The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 90: Ogain’s temper slipping away.

Chapter 90: Ogain’s temper slipping away.

"I hear you!" Ren summoned every ounce of bravado into her stance, refusing to bend to the girl’s will. This time, she met Elaika head-on—unyielding, and defiant. But for the first time, Ren saw it. Fear. A flicker of it was buried in Elaika’s eyes.

She was afraid of Ogain.

"You should know that I will never back down," Elaika snapped. "You’ll betray him. I can feel it."

Ren let out an exasperated breath. "Don’t you ever get tired of this? Why would I betray him?"

"Because humans are greedy," Elaika hissed, raising her foreign blades. "And soon enough, I’ll be the one hunting you."

A threat. Brazen. Shameless. But it didn’t frighten her. No one could scare her with death anymore as she had gone to the verge of it many times and returned.

"Yes, do it," Ren said coldly. "If the day comes that I betray him, I want it to be you who ends me."

Elaika’s eyes widened, then narrowed with suspicion. "Good. Just know this, you won’t fool me. You’re clever, but I’m stronger."

She didn’t wait for a reply. With a sudden jerk, she yanked Ren’s shoulder and walked toward the exit, leaving this valley.

Ogain flew forward, ready to strike, but Ren quickly shook her head. "No. Not unless she’s all talk."

Ogain’s eyes constricted, his expression wounded, but he obeyed. She didn’t attack his master.

Arkilla, already seated on the fur mat in the center of the hall, raised her voice. "What was that?"

"What?" Ren muttered, brushing off her shoulder.

She motioned for Ogain to sit nearby, close enough that she could see him, and then followed Arkilla into the circle.

"Kill me if I betray him? She’d kill you even if you didn’t." Killa’s voice sharpened. "Do you know how many times she broke my bones just because I was wolfless?"

Ren raised her guard, challenging Killa. If she wanted to improve, she had to test what she’d already learned from her.

"How about you break mine too," Ren said coolly, "so I grow tough enough not to lose to her?"

The look in her eyes was so grave, that Arkilla almost flinched.

"Are you fucking serious?"

"Yes. Teach me more," Ren said. "You’ll see, I learn fast."

Arkilla couldn’t argue with that. The girl did learn fast, unnaturally fast, especially for a human. From across the hall, whispers stirred, voices murmuring that their Luna was unlike anything they’d seen before. Extraordinary. Uncanny. It hadn’t even been that long since her training began, yet here she was, matching Arkilla’s pace. She was still delicate, sure. But fast. Crazy fast.

Arkilla didn’t hold back. She lunged without warning. But Ren moved like water. Every strike missed. Every blow slipped past.

Arkilla’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. She hadn’t gone easy on her, but it was as if Ren had let her land hits before, just to study her rhythm. To predict her next move.

Damn it. Arkilla barely had time to process her thoughts before Ren struck, twisting her arm, sweeping her leg from behind, and forcing her to her knees.

"I’ll be the one to make her kneel," Ren muttered through clenched teeth.

Arkilla let out a breathless, satisfied smirk. "If you weren’t a royal from House Dorient, I’d swear you weren’t even human."

Ren released her grip with a shrug. "Sometimes, I wonder that too. Now, my turn to attack."

A chill rippled down Arkilla’s spine. Her lady wasn’t just eager, she was determined to break a bone today.

As Arkilla pushed to her feet, a blur of motion came at her, Ren’s fist aimed squarely at her face. Arkilla barely managed to swerve in time. Any slower, and her nose would’ve been a bleeding mess for a week.

"Not bad!" she grunted.

Damn good, actually. But if Ren could land that, Arkilla wanted to see what else she could do. She was making her hold high expectations upon her.

The fight escalated. Arkilla switched tactics, pulling out moves she hadn’t yet taught her. With a swift pivot and a precise grip, she flipped Ren onto the mat, pinning her down.

And that’s when Ogain snapped.

With a furious screech and a sudden burst of air, he launched himself at Arkilla. His talons raked across her arm, carving deep, bloody lines into her skin.

Arkilla cursed and sprang back, clutching her wounded arm. Her eyes darted, trying to find him, but Ogain was already circling again, a blur of wings and fury, ghostlike in his speed.

"Gods..."

"That’s a baby griffin..." someone whispered. "I don’t want to imagine his power when he’s full-grown..."

More murmurs rose around the hall.

"Ogain, come here!" Ren called, rising to her feet.

But the griffin didn’t hear her or rather chose not to. Fury clouded his mind. He dove again, talons slicing the air. Arkilla barely ducked in time, the claws grazing inches from her face. "Stop the freak!" she shouted, desperation breaking through her usually iron tone.

"Ogain, enough!" Ren commanded, but he didn’t stop.

Then she moved.

Ren extended her right hand, calm, deliberate, and a thin thread of black shadow unraveled from her fingertip. It lashed through the air and reached Ogain, wrapping tightly around his leg. The moment it made contact, his wings faltered, his body froze, and he gently moved to the ground, soothed.

Silence fell like a stone.

Ren stared at her own hand, stunned.

She hadn’t been afraid, not truly. Irritated and pissed, yes, she was. But not terrified. This wasn’t fear-fueled magic. This was something else. A force summoned by sheer will, by focus, and command. Her mind had locked on Ogain, and she had willed it to happen.

And it did.

Shaking it off, Ren rushed to Arkilla’s side and knelt beside her. The wound was deep, claw marks still bleeding through torn flesh.

Her eyes narrowed. "Why aren’t you healing?"

Arkilla gave a bitter shrug. "Cripple, remember?"

Ren saw the pain etched across Arkilla’s face, and the heartbreak buried beneath it. Her throat tightened. Just moments ago, she’d cleared her mind and tamed Ogain. Could she now draw power from that same place and heal?

She placed her palm gently over Arkilla’s wounded arm and closed her eyes, recalling the formation Agara had once used to mend her. Ren focused, envisioning the wound, letting her thoughts quiet as she opened herself to the magic.

This time, it wasn’t cold like water wielding, it was warm. Gentle rays of heat stirred at her fingertips, and slowly, a soft white glow bloomed beneath her palm.

Arkilla flinched. It burned. She knew it would. Healing always comes at a cost.

Arkilla moved her bloody hand away, watching as the crimson juice of her life ceased to flow. The torn flesh began to knit itself back together. Then the skin followed.

Ren was sweating, trickling from her face. This was taking more out of her than she’d imagined. Agara was right. She needed more strength to wield this power properly. And she just used two shades of her magic.

With a gasp, she pulled her hand back, breathless, her shoulders trembling. Sweat ran down her face. Still, she smiled faintly. "I did it, but..." Her smile faltered. "It left a mark."

Before she could collapse, Arkilla caught her, arms wrapping around her as Ren sagged forward.

"Are you fainting?" Arkilla asked, voice low.

Ren looked up, her vision blurring. "Take Ogain... to Orgeve..."

Two females hurried toward them, rushing to help.

"Bring Gamma Org!" Arkilla ordered one of them, tightening her hold on Ren.

And then, their Luna slipped into unconsciousness.

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