Nemias's mind was racing just as fast as her feet were. Her hands gripped the skirt of her dress, lifting the hem above her feet as to not trip over it while she ran. Not but a few steps in she had kicked her heels off, finding them a nuisance in the given moment. She could hear the angered, rattling breath coming from Dorian who was right on her heels.
What the hell happened in the ballroom? The question would be answered soon enough as the pair rounded the corner of the hall. They caught a glimpse of Donovan fleeing out of the front door in the chaos. The smoke was thick, billowing out of the ballroom and down the halls. Screams and cries were still coming from the ballroom though some of the guests were starting to rush out, trying to escape the smoke and destruction.
Dorian growled lowly but powerful enough it seemed like the whole hall shook from such a deep vibration. He made two steps in the direction Donovan had went but stopped suddenly and flexed his hands that were starting to lengthen as his nails elongated into the deadly claws of a Lycan.
Then, Nemia heard it. That low, nearly intoxicating hum. The guests attempting to flee stopped just as suddenly as Dorian had. They all could hear it. "Fucking sirens." Nemia spat out through gritted teeth while her gaze fell into the smokey pit of the ballroom. Not everyone or thing would be affected by the sirens song and charm and the ones that wasn't started to move again. Quicker now at the sound of a siren. The ones affected on the other hand just stood motionless.
Nemia didn't have time to worry about what the plan was, the only thing of concern now was finding the damned slippery creature before those under her power got whatever message she was relaying to them now. With that thought, she broke through the crowd and worked herself deeper into the ballroom.
Dorian was right behind her yet again, not affected by the siren. Shortly after the two was deep into the ballroom, Nik and Julia came rushing up to them. Both were covered in soot and ash with streaks of blood all over them. Though both of them had the calmest look all things considering.
Nemia cupped Julie's cheeks and smiled softly. "Thank the gods you're okay." She mumbled softly and Julia parroted her for the most part. But Nemia couldn't keep focused on them, her eyes were constantly searching the crowd. Most of those unaffected had already fled and left behind the still motionless affected guests.
"Where's Alex?" Dorian asked Nik while he searched the room with his eyes, landing them on a crumpled group of people lying on the floor. The bright, ruby red dress catching his eye even is the thick smoke. He rushed over to the pile, surveying them. Alex was breathing thankfully, but was unconscious. A few others were in her state though there were many that was gone. Dead.
"She's okay." Mikael's words barely reached him though. His anger turned to rage and he let out a loud, rumbling roar as he began to grow and double in size nearly. Fully transforming into his two legged, wolf-like self. His shirt ripping under the bulging muscle of his transformation. His ice blue eyes turned onto the small group behind him. Though those wolfish eyes settled too comfortably onto Nemia.
Nemia's eyes narrowed only slightly under his gaze. Her wolf was panting in her head in approval and starting pushing to be let out once again. "No!" She growled into her head and her wolf whimpered. Then, she spoke. "Let's find this damned siren before we have to kill your beloved subjects." Maybe she said that a bit to aggressively by the wince she seen in Dorian's eyes, though he just gave her a stiff nod and then inhaled deeply. Searching for the sirens scent.
Nemia and Nik done the same. But there were too many scents lingering in the air and while they could smell the scent of the siren, pinpointing her location was near to impossible. But Nemia's head whipped around, her eyes landing on a dark corner at the opposite end of the ballroom. Dorian's eyes followed her path and growled lowly.
Then, those affected moved. Within seconds, Julia and Nik both were ensnared by the arms of many patrons. Though those grabbing at Nik were struggling to keep their hold on him as he transformed just like Dorian had. Slightly smaller but still powerful as ever. It took a team of roughly ten supernaturals atleast the get Nik into submission while only two bulky men were gripping Julia's arms tightly and started pulling her away from Nemia.
A growl shook the castle floor and then Nemia was off, her feet running straight for that dark corner. The affected were outstretching their arms and trying to grab onto Nemia as she blew past them. Sending one flying right after the other if they managed to get a hand on her because just as they would do so, either she would shoulder past them and knock them back or she would grab the arm that touched her and fling them aside in one swift motion. Her focus laser locked onto that corner.
A group of about twenty of the affected started piling around the corner, mindlessly blocking her path. Atleast that's what they thought the were doing. But Nemia was tunneling her vision and a few feet away from the crowd, she lept. Through the air she went and the dress she wore fell to the ground almost instantly as her body morphed in the air. She landed on the other side of the group on all fours. The crackling snarl ripped from her wolfs lungs and a high pitched screech came from the corner. In a flash, Veera shot out of the corner and dipped to the side while her minions turned onto Nemia.
The same group that tried to block Nemia's path were now surrounding her and lashing out with claws and fangs. Some with the capability of spitting acid and fire. The wolfs fur singed as she was hit with a spit of fire but all she could hear was the whimpers coming from Julia as her captors continued to pull at her and then she screamed out as one of them sank their teeth into her neck. Nemia snarled again and spun quickly, using her tail to knock back the assailants around her.
She didn't want to kill them, they weren't doing this unprovoked. She just needed to get to that damned siren. After the dull thud of those around her crashing backwards, she sprinted and jumped at one of the walls only to push off of it with all fours. Using the wall as, essentially, a makeshift trampoline and then flew through the air with a speed the siren could have never expected.
Veera screeched again, temporarily deafening Nemia though fell silent quickly as Nemia met her target. Crashing down into her. Veera laid on her back, breathless from the impact with a single paw of Nemia's crushing down onto her sternum. A single nail on the wolfs paw was piercing the skin at the nape of the sirens neck just barely, but still enough that a trickle of blood started a single stream around one side and dropped onto the floor below her.
The maul of Nemia's wolf was open as another, threatening snarled crackled out of her throat as she brought it could to the sirens face, adding more pressure on the single paw as she done so.
Veera's eyes widened in fear and her mouth opened and closed between gasps for air. Tears welled into the ducts of her eyes and she started to whimper. The lips of the wolfs drew back slightly into a makeshift, spine shivering smile and then loosened the pressure on the sirens chest. Veera knew now she was done for and dropped the charm over the people that had been affected. That didn't mean she was off the hook however.
Nemia lifted her paw completely only for her to snap her jaws down on Veera's arm. Her teeth easily ripped into the skin and hit bone, blood began to pour in her muzzle as Veera let out a painful scream. "Ahhh! No! Stop! I.. I let them go!" The sirens voice hit Nemia's ears but she didn't care. She didn't let go, but instead she stood completely with Veera's arm still ensnared in her teeth. This caused Veera to dangle from Nemia by her arm. Veera's feet, inches from the ground in this position.
Then Nemia started to walk slowly back through the crowd, with Veera in tow, to Dorian, Nik, and Julia. Though the wolfs eyes were solely focused on Dorian's. His expression though, brought confusion. After quickly glancing around the room, she found as the others came to their senses and took notice of her that their expression quickly mimicked Dorian's aside from Julia.
She stopped a few feet from Dorian and dropped Veera from the clutches of her jaws, who immediately scrambled to the side. Whimpering with tears streaming down her face from pain. She was quickly ensnared into Nik's arms so she couldn't escape completely. But no one spoke a word for a long moment.
Dorian started to move forward slowly, his clawed hand outstretched Infront of him as his eyes were focused on the half sun mark on her wolfs chest. Nemia took a step back and huffed at Dorian, causing him to stop and flick his gaze up to meet her own. Slowly, Dorian's Lycan form dissolved around him. "It's you..."
That... only added to her confusion. Then, Dorian dropped to his knee. Kneeling to Nemia and as he did so, the entire ballroom fell to one knee. Aside from Julia still, who was looking just as confused. Nemia and Julia locked eyes for a moment and Nemia scratched at the ground at her feet. The two didn't need words for Julia to know what she needed and suddenly Nemia was hidden in a cloud of fairy dust. As it settled, the dress that Nemia had transformed out of was back on her body as she reverted back to her prior form.
Nemia gave Julia a tight lipped smile. "Thanks." She mumbled, then turned her eyes back to Dorian who was still kneeling at her feet. She leaned down slightly and grabbed him, pulling him back up to a standing position with a look of disapproval. "Now what the hell are you doing?" She scolded though his answer isn't what reached her ears, instead it was a voice that turned her veins to ice. She had never heard his voice before but instantly knew it was him. Malcolm.
"You have the mark of Sol, the ancient sun god. You have the mark that should have been given to me.... sister." Malcolm spat with a bitter smile stretched across his rough, scarred face and showing teeth.
Nemia was stuck in place, staring at the man who she has spent the last ten years searching for. Sister? No, there's no way she could be related to this monster. She shook her head at the thought. There's no way ....
Malcolm let out a dark chuckle. "You heard me right. Don't tell me you thought that pathetic Silverback Pack was your family."
Nemia's stomach was twisting. She felt sick. But looking into the man's eyes, she clearly seen her own. The familiarity. "Oh gods no." She whispered, her hand holding her stomach tightly as she paled with the sickening thought.
"Oh gods yes, sister." He chuckled darkly again, then spat on the floor. His mood shifting instantly and he growled as he looked between her and Dorian both. "I should have killed you when I had the chance ten years ago. Now you know too much and are mated to the dastardly king. Yes, I can smell your bond. It makes me sick. You won this round, but be warned. I am coming for you." He spat onto the floor again and gave one last bitter look.
The entire ballroom rose to chaos then again as so many of them lunged simultaneously at Malcolm including Nemia herself but just as her hand was in grabbing distance, he vanished into a puff of thick, smokey miasma.
"Fuck!" Nemia screamed as her hand clasped at the smoke. Swatting it away to find nothing there. "Where the hell did he go?!" She screamed, enraged and looking around with wide, wild eyes. Her breathing has picked up and she started to shake. Just as her knees weakened from emotion, Julia was wrapping her arms around her back and helping her to sit on the ground as Julia held Nemia. Dorian came into her vision shortly after, looking at her with grief and anger. She could hear him barking out orders to his guards but couldn't make any sense of whatever he told them. She just watched as they scurried off in several directions.
"Nik, after Alex is taken care of meet us in my office." Dorian's words started to register as he made a step towards her, extending his hand in an attempt to grab her along with Julia but Nemia was stepping back to keep him just out of arms length. Shaking her head furiously from side to side.
Dorian's face fell slightly and hurt quickly flashed across his face before he resolved himself and dropped his hand back to his side with a short nod. "I'll show you ladies to my office then." He mumbled with a gruff, old Romanian accent. Then ushered them to follow him.
Nemia remembered the path they had taken, going back to the same office that they had been in just minutes earlier. 'All of this is too much too fast.' Nemia thought to herself, though gave a glance to Julia. Her one constant. Their arms were still interlocked and Nemia squeezed her arm gently, reassuringly. Though she wasn't sure if the reassurance was for Julia or for herself at this point.
Julia glanced over at the squeeze and gave her a small smile. Her nerves were clearly racked but aside from that she was fine. She glanced to the back of Dorian for a second before glancing back to Nemia again, her smile growing slightly. This time it was her turn to squeeze Nemia's arm and made the silent reference of Dorian.
Nemia shook her head and rolled her eyes before giving Julia a look saying, "This conversation isn't up for debate.", without actually speaking. Which resulted in Julia scrunching her face in a silly mock of anger and let out a huff through her nose resembling a bull causing Nemia to bite back her laugh.
The small sounds was enough to grab Dorian's attention however and he turned around slightly with furrowed brows as he looked for the source of the sounded only to have Nemia and Julia both go simultaneously emotionless and suddenly turn their faces forward. Dorian chose not to comment, finding them being odd but couldn't stop the twitch of his smile as he turned back facing forward, finally nearing his office.
Nemia flushed the moment she caught the twitch of his smile and had the sudden urge to tell him not to do that anymore. To smile? How ridiculous of a thing to want to tell someone.. Gods, why? Gods ... Solis.. She used her free arm to raise it to her chest, rubbing at the mark hidden slightly under her top. Who was she?...