Morgianna was in shock. She stared open-mouthed at Felix as he rubbed his back and grimaced. Internally she was cursing her luck to bump into him here and wanted to escape out the door she had just entered.
When Felix finally stood he looked at the group in front of him and felt like they looked familiar. Which was crazy to him as he could hardly see any defining features at all, it was just the way they held themselves. "I am sorry for bumping into you, let me buy you something to drink to make it up to you..?" He trailed off in an obvious attempt to learn names.
Fafnir watched from the sidelines for any indication of what he should do. The only people he follows are Morgianna and Myra and that was not up to change. If she told him to knock Felix out and take him back to the castle he would. However Morgianna did not even make a sound, instead, she shifted as if to walk past Felix without an answer.
Seeing this Felix frowned and reached out to grab her arm. Before his hand even made contact it was twisted behind his back while a dagger pressed into his throat. The whole room was silent as they waited on bated breath for Felix to receive the beating of his life. Instead everyone was shocked when she let him go as if he burned her.
"Did you see that? She didn't break his hand!" "Maybe she isn't feeling well today." "Poor guy, I thought he was gonna die." All around him Felix heard whispers that suggested that what he had just done was very stupid. He couldn't help it, he had reached out subconsciously as if trying to stop her from leaving.
He bowed his head once more his face flushed red in embarrassment for laying his hand on a lady. "I am sorry for my unsightly behavior. I am not in the best mind at the moment as I am searching for someone very important to me." He peeked up hoping to catch a glimpse of the person under the hood but saw nothing but darkness. Undeterred he took a step closer a new plan forming in his mind. He remembered Silas and how he had no intention of looking for Morgianna. "Your group looks strong would you be willing to take the job in finding her? Please, I will pay for you. I think that having a female look would be better and.."
Morgianna cut him off by grabbing his arm and leaving the room. As they watched them leave the other guild members speculated on whether he would make it through the night and even took bets. Truthfully she just left because she was getting embarrassed. He was asking her to essentially hunt for herself and there was a glassy sheen to his eyes that made him look as if he would cry.
Walking at a fast pace she pulled him along after her until they reached the woods before finally releasing his arm. Fafnir and the others trailed behind at a leisurely pace already accustomed to Morgianna and her quickly changing mood.
She tried to change her voice so she wouldn't give herself away. "I am sure whoever you are trying to find has their reason so just trust them. Being in a place like this is dangerous for nobles like you. So just go home." Towards the end she couldn't help the plea that leaked into her voice. She didn't want her brother to put himself in danger to try to find her but she couldn't go home either.
Felix was getting upset, everyone telling him to just go home and give up looking for Morgianna was getting under his skin. "Fine! Don't help me, but you can't stop me from looking for her. I didn't even know she was going through something that would make her run away from home. I should have been there for her, but she didn't let me in... She left me behind." He sounded choked at the end and Morgianna had to blink away tears that were forming in her own eyes.
"Just go home. Stop being stubborn." Those words from her mouth were softer than she intended.
Felix's eyes widened as he stared at her, then before he could second guess himself he sent a gust of air to blast back her hood. Morgianna had not sensed any intention of attack so was caught off guard. The forest was silent as her mismatched eyes met her brothers. His face a mask of shock before turning into anger. "You! How could you try to send me away!? Were you right under our noses this whole time? Morgianna we have been so worried about you and here you are running around in a guild." When he reached for her this time she did not throw his hand away and felt herself being pulled into a hug. He was much taller than her but slim making it easy to wrap her arms around him. Putting her forehead to his chest she let herself have this moment...because she knew it could be only this one moment.
She felt his arms tighten as if he could hold her there. Pulling back slightly she looked up at him noting the relief in his face and couldn't help but frown. "Go home." Those two words from her were like knives cutting his hopes into pieces.
"I refuse. I finally have you back, I won't go back without you." He gave her a determined look and pulled her back into his hug. His grip would have been painful for someone normal but to her it almost felt gentle. She had been training her body and magic nonstop for the past 2 years and found that having pacts with 4 beings gave her an insurmountable amount of strength, agility, and all-around boosted everything. She could even transform her hands into claws like Fafnir and Faust. From Myra she could pull scales over certain parts of her body making them momentarily impenetrable, whatever she got from Alnwick she did not know yet.
With ease she pulled his hands from her person and watched his eyes widen in shock. As a vampire he was far weak, but she made it seem as if he wasn't even trying. "Tell mom and dad I love them and do not try to find me again. I am not so weak that I will fall and one day I will return to you." She nodded to Fafnir and he quickly struck Felix pressure point knocking him out. "Things are about to get a lot more difficult. I will write a letter to be sent with him then I want you to fly him back home. We must leave in haste as he is sure to return the moment he wakes up. I will tell Silas to deny him entry into any of our establishments."
"Alnwick scout ahead to our next destination taking Faust with you. Myra, help me gather supplies." With everyone knowing what they were supposed to do split up.
...
Felix woke disoriented, and sluggish. After getting his bearings he cursed at seeing the familiar room, his room at the castle. Rushing down the halls maids and guards stared at him in wonder. He had no time to stop and answer questions choosing to run straight to his father's study.
Not even bothering to knock he threw the door open. Duke Ryland Bloodmoon was sitting behind his desk his head in his hands. With the door being thrust open his head shot up a reprimand on his lips that died when he saw his son's face. "What happened? You returned so soon." His face paled visibly. "Don't tell me something bad happened..."
Felix was out of breath, a crazed look on his face as he began shaking. Ryland was worried about his son and stood to grasp him afraid he would hit the floor. "Dad... She is alive. I saw her but she had those damn guards knock me out and bring me home. She left me behind again..."
Ryland felt for his son, he had watched her leave too but for Felix it was different. Each time she left he watched his son head to the training yard and swing his sword until he couldn't stand. Each time she brought home a new, stronger guard he once again left for the training yard so he could practice until he couldn't even lift his arms. He knew his son wanted to protect his sister more than anything. Sometimes he even felt a little jealous of how much Felix loved Morgianna.
"She left you behind, so what are you going to do about it? Are you going to stay here and mope around, or are you going to dust off your ass and get right back out there?" Roland stared into Felix's eyes and watched him pull himself together. He felt pride but he only showed a stern expression. "Now we aren't gonna tell your mother, I want you to go out there and get your sister back. You are one day going to be a duke, you have friends in high places so use them."
Felix felt like a load had been lifted off his back hearing his father's words. It is true he does have friends in high places and it wasn't like he didn't have more information about who she was roaming around as. With new determination he nodded to his dad a large smile blooming on his face. "I have things I must do, thank you, father." His calm front was back in place and he gave his father a bow before quickly striding out of the room. He had some letters to send and a meeting to call. There were six princes who would love to know she has been hiding under a hood.