Chapter 248: Chapter 248 The Hypocrite
Boom.
A crack formed on the barrier, and the witches began attacking violently.
"Aeris!" Damon called from behind.
"The portal is stable now, everyone gets inside!" Hearing his command, Theo and Alaric were the first to enter.
I took a few steps back, the witches were like a raging storm. If I played a hero that might be the end of me.
’There is a famous saying Golden, he who runs from a fight, lives to fight another day.’ I nodded to confirm my thought.
I felt a grip over my hand, and my body went completely still. I slowly lifted my head and it was... Damon.
I struggled to pry his hand away, but his grip tightened. "Aeris, we have no time!"
His silver eyes burned into mine, sharp and desperate. "Move!" he barked, pulling me toward the portal.
"I can walk on my own!" I snapped, jerking against his grip, but he didn’t let go.
The ground shook as another blast slammed into the barrier, cracks spreading like lightning. Rhydian roared, wings straining as he held it open, the portal flickering like a flame about to go out.
Golden fluttered frantically inside my clothes. "Princess, hurry!" she cried.
The witches were closing in, their voices rising in a terrible chant that made my skin crawl. Fire streaked through the air, and one strike hit so close the heat scorched my cheek.
"Damon!" Alaric shouted from the other side of the portal, his voice ragged. "Now!"
Damon yanked me forward without warning, and my feet left the ground as we dove through the unstable light.
The world twisted, spinning so fast my stomach flipped. Then everything went still, there was no fire blasting towards us, no screams, and no chaos. My knees hit the cold, hard floor.
I let out a deep sigh of relief. ’So much for escaping.
The air was cool and sharp, it was nothing like the battlefield we’d just escaped from. My chest heaved, my ears ringing, and my whole body trembling.
Theo groaned somewhere close by. And Alaric cursed under his breath, dusting his clothes.
Damon’s grip was still tight on my hand, I yanked it free, glaring daggers at him.
His jaws tightened, and his gaze hardened. "Why were you hesitating? Were you planning to get killed or what?"
I scoffed. "Anything I decide to do is none of your goddamn business."
Damon blinked a couple of times, as if he could not believe his ears. "What did you just say to me?"
"You heard me right, except you need some hearing aids." My eyes interlocked with his, fire sparking between us.
"Aeris, don’t tell this is about the mistake I made a couple of days before... Are you seeking attention or what?" He clenched his fist.
"Me? Seeking attention? Your attention? I think your ego is becoming more and more inflated. I don’t want you... And I don’t even want to see your face. It disgusts me." I spat out.
Damon’s brows furrowed. "I disgust you?" His expression turned to one of disbelief, and I felt waves of pain surging through my chest.
"Why? Because you find that I’m a werewolf?" His hands trembled beside him in anger.
It wasn’t because he was a werewolf... he just didn’t know I had retained my memories. I had promised to drive him mad, and I’ll keep the end of my promise.
"Yes, you are fucking disgusting werewolf, you all are." I glanced at Alaric and Theo. They all stood by when I was at my weakest. Even Alaric who had experienced a life and death situation with me. They all turned their back on me... they all left me to die. To watch my sisters die. They all branded me as a traitor and a witch... an abomination that is unfitting for their precious Lycan King.
Why should I forgive them now? I never asked them to look for me. Tears streamed down my cheeks, even when I tried to hold them in, they betrayed me too.
Rhydian came to my side, pulling me up to my feet. "Aeris," he wiped off the tears from my face. "Don’t cry. I’ll take you far away from them if you don’t want to travel with them."
Alaric stepped forward. "Aeris, I never intended to keep it away from you. I apologize if I hurt you, but it was never my intention to."
I turned to him, the warmth in my eyes long gone. "I’m not Aeris." I paused. "I’m Princess Aeris," I said slowly, so the words would sink into their heads.
"Aeris." Damon stood up. "You can’t do this to us. Isn’t this discrimination, I thought you wanted to see the world... Aren’t werewolves part of the world too? And how can you judge us as bad when you have not even set foot into our realm?"
My heart clenched hearing his words. ’I knew he was a psychopath, but I never knew he was delusional and a hypocrite too. He rejected me because I was different, he gave orders to hunt me because I was fae... he hated me... he despised me, and chased me to my death. How can he expect the grace he never gave?’
"What a hypocrite." I chuckled bitterly.
Damon stepped forward, getting closer to my space, however before he could reach, Rhydian stretched his other hand blocking his path with an invisible barrier. "She doesn’t want you to get close."
"Aeris," His voice softened. "I didn’t want to hide from you, I was scared you would react exactly like this." He looked at me with so much longing and pain.
Before I could speak, Rhydian scoffed. "And that almost sent all of us to our graves. You are the one the witches are looking for. It is best if we part ways now."
Damon’s eyes turned pitch black. "I refuse!" he snarled. "Do you realize what you are doing? I was not the only one they were looking for, they were also looking for a Chosen, which would be either you or her."
Damon stepped closer, his body pressing against the barrier. "Parting would only bring us disaster. I won’t part ways!" A guttural growl rumbled from his chest.
Suddenly, crows began to circle above us shrieking.