The Tiger Within 167 Loyalty Part 5

"Someone send for Mally." Demanded Clovis as he walked closer but Kyera couldn't help but drop her head. Mally and herself were the only ones who could save her now. The depth of the wounds and the amount of blood lost… Kyera wasn't even sure she could do this. He approached and put a hand gently on Kyera's shoulder causing a shock of pain. She hardly realized it as the pain caused her shoulder to give.

"Your injured too…" He whispered to her gently. "You need to step back. Let me handle this." He tried to coax her but Kyera refused to step back. She felt Mally's control weaken. Soon she would be unable to hold her leopard form. Soon she would be a woman laying bare in blood on the grasee. She couldn't let that happen…

"Lazren.." She whispered and his eyes met hers. The tears in Kyera's eyes darkened his own expression. He knew the words on her lips and wished they weren't true. Mally was going to be discovered.

"There's only one choice…" He whispered and Kyera nodded as he moved closer to guard both ladies. Kyera focused all her energy into it, converting every inch of Mally into spirit matter. IT was a complex process and would drain Kyera of most of her energy… she was hesitant to do so with the lion nearby, but with the wolf pack's attention….

Clovis watched his eyes widening as the shadows engulfed the leopardess and he began to disappear into the shadows. Within moments there was nothing left but the pool of blood where the body had once lay. Kyera however felt her fill the stone upon her ear. The warmth of her heartbeat oft and clear.

"What just happened?" Alexi demanded as he came to stand behind his brother. Blood was still drenching Kyera's fur. He placed his hand to it and sealed the wounds with his own internal spirit. Kyera looked back at him curiously it was not fully healed but it would stop bleeding. It would do till she could tend it herself. "Yea I can do it too Kitty, hold the applause." Alexi told her teasingly before turning to his half brother.

"Your guess is as good as mine. She vanished." Clovis replied with a shake of his head. He honestly had never seen this before. His eyes raised to the tower where his mother had been perched. She was the only one he could think of that might have some idea of what the devil was going on.

"Vanished?" The Emperor asked looking between them. He had joined his son's now wondering what had become of the combatants, fully expecting the leopardess to be in ruins on the ground despite the tigress's attempt at a rescue. He never dreamed the s.p.a.ce would be empty.

"I may know what has happened here but it is best we speak of it inside. This was quite a shock for all of us. I, in all my Years, have never heard of or seen such a battle in the gardens. There is no telling how many have been mortally wounded." Evelyn added shaking her head as she watched them. Her eyes traveled over the white tiger that seemed to make the tides turn. Kyera nodded her head at the queen unsure of how else to respond to her gaze.

"Then to the tea room with us. Clovis, bring your Familiar. She should have a place at the table as well." The Emperor reminded him with a gentle smile. Another step closer to the race. Just one leap to go and he would be ahead of his brothers in the race for the crown.

Clovis smiled as he looked at the white tigress at his side, her breathing nearly normal from the nearly deadly fight. He couldn't help but feel a familiarity with her beside him. His hand lightly caressing her head. It was no doubt the tiger that rescued his daughter more than once, and now rescued him. "You heard him, Mood. Come along." He tilted his head to indicate the door and followed his family inside. Kyera sighed and followed, for the first time conflicted as she entered these halls.

Would her father approve of her new path? Would it leave her wandering the earth till the land came to a end? She could only hope for the best.