Ileus: The Dark Prince

Chapter 485 - Attracting Life Force

The force of life, the blue shimmering lights, which had come together and corded together, were too much to bear for Siora. Every part of her body was thrumming with the energy, teeming with it and then some more. She looked at them with eyes that seemed to beg to stop it, to stop the flow of all the life… Thousands of years of happiness, dreams of what she could be and what she was, marriage to Edyrm, birth of her children, becoming the queen, all the money, jewelry… the positivity kept on adding to the pool that was lying in her stomach.

And then it uncoiled.

It uncoiled so wildly, so speedily that she didn't know what happened afterwards. Only darkness… only nothingness… she continued to fall into it…

Her body exploded into so many pieces. A fleshy smack was all that they heard and then there was blood and flesh. Siora was gone… forever… the demon queen who was greedy for her throne… who couldn't even like the fact that she was about to have her grandchild… everything twisted into greed.

Anastasia was exhausted. Her chest rose and then she sank to her knees looking at the pool of blood from which wisps of magic were rising up. The wisps trailed along the floor and started falling into a thin line.

In a heartbeat, Ileus was kneeling beside Anastasia. He was as Anastasia knew him—a warm body, with those golden yellow eyes that were like warm honey and no shadows or smoke. Madness, frustration and worry whirled in his look. He lifted his hand and curled it around her nape to check her artery. He sucked in a shaky breath. His hands flew to her face as his gaze met hers. He cupped her cheeks and rested his forehead on hers. "Now no one will hurt you," he said. "Ever."

She had closed her eyes. A faint smile tugged her lips up, and she knew that Ileus was about to make a vow to the Lore that could be one heavy promise. She quickly added, "I know, Aly, I know… you will keep me safe." And that was it. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up to make her sit on his lap. He looked terrified as hell and then he pressed his face in her neck. "I am fine, Aly," she said, trying to soothe him.

Over the last two days, along with Adrianna, Ileus and Anastasia had been keeping an eye on Siora's activities. There was so much tension in the air that at one point of time Ileus snapped at everyone in the court. Adrianna's presence was kept a secret and no one knew except Ileus, Anastasia and Haldir. Dmitri was also in hiding along with his wife. Everything had to be done with caution. Hank, the man who provided his catering services, was actually implanted by Haldir. His mission was to contact Aed Ruad's spies and feed them with the information that led Siora out of her hole. Anastasia took her chances with this strategy and Ileus was not happy with it. But then Anastasia had to reason with him, because this was the only way they could get rid of Siora. She was in the Northern Mountains, hiding in one of the safe havens, which would have been extremely difficult to find in this weather.

Adrianna was with Anastasia the moment she heard her plan. And after that everything was carefully executed. Yes, they took their chances, but if they hadn't, Siora's elimination would have never been a reality. She would have always been a threat to Iona.

Anastasia heard Adrianna's gasp. She looked up and saw that the thin wisp of magic that had evaporated had now fallen into a line—a fine thread that shimmered blue, as it traveled to… Iona.

Iona was looking at the pool of blood, at the place where Siora was sitting, at the woman who was hell bent on killing her. Emotions surged through her when the woman had exploded. Her blood was sprayed everywhere. She looked at her lover, her mate, her husband, and when her gaze fell into his intense green ones, she let out a whimper. He was alive. Her gaze went to her mother, who had saved her. She looked at Anastasia and her brother. Could she be any luckier in her life? She sank on the floor with an overwhelming feeling. She had this crazy urge to shift, she wanted to give in to the happiness, to the love she felt and to all the good things her life now promised. She wanted it all. Life was coming to her, not only in her womb, but also in her future.

A sob wracked through her and her lips quivered. She had closed her eyes. All of a sudden, she felt tingling on her skin. With a shaky breath, she opened her eyes and stared at what was happening. A blue shimmery line of light had traveled towards her. It had touched her in that light, soothing, happy way. Her lips parted as she watched it, as she felt it. It wrapped around her finger and then traveled up, slowly as if a ribbon was wrapping, tying her like a gift. The light traveled to her upper arms, shoulders and then to her neck. "Wh— what is happening?" she rasped.

Adrianna and Rolfe rushed to her. They kneeled beside her. "Gods!" Rolfe breathed. "What is happening?" He placed his hand on her belly as if trying to protect their baby.

Adrianna chuckled. She said, "Accept it, Iona. It is life that you have attracted to yourself. It was the magic, the force, which Siora couldn't handle, but now it has found its vessel. You." She removed Rolfe's hand from her tummy. "She needs it, Rolfe. Her magic was lost. There was a hollow in her veins… hollows created by the absence of magic… her chest was empty… and now—now she has attracted it all back."

Iona closed her eyes because right now—right now she was feeling good, very good, no, she was feeling as if all the cracks that had developed in her body were slowly being filled with the magic—magic that all had poured in Siora.

Adrianna, Ileus, Anastasia and Rolfe.

It was their magic.

It was their power.

It was their energy of life.

The force of life.

Her head tipped back, as the blue shimmery light coiled around her. She gave into it. It was a beautiful feeling. It was like rebirth. It was like she was going to see the world with new eyes.

"The magic will not be what it used to be, but even that thin streak is going to fill her with what she was born with. It will help her…" said Adrianna.

And that is what it did. Iona was surrounded by the light. It traveled in her ears, in her mouth and in her nostrils. It continued to enter her till the last, till there was nothing left. And when it all entered her, Iona's eyes opened. They were as fiery golden yellow as her mother's.

And there was this tingle along her spine, where there were tattoos in demonic language.