Most of the preparations were made within that meeting. Or, at least, right up until I could start to feel the medication begin to wear off. After which, we all agreed I should be moved back to the packhouse until everything was arranged since that would be easier to defend.
For obvious reasons, I wasn’t privy to any information regarding the move. It was all to be kept completely secret from myself, and even Aleric wouldn’t know exactly where until it was time to go. Cai took on the responsibility of choosing the location to ensure that there would be no chance of Thea finding out beforehand, preparing envelopes for us both; one for Aleric, to be opened only when we were leaving, and another for myself, for in the event of an emergency occurring.
I was nervous, to say the least. How could I not be? So much was riding on just theories. But I had to believe that it would be correct. I needed space to be able to work on fixing myself; both internally and externally. An
1… 2… 3…. In… and out. I sat outside in the fresh air amongst the trees, breathing carefully as I focused on clearing my mind. I’d been working on these techniques over the last two weeks, and it was coming along nicely. Or at least, it seemed that way. How well it held up when it came time to actually use it, I couldn’t be sure. However, I’d definitely been getting better. Creating distance had seemed to have worked a little since every day that passed, I felt her presence a tiny bit less. Almost enough to make me wonder if it was possible to just wait it all out until I was completely free of her. The only thing was that, unfortunately, at the rate I was going, that might be maybe months or even years away. Something we probably didn’t have time for, much to my disappointment. Settling for just strengthening my mind would need to be enough in the meantime. But… there were also some downsides to my improvement too…. I got up from the ground
His free hand immediately found my waist, pressing me against him, and his lips enveloped my own. It was like we’d both been starving as we hungered for the other, everything happening so quickly. A response probably resulting from how long the two of us had been holding back now. It didn’t take long for my body to then find the wall behind us, his hands supporting my weight as I clung to him. With one of my arms around his neck, the other was grabbing at his chest greedily, feeling his body against me. Constantly wanting more… and more… almost as if an insatiable desire was moving me forward. And though I was giving myself over to my yearnings completely, I’d never felt more in control than I did in that moment. That there was not even a shred of doubt in my mind that this was exactly where I needed to be. “I want you,” I moaned against him, repeating the words he’d wanted me to admit. Because I was hungry for so much more than just this. He’
I woke up with a long, satisfied stretch in bed, feeling more content than I had in years. The last few days had all blended together so much that I could barely keep track of time anymore. Was it a Tuesday? Morning? Night? I didn’t know. All I knew was that my last week had been spent with Aleric, living and breathing every moment he could spare for me. I continued to stretch, trying to wake up but, as I did so, I suddenly felt a pulse of pain emanate from my shoulder. Something I’d been ignoring the last few days despite my actual purpose in coming here. Well, if it gave another reason to stay here a little longer, it couldn’t be all that bad, right? I sighed. I didn’t want to leave. Of course, I didn’t. It was so easy to ignore all my impending problems waiting for me at home, choosing to just live inside my own little bubble instead. I was happy here. Actually happy. Something I hadn’t felt in so long. Given everything I’
“Aleric…,” I cried, feeling completely useless. This wasn’t good. This was really, really not good. And worse, even on the small possibility that this wasn’t Thea’s doing, there was no chance she didn’t already know by now. Either way, I was wasting time being stuck inside this vision. I needed to get out. Now. 'Wake up.' I slapped at my cheeks, wishing more than anything to break out, but it was no use. I wasn’t really ‘here’ so there was no physical pain trigger. A snapping sound then came from somewhere in the distance, and I immediately looked up towards it. It sounded like someone had stepped on a branch further into the woods. I wasn’t the only one who noticed either as Aleric also detected something, walking cautiously towards it. It didn’t leave me many options in what I could do next… I had to follow him. We walked for maybe a few minutes, deathly silent the entire time, before a clearing came
It was the most difficult decision I’d ever made. Sacrificing someone in order to save myself. I felt sick even thinking about it… but I didn’t have a choice here. And not just that, but I also didn’t have time to digest it further if I wanted to escape safely. On the off chance that Thea had people lying in the wait to catch me, I gathered only whatever I could pack quickest, ripping open the emergency envelope with my location and beginning the long drive home. And whilst I had taken the time to retrieve the ring, I unfortunately couldn’t risk wearing it. If I were suddenly ambushed, then I needed to be ready to fight. One critical blow to my body and I would be instantly dead in seconds without my natural healing, something the ring would prevent. It meant I needed to work even harder to keep Thea out of my head, despite everything threatening to overwhelm me. 'Calm. Composed.' 'Everything was fine.' We were two h
I sat atop a tree, looking down at those who would be fighting for our survival today.Any minute now we’d be leaving, shifting and beginning our journey to the camp near the Silver Lake pack. With this many people, it was agreed that going on foot would be best, knowing that travelling via roads added more time and allowed for a predictable ambush.And there was no denying we had many people. After the final count, we numbered around two hundred strong warriors ready for battle today.…Ready for war.I sighed, the wind gently catching in my hair as I stared at all of their faces. I wouldn’t forget what they looked like this time. No, this time I sent our men to war, I would remember them all, committing their appearance to memory and fighting alongside them to the end.On this day, I wasn’t Ariadne Chrysalis, the former Luna of the Winter Mist. Always hiding behind my desk as I allowed our people to die without qu
…Dead?No… that couldn’t….I could feel my heart racing at hearing her words.Why would she have done that? Why do something before….Unless… unless she expected me to rush into war regardless of whether she used him as bait. Because she knew I wouldn’t have any way of knowing he was alive and would assume that I would come for him blindly anyway.'It’s just another move made to hurt me.'During our stay in the cabin, I’d always avoided the topic of Aleric marking me. I hadn’t wanted to tie him to me knowing I might not be long for this world, and I didn’t want to put him through feeling that pain upon my death. But I hadn’t anticipated for the reverse to now become detrimental to me. If only I’d actually done it, I would have known the minute it had happened and saved everyone from rushing in to save him.So then, was he actu
“Aria?” I could remember it so clearly now. The way Cai had feebly tried to cover the wound on his neck, bleeding profusely as the ground simply absorbed it. I’d grabbed his hand and cried into it, stroking his hair as he died. As the light in his golden eyes slowly faded. And then there was Aleric as his wolf, walking away from his body with blood around his mouth. It wasn’t because he attacked him. No, it was because he was giving us privacy. A chance to say goodbye. Naturally, the blood would have been Thea’s from when Aleric bit her. So then, what even happened to her? In this vision, does she finally perish for good? Or… or does she merely escape? …Is there a way to avoid his death and still win? Confliction swirled around me inside, making me want to throw up. In this vision, I’d seen a world where Thea was absent. A battlefield gone peaceful with her presence now silenced. Was it worth taking the chance that Cai’s sacrif
I held my breath the entire time the phone rang, hoping that the plan would work. Everything was hinging on the next few steps being successful and I knew just how slim my chances were at pulling this off. With every ring that sounded, my heart clenched a little bit more. I waited... and waited... and waited... …And, to my immense relief, I seemed to be in luck. For now, at least. Because it seemed there actually had been some benefit in my abrupt escape from Ashwood, all those weeks earlier. In my haste to run away, I’d left all of my belongings behind in a suitcase. A suitcase conveniently located inside Kieran’s room. So, with no other way to contact him, it sure did seem like good fortune that my old burner phone just so happened to be left in that very pile of belongings. I’d assumed Kieran had stashed it somewhere close yet safe after I’d left. My hope was that it was now in his room or a place he’d still be able to hear it vibrate. …And I’d been right. However, whether
“…Clarissa… can you wake up now?” I asked, several hours later.The sun had set and risen again, but I still remained at her bedside.My head was feeling woozy, having not slept at all, and I was beginning to think that maybe this was it.…Maybe she really wouldn’t wake up.But as I tried to fight off sleep, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was my fault. I shouldn’t have yelled and pushed her past her limit when I knew she was already unwell. My anger and frustration had gotten the better of me, and it seemed I was now seeing the price of that.…Even saying things that I hadn’t entirely meant. Things I wished I could take back.‘*“Have you seen flowers like this before, Rheyna?”*’ I swore I then heard Clarissa ask.But when I sharply raised my head up to look at her, hoping to see her awake, I found myself somewhere else.…I was in a field.An incredibly young and energetic-looking Clarissa was seated on the ground before me, amongst thousands of overgrown white flowers. There was pin
It was dark by the time we made it home, having spent the whole day with the Hidden Moon talking.After my conversation with Jax, the two of us had returned to the camp and the topic of war wasn’t broached again - much to my relief. I went through the motions and enjoyed my time meeting the Hidden Moon members, but all the while dreaded the conversation I would need to have once I returned home with Clarissa.She had been worn out to her limit, I could tell. Being out of the home and needing to be so alert for so long had taken its toll on her. Her face was paler than normal and her coughs were more frequent. But even though I was concerned for her, I couldn’t help but still feel salty over her behaviour. Especially at her attempts of overruling our initial agreements.“I’m going to bed…,” she mumbled, starting to shuffle her way there.We’d only just stepped through the door when she announced it, not even bothering to justify herself about today.“No,” I simply said, making her paus
“Why are you still being so moody?” she asked me, speaking as I carried her on my back.Between her behaviour towards Kieran and whatever plan of Clarissa’s this was now, I was certainly more quiet than usual.“I’m not,” I mumbled, continuing to walk.I’d agreed to go to the meeting, if only because I’d been the one to request that my cousin come here originally. As Clarissa had said, it would have been rude to make him come all this way only to then ignore him.“Are you being like this because of this morning?” she asked, sounding concerned. “Or did something happen last night?”However, after she’d gone and organised this without consulting me, and after she’d treated Kieran so terribly, I really wasn’t in the mood to put up with her questioning.“I thought you said you didn’t care what happened between us?” I snapped back, quoting what she’d told me in the kitchen. “So stay out of it.”And she was instantly quiet after that.I continued to walk into the nearby forest for some time,
“You made a promise!” Clarissa yelled. “The morning is here now, Kieran. Time for you to make good on your side of our agreement and leave.” “I’m not leaving until I know Rae is okay,” Kieran argued back. “You saw her yourself. She was passed out cold last night.” “And why would that be, huh? Care to share?” “As if I would know why, Clarissa. Stop thinking that I have some ulterior motive here to hurt her.” “Fine. Then if you won’t leave, consider our deal brok—.” “Woah!” I quickly yelled, rushing in to stop her. “That’s enough.” Their heads both swiftly turned to look over at me, relief evident in both of their faces to see me awake. “Rae!” Kieran greeted, moving towards me. He quickly touched my face, examining me as if I were a hospital patient. It warmed my heart to see that he was so worried... but the new sensations brought by his mark were making it hard for me to focus. It was as if everything I’d felt for him before had been heightened tenfold. ...This might take a l
“Aria…? The….?” my voice trailed off, almost as if I were in disbelief. She simply smiled at my reaction though and nodded her head. “I’ve been watching you for a while now,” she continued. “You’ve been through so much. I’m so sorry you’ve had to experience any of this. I know better than any how unpleasant it can be.” “You… how can you be here?” I asked, still confused. “Here? You mean in the Abyss? This has been my home for many years now. I learnt how to navigate its plane and break free of my memories back when I was alive. Not like Selene is around to keep tabs either. Finding you before Clarissa revives you was the difficult part though.” “…Then why are you here? Why did you try to find me?” And she then looked up at the stars above, a longing in her eyes. “…Because I felt it was time I intervene,” she said. “I swore to stay neutral but, with every death you endure, my heart breaks a little bit more to watch. How many times will this be now, Rheyna…?” Her eyes then met m
“Found you,” Kieran said a little while later. After talking to Zac, I’d climbed up onto the roof, hoping to think and reflect by myself for a while whilst Kieran had a shower. The storm was currently only in the distance, it hitting the hardest during the prior conversation. Now, all I could see was the brief flashes of lightning amongst the clouds. “Interesting spot,” he mused, looking around. “I usually sit here to keep an eye on things,” I replied back quietly. “I can see why. You’ve got a good view of the forest… with the added beauty of the sky.” He then looked over at me with something in his eyes that caused my cheeks to burn a little. Apparently, he didn’t even need to speak or touch me, simply his presence and gaze alone were enough to send shivers through me. I stared at him for a moment, a longing inside my chest, but still couldn’t quite work out why he’d stayed. After everything he’d learnt about me, after everything I’d done… somehow, he hadn’t given up on me. …H
“Allison…?” Kieran repeated, warily. “How could Allison have that sort of capability?” Clarissa had been explaining everything to Kieran for quite some time. Everything from her connection with Selene, to what triggers the end. …And also about me. He’d been quietly taking it all in so far but after Clarissa had finished talking, he finally spoke up, albeit he seemed to be slightly dazed. An understandable reaction. Clarissa shrugged. “She devoted her whole life to her faith. That sort of connection is incredibly difficult to sever. It just goes to show the potential that even those without our lineage abilities can possess.” “And… Rae…,” he said, slowly turning to me. “You’re… a Saintess now? How many times did you say…?” “This is the seventh timeline…,” I answered. “Though I don’t have any of my memories.” Or, rather… I had just one. Clarissa hadn’t gone into too much detail regarding my previous involvement with him, thankfully, but he still understood that it was mostly… u
“I… Rheyna Knight… of the once lost Silver Mist Pack,” I started, my voice barely louder than a whisper. “Hereby reject y—.” …But I wasn’t able to finish the sentence. Because I’d been wrong… so wrong. I could see that now. I didn’t recall that prior timeline memory to prepare myself for the pain I’d feel upon completing the rejection. No… I’d seen it as a reminder. A reminder of why I shouldn’t go ahead with it. And as his lips came crashing down against mine, immediately cutting off my words, this newfound realisation seemed so obvious. Why hadn’t I seen it sooner? It was as if something inside completely broke down the second he reached for me. Now all that was left was this connection drawing me to him. It was so incredibly strong, almost impossibly so. Like this was something I was meant to be doing. I didn’t have the resolve to resist him, instantly kissing him back. There was an urgency in my response as if I’d been starving for this. To just feel the sparks and desir