ASHER“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Silas uttered before I had the chance to say a word.Kane’s violet eyes flashed and his eyebrows creased together in confusion. “Oh? And what would you suggest we do, Silas? I’m not hearing you brainstorm any helpful ideas. Please, the floor is all yours. Offer up something useful.”Silas’ demeanor grew defensive and his lips drew into a thin line. When he didn’t reply within a second or two, Kane scoffed in his direction.“That’s what I thought,” my stepbrother remarked and then he smirked. “You have nothing in mind, do you, Moses?”He took care to emphasize Silas’ surname, and it was spat with venom right back at the Beta. I knew Silas didn’t trust Kane, nor did my stepbrother fully trust Silas. The two men stared at one another silently, and tension hung in the air. I allowed this to go on for a minute, and then I cleared my throat and stepped between them.“Enough,” I said in a low and warning voice, and I held my hands up in an attempt t
CASSANDRA Though I was scared to do so, I decided to ask Kaleb if I could get some medicine for Ms. Benn’s daughter. I couldn’t let poor Lila suffer through the symptoms of her illness any longer. The herbs I’d given the head housekeeper were enough to dull some of the aches and pains that came with pneumonia, but to be fully cured, I needed real antibiotics. So, I summoned my strength and then requested an audience with Kaleb. The king of Yurene met with me in the same meeting room we’d conversed in the other day, and when I crossed through the doorway, there was an almost amused glint in his navy blue eyes. “Cassandra,” he greeted me as I approached the couch and took a seat. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?” I decided to skip straight to my request. “I need some medicine. Antibiotics and others. Is that something you could assist me with?” “Medicine,” he repeated back, and then he raised an eyebrow. “Why do you need it? Are you ailing? Or perhaps it’s for your s
CASSANDRAIt wasn’t a joke.I knew it in my bones.Raven’s expression had given it away the moment she’d been caught.The storm clouds that had plagued my mind felt as if they’d cleared away, and the puzzle pieces felt as if they’d been put together.Mind control.Sorcery.Weapon.That’s what Kaleb wanted, to turn the poor, diseased people into his weapon. Though it sounded utterly insane, this speculation seemed more plausible as Raven fidgeted and kept telling me what she had told me wasn’t a fact.“I shouldn’t make jokes like that,” she said, her tone jittery and nervous. “Roxy would kill me if she’d heard that.”The dark-haired sorceress offered me a dry smile, and for a moment, I debated on pestering her further, but instead, I decided to bide my time. It was best to go along with things for my safety, so I offered Raven a smile back.“Don’t worry,” I assured her warmly. “I know you were kidding, Raven.”She nodded and seemed to soften up a bit. “If you want to know more about th
CASSANDRAThat night, as I studied the map Helene had given me, I put together all of the information I’d been presented with and made several speculations.First, the name of the poison that had infected Asher was likely Inferno, not Black Marks. Asher had received it far too long ago, and if the infected in Wild Crawler were any indication, he would have deteriorated already if Raven’s recreation was in his veins. Of course, if it was in fact Inferno, why hadn’t it taken effect right away?If I remember it clearly, Asher started to get the Black Marks on his body around the time he’d visited Wild Crawler. So, what had triggered the reaction on his skin? It was hard to make assumptions about what was going on without specific scientific information or data to assess. I was a healer, but I was also a scientist, and without true research to observe, I was a little confused.At the very least, I was relieved to know that if Asher was truly infected with Inferno, and it had the effects R
ASHERMuch to our dismay and agitation, the sorceress’ mouth was very tight. No matter what we tried, Kane and I couldn’t pry answers out of her. She was well-trained and her expression remained eerily calm and aloof no matter what questions we asked of her. Thankfully, there were a few facts we knew to be true right away just by looking at her. It wasn’t difficult to surmise from her dress that she was from the North. She also shared the same tilt of her head that seemed to be a cultural gesture amongst the Yurenians. I’d seen Kaleb do the same thing many times while he was here in Anemond, so I knew she was from his country.As we continued our interrogation, I grew worried about Silas and the soldiers, but luckily, after half an hour or so, they awoke from their magic-induced slumber. Apart from feeling a bit dizzy and disoriented, they seemed to be fine, but the atmosphere around camp was tense and unpleasant.This Northern sorceress had caused a big quarrel between Silas and Kan
CASSANDRA The next day, I awoke with a lump in my throat. My stomach ached with nervousness, and when I rose from my bed, my entire body trembled so much that I needed to sit back down. There was still so much on my mind that I could hardly contain my nerves. As I stared at the rays of sunlight streaming in through the ice-white curtains, I wanted to cry from the pure stress of it all. I’d managed to stay strong and keep from breaking down so I wouldn’t worry Erika or Finnick, but that task was proving far too difficult these days. Ronald, Emmett, Kaleb, Raven, Asher… all of them danced around my mind, rendering me unable to handle anything else. I wrapped my hands around my sheets and gripped them tightly, so hard that my knuckles turned white. I hated the king of Yurene for putting me in this position… for putting all of us here. Emmett too. Suddenly, I heard movement behind me, and when I turned, Finnick stood by my bed, his favorite teddy bear in his hand. His dark hair was ru
CASSANDRAWhen I awoke, I couldn’t move. I tried to stretch my limbs and make sense of where I was, but it was impossible. I felt as if I was tightly bound to a bed, strapped down with no hope of escape. It was dark, so I couldn’t tell for sure, but I wondered if maybe I was in the bed that I had seen in Raven’s lab in the prison tower.My breath was so thin that I felt as if I could die at any second. My body was burning, a horrible, aching feeling that I never wanted to experience again. It was almost like I had returned to the inferno in Rosepetal. Maybe I had never truly been saved at all, and everything that had happened to me past the point of the blaze was nothing more than a mere hallucination before death.Suddenly, I felt my inner wolf groan. A painful groan, followed by anger.“Why have you been so weak and cowardly?” she growled at me, her voice fierce like Cora’s. “Where has your warrior’s spirit gone?”She then scolded and cursed me. “You aren’t this person. You aren’t a
CASSANDRAThe king of Yurene didn’t say anything further before he left the room. Once the door closed behind him, I let out a heavy breath and sat up. I swept my long copper hair off of my sweat-soaked neck and then let out another sigh.I felt disoriented. I didn’t think Kaleb’s words were truly an indication or acknowledgment of my secret alliance with Ronald. If the Northman truly knew of such a thing, he wouldn’t have been so calm while speaking with me. While he wasn’t hotheaded, he also wasn’t relaxed, and I had the sense I’d have seen irritation in his eyes.There was only one explanation. Ronald must have covered the situation.While I was appreciative of that, I realized that Kaleb had officially put a stop to my visits with Ronald and Helene. Though I could take a chance and try his temper, ignoring what he’d said just now, I didn’t think it was wise. I still had so little information that any bold move could ruin our plans- Ronald’s, Helene’s, and mine.Above all, I needed
CASSANDRAIt was a sunny day, the first one in a long time.After the long winter and cold spring, summer eventually came, and it was hotter than it had been in forever.Sunlight streamed in through the clinic window, and I was a little distracted as I stared out at the window at the kids in the yard.Finnick, Lila, Marley’s boys Eric and Adrian, and Dominic were all chasing each other, playing a game of tag with one another. Marco was out there with them too, but he was sitting on a bench alone, meters away from the rest of the kids. He looked lonely and didn’t move as the others played around him.It had been a month since the chaos in Merliscire and Adalyn’s death. I supposed it was still hard for Marco to accept the fact that his mother was gone. She had killed herself right in front of him after holding him hostage and threatening to hurt him. The poor little boy had endured so much trauma in such a short amount of time.He wasn’t a bad kid. He had a mean disposition at times, bu
ASHERIt had been a while since Cassandra entered the building, and with every passing minute, my nervousness and anxiety grew stronger. While I knew she was capable of handling herself, I didn’t like the idea of her being in the House of Moses without me.I began to feel restless. It was a mistake to let her leave with Adalyn alone.I pondered my options for a minute and then decided I couldn’t wait out on the grounds any longer, not when my mate could be in danger. I started to walk toward the building, but before I could get too far, the soldiers guarding us stopped me.At first, they were polite but quickly, they became rude. They shouted and told me to back up. I wasn’t allowed in, not until Lady Adalyn said so.I considered pushing past them but didn’t want to escalate the situation, so I nodded and retreated ever so slightly. All around me, the councilors grew restless. They too, wanted to leave, only they desired to go back to Merliscire. However, when a group of them tried to
BECKYAfter our conversation with Oliver Moses, Dickson and I had been seized by the Moses guards and taken into a room that appeared to be used for interrogation. The door was crafted from iron and there were no windows, so the room was dim and quiet. There were only a pair of chairs, each a little rickety and old-looking. It was a pathetic, desolate sort of place, which was surely on purpose.Time didn’t make much sense in there and I soon couldn’t figure out how long we’d been locked in. My body ached and my mind was spinning out with a million thoughts as I absorbed all of the information I’d heard in the past couple of days.I had thought Oliver Moses would quickly find out the truth or ask me to confront Adalyn again, but Dickson thought the opposite when I presented the idea to him.“Look at this place, Becky,” he said, his voice gloomy and negative. “No one is going to visit us any time soon.”Sadly, he appeared to be correct, and his point was only proven as time went on. Tho
ADALYN Ada. How long had it been since I’d heard that name? My parents had never referred to me as Ada. They had never given me a single nickname or pet name. Mother had always said it was improper to call a child by anything other than their name and Father had never given me enough affection to bother. There were only two people in this world who had ever called me Ada. Asher. And Cora. I tensed as I tried to understand how Cassandra knew this. Had Asher told her about our close friendships when we were young? No, there was no way. Suddenly, I was hit with a realization, one I couldn’t ignore. I stared at Cassandra and studied her carefully. I searched her features, scrutinizing her nose, her mouth, the shape of her eyes. None were familiar, but as I stared at her deep emerald green irises and recognized the hue of them, it all began to make sense. I’d never understood how Asher could fall in love with a common healer. Cassandra wasn’t ugly by any means but to care so deepl
CASSANDRAAdalyn’s golden eyes narrowed and then locked on mine.“Why would that wicked woman come with us?” she demanded as she continued to shoot daggers in my direction.“Those are my terms,” Asher insisted. “You want an audience with me? Those are my requirements.”It was a bold assertation on his behalf. As long as Adalyn had Prince Marco in her grasp, she had the upper hand, but she was far too weak to realize her power. Asher was still the Alpha King, after all, so I supposed that subconsciously, she felt compelled to obey.Silence hung heavily in the air and then finally she sighed.“Fine,” she huffed and then she flashed me a sneer. “Let her come. Perhaps we’ll have some fun with your little plaything once we’re there.”“You won’t harm her,” Asher growled.“We’ll see,” Adalyn said with a shrug. “Come. It’s time we left this musty room.”Her big eyes scanned the room and then she addressed the councilors. “The rest of you shall come as well. Might as well make an event of it.”
CASSANDRAAdalyn’s face twisted again at Karsh’s cold and daring question, only this time, she didn’t recover and lost any sense of calm within her.“How dare you demean the future king’s mother?” she roared, her golden eyes flashing with anger as she bared her teeth.Despite her outrage and fierce expression, the councilor remained as cool as ever and didn’t even flinch. It was an impressive sight to behold and it made me respect Karsh even more. Adalyn had always been a brat but I had the sense that her ferocity wasn’t something to take lightly, at least not today.“I’m just stating the truth, Lady Adalyn,” Karsh said with a slightly raised chin, his eyes locked on hers. “The king is alive, I can assure you-”Before he could finish his statement, Adalyn motioned with her hand and gave a signal to the soldiers behind her.“Seize that traitor!” she ordered, and her men launched into action at once.My heart raced in my chest as I saw the soldiers approach Karsh, but before they could
CASSANDRAThankfully, Adalyn’s proposal wasn’t as convincing to the councilors as she’d expected. It was clear from the glint in her golden eyes and the proud expression on her beautiful face that she assumed all would accept the idea of Marco’s ascension without complaint, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. The room dissolved into whispers and gasps at once.One of the councilors I didn’t know the name of cleared his throat and all fell quiet.“Pardon me for my bluntness, Lady Adalyn, but it’s absurd to announce a new Alpha King when there is no evidence showing that the king is dead,” he pointed out, his thick dark eyebrows furrowed at her. “We have nothing of the sort before us-”“The forensic report will explain everything-” Adalyn began to say but the councilor waved her off with his hand.“A report means nothing,” he stated boldly, and then he glanced around the room to garner attention from the other councilors. “If the Alpha King is dead, we need to see his co
CASSANDRAOne thing was absolutely certain amongst Asher, the councilors he trusted, and I.Whatever Oliver Moses wanted to do at the council meeting, we needed to stop him. We were in complete agreement but knew we needed others to agree to our cause. We needed the support of other Packs in order to bring him down, and knew we wouldn’t get far without it.“Oliver Moses has quite a number of soldiers stationed in Anemond, especially around Merlisicre,” Karsh revealed solemnly. “If we want to confront the Moseses, we will need a troop of good soldiers of our own.”Though I didn’t want to admit it, the councilor was correct in his assessment. Despite having support from Alpha Gareth, Wild Crawler on its own couldn’t provide enough soldiers. If we wanted to gather real numbers to stand against the Moses soldiers, we needed to contact other Packs and ask for their support.“Your Majesty, it would be best for you to remain in the darkness before the meeting,” Jacoby advised after a moment
ADALYNThis girl was stupid and annoying, to say the least.Yet, despite these facts, I regretted that I had underestimated her. I should have dealt with the tiny redhead girl right after Cassandra Keller had disappeared. Now, she had become a big problem, one I wasn’t sure how to handle.“I was hiding in the room next to yours when you spoke,” Becky chimed in.Father’s face changed when she mentioned the meeting. His complexion paled and his hazel eyes widened, but when he ran his hands through his graying hair, it was clear that he seemed convinced by her words.I had to hand it to her.Placing herself at the scene of the crime was a bold move, one I wasn’t sure how to work around. This was damning to be certain but I had to remain collected if I wanted to make it out of this and continue my plans without interruption.Silas’ little kitten was a true thorn in my side.Father studied the girl’s expression like a fox studying its prey. “I hope you acknowledge that you will be punished