The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 84

Eighty-Four: Natalie

Natalie's P.O.V.

It was time.

The war was here... or rather, we were going to it.

There were a lot of people depending on me not to fail. I couldn't stay in that room. If I did, I would want to touch Killian, to know that I was safe and hadn't been transported back to the darkness.

I needed to fight through it, to stand on my own as a powerful descendant and not as someone who couldn't go more than a few minutes without touching someone to ground me to their realm. It was humiliating that our people had to see me that way, and I refused to let them witness me acting so weak.

If Killian's father was trying to send me a message, then maybe instead of resisting, I needed to listen.

Killian wanted to ignore what happened and tackle one issue at a time, but I knew in my heart that they were connected.

My pace increased as I stormed down the hall, and Tobias shot me a worried look when he realized exactly where I was heading.

The infirmary doors were still open at the end of the hallway, but there was no movement inside.

I paused just outside Lillian's room.

I didn't know what I was looking for, but my eyes scanned the hallway anyway.

"You have a message for me. I'm listening." I said as firmly as I could. But I still swallowed hard as I waited for a response, terrified that I was making the wrong decision.

I could hear the wind whipping through the corridor, and my hair flew up as Tobias placed his hand on my arm. For only a moment, I allowed the physical contact to calm me before reminding myself what was at stake here and pulling away.

Killian needed a strong mate, and the people needed a strong queen. I wasn't going to hide away, scared of the boogie monster. I was going to tame that bitch and keep it as a pet. 1

"Your Majesty, I don't like this. The king will not be pleased." George said as he stepped closer to my other side.

I could feel Thomas standing closely at my back, all three acting like a protective barricade. But it was pointless as I knew the biggest threat was in front of me, right behind the door.

"Do not tell him," I ordered, and I felt all three men tense at my command." We both have our parts to play in this war. This is mine, and I will not let my people down." No matter how terrified I was...

I kept the last thought to myself, not needing to encourage them that this was a bad idea any more than they already believed. The air wrapped around us violently, and I felt the darkness threatening to take me back down.

"Your eyes..." George whispered in horror, just barely audible over the storm surrounding us. He shook, and I could see the debate on his face as he tried to decide whether to shift. We could see no enemies, but that didn't mean danger wasn't nearby.

I ignored him, pulling my arm away when he went to touch me. He dropped his hand to his side, and I could see Tobias resisting the same urge. He nodded his head once, and I knew without him speaking that he was telling me that no matter what happened, he would stick by my side. He understood that I needed to do this... even if he didn't like it. We were a team, and I nodded back to him.

I didn't want to pull them into that realm with me. I didn't want to go at all. But I did need answers.

"I am listening!” I called out again as the faint whisper reached my ears. My guards stiffened, and I knew this time they heard it too.

"Darkness runs free."

I held my breath, waiting for him to speak again. Even during my short nap on Killian's lap, I heard the phrase repeatedly. Bound in the blood, darkness runs free. He was saying nothing new, but I didn't know what he meant by that. I needed more.

"Darkness runs free.”

I looked around, spinning to see Thomas's back to me as he stood protectively behind me, but there was nothing else here with us. The shadow men were absent, and the hallway stayed brightly lit in color.

"I don't understand. Bound in the blood, darkness runs free. What does that mean?" I turned once more, prepared to push open the door to Lillian's room and face my fears. But the man's voice stopped me again.

"It's too late."

George grabbed my arm, but nothing happened. I could still feel the temperature dropping around us, and goosebumps covered my arms. They had come with me, and now we were all going to face my demons together. Somehow that made it easier than when I had been alone the day before. "No, it's not too late. I am here! I am listening!"

"It's too late!" The voice said again, and Tobias growled loudly as a dark shadow figure appeared before us, letting out a piercing screech that made my hands fly up to cover my ears as I flinched.

In the distance, I could hear a stampede of people running toward us, but my glare stayed on the creature.

"I'm not scared of you. Speak! Why is it too late?" I demanded, stepping toward the figure and pulling my arm free from George's hand.

"Darkness runs free!"

The voice didn't seem to come from the creature. It echoed around us from all angles, and I gritted my teeth as I pushed down my terror. "You've already said that! What does it mean?"

I waited a minute more before my frustration won. "Fine, have it your way!"

A chill stabbed through my body like a million icepicks as I pushed through the shadow and grabbed the door handle. The metal was chilled but not cold, and I wondered which dimension we were in. The colors were bright and vibrant, but the darkness was still in the air, and the shadow man laughed manically behind me as I burst through the door.

There.

We had to be there. Tobias placed his arm in front of me as the three guards growled.

The bed was empty. The former queen's body was gone.

Understanding dawned on me as I shook my head in horror. "He was warning me. I should have killed her when I had the chance." I muttered as the stampede heading down the hallway grew louder as the wind died.

The shadow figure flickered in and out before disappearing, and I knew he had left as his message had been received.

"It was her. She was the key." I whispered as I grabbed Tobias's forearm in front of me. The white sheets were speckled with dark clumps of soil from outside, but the room was otherwise empty. All of the machines were turned off, and the blanket that had been covering her was on the floor.

A furious Killian entered the room, glaring at me before he paused, noticing his mother's empty bed. I turned to look at him. "It's too late. She was the key."

Joselin appeared next to him, staring emotionless at the empty mattress.

Gasps filled the room as guards piled in through the doorway, ready to fight but stopping short at the empty space.

"Get out of my way!" Charlie yelled, the crowd parting like the Red Sea for her as she raced forward with her mate hot on her heels. Her eyes narrowed as she turned her glare to me. "What did you do? I told you to stay away from her! Where did you put her?"

Her face was red, and I watched as her eyes turned black and her hands shifted into claws. She was only a second away from shifting, and I knew she would attack.

"Where did you take my mother?" She roared before shifting into her snarling beast and lunging for me.