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Chapter 60
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2021-07-31 09:20:21"I have absolutely no clue how I'm bringing myself here. I'd much rather be enjoying a night--day of peaceful sleep." I pointed out dryly, "And anything I've gotten myself into was you're doing. You're the Game Master."
I shifted on my feet and let out a sigh. It was different when he called on me, when he brought me to him. If the Game Master was telling the truth, and I suspected he was, why did I keep bringing myself to him? It made it hard to be sour about the whole thing, considering I was the one to blame. The attraction I felt towards him wasn't nearly enough to erase the suspicion and wariness, not to mention that I found him to be an ass half of the time.
"I am, aren't I?" He chuckled joyfully, proving my last point. His voice was playful, but always with that razor sharp edge of cunning. "I hate to burst your bubble, darling, but you are where you are because of you and you alone."
"Why does it sound like a horrible, dangerous thing when you say it?" I
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Iridian Chapter 61
The logic that carried me through the carved entryway to the door shop was that I was merely looking. There was no one forcing me to purchase anything, but the thought of stepping through a door and winning this game--it was tempting. I followed myself through, unable to help it as I analyzed the way I walked. It was unsettling, to see myself and speak to myself. "As you can see, I have doors for every occasion!" She grinned, which was even stranger. As she turned to face me, I noticed the necklace full of keys around her throat. They were all small keys, doll-sized as they hung from her neck like little diamonds. "Are those keys around your neck?" I asked, dumbfounded. "Obviously! You need a key to open a door." She cackled, as though I were the most clueless person she had ever met, which was odd considering she was me. Doors lined the room, all positioned upwards. Some were propped against the walls, while others had some sort of st
Last Updated : 2021-08-07Iridian Chapter 62
Thankfully, my fall was short lived. The nausea in my stomach flattened when I hit the ground. It was surprisingly soft, and whatever I had landed on managed to break my fall. I was hit with the bold scent of something sweet and tart. As I looked up at where I had fallen, I could distinctly see the door shaped opening in the sky, along with Aidan and that jagged grin on his face. "Don't mistake this as a favor, Rachel." He shook his head, his voice dim as it traveled to where I was on the ground. "I could have spared you from so much pain. Instead, I think I'll shove you headfirst into it." Feeling the crunch of something beneath my body, I pushed myself up and onto my feet. Where I had landed were a bunch of horribly crushed flowers. Dark as midnight with thick stalks and billowing petals, the scent of them permeated the little clearing I was in. I was relieved to see the torchlights surrounding me, lining the one lane road that sat nearly ten feet away. Tog
Last Updated : 2021-08-09Iridian Chapter 63
Down the Levidan you spiral, where truth is poison, so painful and vile. Remain sound of mind, and watch your step. The prisoners beneath the earth can hear your every breath. It played on repeat, sung by withered voices that coiled in my ears and silenced my thoughts. Notes of pain and bitterness, betrayal and rage. They were laced within the words, within the stones embedded into the walls that scraped my fingertips as I fell. Faces flashed behind my eyes, youthful versions of Nadia and Callum. The Game Master was there as well, but even past versions of himself were blurred. Nadia's curse hadn't just spanned the future, but it had also obscured his past. The three of them had always been close, laughing and playing together the moment they could wobble on two legs. My eyes rolled and fluttered as the light and images continued flipping through my head like a photo album. One image stood out among the others,
Last Updated : 2021-08-14Iridian Chapter 64
It wasn't his looks that made me tear my hands from his and stumble back, even though they had rendered me completely speechless.It was the sensation I had only heard about from word of mouth, by people who experienced it differently each time. Some described it as a gradual feeling of bliss, creeping up before smothering you entirely. Others described it as a rush of emotion and feeling, though that wasn't what I was experiencing at the moment.Ice and heat washed through me, starting at my hands where they had touched his. During those long seconds where my hands remained in his grasp, I could feel the magic I now had rising up, shimmering like rays of sunlight as they fought to reach his darkness. I had felt the Game Master's magic rise up in response, sucking the air from the room and making my chest feel heavy.What made me pull back ungracefully, was how incredible it felt. Every nerve ending was seared by heat, covered in velvety darkness that felt all t
Last Updated : 2021-08-21Iridian Chapter 65
‘When he said specific, he definitely meant it.’ I grimaced, trying not to inhale deeply when the intoxicating scent of black cherries mixed with something rich and purely male flooded my senses. I clearly hadn’t experienced his scent before, because I surely would have remembered how it made me weak at the knee’s, my mouth watering for something—something I couldn’t put my finger on. The first time I had been here, during that memory with Apollo and Day, I hadn’t had time to truly look around. His room, though similar in size and layout to my own, was covered in shades of ivory and obsidian. Darkness clung to the corners of the room, lingering in heavy shadows, despite the fact that sunlight streamed in from all corners. His also looked much more lived in, with papers and books scattered across the table, and various items on a dresser beside his bed. It was one of those items that caught my attention. A box of pure obsidian, the ston
Last Updated : 2021-08-28Iridian Chapter 66
I had little experience in all things related to boys, and even less when it came to men. Everything I learned had been from growing up alongside Aidan. Knowing all of the other children in town made it difficult to develop any lasting crushes. Especially when we all knew from a young age that most of our mates would be out in the world, living lives of their own. It was his face I memorized during my pre-teen years, over analyzing the small gestures he made that showed his true feelings. Holding open a door, bringing me small gifts to school; it was those things Aidan did that let me know our friendship was turning into something else. Aidan was straight forward, telling me his feelings mere moments after he discovered them himself. We were just starting high school, on our daily walk home when he finally gave in and told me what was bothering him. He had been quiet all day, still walking me to and from class, but with a thoughtful expression on his
Last Updated : 2021-09-04Iridian Chapter 67
My heart was a stuttering mess as I jogged to keep up after the Game Master. I made no move to have him slow down, in just as much a hurry to see what it was he did not want to show me. The look on his face, the worry and irritation--I wondered what the source had been, and my curiosity only grew with each twist and turn we made through the castle. I almost stumbled into him when he stopped abruptly, turning towards a set of wooden doors. They were ordinary compared to some others I had seen, but what was inside, that was what picked at the corners of my brain. The Game Master placed his hand on the curved metal handle and paused, looking back at me with guarded eyes. "You must understand why I didn't tell you--" He began, but I heard a voice call out from the other side of the door. "Rachel?!" Aidan's voice, raspy from shouting and full of desperation, sounded from behind the door. I knew without a doubt that it was Aidan I was hearin
Last Updated : 2021-09-05Iridian Chapter 68
I turned towards the Game Master, a question burning in my eyes, one that would have singlehandedly changed the way I felt about him...if I hadn't been carrying a secret of my own.His eyes met mine, making my stomach both drop and flutter. They were unapologetic and strong, framed by dark lashes and arched eyebrows.He didn't need to use words to confirm what Aidan was saying, not when his eyes held a whirlpool of stars in their depths that shifted and changed whenever he didn't bother concealing his emotions.Embarrassment washed through me, searing hot to the touch as my face and neck flushed a crude shade of red. I clenched my fists at my side, hating the way he just stood there, all but agreeing to his motives from the start.What I hated more was how I couldn't say the words. Even though pain rippled across my skin and embarrassment stung my insides, I couldn't make myself reject him."I can't stay here, Rachel. She can use me to hurt you." A
Last Updated : 2021-09-11
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Iridian Epilogue Pt. 3
I stumbled over my words, forcing them into the space between us where they hovered like a noxious gas. “What—what do you mean? I killed Nadia…I don’t—” The Moon Goddess cut my rambling short by placing the palm of her hand against my cheek. It was something my mom had done whenever I was upset as a child, and somehow the Moon Goddess’s touch held that same level of comfort. She smiled sadly, but it was an expression of pure love and understanding. “Do not punish yourself, daughter. What was left of Nadia’s essence has returned home and rejoined that of her wolf, but her death does not mean Evil is gone from the world. Us celestial beings aren’t allowed to meet our creations, but this situation…it is unique. I’m afraid I cannot tell you much, but there is one who can.” Jumping at the chance to get some answers, to preserve the peace Dain and the warriors fought so hard for, I asked, “Who? Who can?” “It is time to awaken, daughter. It’s in the world of the living where you’ll find
Iridian Epilogue Pt. 2
All I could do was stand there and gape at him. Honesty shone in his eyes like newborn stars, but all it did was leave me confused. I replayed the last twenty-four hours in my head, searching for the moment where I’d won the game between us.When I came up empty handed, I stammered, “I did?”Dain nodded, staring down at me with hooded eyes. “You did.”“How? When?”“As for how, that’s the part where I cheated, I’m afraid. I didn’t admit out loud what I felt for you, but I felt it nonetheless.” He admitted, a sheepish tilt to his lips. “I realized I loved you the moment those doors opened, and you appeared at the top of the steps. I’m not sure I’ll ever forget the way you looked in that gown, which I’ll have to thank Adley for when she returns. You could’ve been an assassin here to put a dagger in my heart and I would’ve gladly let you.”There was an explosion of butterflies in my chest, their wings beating so frantically that the sound of my heartbeat was drowned out.Leaning into Dain
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Epilogue – Part OneIn every book, in every movie where a great battle is fought and won, they never show what happens after.I’m not talking about the following weeks or months, but hours and days. I’m talking about when the dust has yet to settle and the ghosts of the dead still linger in the walls, when every gust of wind or insignificant sound sends you freefalling through time. When every shadow bares the face of someone you know—or worse, someone you killed. When all that’s left is this numbing sense of disbelief that tries to trick you into thinking this new reality isn’t real—that it’s all some pitiful hope conjured up by a dying, fear-riddled mind.According to Dain, it’s a time to mourn what was lost while holding those we love near, a chance to silence the ghosts that haunt us by thinking of the future we’d create. When I asked this question, my mate wasn’t the only one with an opinion. In Apollo’s not so humble words, it’s a time to get absolutely plastered and to celebrat
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The elongated claws tipped with old blood were hers. I couldn’t forget the sight of her gnarled fingers, which had once been slender and elegant, even if I tried.With a loud smack, she flattened her palm against the stone floor. A second arm shot out of the water, followed by another wet smack.‘That puddle’s not nearly big enough for what she’s trying to do…’ Rayna pointed out, her voice just as sickly as I knew my own would be.Both of Nadia’s arms were bent at odd angles as they rose from the water, but that was the least disturbing thing I witnessed as this day began to quickly unfold. Next to appear were her eyes, the whites much too large to be considered normal, followed by the jagged slash that was her smile. In the memories I’d seen, her smile had been coy and playful, with the same softness as a flower’s petals. This one was of malice and envy, both deeply disturbing and in dire need of some chapstick.Her shoulders rose from the water at the same time but were bent awkward
Iridian Chapter 212
It took everything within me not to flinch at the sound of her voice and how close it truly was to my ear. Only when I felt her icy talons meet my skin did I act.‘It’s showtime.’ Rayna murmured, lending me all of her strength as I willed the floor to crumble beneath my feet.Together, my wolf and I fell.Since I was prepared for the impact, it was easy to call on my magic to lessen the blow. Warm air rushed beneath my gown and outstretched arms, acting as a safety net that slowed my fall and kept me from toppling over. It wasn’t the graceful landing I’d been trying for since Nadia was doing something to block our magic, but it kept me from breaking both my ankles on the way down.I didn’t wait for the dust to settle. The moment I felt solid stone beneath my feet, I took off running.Nadia’s snarl was one of surprise and outrage, strong enough that it made the castle tremble. I didn’t repress my grin or the laughter I spewed into the air, knowing both would entice her to follow—to con
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Nadia launched herself at me, and as she did so, her hair and dress billowed out at her sides. The movement was slow and lazy, almost like she was submerged in water and not hovering a solid three feet in the air. Even though her form was translucent, and she seemed to be neither here nor there, I had a sickening feeling she could still do significant damage if I let her reach me.Instinct took over, and for once in my life, it wasn’t telling me to run.I launched the orb in my hand like it were a baseball, and watched as it spiraled through the air, a small halo of light surrounding it. When it hit its mark, square in the center of Nadia’s face, I silently thanked Aidan for teaching me all those years ago. I had hated every second of his baseball phase, but he’d been so passionate about becoming a professional athlete and whisking us away that I couldn’t resist helping him practice. After a dozen scraped knees, a handful of bruises, and one broken arm, we both called it quits.The in
Iridian Chapter 210
For the longest time all I could hear was the sound of stone grinding against stone.There was a painful burn in my lungs, but I didn’t dare exhale. Instead, I held my breath and watched as the corridors around me shifted. Walls slid left and right, forming new pathways that hadn’t existed before. Many changed angles, creating sharp turns that you couldn’t see coming until it was too late.Some of the windows began to close, melting away as though they’d never been there, while others grew larger. The ones that grew in size turned into arched doorways narrow enough for but one person to slip through.While the castle itself wasn’t a sentient being, every brick and inch of tiled floor was alive with Dain’s magic. I could feel it’s alluring touch within everything I altered and couldn’t help but smile at how eager it was to please me. Even the paintings responded to my call, changing forms until each one was exactly the same.The brash strokes of oil paint shimmered as they changed colo
Iridian Chapter 209
“My sisters, are they safe?” Aidan asked, his voice low.Even with a side view of his face, I could see the way it twisted into a concerned grimace. With eyebrows knitted tightly together and jaw clenched, he pivoted his head from left to right, peering down each corridor as we crept through another intersection. The sword he clutched in his hand, it’s metal an impenetrable black that shimmered with blood, was raised and ready for use.“Is anyone truly safe?” I asked, eyeing one of the windows warily. It would be all too easy for Nadia or one of her monsters to slip through now that the hallways were conjoined. “They’re hidden away. The fight won’t reach them.”His shoulders slumped as much as they could with the defensive stance he held, and a sigh of relief escaped his lips.“Thank the Goddess. Even though I’d see them when I got back, I’m not sure I’d be able to handle it if they were dead.”He didn’t have to explain why, not when the answer hovered in the space between us.There w
Iridian Chapter 208
Selfishly, I tried to call on Helios, to summon him to my side like I’d been told I could. It was what he would’ve wanted, it was why we completed the bond in the first place. The issue was that no one told me how to do it.There was a sense of awareness that settled over me, followed by a wave of understanding that told me Helios was very much alive. He was feeling it too, a subtle tug that let him know I was still here. I concentrated on my golden-haired warrior harder, imagining him as a sword sheathed at my side, ready to be used at moment’s notice.I felt that tug turn into a harsh pull, but there was no smile of victory on my face, because the milky-eyed creature at the end of the hall let out a blood-curdling wail and charged.I’d never been afraid of horror movies, not with their make-shift gore and fake blood. The knowledge that the creepy monster on the television screen wasn’t actually real was enough to smother any fear I might’ve felt. As I scrambled to get away from the
