Chapter 12: Take Me...

"Do you know the name of this forest?" Ileus asked as his eyes darted between her eyes, nose and lips.

"No…" She couldn't concentrate on his question. His actions now were so different from the cold demeanor she had seen all the time. His long raven black hair had tumbled on his neck and a shade of beard showed on his masculine chin.

"Sgiath Biò." He continued to stroke her cheek and then took a strand of her hair in his fingers. He rubbed it to feel the softness and said, "Sleep Anastasia. You would need it. Tomorrow is a long day." Saying that he tucked her fur up to her chin and then turned away from her leaving her with a feeling emptiness. Was she growing needy? She took a deep breath and looked at Nyles who was sleeping with her mouth open. She chuckled softly and closed her mouth and then tugged her with the fur. When she looked up, the mist had rolled around them all over again.

Her eyelids grew heavy in some time and just when she thought she had slipped in sleep, a dull humming sound, a call to the wilds and she felt a very strong desire to explore it. She gulped at this strange sensation. She combated the urge to explore it and closed her eyes deep shut. She would never get up to break this protection or compromise it in any way.

"Anastasia?" Someone called her.

"Mummy!" she asked looking in the darkness of her bedchamber.

"Ana, when this is over, find Iskra, okay?"

"Mummy what are you doing?" she asked, panicked at the sudden attack on the palace guards.

"Stay in your room, Ana. Don't come out." She hurried her under her bed. "Stay hidden here. Your father and I are going to drive these demons from the palace. Until then, stay in your room!" Her mother kissed her on her forehead as tears flowed down her cheeks. She closed the door behind her and the next moment Anastasia smelled strong copper—a smell which emitted whenever her mother used her powers. She had sealed her room with magic.

Anastasia cried. "Mummy, come back soon!"

The door was blasted open a few hours later and she was dragged out of her room by her cousin sister. When she had protested, that was the first time Maple had slapped her. "No more mommy and papa!" A thick fog surrounded Maple and she disappeared in it.

Anastasia clutched her hands to grab the fog. "Stop it!" She screamed. "Where is mummy?"

She was pulled back to soft hues of pink and blue mingled with the forest mist. "Yes, you must cross it," a strange soft as silk voice came from behind her. She didn't know who that was. "This is your destiny, Anastasia."

The humming and the buzzing sound were getting closer. The pull was a thousand times more. Her breath became heavy. "Mommy?" she called. "Are you there?"

"Yes, you will find your mother here. Come baby," the voice beckoned her.

Cold hands wrapped around her fingers, guiding her to the sound. Anastasia gave in to the temptation. She could feel soothing wisps like soft dandelions touching her skin. She just… walked to feel them more. They comforted her. Perhaps they were all around her. The dandelions had covered her body. She stretched her hands on the side and tilted her head back, as the wisps covered her and caressed her skin deftly. "Take me…" she murmured.

"This is our chance Anastasia. We must leave," came the soft low voice again.

A low, dangerous growl from behind disturbed her reverie, her trance, her beautiful moment.

It came closer.

The cold hands around hers left her.

The buzzing sound became louder. Suddenly a branch broke loudly and she found herself getting pushed to the ground.

A shriek emanated from somewhere. Confused, she snapped open her eyes and found a large, round portal of deep pink and blue lights buzzing as it swirled ferociously in front of her. She stared at it while sitting on the wet ground. It was calling her… Its wisps were traveling towards her and touching her skin. The ones that had clung to her body scattered around like pink and blue butterflies. Her eyes became wide open and her mouth fell as they lit up the white snow with their light.

"M'lady!" Nyles shouted.

Anastasia whipped her head in Nyles' direction to see that she was lying on the ground with a wound on her arm. "Wh— what happened?" she asked and got up to rush to her to make her sit straight. Another growl and a scream ripped the quiet of the forest and intense movement caught her eyes. She saw a massive black wolf mauling and hauling a man with sharp fangs. The man's jaws were so big and he was trying to sink them in the wolf's flesh, but the wolf was too agile. It attacked the man with fangs gnashed its stomach with his claws. Next he took his head in his mouth and dragged it inside the forest, letting out dangerous growls.

Anastasia's blood froze. She became completely still as she watched the gore. She clutched onto Nyles hands tightly.

A voice from a distance came, "M'lady!"

How did she end up in this situation? She looked at Nyles. "I— I don't understand…"

"M'lady!" Nyles held the place where the blood was coming out. "This is the portal that I was talking about. This one goes to Vilinski. You must cross this. We must go back."

"Nyles!" Anastasia frowned.

"This is your destiny, m'lady!" Nyles urged. "You have to get in the portal. The Crown Prince is going to forgive you. He is going to forgive my family. You should marry him and forget this mess!" Nyles held Anastasia's hand and dragged her to the portal.

Anastasia looked at the portal. Wisps of light plucked out of it and touched her skin repeatedly. She felt… attracted. Dazed, she started walking towards it.

"Yes, m'lady," Nyles encouraged her. "Yes."

This time a loud feral growl came from behind and suddenly the black wolf jumped in front of them. Its lips curled behind baring its sharp teeth and fangs. It looked ferociously at them.

"Go away!" Nyles shouted.

The wolf started to walk towards them making Anastasia retreat her steps.

Nyles looked at it with disgust and hatred. Suddenly she caught Anastasia's hand and said, "Jump!"

Confused, Anastasia jumped at the command but was met mid-air by the wolf who pounced on her and pinned her to the ground. His face was only a few inches away from her. His golden yellow eyes staring at her fiercely, possessively.