.
Cassandra allowed her eyes to bled black and her fangs burst free as all her rage surfaced when she turned back to Catalina. It was time for the princess to die...
"Your mine b**!" Cassandra roared and then she attacked...
Ana Pov
The guards were closing in on Seb and Jace. My instincts to protect them took over. I raised my fingers and four short blasts of lightening shot out and stuck all four vamps with excellent precision. Their bodies exploded into black dust causing Jace and Seb to duck and cover.
Wow, that's new! I have no clue how I did that but it doesn't matter right now. Before they could even stand back up, I launched myself at them, hugging them both a little too hard.
"I'm so happy to see you guys!" I exclaimed
"You too Ana" Jace said with much relief
"Are you okay? Have you been hurt?" Seb asked examining me. His expression changed from worry to lust as they both took in my attire. I didn't have the chance to respond because a loud explosion shook the whole castle. It had to be the grief ridden queen down below. My guilt for not helping her took over and I knew what I had to do; Even if it meant missing my opportunity to escape.
"Go back around the corner and the first room on the left is the only one you can get out from" I said turning around and walking back down the hall.
"Not without you" Jace shouted
"What's going on?" Seb demanded
I stopped no more than two feet away from them. "Marcos is dead. His love, the queen is fighting for her life against Ferox. Please just go back to our friends. I have to stay and help her and then I'll join yo-"
My words were cut off by an icicle impaling my upper arm. The cold sharp force of it pierced through the skin barely missing the bone. A blast of cold ripped through the hall like a tornado, knocking Seb and Jace off their feet. Quickly tearing the icicle protruding from me, I turn to face the cause of this, already knowing who it might be.
Standing there in a cold blazing rage is Acacia. Her blue skin, red eyes and now white hair like snow gave her a monstrous image paired with her frosted eyebrows and lashes. The queen stared at me hard, not making a move to get any closer. All of a sudden, behind her a thick clear wall of ice formed. It built up from floor to ceiling in seconds. I glanced over my shoulder and the same thing happened behind me. The blurred figures of my mates pounding at the ice were all I could make out.
She's trapped us in this hall together. But why?
In a blink of an eye she was inches away from my face, staring deeply into my eyes. Stunned all I could was stare as her coldness crept up my skin.
"You" she said in a crazed shrill voice "It's all your fault!" she yelled cold breath fanning over my face. Guards had come up from the stairs and were trying to break down the wall behind her.
"Me?" was the only word that I could form. I've never met her so I don't have any idea what's she's talking about. Maybe watching the love of your life die is all it takes to lose every bit of your mind.
"Listen" I start slowly and gently "I'm sorry about what happened to you, I wanted to help-"
"NO!" she screamed. Shards of ice lashed out and scraped against my face. I felt blood surface before the wounds healed. "You were supposed to be come for him! He was meant for you! Not me!" the queen was now pacing frantically in the small space she enclosed us in. I wiped the blood from my face and snuck a peek at the ice wall. My mates were apparently arguing with each other. I tried to focus and hear what they were saying but the ice somehow blocked it out. Acacia was still pacing and rambling incoherently.
I need to think of a way to get out of here. At first I wanted to help her but seeing her now I realize she may be beyond my help. Part of me wonders how she managed to get away from the king downstairs but I don't dare ask. Instead I choose to try to reason with her once more.
"Acacia" I call out. The queen abruptly stops, whipping her head to me almost like she forgot I was even there. Her red eyes darkened the longer she stared. For some reason it seems she's turned her rage onto me.
"Little Celeste" she spat. Her words caught my attention so swiftly I nearly gasped out loud.
"What do you know about my mother?" I asked cautiously. Maybe, just maybe the queen isn't as crazy as she seems. Acacia laughs hysterically, almost making me reconsider my earlier thought.
"You. Are. LATE!" she shrilled so loudly I heard the ice crack on the other side of me. Seb's voice filtered through and I could make out him ordering Jace to use magic and melt the ice.
"You were supposed to be for him! Why didn't you come for him?!" she hollered
"I don't know what you're talking about. Come for whom?" I questioned. Slowly I began to let my ability build up inside me. If the guards get through that wall before Jace gets through the other, we are all dead or pretty damn close. My life I would risk, but not my mates. I no longer care what she's rambling about or what she knows about my mother. It couldn't be that major. Now I need to protect my mates. And if I have to blast down these walls myself or knock her out and throw her over my shoulder I will.
"Celeste didn't bond with Erebus! His mark passed to his son! But it went wrong! Everything went wrong!" she said now crying and making the coldness even colder. Acacia still wasn't making sense to me but her words may be more important that I thought after all. The queen dropped to ground sobbing. A patch of ice formed beneath her. Slowly I lower myself and decide to give it one more try to figure out her nonsense. The ice walls are still holding up so I have a few more minutes to make a break through.
"Queen Acacia?" I cooed
"Don't call me that!" she snapped "I am not the true queen! You are" she added. Her tears were freezing on her face, leaving thin trails against her cheeks.
"Can you tell me what you mean about Erebus and his mark?" I try again slowly.
"AHHH!" she screamed pulling at her hair "Don't you know?! It's the mark of the three mates! On the back of the neck. Every pure one has three. Vampire, witch, and werewolf. Celeste had three mates, Arc had three mates and so do you. Because I know who you are pretty girl" she added laughing again "You are the daughter of Celeste; splitting image! And you failed! You are too late now! It's all wrong now!" the queen was spiraling into madness again and I needed her to focus. She was on the verge of telling me something very important. My curiosity wouldn't let it go.
"What did I fail Acacia? Tell me?!" I demanded shaking her a little. For a brief moment the madness left her eyes and she just looked like a sad woman. Lonely, tired and so very sad.
"Celeste didn't bond with Erebus. Even though he didn't let her go, he still choose to have a son. Years later the mark was passed to his son without him knowing because no one knew you existed. But the son did and he never told his father..." she trailed off. If my heart could beat it would be banging right now
"What are you saying?" I asked even though I'm sure I know the answer. The queen slowly turned her head and locked eyes with me
"I'm saying little Celeste, the son in the story is Ferox. And he was one of your three true mates..."
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#Tobecontinued ...