leaving the sight of the broken office beyond and instead focusing on these strange puddles. Each patch of water was surrounding an island of melting shards of ice, ice that seemed to have come from nowhere. Now I was quickly asking myself where I had seen this same evidence before and not long ago at that. It was déjà vu all over again, for once more I was looking for anything that may lead to signs of who took my girl. Which was suddenly when it came to me and a low and dangerous growl rumbled from my chest.
“What is it?” Dariush asked given my vicious response.
“I have seen this before,” I told him as I stormed inside the office to find even more evidence to suggest my theory was correct. The section of the wall behind the splintered desk had been split open enough to create an opening to the outside. Again, my boots kicked up water and crunched what was left of chunks of ice as I walked further inside the room.
“Where the fuck did all this water and ice come from?” my brother asked, not yet knowing what I did. I turned to him and growled only one word,
“Cockatrice…” This was quickly followed by,
“…I will fucking kill him this time!”
The memory of seeing the way he looked at Amelia flashed in my mind like a shower of salt in a wound he had slashed open by taking her. This of course came after remembering the same evidence I had found by the Arachne, the Spider Queen’s forest. Meaning it didn’t take me long to discover the culprits of this kidnapping.
Now, what their end game was still remained to be discovered, for I was hoping ransom for their souls was the only thing on their minds. But as soon as this thought entered my mind I knew that these noble idiots wouldn’t have hurt and scared Amelia for their own gain. For I wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the strongest of the three had developed feelings for my girl. No, this time it wasn’t only about Trice’s soul but instead, it was more about his heart.
But then again, I suppose seeing my treatment of her, collared like a pet and in my cruel grasp, it wasn’t a stretch for him to believe he was saving her from me. Fuck! But either path I took with the girl had only ended up working against me. For in my stubborn belief that by treating her this way was for her own good, I had underestimated the consequences from the other side. At the very least the only comfort I could hold onto was that she would remain unharmed and protected until I could get her back, something I was on my way to doing right now!
But right now, it was time I did something I never had before…it was time to use the Eye of Crimson for the first time. Being its keeper since its beginning I thought I knew what to expect, for I had been granted the power to ask of it what I wanted to see. However, I was soon to learn that despite having no interest in being shown the future, the Eye was to have other ideas.
Now, moments later, I found myself standing at the edge of the pool of water. But with it being a sight that only a little time ago I had my girl naked and in my arms, meant that it was proving difficult to think straight.
“Where are you, my little Šemšā?” I said aloud, looking up at the ceiling and closing my eyes as if I could still feel her presence. I swear that I was starting to believe we were cursed or something, for I already knew our love had in the beginning been a forbidden one. But to keep losing her this way was a torture that was becoming a regular occurrence. Like some bullshit test the Fates were putting us through, believing that we hadn’t yet endured enough!
I opened my eyes with a frown and with a mere thought shed my demonic armour, stepping forward from the mist of black particles; A dark essence of power that would sink into the shadows and follow me like an invisible cloud until I called for it back. Then once naked and free of the weight, I dove into the pool, taking the barest of moments to relish the feel of the water caressing my bare skin and cooling my