Cypher thought about it and finally realized the wisdom in her plan.

“Okay, take this,” Cypher removed a necklace he had tucked under his shirt. “Show it to Gerick, he is the leader of my warriors. He will know that I have sent you if you show him this talisman.”

Cyn took the necklace and put it over her head. “Okay, see you guys soon.”

“Cyn,” Thalion stepped towards her. “Be safe.”

Cyn nodded and gave him a small smile. “If I don’t see you again...”

“I’ll see you on the other side,” Thalion finished for her.

Then she was gone.

Cypher had Lilly climb onto his back, and then with Thalion and the warrior elves, they took off. They moved so quickly that they barely disturbed the forest around them.

“Where exactly are we going?” Thalion yelled to Cypher.

“I’m going to have her meet us thirty miles from the home of Vasile, Alpha to the Romanian wolves.”

“Then you plan to see the wolves?”

Cypher nodded. “I decided that it would be wiser to combine our forces and devise a plan. We all have a common enemy here.”

They ran in silence the rest of the way. Finally, when Cypher could feel the magic of the wolves pulsing on the air, he stopped. He wasn’t sure that they were exactly thirty miles from the mansion but he figured if he was feeling the pack magic this strongly he didn’t need to get any closer. He didn’t put Lilly down right away, but instead looked around the forest. The air felt off, it was thick with magic.

“The packs have gathered,” he told Thalion.

“I can feel it too,” Thalion agreed.

“Feel what exactly?” Lilly asked, as she wiggled to make Cypher put her down.

“Magic, strong magic,” Cypher explained.

“What does it feel like?” She asked.

“Like something crawling across your skin.” Cypher, turned to Thalion, “I think it would be wise if she did not know you were here.”

Thalion agreed. “Let us take care of your mate while you meet with the witch.”

Cypher hated to let her out of his sight, but he also didn’t want her to grab Desdemona’s attention.

“Okay,” he relented.

He grabbed Lilly around the waist, pulled her to him, and kissed her fervently. He wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled her head back, demanding that she open her mouth. She complied eagerly as her arms slipped around his neck and she pulled him closer. Cypher slowed the kiss down and then kissed her nose, her cheeks, and forehead. He nipped her ear and kissed down her neck to her collar bone, and then finally back up to her lips. When he pulled back to look at her, he chuckled at the dazed expression on her face.

“Stay safe,” he commanded.

“Is there more where that came from?”

“Most definitely,” he told her.

“Then no worries, I don’t plan on dying until I see my daughter, and then indulge, a little more, in a certain Warlock King.”

He smirked. “Just a little?”

“Let’s not get technical on the depth of the indulging okay?”

She turned to follow Thalion and Cypher slapped her butt.

Lilly laughed, as the forest, with a slew of warriors at her back, swallowed her up.

Cypher waited until he could no longer hear the retreating Elves before he called out the witch’s name. “Desdemona,” Cypher called and he focused all his attention on his voice traveling on the wind, seeking out his target. He had no idea how far away she was, so he knew he might be in for a bit of a wait. He began to walk around the forest keeping to a small area. His mind wandered back to the revelation that Thalion had shared. He couldn’t believe that one of his own kind had been touched by evil so deeply. A king had been possessed and controlled. That King brought evil into their race and it had been passed down from King to King. How long had it taken for the memories to fade enough that the kings no longer remembered why they had the knowledge to open the veil to the underworld? At some point in history, they had simply accepted the knowledge without questioning. They had accepted evil into their midst and never wondered about its origin. He wondered then, if they had accepted it, would there be a way to reject it? Were they redeemable despite holding on to something of this magnitude for so long?

Cypher didn’t realize how long he had been pacing and thinking until he realized the light was beginning to fade from the forest and night made its appearance. He backed up to lean against a tree and listened to the sounds of the forest. Humans never bothered to listen to the sounds around them and didn’t realize that they could learn so much without ever seeing anything. Suddenly a hush fell over the forest and Cypher knew she was approaching.

“You rang,” Desdemona’s voice carried.

He waited until he could see her before he responded. Once again, she was mounted on her black steed and the evil that poured off of the witch equally poured off her horse. She dismounted and walked slowly towards him.

“I did,” he finally answered.

“You are ready to uphold your end of the bargain?”

“I will be.”

Her eyes narrowed, dangerously. “What do you mean, you will be?”

“I’ve requested my warriors come to protect my mate. You have to know that I will not leave her to fend for herself against the demons you are unleashing.”

“Technically you are unleashing, but then who’s getting technical?” Mona laughed.

“I need two days,” Cypher told her.

“Your warriors will be here in two days’ time?”

“Yes.”

“And, they are only here to protect your woman?”

“Yes.”

“Would you take a blood oath on it?” Mona watched the King carefully, looking for any sign of weakness.

“No, I’ve shed the only blood I ever will for you. It is enough to take my word.”

Cypher waited for her response. His eyes never left hers. He would not allow her to think she was more dominant than he. Though they were not wolves, there was still a struggle for power, because in any race, weakness made you prey, and prey was eaten for dinner.

“Fine, you have two days. But, then you will…”

“You don’t need to remind me of my obligation witch. I will be there,” Cypher barked at her.

She stared daggers at him as she mounted her horse and flew by him, nearly knocking him over; another power play. The move did not trouble Cypher because her time was coming and the power she flaunted so stridently now, would soon be stripped from her, along with her dignity, her pride, and then her life.