Anything For You
Chapter 193

"What do you think? What did he say? I didn't understand anything. Scarlet, I hope you are not hiding anything I should be aware of." Emerald said, his voice calm yet firm urging Scarlet to spill the beans. His hands were clutched tightly over the steering wheel while they were driving away from the Siesta Valley. Back then, when Dankein was addressed as 'Little rat,' Emerald wanted to step in, but looking at Scarlet's changing expressions, he decided not to.

The girl was unbothered and kept looking out of the car window reminiscing those past moments spent with Dankein when she was a fairy, Trinity and he was a pure-hearted Fairy, Valor, and her best friend too. She remembered how he started calling her little rat, and how she loved being addressed like that. They had come a long way. All those centuries, he was alive, waiting for her! These thoughts disturbed her, took away her calmness, and her decisions to wage war were wavering. Unknowingly, tears pooled in her eyes and started to cascade down.

Sometimes, we look at the bigger picture skipping those tiniest fragments and emotions that were the reason behind that bigger picture. Waiting is the worst punishment when it comes to love. People just say that they will wait for their loved ones; for eternity, but only some of them do so. Others find a new love and get settled. Human life is a mockery. For how long a human can wait for his/her love? Twenty years? Fourth years? Seventy years? At the most hundred years. What then? He/she leaves the world with so many feelings, emotions, memories, and that longing, that desire, that wait, that ever-lasting love.

But what about Dankein? For how long he had loved Scarlet? For how long he had been waiting for her? For how many times he had tried to be with her, in the past? All he had was Alfie. How much pain, desire, and longing he must have gone through!

She knew how it felt. Scarlet had been in a fresh love, yet she longed for Emerald always. She wished to be with him, to touch him, kiss him, adore him and be with him, always. For a moment, Scarlet wanted to run away leaving everything behind, and hug her friend, Valor. She wanted to know how he had been in all those centuries? Had he ever been to the Fairy Land? Had he ever missed his late family? His sister, his father, his mother? The tears never stopped for a second, but the car did.

Emerald saw Scarlet shedding tears. He felt her sadness. He felt her emotional upsurge. He applied brakes and the car came to halt over a corner of the road that was adjacent to the long, deep, and narrow ditch. The sun was about to set after a full day of giving warmth to the earth. Its reddish-orange rays were falling over Scarlet's hairs making them shine in colors Emerald had never witnessed.

Slowly, Emerald touched Scarlet's hairs caressing her head and she found herself getting vulnerable. Without sparing Emerald a look, Scarlet moved out of the car making him flinch. He followed her immediately. Jack halted in his car to look at the couple confused. His mind wandered to Jenny.

Scarlet kept sobbing looking at the ditch as if she was trying to look at its base. At this moment, she felt Dankein's life like the ditch. Endless. Empty. Black. Hollow. Nothingness. But those sun rays lighted the ditch a bit showcasing some sparse vegetation. Emerald touched Scarlet's shoulder and she immediately hid her head in his chest holding him tightly in place. Her sobs grew louder and she murmured in between,

"I am the only one he is left with. He finds me like those sun rays falling in the ditch. How can I kill him, Emmy?" Her words were a whisper. She was struggling. Emerald hugged her tightly securing her in his arms and patted her head. He didn't quite understand her words and asked in a hoarse voice,

"Are you sympathizing with him, love?" He struggled to let out those words. He was afraid of her affirmative answer but didn't get any. Instead, the girl gripped him even tighter moving into him and her tears drenched his shirt and now neck. Wet, Drenched and hurt. She felt all those emotions at once.

"Scarlet, do you like him?" Emerald's tongue twisted in his mouth and he bit his inner cheek before asking her that. He loved her. If she admitted her feelings for another man, he wasn't certain of what he would do.

"No matter what happens, don't leave my hands. Don't forget it's all in the past. You are Emerald Jasper Azure, the Alpha of Crescent Moon Pack, and I am Scarlet Lozenge, your Luna, A mermaid. You must stay with me. Can you do it?" Scarlet asked with concern-filled eyes and Emerald nodded. He just wanted to let go of everything and find out whatever the hell was happening.

Scarlet nodded and closed her eyes. Her dad, mom, and Grandpa Shala...all munching the dinner. It was indeed late by now.

As she appeared in the house, Shala tore his gaze from his plate and looked at her. She appeared anxious. She had way too many questions and only Shala could answer her. Behind her was standing Emerald. His soft smile was lingering over his lips. He was always as ripped as he had been. Tall, muscular, and robust man. Perfect for Scarlet. Mrs. Lozenge thought looking at him and her husband's words 'Emerald is a werewolf. An alpha...' reverberated through her mind, but she shrugged them away. It wasn't like her dear daughter was something less supernatural.

Mrs. Lozenge approached the couple and gestured for them to take seats. Jack was hesitant. "Aby, come here. You can join too. I am sure you would love the pasta. It's your favorite, right!" Mrs. Lozenge looked over Emerald's shoulder and said to Jack who just sheepishly rubbed his neck and agreed.

Not waiting for Emerald and Scarlet, Jack leaped over the chair and greeted Mr. Lozenge and the old man. Emerald sighed. He and Scarlet too joined the dinner table. Scarlet took over the spot besides Shala, who retreated his gaze back to his food appearing nonchalant.

"Where did you two go? Don't tell me it was a date!" Bob interfered teasingly. Mrs. Lozenge slapped his hand,

"Why can't they go for a date? Are you looking down on my children?" She appeared a bit angry. Bob was silent. He reasoned,

"Because Jack was with them. They can't go on a date with him tagging along, Jes." Mrs. Lozenge eyed Jack and then her husband from the corner of her eyes.

"Mom, dad...Emmy needed my help with something. So, we just were in his office. You know I am the weapon designer for his company too." Scarlet came up with a lie. Her mother and father successfully looked through it. They didn't want to put her in an awkward position. They nodded and let it be. After dinner, Shala was retreating to his room when Scarlet called him,

"Grandpa Shala, why don't we play chess! You said you are a good player. Emerald is great too." She suggested chess to let her parents feel at ease. Shala darted his glares at Emerald and he nodded half-heartedly. He knew he had to confront the girl sooner or later. Judging the urge in her tone, he was certain that the time was now, and he could no longer restrain it.

Jack, Scarlet, Emerald, and Shala...all sat over the terrace around a chess table under the moonlight after dinner while Mr. and Mrs. Lozenge retired to their room as Mrs. Lozenge had to go to Willy's hostel and Mr. Lozenge had surgery to perform early in the morning. "Grandpa..." Scarlet wanted to initiate the conversation. When she called Shala, he smiled softly warming her heart. His smile was genuine.

"You still address me so lovingly, baby. And you don't need to beat around the bush. I know he isn't as good of a player as I am. So, shoot." Shala said. He had looked through Scarlet's eyes already. Jack patted Shala's back in his mind. He already started adoring this old man for his way of thinking and looking through the situations.

"Okay, since you said it. Grandpa, I met Valor today. You remember him, right?" Scarlet asked Shala, her tone quivering and slightly wavering. She had concern in her voice. Shala merely nodded. He wanted Scarlet to finish what she had in mind.

"He isn't the same person, Grandpa. He kidnapped Grand Empress. He has the Book and the Dagger too. He..." Scarlet was briefing everything, but Shala just smiled.

"I guess everyone changed over these centuries, baby. Didn't he turn a new leaf too? So, why are you so surprised over Valor's new personality? And perhaps he kidnapped the Empress, but the lady is quite in good health in his captive. She won't be harmed in any way. And regarding the Book and the Dagger...didn't you give it up?" Shala's words were sharp like arrows piercing Scarlet's heart. She suddenly felt like she was the reason for all the mess. She indeed was. She never wanted to be.

"He isn't the Valor you once were friends with. He is Dankein Cosh, the king of Dream-catchers. Since you have declared war against him, he would do everything to find out your moves. You can't sleep. And if you sleep, you can't dream." Shala suggested especially pointing Emerald and then looked at Jack, who just gulped.

"And you gave up the Book and Dagger. I didn't expect that. This wasn't pre-decided, baby." Shala said hauling up from his place and taking a few steps away from the chess section they had set up. His eyes traveled to the shining moon. It wasn't full yet. "You didn't master your powers, Scarlet. You don't know who you are. Why you were given this chance to be born again. What is your purpose in this life? Do you?" His words kept showering Scarlet like spears and she realized that she was the dumbest girl. Scarlet walked over to Shala whose eyes were still glued to the sky,

"Grandpa, I...I practiced a lot with Master Luke. He taught me a lot. And I think I was given this chance to rejoice my love. I can't lose this time." She said firmly.

Shala laughed. His laughter was something nobody could decipher.

"Luke is a werewolf. He taught you how to fight. You don't know your strengths. Not yet. You have RAGNARA powers, mermaid powers. Both are fighting to dominate each other. You need to let them be at peace or you are nothing but a dead and fallen angel...." Shala shouted his last words at her making her flinch. Even Jack moved a bit from his spot with his loud tone. Emerald looked at him furiously for scaring his girl, but he kept his cool. He knew this wasn't his ground to interfere.

"Your purpose... it's not to rejoice in this love. It's to kill. To eliminate her. But you aren't ready. I don't think so. Evanora won't wait for you to get ready. She will kill you in cold blood." Shala said with the same loud tone and angry voice. Scarlet's eyes widened in realization.

"You know this? Tell me where she is! I will kill her. I..." Scarlet was stopped in the middle when Shala waved his hand.

"Forget it. She has the weapon. You can't do anything but fight this lost war. You are lost. She has won even before this war. She will kill you, you and then suck your powers. She will rule this world. All because of your stupidity. You didn't pay attention to the people around you. Emerald had warned you multiple times, but you... you are still the same naïve Trinity you were back then. You aren't changed." Shala said. Disappointment screamed in his words.

"Grandpa, I don't believe it. There must be a way. You helped me in my past life to end the Blood Pact. You need to tell us. We will do everything. We can't let Evanora win again." Emerald approached Shala from behind and held his hands. Shala saw the sincerity in his voice.

"Fine. If you say so. Go to Morvin Hills. Ginevra is waiting for you. She will bless you with mermaid powers and teach you to control them. But you have only two days left. Call Osiris and Oz. The weapon Evanora made is from your remains of all lives. It can kill you both. We need Osiris and Oz to counterattack her. We need to make a new weapon." Shala said. He briefed everything, but his eyes wandered towards the sky again.

"Goddess Destiny will not interfere this time. And Goddess Choice has told me to let you decide. I am not the one forcing anything on you." Shala murmured.

"We will leave now," Emerald suggested.

"Call Luke too. We need him." Emerald told Jack who wanted to go see Jenny and Emerald looked through his eyes and gestured him to go ahead. He needed to tell Sammer and the rest of the family, all the wolves, and his friends to prepare for the war. Jack took his leave and Scarlet was about to go when Shala said with concern,

"Don't die. This war won't stop the havoc. There is much more to come too." The couple didn't quite get his words but nodded anyway leaving for Morvin Hills when the clock ticked midnight marking the beginning of the next day meaning they had only two days left.