Chapter seventy one

A strange howling sound roared in a far distance and Rasmus stood up from the pavement he had been sitting one. “That’s a wolf.”

“I know,” Irene whispered, “they will be here soon.”

“Did you have a vision?” he asked.

“I don’t need a vision to know this time,” she smiled softly. They heard a faint sound coming from the woods as their eyes turned to it, they saw the five High Chiefs with another nightwalker stepped out. “What are you doing here?” Irene asked.

“To offer our last protection to our prince’s mate. The fight is coming here and this is where it will end,” Malachi answered and his gaze went to Rasmus. “I know you are still mad at me son, but we have to let go of our grudges tonight because none of us knows who is going to be alive tomorrow. This could be the end for all we know.”

“Where is mother?” Rasmus asked.

“She had been spending her days in Willowsmyth for a while now and Willowsmyth has fallen,” he answered.

Rasmus closed his eyes and his hands clenched in tight fists. Irene placed her hand on his to calm him down and when he opened his eyes, she offered him a soft smile.

“We have decided,” Vertimon said, stepping forward. “Yes we have ignored both Nightwalkers and Night howlers since they started existing more than two thousand years ago but we can’t ignore this fight. Not only is our future queen and prince in danger and need our protection but because this is happening because of a demon. No matter how you look at it, Kaiden is a demon through and through and he started this fight by poisoning your people. We are going to do our best to help in the fight and we won’t stop until all has been restored to what it used to be.”

“Yes, one of us caused this, it is by right that we help to rectify it,” Beruka said.

Maleeka yawned lazily like a cat, “besides, it’s been a long time we had a good fight and this time not with our king,” she chuckled.

Idrissa stepped forward and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were yellow with vertical black lines. “We shall start by clearing these trees, there is not enough space for such a fight.” And as he said that, fire set upon the trees and Vertimon and the rest joined. In a short five minutes, the once thick forest was nothing but a vast space with blackened soil and smokes drifting upward softly, creating a thick fog on the ground. Idrissa smiled and winked at Irene, saying, “don’t worry, after the fight, the forest demons would heal it. We just need the space.”

“I know, I just…” Irene chuckled softly, “it happened so fast.”

“We are demon rulers, it’s supposed to be fast,” Beruka said.

“And they are here,” Vertimon said, his eyes dimming at the wolves hiding behind the trees at the far end. “Maybe we should have burned the trees to that length and kill them in the fire.”

“Burn anymore, the forest demons would perish,” Maleeka said, “we may have already killed a thousand with the acres we cleared.”

“She is right,” Beruka concurred.

“Why are they just standing there, why aren’t they running closer?” Idrissa asked.

“I think they are waiting for a cue,” Malachi said and just after that, a man in black with three witches appeared in the middle of the clearings. “Thought as much.”

Kaiden chuckled seeing the Nightwalkers leaders and the demon rulers each standing beside Aliyah that was just sitting in front of the palace. He glanced around at the blackened soil and said, “I like what you did here my dear demon rulers, this space is highly needed for what I have in store for tonight.”

“Prince Kaiden, for a second I wanted to doubt that you are capable of such a thing but now I see that you can never truly know someone,” Vertimon said.

Kaiden chuckled and pulled down his hood, his long golden hair shinning softly under the bright moonlight. “I don’t think there is a need for this anymore then.”

“Why are you doing this?” Beruka asked.

“My dear fox queen, a demon got to do what a demon got to do. She knows what I want, let her step forward with her son and I would call back my army.”

“And why should she do that?” Idrissa asked.

“Because she is the ticket to this night’s event, her decision would determine if the Nightwalkers and Night Howlers would continue existing or if they would perish tonight. So what is it going to be dear princess, will I be getting my request in other to save these poor innocent souls or would you be dooming yourself and as well as them and in the end, I will get what I want?” Kaiden asked, his voice loud enough to be heard by all.

“Oh Irene, you must have never thought that such a day would come to pass, right?” Melissa gloated.

“Don’t gloat yet mother, the night is still young,” Irene responded.

“Hmph, so full of herself,” Mary rolled her eyes, “shouldn’t you be kneeling and asking for our forgiveness?”

“You underestimate me, Mary, begging is not in my dictionary.”

“Don’t worry, we will see…”

“Enough,” Kaiden shouted, shutting the three sisters up, “I am in the middle of a bargaining here, in case you don’t know.”

“We are sorry,” Melissa rushed to say immediately before glaring at Irene.

“Princess, I am waiting for your reply,” Kaiden smiled, his eyes on Aliyah’s back as he wondered why she hasn’t even turned to see him yet.

“You may have your army, Kaiden, but we have ours as well. Just a command and one of my seas would wash both you and your army away,” Vertimon said.

Kaiden smiled, “why did I know you would say that?” he chuckled, “but I will think twice if I were you. One wrong move, dear ruler of the seven seas and your marine creatures would suffocate in their very own waters. You should know that I have a very powerful witch on my side.”

“What have you done to my waters?” Vertimon yelled.

“Nothing yet,” Kaiden smiled, “until you strike. And the same goes to all you demon rulers. So my advice, stay out of this fight, demons have never cared about the nightwalkers and night howlers, so keep it that way.”

“Fine Kaiden, perhaps you have thought ahead,” Beruka smiled, “but we are still demon rulers, I personally will burn your army to ashes.”

“No one has to die,” a voice said and they all turned to see Aliyah, she was standing up but her eyes were still on the palace. “Those wolves, those nightwalkers, they are innocent, they didn’t ask for any of this, so why do they have to die to satisfy his whim?”

“Aliyah, what are you saying?” Irene rushed to her, “this is the easiest way to end this fight, if the demons use their fire, we stand a chance at winning.”

“And then what?” she asked, turning to Irene with her tear-filled eyes, “everyone dies? Gerald never gets to see his family again and mine? What about my parents? They would stop existing. And the nightwalkers, they would die for what they don’t know of? Tell me Irene, what would become of the world when everyone dies? How can I live seeing myself and Gerald as the only wolves in existence? Alpha Damien is not even here that you would say he can turn humans to wolves. But even if he is, innocent human would be turned into what they don’t want to be. How can we force them to be like us?”

Damien and the rest ran up to the space from the west side and was able to hear what Aliyah was saying. They could see the deranged wolves and nightwalkers waiting on the other side, waiting for the cue to attack. They glanced at each other, a little surprise at the big open space in front of them but with the blackened soil, they could tell that a demon or demons had torched the place.

“Now you are speaking reason,” Kaiden laughed, “and you are diving to the right decision, good, very good. You are worth to be a leader. Now, bring yourself with your son to me and we can all say goodbye tonight. I promise you that I would release the wolves and nightwalkers, everyone would regain their freedom.”

“Aliyha no,” Irene said to her, “don’t even consider it.”

“Oh, of course, we rushed here to protect her and she is willing to sacrifice herself,” Genevieve rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry, but no one asked for this,” she glanced at Genevieve as the tears rolled down her cheeks, “even if we are able to fight them tonight, what is to say that in future when everything seemed to be normal once more that he won’t be infecting them to still achieve his aim? How many people are you willing to lose for this, surely a member of your family or loved one is among them, are you willing to let them die for what they don’t know?”

“We understand you, Aliyah, but it is going to be a bigger risk if he gets his hold on you or him,” Malachi said and the rest nodded.

Aliyah smirked, “who said he is going to get a hold on us?” she said, shocking everyone and Kaiden as she turned sharply and jumped into the blue fire that was covering the palace.