seen. I wrapped up my growing bell in knitted bandages to take some pressure off my legs as I walked, tears streaming down my cheeks as Daegon’s words hit me again.“You have broken my heart.”
I had to make this right; I had to try and reason with this dark creature in the hopes they would take pity on me and bring Daerla back to us. I threw on my heavy cloak and hid my pack over my belly, my absence going unnoticed as I slipped past the edge of the village.
The wind stung my face as I trudged through the knee-high snow, my determination outweighing my grief as I desperately wanted to make this right. My body shook as I turned back to look at the village at the top of the grand hill, my heart sinking as my thoughts turned to my mate.
In my heart, I knew that Daegon had not meant to be so cruel. His word was lies caused by anger and grief. He had a temper, and it took a lot for him to lose it, but I knew that Daegon loved his mother like no other and losing her was like losing a part of his soul. Losing her was like losing my mother again, and I desperately wanted to bring her back, no matter the cost.
The snow had stopped falling when I reached the forest edge, my legs aching as I sat by a large oak tree. My absence was unknown since no one rushed after me, trying to convince me to go home. I knew this would anger Daegon, for I was putting myself and our unborn child at risk, but Halla had taught me a few ways to defend myself and Ravette, so I knew I could protect us.
In an instant, I vomited the bread I had been nibbling on, my body shaking as I grabbed some fresh powdery snow and used it to clean my face. “My sweet little one, how can something so small make me so ill,” I whispered as the tops of the trees began to move and sway above me. The wind was starting to pick up, which meant that any sign of my tracks was long gone.
DAEGON
I kissed my mother’s cold hand once more before finally standing to leave. My father wanted to grieve alone. I could not imagine the pain that my father was feeling. He and my mother had a bond like no other, a bond that others envied or dreamed of having one day. I tried convincing my father to let the healer begin to wrap her for the burial, but he refused. He wanted her in their home for one last beautiful moment.
I rushed back home, my heart racing as I needed to throw myself in front of Aylin and beg her forgiveness. What I had said was cruel and harsh and out of pure anguish. “Aylin? My love?” I said as I pulled back the small furs that hung above our bed. My heart sank as I saw the bed was empty. Aylin was no doubt too hurt to stay in our bed.
There was only one other place she could be, and that was with Halla in the blacksmith hut. I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head as the wind began to howl around me and the forge’s warmth as I lifted the leathers and furs that covered the entryway.
“Aylin?”
“She is not here,” Soryn said as he quickly looked away from me, my brow furrowing as I could see he was nervous about something. “Halla will be back she is taking some stew to your father’s home. I am sorry about your mother, truly I am.”
“What are you hiding Soryn? Normally you look me in the eye when we speak, but now you have your back on me.” I approached him and crossed my arms over my chest, my annoyance growing as I just wanted to find my mate and apologize for how I behaved.
“Aylin is gone.”
“GONE! WHAT DO YOU SPEAK OF?” I growled as I grabbed his arm and yanked him towards me, his jaw clenching as his eyes began to glow. I lifted my hands and stood back, my mind racing as I knew I had to remain calm, as did Soryn. The more anger entered his body, the closer the beast came to being unleashed.
“She came to me in tears, begging me to reveal to her where the Necromancer lives.”
