/-Amelia-/“Why do you keep staring at me?” He asked. His tone was neutral so I figure the spell was still active. “Why did you suddenly go off like that? The feast barely even started,” I asked suspiciously. “I was drugged by one of your numerous guests and I passed out. Anything else you'd like to know?” He asked. I let out a sigh. He was right. There was no way he would have known what happened while he was drugged and he never liked the idea of a feast. “There was this veiled woman I saw in your room when I came to check on you,” I started, monitoring his expression closely. There was nothing I could accuse him of because his expression remained blank. Once again, I reminded myself that he wouldn't know. There was no use being suspicious over him. “So, what now?” He asked. “Did you find her?” “No, we couldn't find her. She just sped away and I suspect that she might have been the one who drugged you,” I said. “Good to know,” he said dryly and walked towards the bathroom. I
/-RAVEN-/I could barely move a muscle. When talpha Timultin mentioned the whips at first, I thought he was joking. That there was no way he was actually going to sit back and let me get whipped but I was wrong. This man was as strict as he was merciless and his men couldn't afford to disobey him so I got whipped. Over and over again until I passed out. Now I woke up, I was still tied to the pillar with the pain shooting through me from all angles. How coido Eric do this to me? How do you even watch someone you claim to love go through such pain and you do nothing about it. It was cruel and wicked but he didn't obviously give two shits about that. Speak of the devil, he stroleld towards me like my suffering was a delightful sight. “What are you doing here?” I glared at him with all my might. “I'm guessing you haven't learnt your lesson yet. Else, you wouldn't be speaking to me in such a disrespectful tone,” he said. I looked at him in shock and anger. Was he being serious right
/-LISA-/"Are you sure it was Raven you saw?" Othelia asked again, her voice filled with skepticism.I folded my arms, forcing myself to remain calm. This entire conversation was ridiculous. Francesca was grasping at straws, desperate to hold on to the idea that Raven was alive. But if she was right… no, that couldn’t happen."I know what I saw," Francesca insisted, her eyes blazing with conviction. "She walked right through that door in a red dress. She looked real, alive, but she didn’t even seem to recognize me."Othelia sighed. "Francesca, do you hear yourself? You’re telling us that Raven, Declan’s mate, the woman who was supposed to be dead, just strolled in like nothing happened? And then, what? She attacked you and disappeared?""I don’t think she attacked me," Francesca admitted. "It was more like… she was surprised to see me. I mistakenly shattered the vase and slipped out her name and she panicked. Then she hit me" She shivered. "Everything went black, but there was somethi
/-Raven-/I don't know how it happened but it did. The chains fell off me like it was nothing and I found myself wondering if I could do that the whole time.I mean, if I could, why the hell was I stressing myself? I could have just easily freed myself before those animals got the chance to lay their hands on me. Now was not the time for that, anyways. I needed to get out of here before they realized what was happening, but where would I go?Back to Azaiah? Or just complete my mission by killing Declan? I didn't have the luxury to contemplate on that so I shifted and flew as high as I could. I left the mountains and just flew high into the sky, wondering where I was going to go. Azaiah might have treated me well but there was no guarantee that he wouldn't just hand me back to that crazy man and his son if they came asking. Something struck me by the side and I let out a painful roar but then it hit me again, and again until I stop seeing myself fly and crashed to the ground in a ma
/-LISA-/I watched as Tim was brought before Amelia. My heart was pounding. I didn't know what she was going to do to him. Hell, I didn't even know if he was going to live past this minute.Why did he have to lie to me? I know we had our differences but that wasn't enough reason for him to lie about Raven's death. “I am only going to ask you this once and I expect a direct answer from you, otherwise you will be held responsible for whatever happens to you,” Amelia started but Tim didn't even look a quarter as terrified as I was. He didn't even look afraid of her. “Yes Luna,” he answered in a monotone. Since he came back from wherever they went to and Raven was allegedly killed, he has never been the same again. This time was cold and emotionless. If he was asked to stab a baby, he would do it without hesitation. With Declan under her control, it made things even worse. I didn't know this man anymore.“Where is Raven?” She asked.“Lying at the bottom of the river somewhere,” he re
/–Raven–/“Let go me, where are you taking me?” I screamed but despite my struggles they didn't release me.I was still bleeding and my vision was blurring at a rapid rate. I was going to lose consciousness in a matter of seconds and I still didn't know what he planned to do with me. They were taking me back to the very house I had escaped from. This time, Eric appeared and I had a little hope. I was his fiance right? There was no way he would just stand by and watch his father give me out ot some strangers, right?“Eric…” I muttered weakly. “Please…”“Oh, you can beg now? Did I just hear the mighty Raven beg me?” He taunted. “You wanted to prove that you were better than everyone else right? I gave you a simple instruction and you couldn't even obey it. Now you stand there, begging for mercy? From who?” “I… fiance…” at this point, I was so weak that even the words wouldn't come out anymore. I was loosing a lot of blood but nobody seemed to care. Alpha Timultin, the one I called fa
/-Eric-/“Is she awake?” Father asked.“Yes, father,” I responded. “And?” “Still as stubborn as she was the night before. She threatened to kill us, starting with me first,” I answered. “And do you believe her?” He asked. “Well, she is Raven, father. She doesn't just go around bluffing. She will definitely find a way to exert her revenge, unless we kill her,” I said.“Kill her?” He frowned. “I don't want that. She is a very valuable asset to us. We were supposed to use her on Declan but we let gresd get in the way and diverted her to the men who were ready to pay up to a ten bags of gold for a night with her.” “I strongly believe that we can still use her,” I said and he raised a questioning brow. “Raven might think she is tough but every person has a limit. A breaking point. We just need to find hers.” “What are you suggesting, Eric? That we experiment on her every day?” he asked with disbelief. “Exactly, father. We experiment with her during the day and at night, we let the m
/-Eric-/For a second, I thought I might die but something wanked from behind before she could stick the glass in my neck.She dropped to the ground unconscious and I looked at the person who saved my life. It was aere guard of course, but I guess I still had to be grateful he saved my life.However, the gratitude was going to the goddess, not him. He was merely a tool she used to save me. Other guards running in, picking up their fellow guards to check on them.“What took you morons, so long huh? She could have killed everyone!” I snapped at them.“Forgive us, your highness. We were just coming from the gate,” he answered and I rolled my eyes. If she had succeeded in killing me, I wonder who they would render their apologies too. “Take away these bodies and tie her to the two pillars outside,” I instructed. They exchanged glances and my fists clenched. “What was that for? Are you question my authority?” “No, your highness. Please forgive us,” one quickly apologised. I rolled my eye
/-Raven-/I shifted into dragon form and flew as far away as I could. As much as I wanted revenge, I couldn't jeopardize the living for the dead. If my presence was going to secure their victory then I would take pride in that and let go of my anger.For Declan. I don't know how long or how far I flew but i was at a distance I couldn't intervene quickly even if I wanted to. “Azaiah, what's your status?” I asked through the mind link. “She's down. So is half of our men. I hate to admit it but Declan is helping a lot. Are you coming in?” He asked.“Unfortunately, I can't. I need to take care of Amelia's soldiers but until then I can't come in,” I said. “But make sure she is dead. Take off her head, that is the best way to kill a witch and set her ablaze. We can't risk her suddenly resurrecting.” “That was the same thing Amelia said. Don't worry, Raven, do what you have to do, we have it all under control,” he assured me. Relief washed through me. This was definitely a good thing.
/-Raven-/On getting outside, I met Amelia. Unlike before, she had gotten here earlier than I expected.“Let's get this over with. I have more important things to deal with,” she said. “If the more important thing you're talking about is Diane, then I think we should take her down first instead of wasting our energy on each other,” I told her. “Why should I…” she cast me a condescending look. “...collaborate with you to do anything?” “Because you can't take her for me on your own,” I said plainly. “If we work together, we might actually have a chance to defeat her then we can face each other.” “Really? You must be bold to think that I would actually need help from you!” She huffed and I rolled my eyes. “I don't have time for your boost your little ego. When I'm done taking Diane, you can come fight me,” I said, shifting into dragon form. “Like I would wait for you to do that!” She muttered and leapt into the air, too. A smirk played on my lips. One down, one more person to go.
/-Raven-/I woke up with a splitting headache. My eyes fluttered open and I scanned the place. The ceiling design was very familiar. It was confusing. Wasn't I supposed to wake up at the battlefield?“It's good to see you awake, child,” I heard suddenly and turned. I flinched hard, shocked. This was the healer. The very woman that warned about going into a fight with Amelia. I took a look at my body and the flawless skin was gone. The scars were and I immediately flew out of bed and ran to the bathroom. My red hair. It was back. My eyes watered. It was really back. I've never felt so happy to be in my own skin in my entire life. I touched my face over and over again. “Oh goddess, it's really back,” I exclaimed. “I'm really back.” That meant my dragon was back as well, right? I clenched my fist and it went up in flames. Yesss!! Oh goddess, yes! The real Raven is back!My mind was flooding with too many thoughts at the same time. The battle. It was happening today, right?I need
/-Skylar-/I almost didn't recognise her by the time Kai let her out. Her body was covered in bruises, she was lean and pale and looked like she didn't have any blood left in her. “Where the hell do you think you're going?” Kai snapped at her and from the way she flinched, I was afraid she would crash and her bones would shatter. That was just how bad it was. “Apologise to her, right now!” Kai ordered. There was nothing like the beautiful arrogant Gwen now. She was hanging on a thread of life now, so definitely, she wouldn't want to jeopardize that. She even looked remoseful.“S..s… sorry…” she rasped. “Properly!” Kai hissed. If she hadn't been so bitchy towards me and tried to kill me, I might have asked Kai to spare her. “I… I'm sorry, Skylar…” she croaked, clapping her hands together in plea. The way her hands trembled like they were about to fall off made me instantly accept the apology. Kai ordered his men to take her away and approached me with a frown.“This is a very b
On Sally's refusal, Amelia headed to see Diane herself. She knew that this rescue mission was simply pointless for Taylor. Even if Diane let him go by some miracle, he would never be the same again. In clearer terms, he would be nothing but a vegetable. Amelia didn't care for any of that. She had spent the last few years harnessing asuch power as she could, yet coming face to face with Diane, it felt she had not even started. How the hell was she supposed to defeat her when they went back then? Her goal has always been one and the same. Kill Raven and protect Declan.Which is why she needed this test fight right now. She wanted to know if she could beat Diane and if there were any weaknesses.“It's foolish and reckless for you to come with the intention of fighting me, Amelia,” Diane's voice sang at the entrance. “You can't.”The confidence irked Amelia but she knew Diane was right. She couldn't beat her but she was going to look for openings and weaknesses and then in the real mat
/-Sally-/Just when I thought I could have an uneventful day, her call came in. Amelia. What could she possibly want from me now? I wasn't in the mood to grant favours. “Have you seen Taylor?” She asked as soon as I answered the phone. Taylor?Now that was unexpected. He was always the one looking for her but now, it was the other way to round?“What about him?” I asked.“Stop throwing back my questions and answer the damn question! It's been two days since he left home and he hadn't been back since then. His sisters are very worried about him,” she said. “Since when do you care about the brats?” I asked in surprise and I could almost fell her glaring at me through the phone. She knew I was telling the truth. There were only a few people she cared about and those children were not part of it. “Well I don't know where he is,” I told her. “Coudo you ask the mystic to help me find him?” She asked. .“At this point, you are just overreacting. He is an adult, a freaking CEO. Maybe a
/-Taylor-/I knew something was fishy when my men didn't get back to me. Then a few days later, their bodies turn up, found in the alley. It couldn't have been anyone else. They were spying on her and supposed to take her down. That was the last time I heard from them. It didn't make sense that she was able to kill them but somehow she did. I have been in and out of the station for questioning as I was the last contact either of them spoke to.It was annoying that my mother wouldn't even help. All she could offer me was that she told me so. To make it worse, my sisters affirmed that they had seen her with Kai at the park and she looked very healthy. Who exactly was this woman? Why did everything seem to be evolving around her? The more I asked these questions, the deeper I found myself falling into obsession. Like now… I was trying to find her on social media. I had only recently been informed of Ava's death and it didn't make sense that Skylar would kill her best friend, but ac
/-Skylar-/After what seemed like forever, the boys were finally asleep. I was set to be discharged in the evening.Kai sat opposite me, silently, thinking of something I suspected that I already knew. I tried not to rush him but watching him was becoming painful and bothersome. I had to break the silence, no matter how much I wanted him to think. “Well, can you tell me what you're thinking now? It's about the children, right?” I finally spoke. “Who are we going to leave them with? They can't lose both parents, Raven,” he said. “They haven't. You can just let Gwen go,” I said and he looked at me like I just blasphemed.“What?” “You heard me, Declan. There is no need to hold her captive. I'm very certain that your boys have dealt with her enough. There is no need to make this more complicated than it should be,” I shrugged and he stood up, backing me instantly.“I can't believe you're making this suggestion. Let's take aside the fact that she tried to kill you. Gwendolyn is a horri
/-Skylar-/I woke up feeling unusually drained and weak. The lights were almost blinding and I couldn't open my eyes properly.“Daddy… she's awake!” I heard a child's voice. Who the hell was that? My eyes fluttered open and I had to blink repeatedly to keep the light off my eyes. “Raven!” Kai's voice followed and his cologne hit my nostrils as he sat beside me. My vision cleared and I realized his sons were also in the room. A hospital room to be exact. I could smell the drugs and antiseptic. What happened to me?Did that mean that Gwen was here? It was a little weird for her because the woman didn't even like me. She has no reason to be here. “How are you feeling baby?” He asked me.“I… why am I here?” I asked him. My mind was completely blank so I didn't remember anything.“You were poisoned,” he told me. My heart skipped a beat. But it seemed like that was the trigger word because everything came flooding back and so did my suspect.“Did you find how did it?” I asked and his ey