Chapter 11: Volucris.

Confused I looked up to see that Conner and Logan had stopped moving and were looking ahead of them at what sounded like a thunder cloud rolling in. I watched carefully as Logan walked over to us and grabbed Marco retying his hands tighter than a vice making him wince and clench his jaw.

Over Logan’s shoulder I could see men on horses flood over the hill stopping just before Conner. Their silver armoured uniform covered every inch of their chest but only ran down the middle of their backs leaving their wings free to move even though most of them kept their wings on their body.

I felt my hands start to shake with nervous, my palms got sweaty and my breathing hitched getting caught in my throat. I looked up at Logan and found his dark eyes staring straight into mine. He smiled slightly which didn’t help my already fast beating heart and nodded his head ever so slightly in a reassuring way. Thinking about Marco’s words now and what they meant I knew I had to pretend like I didn’t even really know him although I am tempted to just hide behind him and hit him until I convinced him to take me home.

I watched them approach us and pull up in front of us, each one looking down at us like we were nothing more than the rats in streets. What the hell is up your ass Mr high and mighty? The first of the guard’s descended his horse and walked up to me, his large build dwarfed me. He had cold grey eyes that made me shiver and grey hair that told me he was older. He reached out his hand and grabbed my chin tilting my head up against my will and as if to examine me he turned my head from side to side.

“This is the one. Restrain them.” He ordered, his voice was deep and husky, rumbling with age.

The other guards were down off their horses in a flash two of them quickly pushed Marco on the floor, grabbing his hair and forcing his head back making him wince. I looked over and saw they were doing the same to Logan and my heart started to hurt as an ache in my chest threatened to chock me to death.

“Have you been talking to your brother boy?” one of the guards said.

“I’ve watched them carefully, his clean.” Conner said quickly in his defence. They all looked up to face Conner as he spoke. They pushed Logan in the back making him fall on all fours and then turned their attention souly to Marco leaving Logan to pick himself up off of the fall and dust himself off.

“Get him back to the king.” The old guard said to the others before turning to me. “This way please Miss.” He said extending a hand to me. I looked over at Logan without really thinking and saw his eyes quickly drop to the floor, avoiding my gaze and I knew then that I shouldn’t have done that. Pretend you don’t know him, don’t look at him, don’t talk to him.

I took the guards hand and smiled at him, letting him lead me off towards the horses. He picked me up and placed me on one of the horses before climbing up after me and taking the rains. To say I was a little scared about being on a massive horse was an understatement, I was petrified. I lived in the city for god sake, the closest I had ever come to a horse was then ones that pulled carriages in the city but they were a good distance away and I never had to ride one.

I gripped the horse’s mane in a death grip and shut my eyes momentarily while the horse began to move. Looking to the side just over the guards shoulder I could see Logan and Conner walking along side on the horses talking to one of the guards in hushed voices so that I couldn’t hear, while Marco was… well… being Marco. Smiling and looking totally amused as he was being dragged behind one of the horses with a rope.

I still didn’t understand. How is he so god damn amused by this, from my understanding he was about to be executed or imprisoned for the rest of his life, shouldn’t he at least be upset about that, I know I would.

I looked over at the direction we were heading and I couldn’t help but stare in awe. The rolling hills were coming to an end and in front of me was a massive red stone castle that pecked at seven stories high, yellow flags rippled in the wind on top of the three pecks. High walls separated the castle and some of the upper class houses from the town houses in the main square.

We followed the gravel road and slowly houses began to appear on the sides, they turned form ratty old houses that looked like the abandoned dumps from back home to the normal and the more classy houses. Almost like the closer you got the castle the more money you had.

Entering the gates of the castle walls I saw everyone staring at me and started to feel subconscious. My hair probably looked like a family of birds had moved in and my clothes were somewhere under the dirt and mud.

The horses came to a stop at the doors of the castle and they all started to descend. The guard I was riding with climbed off his horse before helping me down. I saw Logan and Marco entre through the doors followed by everyone else and decided to follow them. Where the hell else was I supposed to go? Everyone around me seemed so tall and the stares I was getting made me feeling like a forging object in the museum. What was so strange about a girl? I felt like just yelling ‘Take a picture it lasts longer!’

Walking into the hall I was momentarily amazed by the high ceiling, the rounded ceiling with patterns engraved in the plaster, the room was long and lined with two rows of columns that made you focus on the stage like area at the end of the room with two large chairs made of what looked like gold with red cushions.

Everyone was crowding in at the sides leaving the centre free. I didn’t know where to go, but when I saw one of the guards push Marco down onto his knees I knew I needed to move. Looking around I saw Conner and caught his eye. He gestured for me to come over towards which I did gladly. They may not have given the first impression but given the choice I didn’t want to stray too far from Logan, Conner seemed like a nice and genuine guy from when I had spoken to him but still Logan had my trust.

Reaching his side Conner just put his finger on his lips telling me to be quiet and then grabbed my arm pulling me back a little and closer to him. I looked up in anticipation waiting for what was going to happen. My eyes immediately feel on Logan, he held my gaze in an intense look, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was trying to tell me something in that moment but I couldn’t exactly just yell out ‘What?!’

The room fell silent as someone stepped out in front of one of the chairs. He wore a golden crown on his light brown head and green eyes seemed to be just as hypnotizing as Logan’s. It must be something that they all can do. I shook my head clear to ensure that I didn’t get caught up in his eyes and focused on Marco who had only just stopped smiling – now he’s got me worried, if Marco wasn’t smiling then something must be really, really bad.

He man at the front sat down in his chair and gestured for them to start with his hand. It was a trial. Marco’s trial. They went through the evidence and his crimes only they sounded ten times worse than Marco had made out. They said that he had murdered not only three men but their families as well, that he had enslaved the people in the underground and had been killing humans to feed them.

I watched Marco and Logan’s reactions the entire time, seeing their jaws clench and fist ball as they tried to contain their anger. I knew it wasn’t true, I had seen the way the people in the underground were and slavery wasn’t the words I would use to describe it. And by the disgust he showed, there was no way I believed that he murdered the families of those men.

“Marco Bellator you have been tried and found guilty. I sentence you to death by beheading to be carried out in a fortnight.” The man said standing.

I saw Logan go tense and try his best to hide his emotions but I could see them, the slight twitch of the hand, and the frown in his brow. He was upset, and beyond angry, but what did he expect? He knew he was bringing him back here to meet his death.

Everyone started to pile out of the room faster than ants out of a nest. All except Logan and Conner. I stood next to Conner but my eyes didn’t leave Logan, I longed to go up to him and just tell him it was ok, comfort him in some way but I knew that was the wrong move. I wasn’t a stupid girl who did stupid things; I knew that I had to be careful from here on in.

The guard who had bought me in stood behind the man whom I assumed was the king or whatever it is they had here. Marco was bought to his feet and pushed out of the room, disappearing through a wall that I now noticed was a door.

The guy came to stand in front of me and smiled as he looked down at me. He really was very good-looking, his strong muscular build, light brown hair, green obsidian eyes and kind smile looked genuine

“Hi I’m Peter the King of the Volucris. You must be Britney?” He smiled at me while extending a hand.

I smiled back and shook his hand.

“I wonder if you could join me for a walk in the gardens.” He asked me. I looked over his shoulder at Logan but he didn’t look up from his shoes.

I nodded and placed my hand in the crock of his arm, letting him lead me off in the direction of the gardens. The guards that guarded a set of double glass doors opened them to reveal a breath taking sight of colourful flowers and plants, some glowing as if had luminous petals. My mouth was probably dragging behind me on the floor as he placed a hand on my lower back and pushed me forward, further into the outside room. It was room with glass ceiling allowing the sun to peer through without the harsh rays and mirrored walls that spread the sunlight.

We walked through the gardens and I was in awe of the place.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” He asked me as he allowed me to spin around trying to take in as much as I could in the one view.

“It’s amazing, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Like it? I love it.”

He smiled and grabbed hold of my hand swinging it slightly as he walked me around the gardens. We came across a water fountain in the middle, surrounded by high hedges with stone seats around the edges. We took a seat on one of the stone chairs as he turned my hand over in his and ran his thumb over my knuckles as if trying to comfort me.

“I do hope that the guards I sent to get you weren’t too harsh with you.” I froze for moment thinking about Logan. Marco’s words echoed in my head as I thought about all of the things I could say.

If you care for him in any way, you won’t.

“No, not at all.” I assured him smiling and looking as convincing as I possibly could.

“I’m glad. I bet you have a lot of questions.”

“Yes, I do” it was the understatement of the century. All of the questions that have been eating away at my brain and sanity for the past week – what day is it anyway?

“Well ask away then my dear.”

I smiled at him and bit my lip as I thought about them, it was funny how you could have so many questions but when you are faced with that chance to have the answers you so desire you couldn’t seem to find the words. Where do I start?

“Why am I here exactly?” Might as well start at the beginning.

“Well, to answer that you must know of my people and our history.” He told me as he turned around and plucked a flower that resembled a bright coloured rose and turned it over in his fingers. “The Volucris once lived amongst your people; we found your world like a ray of light in the darkness, opening our eyes. But greed and blood lines sent us to war, which in turn led to a mass destruction of your world, they called it the War of the Angels. To ensure that we never again harmed your world every creature would return to their respected realms, we would never again show ourselves to the human. And every five generations the King of the Volucris would take a human as his bride to taint the blood lines.”

It was a lot to take in but the main thing that stuck in my mind was ‘take a human as his bride to taint the blood lines’. Did they think so little of us? Wait did that mean what I think it means?

“So let me get this straight. I’m here because…” I left it open for him to confirm it for me.

“I bought you here, because I would like to make you my wife.” He said simply as he brushed the stray strand of hair out of my face and placed the flower just above my ear.’

Well I didn’t expect that.

I opened and closed my mouth like a goldfish as I searched for something to say.

“I u-uh what?!” I finally said after what felt like minutes of silence.

Peter smiled and shook his head slightly. “You need not worry sweet girl, it will be your decision in the end, I just wanted to get to know you more. If you decide that you don’t want this then I will gladly take you home.” He told me taking my hand and raising up to his lips before placing a soft kiss on the back of my hand and putting it back on my lap.

“I must attend to my prisoner; I will come and see you later.” He said before getting up and leaving me to my thoughts in the garden.

What had I gotten into?

I blame Logan.