Brantley took one step back knowing who Ileus was. He put his hands up in the air and said, "Ask her to step back or the altar that you are standing upon would become your sacrificing ground."

Dawn turned her head towards Emma with yet another shocked expression. Her face paled, when she saw Emma baring her fangs with anger, her red eyes going wild.

​​

"What is going on?" asked Dawn. The lights in her hands now reached her forearms, the magic growing stronger with each passing second.

Ileus lowered his sword. Sensing feeble movement beneath the altar, he looked dangerously at Emma. "You are one bitch, Emma! Did you really think that you could raise Dorza by sacrificing Dawn here? Or were you planning to sacrifice me?" He looked up at the heavy canopy that covered them and flicked his fingers. "You think you can fool me?" The branches of the trees started to grow rapidly.

Emma backed as fear loomed in her eyes.

The movement beneath them increased. It was as if the evil Lord was struggling to come out of the coffin he was buried in, as if he was trying to protect his wife even in his state of death.

The branches twirled all around Emma speedily.

"Aahhhhhhrg!" she shouted as the brown stems twined around her making a web, which was unbreakable. Her eyes became wide as the branches started to cover her body and squeezed her. She looked at Ileus with frenzied eyes. The ground started to shake all the more.

"Get down!" Ileus shouted and Dawn rushed down the stairs. Ileus followed her.

"Stop it!" cried Emma. She was unable to use her magic. Her arms were stretched in front of her as she battled with the branches, which were squeezing her body trying to crush her to death. "Remember only I know the way to the place where Daryn is held. I was sent to fetch Dawn!"

"Sorry Emma, you forgot the bargain!" said Ileus with a menacing look in his eyes.

Brantley clenched his fists and then threw them in the front to hurl a beam of white lights that zapped around the branches and sliced them.

Ileus roared. "How dare you?" He flicked his hands again and then almost every damn branch and vine that was there started to grow rapidly and come towards Brantley.

"She does know the way to the place where Daryn is held captive!" Brantley shouted. "Control your magic, or else I will be forced to fight with you."

Dawn's brows drew together. "Why are you being so cryptic?" she asked. There was no way she was going to trust this green-haired man. "We are standing here to find Daryn and you just keep coming after me all the time. Why can't you stay away? Why does it give you so much pleasure to torture me? What have I done to you?" She was shaking with anger and misery.

Ileus flicked his fingers again and the vines receded. He narrowed his eyes and asked one question, "Are you sure?" He had entered Brantley's mind when he lowered his mental shields knowingly.

"Yes, I am!" he replied.

Ileus dropped his sword immediately and his demeanor changed towards Brantley. Dawn looked at him with questions in her eyes but maintained her magic. She couldn't take chances with Emma or Brantley. Both of them were her enemies. She looked at Emma, who was now sitting on the altar, panting like she had just run a fifty miles marathon in two minutes. There were pink tears in her eyes as she stroked the ground. "Sorry…" she said.

Dawn was totally confused. Why was Brantley so interested in saving Emma and then why was he also interested in finding Daryn. His words and actions were so divergent that they pulled in opposite directions. He was talking like her protector and yet why was it that she found herself alone. She couldn't read him at all. Her gaze flitted to Ileus who seemed very calmed down, opposite to his earlier stance. Dawn felt like a ball bouncing between so many thoughts, so many emotions and so much mystery that she was getting frustrated.

Brantley didn't climb up the altar but walked to the side where Emma was sitting. "Take us to where Daryn is and we will spare your life. I vow to you."

Ileus stared at Emma with disgust.

Dawn interrupted. "Wait!" She looked at Brantley. "Why are you so interested in Daryn?" Then she turned her gaze at Ileus and said, "I don't trust this man. He held us captive in Ulfric against our wills. I swear I am going to kill him if he interferes in my search for Daryn!" her lips were trembling when she said that.

Ileus walked to her and said, "Lower your magic Dawn. He is here to help us. Right now we don't have much time, so let Emma take us there. Also, never, ever, swear like that in this world of ours. These vows are so strong that you would never be able to back down without giving up your life."

Dawn shook her head. "You don't know him Ileus! He wanted to ruin our lives for his whims." She pointed at Brantley, "This man here almost cost me getting separated from my husband, my mate. Do you think I will allow that again? I am not in Ulfric, and I will not yield to his whims again." She was almost shaking now. The days in Ulfric were so harrowing. She was thrown in the blind to find the Stone of Solaris. She didn't know if she would ever return and the way she had to bargain hers and Daryn's escape, it was distressing. Each and every scenario played in front of her eyes like it was just yesterday.

"I understand Dawn. Things are very complicated for now. You have to trust him. Let Emma take us to the place and I take a vow that I will kill Brantley if he tries to harm you or Daryn any time in your life," Ileus assured her.

Dawn bit her lip and then darted her eyes between Ileus, Brantley and Emma. Seeing that Brantley was looking at her hopefully, she lowered her magic. "Why are you all talking like this? What is it that I am missing? I need to know now!"

"I will tell you everything!" said Ileus. "But for now, we have to let Emma show us the path. She is a vampire and she will burn to her death as soon as the sun comes up in the sky. So let her do her part."

Dawn gulped. She looked at the pale vampire. So this was why she was so white. She never stepped in the sun. She could never step in the sun. Even as those faint sunbeams spread in the sky, her skin was becoming red. She was obviously in a lot of pain.

"Okay," Dawn rasped.

Brantley prodded Emma with his dagger. "Go on vampire, show us the way."

Emma got up lazily. The floor of the altar stopped shaking as she gave it a last stroke. "I will be back…" she muttered and then stepped down. She walked dully, as if still in a trance, towards the south wall to a rare patch of stones, which were black. The hiding anacondas slithered out of the bushes as if awaiting her.