Shadow Slave

Chapter 1985  Ruined Fortress

"You Royal Highness, venerable Princess Morgan… how many times have I told you to call me Effie?"
Morgan's brow twitched a little. 
She remained silent for a moment, then answered with a forced smile:
"About the same amount of times as telling me to put some meat on my bones?"
Her unruly subordinate laughed while jumping down. 
"Well, you should! Even my son is less picky with his food!"
A few moments later, she landed on the rubble below and followed Aether with unhurried steps. 
Morgan held back the urge to roll her eyes. 

'What nonsense. I am not picky.'
...She just had standards.

As she watched, Aether reached the lake. Unlike his two clanmates, the younger Saint did not possess an Aspect tied to the depths — instead, his lineage had manifested itself in the startling affinity to the night sky and starlight.
Still, he wasn't helpless when surrounded by water. 
Instead of plunging into the lake, Aether simply stepped onto its surface and continued to move forward. 
Behind him, on the shore, Athena activated her Ascended Ability. In the next moment, Morgan felt a rush of invigorating power permeate her body. Her pale cheeks flushed a little, and a hot breath escaped from her mouth. 
She felt strong, tireless, and full of unbridled potency. 
Every time Morgan experienced this exhilarating sensation, she understood why Raised by Wolves was so beloved by the government soldiers and the civilian population better... among other things, of course. 
The rest of her Saints were feeling the effect of Athena's power as well. Despite the fatigue and exhaustion of the past weeks, they suddenly looked impatient to join the fray. 
Bloodwave gave Morgan a long look and asked, his deep voice sending shivers running down her spine:
"What about us?"
She shook her head lightly. 
"Stay back. We'll face them on land today."
The white-haired Saint scowled, but listened to her order. 
It would be a disadvantage to leave him and Naeve out of the water, thus incapable of using their Aspects fully. 
But Morgan had a bad feeling about today's attack. It was high time for her brother to come up with some new diabolical tactic…
And more importantly than that, she had her own diabolical plans as well.
For them to come to fruition, she had to lure the enemy away from the lake. 
Soul Reaper simply leaned on her ghostly glaive, looking at the surging water with a lazy smile. Her icy blue eyes were cold and ruthless. 
"Staying on land suits me fine. It's quite a welcome change, really."
Behind her, Nightingale silently summoned his bow and rose into the air, looking at the lake intently. 
His mesmerizing green eyes seemed to glisten in the darkness, reflecting the pale moonlight. 
A moment later, his expression tensed. 
Morgan sighed, knowing that she would not like what he was about to say.
"What is it?"
Saint Kai sighed. 
"...They're dragging corpses across the bottom of the lake, leaving trails of blood behind."
He hesitated for a moment, and then added with a hint of dejection:
"I think we'll have more guests today than we anticipated."