How pitiful he looks laying there with his eyes glazed in sickness and his heart ravaged by a disease. Not only that but by loss. Lillith - she had been the cause of all this, of that Aithne was certain even if she had never passed that secret on to any around her. Lillith had killed Roamin and Siren had killed Lillith and in the end Aithne had protected Siren. Because Siren had not come out of this whole, her mind had fractured and it had been a loss to see the vibrant youth turned into a fearful and violent female. It seemed like the world was bent on things mending themselves, though, for she had seen the way Solaris had stuck by the girl. An Angel and a Demon. The end of that had come, that era of hatefulness and violence. Looking down on Andras she can't help thinking that with his passing the chapter will finally close and it causes a sort of pain in her chest. He had led her, helped her, and now it was her turn to help bring him solace.

Her nose twitches as she catches a scent along his fur, dried now, but one that did not belong to him or any wolf o Iromar. It smelled faintly of Diveen and her heart raced, ears flattening as she wonders what he has done. What problems he has caused her. What she could have done to prevent it. Why did he just not listen! Aith-ne, he says, and her emerald eyes snap from where they have wandered across the marshes to his pained face. He is not dead, he says, and Aithne wants to growl in frustration but it is immediately swamped with resignation. He will not live to see the consequences of his actions. His mind is long gone and he wishes only to be with his beloved. That wasn't too farfetched - the loss of an imprint seemed a great thing in his bloodline. Lillith and Roamin had left behind severed ties and broken minds.

"She will always take you back. She is your soul." Her words are sure if somewhat sorrowful because he is so pained and so lost and she knows what is coming, she thinks, even before he says it. Knows what he will ask of her and knows she will carry the stain of his death upon her soul until the end of her days. This time she will not kill out of fury or vengeance but out of mercy. Will Avery and Raven hate her for what he asks? What she will do? To let him suffer longer would be an even greater sin and so she breathes in deep, her sides expanding before she huffs out breath, heart racing and wishing so fervently that Praetor was there with her. She will need him after this.

Her thick legs quiver only once as she steps over him. "Okay, Andras, okay," she says in a soothing, cajoling tone. "You will be great once more. A King in the Underworld and Lillith, she is already there waiting for you. Do not forget us, Andras, or Astaroth, or Avery, or Raven." And then she lowers her head slowly, jaws opening wide to slip around the edge of his throat and one paw pressing against his shoulder with force and then she snaps her jaws together and clamps down, crushing his windpipe. She stands firm even if his instincts take over and he tries to fight but his body... it would die anyways and his soul was crying to be freed.

As the time passes and the wheezing begins to end and his heart stutters she closes her eyes for a brief moment, a moment in which a tear tips the edge of her eye and curls down into the dark fur, and when he finally falls still and his soul flees she lets him go with just as gentle a release as the beginning. Then she steps back and lifts her head to the sky with a mournful cry that was loud and would carry across all of the marshes and beyond, an announcement to the world that a King has passed.

Six - Empress of Iromar - fated for Praetor

aithne