AIDENThe weather in Windsburn was notoriously unpredictable. A week had passed since I arrived on the desolate prisoner’s island, and even after seven long days, I still couldn’t discern any pattern in its ever-changing climate.As I made my way to the mine pits, I paused and looked up at the sky. Just an hour ago, it had been pouring rain, but now the sun blazed fiercely.The sudden heat against my skin made it difficult for him to keep his eyes open; it was scorching. While my long-sleeved shirt was a bit heavy in this weather, it kept my skin protected from the rays. The last thing I needed on this mission was a debilitating sunburn.Thus far, the investigation the King had tasked me with completing had gone nowhere. I had found no evidence of the Fox family’s crimes and with every passing day, I grew more frustrated.It seemed that the cunning family had gone to great lengths to conceal their wrongdoings, but I couldn’t yet give up.I was staying in the administrative castle, wh
AIDENI stared back at him in surprise, shocked and unsure of my next words.A death zone?I was anxious to hear his explanation and dreaded the following investigation that now certainly had to happen.Windsburn Island was mainly for condemned prisoners, but it was not meant to be as bad as he implied. His grave expression told me that there was truth in his warnings, but I had to find out what was happening here, personal safety or not. I was the King’s Guard.My mission was to keep the Alpha King safe from potential enemies, and if the old man’s words were true…The Foxes themselves could be enemies.“My name is Aiden,” I introduced myself, wishing at once I had provided a different name to further my disguise.Thankfully, my given name was fairly common, so I knew it wouldn’t amass any suspicion, and since most knew me as Sir Moran, it seemed like my choice would be just fine.The old man studied me for a moment, surprised at my response, and his thick eyebrows creased for a momen
AIDENI trembled slightly as I stared at Evelyn’s father. A shiver passed through me as if I stood before a ghost.Steven Caddel’s appearance had changed a lot since I’d last seen him. His tall frame, which had always been impressive, was almost skeletal beneath his clothes. His complexion was ghostly, and though his dark hair was still thick, it was long and tangled.He sported a thick dark beard and I noticed that it was wrought with streaks of gray.His eyes, however, were still stern and resolute.I opened my mouth to speak, wishing to say something, but Steven stopped me before I even had a chance.“There’s no time,” he said firmly. “I don’t know why you’re here, Aiden, but you shouldn’t be. You need to get out of this place before it’s too late.”“I can’t, sir,” I replied with a small shake of my head. “I’m here on-”The crack of a whip cut through the air and Steven winced. He glanced behind him and then replaced the hood on his head in one swift motion.“I can’t say much now,
AIDENI couldn’t find the right answer for the little girl, no matter how much she wanted it. How could I bear the tell Emma the truth? She was just a child.Thankfully, before I could muster up a reply, Charlotte returned and immediately asked her youngest child to help her make lunch.Emma protested a little but ultimately did as she was told.Little was said after that, and when Steven finally returned, the meal was ready. Or at least what constituted a meal around here.Charlotte placed a few pieces of stale bread and a bowl of soup in front of me and then took a seat on one of the armless chairs. The food didn’t smell too appetizing, but Charlotte had worked hard with what resources she had, so I accepted my portion gratefully.“Thank you,” I said, and then I caught Steven smiling at me. I rose at once, and as I did, Evelyn’s father drew me into a tight hug and patted me on the shoulder.“You look great, Aiden,” he said and my eyes started to burn at once.Years ago, before I wen
EVELYNThere was one good thing about being a lowly maid in the palace: the days were filled with a million duties, leaving no time for self-pity or idle thoughts.This had been a blessing before, especially when things between Cole and I were awful.But now that I had become Leila’s personal maid, I was free from heavy labor and had too much time to dwell on my own worries.No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about what the Beta’s younger sister had said yesterday regarding an escape plan.What if consuming these certain herbs actually worked as Leila claimed they did in stories?No heartbeat. No breathing. What if Cole really believed I was dead and stopped searching for me? Would I be able to reunite with my family?I had remembered Aiden had promised to help me leave this place, but as the King’s Guard, he might inadvertently expose me if I sought his assistance, so perhaps Leila’s plan was my only true option.If her stories could be believed.I grew so lost in
AIDENWhen Steven Caddel and I finished our talk about the goings-on in Windsburn Island, it was very late. Night had already fallen and the sky outside of the Caddel’s cottage window was a deep, dark blue. The sky was dotted with stars and the moon cast silver rays below.Though it made me sad to leave the family’s home, I knew I needed to sneak back to the castle. I was worried to jinx it, but I wondered if the servant I had changed clothes with and tied up had been found.I certainly hoped not because otherwise, I would have to make up an excuse to satisfy the official’s questions. I knew he would inquire where I’d gone and there was no way I could betray the Caddels and the miners I’d spoken to today.Steven told me that Frederick was quite literally the spokesman of the Fox family on this half-enclosed island.“To put it more bluntly, that man is practically this island’s ‘king’,” the one-proud leader of the Caddels said bitterly about the official. “He executes the orders from H
AIDENEverything happened in a flash.Charlotte and Emma were awakened by the sound of shattered glass and jumped, a fearful scream coming from the little girl’s mouth as her mother shielded her. Steven rushed over to the bed to protect his wife and daughter, meanwhile, I sprang into action.I didn’t hesitate as I lunged at the black figure and tackled him to the ground. We hit with a sudden thud, my body crying out from the force, but only for a moment.My canine teeth elongated on instinct, my nails sharpening to claws as I pinned the intruder down. He was taller and broader than I was, but that didn’t matter to me. I’d taken down men larger than him with ease, and he would be no different.“Who are you?” I snarled but the figure didn’t reply. He didn’t seem to care about answering me, opting only to thrash and attempt to push me off of him. I held firm, my claws sinking through his sleeve and into his skin. He growled in pain but uttered nothing more as he continued to buck.Just f
AIDENPain coursed through me like lightning, so intense that I nearly sank to my knees in shock. It came in waves, my vision blurring slightly as I nearly passed out, but I managed to override the pain. As the guard removed the blade, I spun around and kicked him with all of my might. He was knocked out cold.“Go!” Steven demanded again as he shook the two men holding his arms off. “Their target is you. We’ll be all right. You have to get out of here now!”I knew from the pain and the blood pouring down my shirt that my shoulder was deeply wounded. I needed to go if I didn’t want to die, but I couldn’t just leave them behind again.“Who’d take care of Evelyn if you die?” Steven questioned with a bellow. “You made a promise!”He reached my side and managed to kick away an approaching guard. “There’s a way out through the woods. Go straight there, use your surroundings to hide you. You’ll have to rely on your senses but you can do it, Aiden. Now, go, before you lose your chance!”I cle
EVELYNI love him too, I thought. I had loved him since our first kiss, since the first flutter of my heart, from the first delicate stir of butterflies in my stomach. I loved him even in the moments I hated it—when I cursed him, when I cursed myself for falling into him, for letting the intoxicating euphoria consume me.I wanted to tell him this, but my teeth clenched too tightly around my lip to speak, and the lump in my throat choked my words.“I’m a jerk, Evelyn,” Cole muttered, rubbing his face with a heavy sigh. His back remained to me, still honoring his promise. “I didn’t understand what love was. I spent my life denying I even needed it. There was a hole inside me, and I tried to fill it with anger, with hatred, with indifference. But you… you were the one who showed me what I was really craving. Even when I was terrified of being controlled by Augus, I found some twisted happiness in knowing how hard you tried to save me.”“And how do you know I wasn’t doing it for some othe
EVELYNWe spent the rest of the morning discussing potential resolutions for Augus’s future attack. Mrs. Lance kindly brought us breakfast: scrambled eggs, slices of ham, and nettle tea for Emma, who had woken briefly but fell back asleep after a few sips.Sylvia joined us shortly after checking on Lord Albert and Elsa. She said that while Lord Albert's condition was stable and he was expected to wake soon, Elsa’s state was far more complicated – and less hopeful. Her nervous system had been severely damaged by long-term manipulation of magic, and her desire to recover was minimal.“The effectiveness of healing magic depends on one’s will to live,” Sylvia had said.I found Oakley sitting beside Elsa’s bed when I went to check on her. She lay motionless, pale and unconscious, visibly more emaciated than I’d seen her last. Bruises marred her face and neck like dark, painful flowers.When Oakley heard me approach, he looked up, his face etched with a rare grave expression. I wondered if
EVELYNWhile Cole and I proceeded toward my family's room, Oakley and Sylvia turned right at the staircase, separating from us to check on Lord Albert and Elsa, who had been placed on the other side of the corridor. Sylvia offered to assist them with her healing abilities, and Oakley expressed a reluctance to get involved in any private conversations.I had expected Aiden to follow us, as he seemed as deeply concerned about my family as I was. But instead, he trailed behind Oakley. When our eyes met for a brief moment, he quickly looked away, lowering his head to avoid my silent question.It was clear he was trying to avoid me, even though I hadn’t directly asked anything. His behavior had been distant ever since he awoke from the enchantment. Silent for most of the time, and when he did speak, it was never to me. I had no idea what was going through his mind, but I didn’t have the strength to press him for answers—not when I was so consumed with the anxiety of seeing my family, and w
EVELYNThe air grew chilly as we ran through the forest in our wolf forms. It might have been the morning dew dampening my fur, or perhaps the panic surging through my veins. I forced myself to focus on the solid earth beneath my paws, trying to push away the creeping dread gnawing at the edges of my mind. If I didn’t, the fear that my little sister might already be in the wizard’s grasp would overwhelm me.We slowed as Aiden sniffed the path, tracking the path to the safehouse where my family was being sheltered. Oakley dipped his wolf head low, allowing Sylvia, who had been riding on his back, to dismount. She clutched her chest and leaned against a nearby trunk, taking a deep breath. Her face was pale from the speed of the ride. I wondered if she had ever ridden a werewolf before, even though she had lived in Hescor for so long. But judging by her retching and the greenish tint to her face, it was clear she wasn’t fond of the experience.Oakley joined Aiden, studying the trail as h
EVELYN“But if you’re wondering why Augus…” Sylvia spoke up again, but she quickly paused, frowning as if considering the words she was about to say. Then, with a deep sigh, she added, “I have no idea why you werewolves seem to carry magical blood or what Augus has discovered about it.”I looked at her, pursing my lips. The unease I felt when Augus called werewolves magical weapons lingered in my chest. I didn’t think he had just meant to sneer and degrade us as mere objects.“He found it behind the Chamber of Secrets,” I said.Sylvia’s frown deepened. “How do you know…”I turned my gaze toward the flickering firelight and explained what had happened earlier—how Augus had disguised himself as Seb and tricked us all, how Leila had brought a book with a ruse that only the King of Tiryn could read. My heart ached dully as I recounted the memory. “I think the ruse confirmed Augus’s theory, and that’s probably why he acted so boldly afterward, to prove his suspicions.”I fell silent for a
EVELYNI gazed beyond the campfire. The sky was still dark, as if every single star in the heavens had been wiped from existence, never to return. As if dawn would never come.“Apparently, not everyone in Tiryn supports their King’s ambitions,” Flynn said, tossing more dry twigs into the flames.After we’d escaped the alleyway, we had reunited with Flynn, who’d discovered the trick Augus had played to distract him. Now, hidden behind the thickets in the forest near the House of Fox—guarded by his troop and without any blue-eyed soldiers lurking to catch us off guard—we could finally rest and contemplate our situation. We perched on a pair of logs in a circle, the campfire lighting our faces.The flickering flames illuminated our eyes as we listened to Flynn’s revelation about what he’d learned. In the firelight, everyone’s faces seemed ghostly.I shifted on my perch, stretching my stiff legs when Cole spoke up.“Where’s the informer?” His hand tightened around mine, and a crease forme
EVELYNPerhaps we should keep an eye on Augus, wait for the right moment to strike—surprise him when he’s unprepared. But we were too stunned to act. Jack’s death seemed to stir something in the air around us. The draft that had once been light in the alleyway grew stronger, though, in that moment, I wondered if it was still just a draft.The sky suddenly shrouded in thick clouds, obscuring the moon entirely. A storm seemed imminent—a storm that could hardly be a natural occurrence. I wasn’t sure if it was relevant, but I recalled the time when King Theodore died, and a tempest raged for days, as if the world itself mourned the loss of a monarch.The stomping of footsteps broke the tension. I turned my gaze toward the soldiers. The puppets began marching toward us, their blank faces and eyes gleaming with a sinister flash.“He’s running,” Oakley shouted, pointing at a flicker of blue light moving swiftly in the opposite direction, away from the approaching swarm of soldiers. “Should w
EVELYN“I’m no gambler,” Cole said sharply.Augus snorted. “I’m afraid that’s a gamble you can never refuse, young King.” He stepped back a few paces, muttering a spell under his breath, and the sapphire dagger rose into the air.My body tensed as I grabbed Stephanie’s arm, bracing for the attack. My nerves were on high alert.But instead of the mindless onslaught I expected, the uncontrolled soldiers closed in around Augus, encircling him like a protective wall.Confusion twisted in my gut, but before I could make sense of it, I felt Stephanie’s body stiffen beside me. She pulled away, shrugging off my hand with startling coldness, and rose to her feet.“Stephanie—” I called out, but my words died in my throat when I saw her eyes. There was nothing left in them. Just emptiness. Just like the soldiers.I remembered Augus’s words.What makes you think I didn’t control one of you to lead you here?The realization hit me like a physical blow. Stephanie... she was under his control. A rus
EVELYNThe clouds shielding the moon finally drifted past, and as the silvery light bathed the alley, the blue crystal dagger lodged in Leila’s chest gleamed with a piercing brilliance. Leila’s eyes widened, shock and confusion flooding her features. She looked down at the dagger, watching it being pulling from her chest with an invisible force. Blood seeped through her dress, spreading out in a crimson circle.“Lei!!” Jasmine’s scream tore through the air as she rushed to Leila’s side, pulling her into her arms. Stephanie followed, her movements urgent.At the same time, Cole charged at Augus. Augus, however, was already retreating, vanishing swiftly among the soldiers. He mumbled an incantation, and with a flick of his wrist, more soldiers fell under his control, becoming mindless puppets. Cole struggled to get close, forced to fight his way through the soulless figures that filled the space between them.I gripped Sylvia’s arm, my breath shallow, my chest aching with every inhale.