CLOVER
I needed to get to Sion. Odell said that he was ready to kill himself trying to get to me. He was so desperate to save me that he attacked anyone who tried to stop him. He must be so worried. I needed him to know I was alright.
“We need to go faster,” I said and the little man in front of me grunted as he kept up his pace. Odell and I have been following the little gnome hybrid down an icy path. Going back the way I came in was risky. Even with Odell, I would just barely make it to the surface… if I made it. I found out I was dragged down here by a squid monster. It could swim faster than Odell and I barely made it.
I told Stilts, the little gnome, that I had almost drowned and he laughed… cackled was more like it. Apparently, I was never in any real danger. The monster squid has a magical air bubble so I could have breathed freely the whole time. I guess the purpose of it, is so the squid can capture land prey and keep them alive for fresh eating.
It was all an elaborate plan to try to force out my powers. I was extremely annoyed. At the very least, she should have only tricked me. She could have told the others, so they didn’t worry. Then Sion wouldn’t have injured anyone trying to get to me. I know the goddess didn’t expect that reaction… honestly, I didn’t either. I didn’t blame him for it though. How could I? Not when he was just trying to protect me.
Just thinking about his hurt and worry made me nauseous. My poor Sion. I bet he was worrying about me right now and if I was okay. He was probably afraid of how I would feel after I heard what he did. I needed to get to him and reassure him. I needed to see him so that I could calm down.
“We are almost at the outer edge. We will wait for your companions there.” Stilts said in his gruffer voice.
My heart was racing. I was feeling incredibly anxious. My whole body began to slightly tremble, as a burning sensation gripped my heart. It felt like a knife had been driven into me and I raised my hand to grab my chest.
“Clover, are you alright?” Odell asked as we entered the dark gray circular stone room.
I shook my head and stepped backwards until I reached the cold stone wall. What was going on? I felt like I was suffocating. A wave of nausea hit me, and I leaned my body over, resting my hands on my knees. My head was pulsating, and my body was frantic.
I needed to do something, but what? Something was happening and my existence was screaming at me. Suddenly a pain gripped over me, radiating from my mark on my neck. It poured downwards and through my veins like acid burning and eating at me.
My breathing was erratic as my vision faded in and out. My chest was being squeezed until I was almost gasping for air. Tears were pooling from my eyes as I struggled to stand. My body was seized with uncontrollable tremors.
A pulsating wave ripped through me as a void began to fill in my soul. Dear gods… Sion. It was Sion.
“SION!” I screamed as my eyes traveled over the other passageways. Something was wrong. Something had shaken the bond… it felt severed. I reached up touching the mark on my neck, trying to feel my connection to him. My fingers traced over the proof I belonged to him.
I was hysterical and desperate. I ran. With a drive I didn’t know was there, I moved my legs. I didn’t know where I was going. I was letting instinct lead me. The tears continued to burn my eyes as I sprinted into the darkness. I could hear the scuffling sound of the other two as they ran after me. But it was like everything was disappearing.
What was happening? Was Sion okay? He had to be okay. He was okay. He just got hurt but he would heal. He was a lycan and was just fine. He just needed me. We needed each other. I would hold him in my arms, and everything would be okay. Everything was fine. I continued to lie to myself. Waves of agony washed over me as I staggered forward.
Through my blurry teary eyes, I saw Demetri. My eyes quickly followed over Kai, Logan, and Conner. Sion was not with them. They were just standing in the tunnel as if they were hesitating about what to do.
“Sion?” I felt like I was hyperventilating. They all had crestfallen faces as their red-swollen eyes looked up at me. I shook my head and kept walking forward. “He’s okay. He’s okay… he is okay.”
Kai walked up to me, wrapping me in his embrace, pulling my head to his chest. “He’s gone…” His hoarse voice choked out in a sob. I shook my head as I struggled in his embrace.
“No… no no no no no no NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” My voice didn’t sound like my own. It was a mixture of hysterics and the cries of a shattered soul. Kai gripped me tighter in his arms and I felt his own dampness land on my arms.
“Gods… I’m so sorry. It hurts like hell… I know. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t do anything. It should have been me… not him.” Kai’s voice was shaking as his arms began to tremble.
“I have to see him.” I pushed back as Kai held me firmly.
“You can’t.”
“I’m going to see him!” I yanked myself away and this time Demetri and Conner formed a wall to block me. Demetri stood there in his human form with one of his hands outstretched towards me.
“Clover… he has fallen into a ravine where there is a river with a deadly vortex current. And… if by some miracle he survived that there is a deadly miasma cloud above the river. Impossible… he couldn’t have…” Demetri stopped when I shot him a look. I didn’t want to hear him say it.
“Clover…” Kai placed his hand on my shoulder as his eyes met with mine. “When… when my mate died… I felt it…” I watched as he tapped his chest. “I felt it here. There was a pain that radiated inside of me, and I felt empty.” His eyes were now searching mine. I shook my head not wanting to listen to what he was telling me.
“He has to be fine… he has to be fine. He’s… he’s all I have.” I felt like my throat was constricting as I fought to get air.
“Luna, you are not alone. We are here… you have us, and the Chance pack needs you.” Conner’s voice was firm but when I looked at his eyes, I could see his pain. The evidence of his tears over his swollen red face.
“We can’t leave him here.” I whimpered as I felt myself shutting down. Luna? How could I do this without Sion? I can’t. I won’t. I won’t believe he is dead. I stepped back and shook my head. Lies. This was all another lie. Sion was just hiding around the corner. Or maybe he went on ahead? This was all an elaborate set up to get me to use my powers.
This is just a nightmare. I’ll wake up and Sion will be there. He will hold me and tell me that everything is okay. He will tell me that he will never leave me. We are going to have a family together. I looked at my hands and it was as if I couldn’t feel them. In fact, my whole body felt numb. I was breathing erratically and couldn’t accept what I was being told. It all was becoming too much.
“I’m going to find him.” I looked up at the others with determination as I tried to hold myself together. I couldn’t walk away like this. Deep inside, something felt like it was building up inside of me. As if I was under pressure and something was about to break free. It was overwhelming and all consuming. My mind was now focusing on Sion. He was the only one that mattered. I needed to find him.
I stepped forward looking at the others who were blocking my path. “Stand aside,” I said in a firm voice as something began to radiate around me.
“Clover… there is nothing there but death. We need to leave.” Demetri’s voice was sounding faint. I saw his lips moving and heard his voice, but it was like he was far away from me. I continued to walk forward and then arms grabbed onto me. Stopping me. They were stopping me from going to Sion.
The confined energy inside of me was at its limit. “Move!” It was like there was an explosion inside of me. Everyone around me went flying, crashing into the walls. My legs gave out and I collapsed on the ground. My vision began to tunnel. In the small circle of my vision, I watched as the gnomes’ eyes glowed blue. He was the only one still standing and he walked towards me. He leaned down to look at me with his gleaming eyes shining at me.
“Now isn’t that interesting.” The gnome's mouth moved but it wasn’t his voice. It was the voice of the goddess Shiva. “Rest…”
As if on command, my eyes closed, and everything went black.
__
I could smell smoke and hear the sound of a fire crackling as I began to wake up. At first, I couldn’t remember what happened. Where was I? What had happened?
“She needs time.” I heard Kai’s voice. “She will never fully recover. I haven’t but in time she will learn to move on. I still cry for my mate… but I am able to function now.”
No. My memories began to flash in my mind like a reel. No… my mate wasn’t dead. I couldn’t accept it. I couldn’t process something like that. Every cell in my body was ready to fight against this reality. Then I remembered the glowing blue eyes of Stilts. I sat up and searched the area.
“Clover…” Odell said in a soothing voice as my eyes scanned over everyone. I found my target and I glared at him.
“Is this another one of her games?!” I growled as I stood up. The gnome sat there quietly watching me as I walked over to him. “Is this another lesson?” He still didn’t answer me, and I found myself livid. “I want to speak to her! She can see me through you, can’t she? That is why she left you with me. Can you hear me?! Shiva?!”
“I might have some unorthodox ways of testing powers, but I wouldn’t kill someone for it. Even I have my limits.” A woman’s tongue clicked angrily. A blue light grew next to the gnome until it took form. Shiva stood there studying me as if I was a specimen.
“You… you didn’t touch Sion?” I watched as a sneer formed over her face and she rolled her eyes.
“Of course, I didn’t touch your mate. Though had I known he was the key to unlocking your powers I could have worked that angle earlier.”
“So… is he… is he…” I couldn’t form the words as nausea washed over me. I saw how her eyes softened and I couldn’t bear to hear her words. So many sympathetic eyes on me. I wanted to disappear.
I took in a deep breath as I fixated my gaze on her. I needed to at least hear it. “Is he dead?” I wanted to vomit but I got the words out. I watched as she averted her gaze from me and turned her head away. Oh gods no…
“Da.mn… I hate being put in this position.” I heard her voice mutter as she turned back to face me. My hands began to tremble as I bit my bottom lip to stop it from quivering. She was about to break me, but I wouldn’t disappear yet. I would use this pain to relieve the Chance pack. I would use this anger to kill Dr. Snyde. This was all her fault. We were only here because of her. I felt a darkness creep inside of me. Yes, this was all her fault, and I would kill her for it.
I wouldn’t fall apart. Not yet. So, I looked into Shiva’s eyes with a newfound determination, ready to fuel myself for war.