CHAPTER 495: GROWING NUMBERS

The road to Lustris was quiet, accompanied only by the wailing of wind that bent the trees on their path to its will and the banging of hooves against the ground.

Before their departure, Morgana made sure to cloak the entire party to protect them from discovery. Especially since Dragomir had witches of his own still trying to locate Allegra.

Arabella rode ahead of everyone, trusting that they would follow but despite beholding none of them, somehow the burden of their gazes pressed on her shoulders, as their eyes burned holes in her back.

At least with Floriel there was no wondering. The fairy clung to the woman’s shoulder, barely even blinking while staring the whole way.

"It is not too late for you to change your mind and turn around," Arabella murmured without taking her eyes off the road.

"My decision is already made," Floriel finally looked away, "I am not backing down,"

"I can’t protect any of you," the young woman continued, "I hope you know that,"

"I don’t think anybody expects you to," the fairy shook her head.

"Had I never knocked on their door that night none of this would have happened,"

"But you did," Floriel’s tone was calm but carried a lot of weight, "And now we are here,"

Those words made Arabella’s chest rumble but didn’t cut deep. Floriel did not say much but the meaning behind the thought was clear. At least, it seemed to be. It was never meant to hurt or make Arabella feel guilty. On the contrary, it sounded more like a reminder that there was no other alternative to the present.

What happened happened and what will happen will occur no matter what anyone wants or thinks on the matter.

"Alright! We are close to the border! This is a good place to stop," Morgana shouted.

They all grinded to a halt in order to see what that was about.

"Why?" Asked Ada.

"The sun will rise in a few hours, and we cannot carry dead weight with us," the witch looked straight at Allegra.

"Right," the vampiress dismounted her horse, "It had slipped my mind,"

Morgana copied her action and neared Allegra, "I am going to need a sample of your blood,"

"Does this spell require a long time in order to be cast?" Arabella too descended from her saddle and handed her dagger over to Morgana.

The witch took it without hesitation before dipping her hand into her own pouch and plucking an empty glass vial out, "In a perfect world or under optimal conditions, yes, but since we are in a rush, I will have to cut corners," she brought the vial and blade towards Allegra’s extended palm.

"As long as I stay awake and don’t get calcinated by the sun, I am alright with whatever," said Allegra, grimacing as Morgana cut through her skin to draw blood.

"Give me a few minutes," she started swirling the crimson fluid in the small flask, "Perhaps rest your legs from the strain of those saddles,"

Ada took the opportunity to approach Arabella who quickly turned away as soon as she saw her coming. All in order to spare her eyes from the devastating frown that her action yielded on Ada’s features.

"Are you on shaky terms?" Floriel’s little voice came to her ear.

"I don’t know," said Arabella simply, "I trusted her with something and she...," the word wouldn’t leave her throat.

"Betrayed you," the fairy half asked.

The young woman flinched upon hearing it spoken out loud, "Perhaps that is too harsh of a term to use in these circumstances," she cleared her throat, avoiding eye contact at all cost.

"Then do you trust her?" the little creature tilted her head and gaped at Arabella with sparkling eyes as a child would have after asking an innocent question.

But did she still trust Ada?

The answer was easy; yes! Of course, she still trusted Ada. At the end of the day, there was no malice in her mishap. Boiling emotions aside, Arabella did believe that Ada did it out of sheer panic and fear that Arabella would, in fact, surrender herself to save her brother because that was exactly what the old Arabella would have done to achieve that goal.

Not the new her though! No, the new Arabella wasn’t stepping foot inside that castle without a solid plan and then a backup plan for good measure.

"Yes, I do... I do trust her," a whisper was all she managed.

"A wolfman is coming this way," Allegra’s neck nearly snapped following the direction of the odor and sound her senses had captured, "And he is coming fast,"

"Do we know him? Or could he simply be passing by?" Ada asked.

Allegra raised her chin in the air and shut her eyes for seconds, "His scent is somewhat familiar. I definitely smelled it around the manor before and he has... Quite the small mass. I can tell by the weight of the impact he’s making on the ground,"

As soon as Allegra had said those words, Arabella’s breath hitched in her throat as her eyes widened.

"Oh dear...," Ada clasped her hands over her mouth, seemingly coming to the same conclusion, "It can be none other than little Remus!"

Sure enough, the silhouette of a cub drew its lines in the distance before fully materializing as the four-legged creature ran their way.

When only a few feet separated them, he leaped and shifted to his human form before their concern riddled corneas.

"Wait for me!" he huffed and puffed while staggering towards Arabella.

The boy dropped his weight into her arms which she failed miserably at supporting.

"Right! Bone density! I keep forgetting that!" the words barely squeezed out of her throat as her face turned red due to the strain his weight put on her.

Allegra rushed forward and picked him off her before angrily asking, "What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Let go of me! I am coming with you!" he squealed while attempting to wiggle out of her grasp.