38 Chapter 38: Mistake (1/2)

She was a Nomen all along.His heart rate jumped again.She lied to him, and he should have known better. There was something different about her since the cave. He hadn't sensed before.

An aphrodisiac to her lips, an alluring pull to her scent, and strength behind her touch.She was not the same woman from when he first lifted that veil.

If anything happened to Zehan or his Brother, he would kill her for it.His fingers gripped the reins tighter.No, he wouldn't.He loosened his hold.Why did he even say that to her,he had reacted poorly?His temper was too quick at times.What would he do with her?His eyes furrowed together.I'll worry about that later.

How far had he gone?The trees began to thin out with the sun brightly ahead of him.She must have brought them deep into the woods to avoid any guards from Novas following them, and he continued to ride on.

He knew Nomen history and culture.The Mark could only have passed down, which meant her Father was either King Baasa or someone he trusted.Only the males were allowed to inherit the mark.So where did she get it?

King Baasa disappeared more than fifteen years ago, and all his Nomen wives were barren.This Mark it had dark magic, cursed magic, and its power was just as desirable as the Ethereal Spirit.Any Nomen who possessed the mark would not have given it up so quickly, especially to a woman.

Ryas slowed his horse down.Maybe this wasn't a trap after all.He should go back.Pulling on the reins, he turned his horse around and headed back.But where did Yuliah get the Ethereal Spirit from?Like the Nomen Mark, only Geneoshi's could will the Ethereal Spirit.That meant Yuliah had to be half Geneoshi.

He thought about all the possibilities of who King Baasa could have sired a child with as he continued to race back.All his Generals and Advisors were still alive.If they knew Yuliah had the mark, she would not be in the North unprotected and forced to Wed a line of peasants.

Shit, he fucked up, bad.He should have thought of this before.He even put his hands on Yuliah without giving her a chance to explain first.

She had the Ethereal Spirit and the Nomen Mark, and he just left her behind.He was way out of line with her if the Nomens find Yuliah, who knows what they would do to her, to his woman.Fuck.He felt his chest tighten.There was no excuse for what he did, and he pushed his horse faster ahead.

An ember sky stretched across the horizon when he returned to the spot he left her.There were no footprints just the shape of her body etched into the dirt like she had been lying there for hours, next to where their bedroll had been.He felt it, an uncomfortable feeling in his chest and pushed it back.

She was gone.”YULIAH,” his heart pounded through the cage of his chest, but there was no answer.Only the sound of his voice as it screamed back and the fluttering of wings when a pair of startled birds took off.

She couldn't have gone far; she was on foot.He circled in all directions screaming her name but it was too late, she had vanished.What did he do?An unimaginable thought crossed his mind.For the first time in years, Ryas felt real fear.

He spent the entire night combing through the woods looking for Yuliah with no luck.Then retreated to the road at the first light of day, the whites of his eyes lined with red, when the calls of a familiar voice awoken him from his thoughts.

Khasai.She soared above him, the span of her wings were an extra two to three feet longer since he last saw her, she was much too big to perch on his arm, and she called out to him.Ryas slowed down to a complete stop, and she swooped down next to him.Her head lifted to his.His fingers raked through the soft feathers on the bottom of her neck and then the top of her head.Khasai craned her crimson neck downward.

The tiny container tied to her feet full, he retrieved the paper, ”There's been a complication.Stay outside the camp,” and he took off down the road.

By nightfall, he reached King Zehan's camp.He could make out Lohan's body up ahead resting against his horse.

”General, where have you been?” he threw his arms around Ryas.

”In the mountains.What happened?Where is Zehan?” Ryas broke from Lohan's hold.

”The Northern King sent us an escort.That's why I'm out here,” Lohan's bronze eyes searched around.

”An escort?” Ryas questioned.

”Yea, Advisor Biah.The woman's husband is here.”

Ryas scoffed.”I see.”

”Well, where is she?” Lohan's lips parted widely.”I want to see her,” he grinned then nudged the General.”You fucken bastard, I know what you've been up too,” his voice broke out into a laugh.

”She's gone.Where is your brother?Is he safe?” Ryas said.

”He's safe and back at the camp,” Lohan backed off, he could tell from the General's voice he was in one of his moods.

”I need to see your brother now,” Ryas almost choked out from his tightened throat.He had fucked it up, the only Woman to make him feel again.

When Ryas passed through the curtains of Zehan's tent the King embraced his General, ”I thought we had lost you,” he said.”Tell me what happened?”

”The road through the mountains took longer than I thought and the woman's gone,” Ryas had no expression.He was still coming to terms with his decision.

Zehan looked concerned, ”Gone how?”