Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1633 - 75 : The Door of Vines and Secrets

*Briella*

“I don’t know about this.”

Alyna was gripping some rope and peering down the side of the treehouse we had all been staying in. Her gray eyes, which were so much like her brother’s, were wide and uncertain.

Roy set a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to do it. We can take the ladder down.”

Kryzen just smirked at his sister. “Are you actually afraid, Aly?” he asked teasingly.

I rolled my eyes at him. “If she doesn’t want to do it, she doesn’t have to,” I said firmly.

If Alyna wasn’t going to take the enchanted rope down, it didn’t mean that I wasn’t going to quite literally jump at the chance.

“I’m not scared,” Alyna snapped at her little brother, but the way she was peering over the edge of the large wooden platform we were on said otherwise. “I’m just not sure I trust this thing, that’s all. How does it work again?”

I patted Alyna on the back softly so that I wouldn’t startle her, gently taking the rope out of her hands. “Want me to go first?” I asked, knowing that that was exactly what she wanted by the way she immediately relinquished her hold on the rope. I gestured at the glittering line. “It’s enchanted. It forms a connection with the rider and takes them where they want to go.”

“Well, I’m assuming it’s fairly limited,” Roy said goodnaturedly, giving me a wink. “I imagine it can’t jump realms or anything, let alone take us outside of Ethereal Grove’s borders.”

I laughed. “Well, one way to find out,” I quipped. I was practically shaking with excitement. I had always wanted to fly.

“Be careful,” Kryzen ordered from behind me, his voice stern.

Alyna shook her head. “Oh, sure, you were just going to send your sister over the edge, but as soon as your mate is the one holding the rope...”

Kryzen rolled his eyes. “I know that you would be careful,” he said to his sister before jerking a thumb at me. “My little mate, on the other hand–”

I didn’t let him finish, letting out an elated shriek as I jumped from the edge. Immediately, the rope began to glow. I felt as if I was being encased in a protective bubble as I glided over the grove.

An invisible force pressed into my back, ensuring that I wasn’t going to fall. Thankfully, I could still feel the wind blowing through my hair. That seemed like an absolute must for flying. When my feet left the platform, I had been a little scared as I felt myself go weightless. The fear was immediately replaced with glee as my heart pounded in my ears.

We hadn’t had much time to explore the grove, so I was pleased to do so now from this angle, with the gorgeous landscape unfurling beneath me like a vibrant tapestry. The colorful plants throughout the forest looked like something out of a painting. The bright green grass undulated like waves on the ocean.

The air felt alive around me as the melodies of the grove rose around me. The gentle chirping of birds, the wind rustling through the trees, and the relaxing sound of a babbling brook in the distance swirled around me as I glided effortlessly along.

“Briella!”

I started, shaking my head at the familiar voice. I looked down to see Kryzen, Roy, and Alyna all standing on the ground, staring up at me. I blew out a disappointed breath and was even more defeated when I was slowly lowered to the ground beside my friends.

“How did you guys get down here so fast?” I asked in wonder. “Did you end up taking the ladder?”

Kryzen chuckled and gave me a knowing look. “No, we just knew where we wanted to go, so the ropes led us down. You clearly hadn’t wanted to go down, so the rope just continued to fly around with you.”

“The ropes are the wisest of us all,” I quipped, telling myself that I was definitely going to go for another ride before we left the grove. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“Where should we go first?” Roy asked.

My shoulders sagged, his words immediately bringing me back to the task at hand.

“I was told there’s a market square further down this way,” Alyna said, gesturing in a seemingly random direction. This place didn’t have paths, which was odd. “Maybe we could start there.”

We all agreed and headed through the trees. It didn’t take us long to find the lively shopping district. It was fairly early in the morning, but it was already bustling with activity. There were booths selling fruit, another selling bread, and several others selling trinkets and other shiny items.

It would have looked like a normal shopping district if it weren’t for the animals wandering about as if they owned the place. There were creatures of all shapes and sizes, and many of them were helping their humans with the booths, fetching items and organizing things. One creature with a long tail was sweeping the front of one of the shops.

I was amazed and in awe of the harmony the people and animals had with one another. It made me feel even more convinced to help them maintain that peace. Anxiety twisted in my gut as I thought about the possibility of failing.

That simply wasn’t an option.

“Miss Black! Mr. Stormfall!”

We whirled at the voice, my eyebrows furrowing in concern when Raya came sprinting toward us, her warm brown eyes wide with panic.

“What’s wrong, Raya?” I asked, setting my hands on the girl’s shoulders once she was in front of me. “Are you alright? Did something happen?”

The girl looked up at me pleadingly. “Please, it’s my animal companion. I’ve found her, but something is wrong. Please come help.”

She didn’t even leave us time to ask a single question, taking off in the direction she had come. We all hurried after her. She was running so quickly that it was actually a bit of a challenge to keep up with her as she jumped over tree roots and ducked under low branches.

Raya stopped suddenly, her head whipping around as she searched. I was out of breath when I stopped next to her.

“Is this where you saw her?” I asked gently, my eyes scanning the clearing we had stopped in.

“She was just here,” Raya lamented. “I was sure of it. She looked scared like something was wrong, but she wouldn’t let me get near her.”

“Was she hurt?” Kryzen asked carefully.

Raya shook her head, looking on the verge of tears. “No, she didn’t seem hurt, but something was wrong. I know it.”

“Hey, don’t worry, sweetheart,” Alyna said. “We’re going to find your companion.”

We decided to split up and search the area for clues. I stayed close to Raya, who looked on the verge of having a breakdown.

“You and your companion have a special connection,” I told her. “Trust in it. It will help you find her.”

Raya swallowed and nodded bravely. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I waited, trying not to even breathe too much as the girl concentrated. Her brown eyes flew open a few moments later, and she sprinted past me.

“Kryzen!” I called before following after her. I could hear footsteps behind me as the others followed.

Just ahead of Raya, I saw a slim creature with long legs and rounded ears. It was thrashing about wildly as if it was fighting some invisible force.

I gasped and lunged forward, grabbing Raya by the arm and pulling the small girl back.

“Is that her?” I asked, swallowing thickly.

Raya nodded. “Yes, that’s Sila,” she said. She tugged her arm away.

“Please! Something is wrong with her! We have to help!”

I sucked in a sharp breath when the creature turned our way.

Its eyes were red, the color of blood.

Before I could fully process that, the creature started to charge toward us. I grabbed Raya and pushed her even further behind me, reaching for my dagger.

“Get back!” Krzyen roared, getting between us and the companion. He had a dagger in his hand.

“Don’t hurt her!” Raya screamed.

Kryzen cursed and dropped his dagger but was able to knock the creature’s legs out from under it.

Sila made a yelping sound but quickly got to her feet and growled before turning and running off.

“Kryzen!” I yelled.

He nodded as he and Roy sprinted off after the creature.

“Sila!” Raya cried, the sound almost a sob.

“Raya, listen to me,” I commanded, grabbing the girl’s shoulders and forcing her to look at me. My heart nearly broke at the tears streaming down her face. “I need you to go back to the grove. We are going to chase after Sila.”

“No,” Raya said, but her voice broke.

I looked at Alyna. “Please take her back to the grove,” I said.

“Of course,” Alyna said, taking the girl’s hand. “C’mon, Raya. It’s going to be okay.”

I could hear Raya start to argue, but I couldn’t wait around. I turned and sprinted in the direction Kryzen and Roy had gone.

My heart was pounding in my ears as I ran. I listened to the sounds of the forest, trying to keep my breathing controlled as I sniffed the air. I was accustomed to Kryzen’s scent now. It was obviously nice and fresh since I was right behind them.

I caught up with them just in time to watch Kryzen try to tackle the possessed companion. He missed, and Sila jumped over a small boulder, causing Kryzen to fall forward, hitting the ground hard.

“Kryzen!” I cried out, rushing to him.

We looked up just in time to watch Sila disappear behind the boulder.

I blinked once before crouching beside my mate, quickly looking him over. “Are you alright?”

Kryzen grumbled something but pushed himself off of the ground. “I’m fine,” he said. “Where are Alyna and Raya?” He looked over my shoulder in the direction we had all come.

Roy hurried toward us, concern etched across his features.

“They’re fine,” I assured them both. “I asked Alyna to take Raya back home. I didn’t know what was going to become of Sila, and I didn’t want her around to see it.”

“That was probably a good idea,” Roy said.

Kryzen scoffed. “Would have been great except we lost the companion.”

Roy wandered over to the boulder and peered behind it. “Or maybe we didn’t,” he said.

Kryzen and I shared a look before approaching Roy and following his gaze.

There was a hidden entrance behind the boulder. It was concealed by thick vines and foliage, camouflaging it against the natural backdrop of the grove.

Roy reached out and parted the vines, revealing a darkened tunnel disappearing into the depths of the earth. A chill ran down my spine as I stared into the blackness, a sense of foreboding creeping over my skin.

Kryzen stepped forward without hesitation. He didn’t look at me as he spoke. “I suppose I couldn’t convince you to go back to the grove with Alyna and Raya.”

It wasn’t a question.

I scoffed. “You suppose correctly,” I said. I reached over and took his hand. “I’m not leaving you.”

Kryzen sighed deeply and started to lead the way into the underground passage, Roy following closely behind us.