“Gaelyn, look out!” She called, and he stopped and faced Danton as he came from the shadows at a full, supernatural speed. Without so much as a thought, she lashed out with a purple tinged black ribbon of magic, the most powerful she could muster, at Danton. It struck him and knocked him far, fast, and hard against the nearby building. “Gaelyn, run to me!”
Gaelyn complied and took off in a sprint toward her, which is when ten other blood feeders came from out of the shadows. Lights began to appear in windows as the inhabitants of the houses and businesses lining the street were roused from sleep by the noise. Tanyth rose from the spot where he landed and moved again toward Gaelyn. Thessa tried to stop him, but Tanyth stayed behind Gaelyn, putting the man between himself and Thessa so she could not blast him back again.
“Move Gaelyn, get out of the way!” Gaelyn looked behind him and Thessa moved forward, knowing that when he saw Tanyth, Gaelyn would slow down enough for Tanyth to catch him.
Danton stepped out of the shadows and knocked Thessa to the ground as Tanyth caught up with Gaelyn and put his dagger to the man’s throat. “Resurrect this!” He the cut Gaelyn’s throat and let him fall to the ground.
“No!” Thessa pleaded, but it was too late. She reached him and held the blood gushing from his neck. He was not dead yet. She used what power she had and willed the wound to close, but it did not. A moment later she caught the familiar scent of her mother close by her. She looked up to see Hana beside her. Hana was controlling Gaelyn’s blood and making it flow back into him. Once the blood had returned, she pulled out a green vial and added a drop to the wound on Gaelyn’s neck. It closed up, and he gasped for breath.
Briefly, Thessa looked up to see Asleth using a force shield to send the blood feeders away, including Tanyth. Gaelyn shook his head, probably to clear it to what just happened, twisted his face into a visage of complete horror while looking at Thessa and Hana, and he began to quickly back away.
“Wait, Gaelyn, let me explain.” Thessa called after him.
He ran toward the alley where Danton abruptly leaped out of the shadows and sunk his teeth into his neck. Thessa could not believe her eyes. Tanyth smiled with satisfaction and took a final blow from Asleth before scurrying away into the darkness of another alleyway. Danton dragged Gaelyn into the darkness as Thessa ran toward them. When she reached the alley within seconds they had already gone, completely disappeared somewhere into the dark. She ran down the alley until it ended and turned onto the parallel street, but there was no sign of neither Gaelyn nor Danton.
She gazed at the shadow where Sarren had been hiding, “What do I do, Sarren?” There was no answer. “Sarren? Where has she gone?”
Chapter 17: Memorial
Sarren was watching Thessa run into the alley, after Sir Danton and Gaelyn, when she felt the now familiar pull of Cassany’s portal. She blinked and then she was in the twisted throne room in the estate in the woods. Cassany was nearly giddy with excitement. You nearly got me caught again. I was with Thessa in the street. Sarren lamented.
“Forget about that. You were not seen.” Cassany waved her hand and Sarren returned to her human form. “I need your report. I hope you have some good news for me.”
Sarren lowered her head, “They were successful if you intended for Thessa’s gentleman friend to become a blood feeder.”
Cassany clapped her hands, “Excellent! That should get her mad enough to seek revenge. She is one step closer to being the Black Mage I am hoping for to win this tournament.”
“If I May, it was a mistake. She didn’t know him all that well. She liked him very much, but waiting until she loved him might have been a better choice.”
Cassany’s joyful grin soured into a deep frown, “It would not have mattered much. She merely needed a push, not a hard shove. Now, Sir Danton and Tanyth can take there men to the arena and focus on the next part of my plan. Thessa will mope and mourn her loss with her mother and then at some point ask you how to make her own blood feeders. What I need you to do is tell her that Danton and Tanyth are headed toward the arena to attack Marlee in order to get the Green Mage to make the poison I need.”
“You want me to tell her?”
“Yes, like you are a good little servant. Make sure she trusts you first and then tell her you have been forced to meet with me and I told you the entire plan. She will try to warn the Green Mage, but tell her it’s too late for that. Tell her I told you the Green Mage already knew about the attack and is heading to the arena, which she is. I sent word to her that Thessa was planning something to harm Marlee. It is time to get Thessa on her way to using her powers and end this ridiculous alliance with Teoni, The Green Mage.” She leaned in toward Sarren, “I know you have a black heart, Sarren, I know you are not getting attached to the person who robbed you of the Black Mage you once were, but do not even think about betraying me or I will make you regret it in ways you can’t possibly understand, but may be able to imagine. Do as I say and I will reward you by setting you free as a human, no more Thessa and no more cat.”
“I understand goddess.”
“Good.” She waved her hand and returned Sarren into a cat.
