The Beast And The Blessed

Twenty-Seven: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

He jumped down. His dirty-blonde hair appeared brown in the shadows of the trees until he stepped into the sunlight and illuminated the gold strands. He was of average height but still a head shorter than Tobias. He was lanky and thin, almost like he had been starving for months in the woods.

But what fascinated me the most was the subtle pale yellow eyes. Even the powerful aura coming from him didn't bother me. His eyes, though, they did.

They bothered me greatly as they bore into me like he could read my mind and see my soul.

I didn't need confirmation for me to know that it was him. He was the toy the nymphs wanted. He was what everyone on the mountain was hunting.

He was who Aurora and Killian sent me to convince to come back with me.

"Why have you brought me here?" A crooked smile met my question, and he began to circle me with curiosity.

I kept my blade up, turning with him as he examined me how a predator would its prey. "You brought yourself here."

His low snort as he laughed made me pause, and my eyebrows pressed together in confusion. The geekiness of this man made me think there was no way he could be a threat, but then again, most villains got their start the same way.

They were dismissed or looked down upon and became angry or power- hungry.

I wouldn't underestimate a man who had blown up half of a mountain and convinced a descendant of the moon goddess and the king to send me out without backup or magic.

what will it take?" The tension in my shoulders lowered when I

He asked, nudging a crushed granola bar with his toe

had taken me away from my

with a shrug, looking back up at me and away from the scattered food and supplies on the ground. He

another explosion erupted, shaking the trees and making the Earth tremble.

toward the tree he had been standing in

dragon shifter. Please be

here all day." He shouted over his shoulder but

as I stared after the geeky-looking man, trying to decide if it was my curiosity or my duty to my king that made me decide to shove everything back in my backpack quickly and follow him without arguing. He walked briskly before reaching a stone wall, uneven with loose rocks and tiny bits of crumbling dirt that I assumed was the

as he never broke his stride

moving my body until I found the perfect angle to see the almost unnoticeable glimmer of magic. This would be a

witch working for him to build him the sanctuary, and it made my

easily as I straightened my back and

almost damp. I wrinkled my nose at the smell, and the man gave me a sheepish look as he scratched the thick strawberry­blonde stubble on his

now that I was with him. It didn't make sense that he would have a protection spell around the mountain without having his witch cast a border. His witch would have to cast preventative measures to ensure he wouldn't be injured or killed if the magic wielder got too close to him when using

the woman with black hair that I wanted to talk to the person in charge, she warned me about you. A few people did, actually." He walked over, picked

flames, the smoke going up two

schedule to come here, so speak." My demand made him smile, and I looked away to examine the rest of his cave. There wasn't much around, but I had to imagine that he was pretty comfortable if he had

I'm Cyrus." He said, stepping forward with his hand out, and I spun to face him, lifting my dagger between us, making him stop several feet

not ask your name. I