The Veil of Darkness
Chapter 126: Her Protector

Chapter 126: Her Protector

"Someone tried to break into the Sky Castle a couple of nights ago but whoever it was... didn’t succeed in taking down the protection ward. We have been chasing that person ever since then and we found his/her recent energy marks here in Lakeshire Village."

The revelation was followed by a long silence as no one spoke until the man with the green eyes decided to continue, "We couldn’t waste time in seeking approval before entering the town or we would have lost the track of that person."

Annalise found herself nodding her head in understanding as the explanation pretty much summed up everything. However...

"Then where is that person? The one you guys were chasing for trying to break into the Sky Castle in the middle of the night?" Leela was the one who raised the question as she folded her hands over her chest and stared at the man who was doing all the talking.

"He’s not here, we have already checked. He either escaped before we arrived here or..."

Leela suddenly let out a chuckle but there was no humor in it, she was clearly laughing at the man. "Seriously? You just claimed that you trespassed into Lakeshire because you were tracking someone and now when I’m asking you where that ’someone’ of yours is, you are telling me that he already escaped. Such an interesting story."

"Are you implying that we are lying?" The man didn’t seem happy about the accusation that Leela painted him with.

"What else am I supposed to think then?" Leela challenged in response.

At this point, Annalise was almost done with both Leela and the Sky Castle men. She had nothing to do with either of them but she was still there listening to their constant bickering.

"How about this, I’ll take my leave while you guys can continue. Have a nice conversation." She gave them a little bow with a pleasant smile before turning around to leave.

But her luck wasn’t as good as she was expecting because as soon as she took the first step, Leela was there to stop her as the young girl’s strong hand wrapped around her arm and stopped her from taking another step further.

"You can’t go anywhere," Leela stated as she pulled Annalise to stand next to her. "I was ordered by my senior to look after you and make sure that you will stay out of any trouble. So, you have to stay with me and follow me wherever I will go."

Annalise stared at the girl with a dumbfounded expression on her face. "Since you are ordered to look after me, shouldn’t you be the one following me wherever I’ll go?" She asked the girl.

Leela seemed completely unfazed as she replied, "Didn’t you say that you have nothing to do at the moment? However, look at me. Unlike you, I have such an important matter to handle here. Considering our situation, it’s pretty understandable for you to follow me."

Annalise let out a small sigh as she couldn’t find any words to comment on Leela’s logic. "Why did your senior asked you to look after me?" She asked as she recalled that part of Leela’s explanation.

Leela shrugged her shoulders a little bit as she answered, "Because that was the Queen’s order."

However, her answer only confused Annalise. After all, there was no reason for the Mer Queen to ask her people to look after her.

Her confusion was probably visible on her face because Leela explained further. "The wards of the Mer City don’t allow anyone inside it to have mind links with anyone outside the city, except for the Queen. That’s why the bond between you and your husbands stopped working the moment they stepped inside and to make them feel at ease about your safety, Her Majesty ordered me to accompany you until your husbands return."

So, it was them... her husbands!

Annalise let out a small sigh as she assessed Leela. Though the girl looked so young and too cute to be of any harm, she could tell that there was a warrior hidden beneath those layers of innocence and cuteness. Maybe it was just her instincts telling her that Leela was more of a friend but she believed her instincts, they had never been wrong when judging a person.

"Alright, I’ll stay here with you." She told the girl who seemed happy with her decision. Once their problem was sorted, Leela returned her attention to the group of men. "Fine, let’s assume that you guys are telling the truth and that person whom you are looking for has escaped from Lakeshire, then what’s your plan next? What are you guys going to do now?"

"We will return to Sky Castle." The man with green eyes replied immediately.

"Lie."

Annalise had no idea why she suddenly said it out loud but then one look at the man’s face and she knew that she was right, he was indeed lying about returning to the Sky Castle. As for how did she know it, just another feeling.

Leela looked at her for a second before she turned to glare at the men who were looking at Annalise with weird looks in their eyes but there was mostly surprise. "Don’t try to play smart with us. The four of you are nothing compared to me, let alone her, so you better answer truthfully."

It was a miracle that Annalise didn’t choke on her saliva at Leela’s words. The confidence with which the girl lied about Annalise’s magical strength was really astounding, even Annalise would have believed her words because of her confidence if not for the fact that she was pretty aware of her powers. She won’t be able to take down even one of those men, let alone all of them.

The man with green eyes let out a sigh before he asked, "What do you want from us?"

A small smile bloomed on Leela’s lips as she answered, "If you want to leave this town today, you have to take us both with you guys."

-

"You have lost your mind, Leela. I just can’t leave Lakeshire without my husbands, they would be worried." Annalise tried to make the girl understand exactly why leaving Lakeshire was a bad idea for her. She couldn’t even make herself imagine the consequences.

Leela finally seemed to be done with her constant pleading that she finally turned to glare at Annalise. "Do you need to tell your husbands before breathing, or do you need to inform them every time you want to eat?"

"It’s not as simple as you think, Leela. They are my husbands and if they suddenly find me missing when they will return to the inn, they will be worried." Annalise once again tried to explain to the girl the difference between what she was telling and what the latter was understanding.

Leela let out a small sigh before she answered, "Don’t worry too much about it, I have already informed the Queen about everything that is going on here and she will tell your husbands about it. So, they will know that you are with me and will leave the town with me. Now, is everything sorted out now?"

Annalise opened her mouth to object but then closed it when Leela glared at her. The girl was telling the truth about her informing the Queen about their plan of leaving the town but that did nothing to make her worries go away. She needed to talk to her husbands directly to feel at ease but that seemed impossible in their current state.

"It’s time for us to leave." It was the man with green eyes, who introduced himself as Ezra, shouted from a distance where he and his men had already mounted their horses and were ready to continue with their search.

Leela turned to look at Annalise as she spoke, "You decided to follow these men for a reason, My Lady, let’s not allow your feelings to rule over your instincts. Maybe, following them will give you answers that you don’t even know you needed."

The girl didn’t wait for Annalise to reply before she mounted her horse, which had magically appeared along with another black horse that was for Annalise, and headed where the group of men was waiting.

A sigh left Annalise’s lips as she walked toward her horse. What option was even left for her other than following Leela because not following her didn’t seem to be a choice she was allowed to make?

Besides, what Leela said did make sense. She indeed started following those men because her instinct told her to do that, and probably following her instincts was the best choice for her.

She mounted the horse and took the reins in her hands as she made her horse move in the direction of the group that was waiting for her.

She just hoped that her husbands won’t be angry with her choice.

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