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Chapter 17
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Rise of the cardinal Chapter 18
Xander POV Did Duke Kestrel know I wasn’t human? That I wasn’t his son? I closed my mouth and continued the letter. “I was the one who informed the Duke of your Lycan lineage. He confronted me about your implication with the rebellion. I thought he already knew! He seemed so sure of himself, so I wanted to make a bargain to save your life. I should have known it was a ploy. Be careful from now on. The Duke will come for restitution. I am taking my last moments to write this to you, to be with you, and I want you to know my final thoughts will be of you. I would have liked to say much more, but time is short, and I am hard-pressed to finish this letter before they come to find me. Markus wasn’t just a simple Lycan. Although the Lycans do not have the same politics as humans or shifters, their hierarchy is similar. You are the only child Markus had. He, therefore, passed his status down to you. You would find your father’s pack in the forest near Pine Lake if they endured the upri
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Rise of the cardinal Chapter 19
I sat in the bumping wagon, silently looking over at my old magic teacher. Otis still seemed the same. The crinkles in the corners of his eyes and mouth were still there. But those around his mouth were hidden underneath a thick layer of whiskers and a short beard. His deep brown irises had paled a bit, but they hadn’t lost the molten gold ring on their exterior. Otis also examined me and tried to find the young lady he had seen grow before his eyes, although I doubted I looked very much the same. I wondered if he was proud of who I had become. Lynn sat quietly, frequently shooting me glances and questioning if I was okay. Was I, though? I had accepted Otis died during the uprising. He had died back in the library just as the secret passage closed on me, leaving me alone to run and hide. How was it possible that he was sitting right in front of me? “All this time… you were alive?” I choked, reeling in a sob. I had no intention of letting it out. I didn’t want to look weak in front
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Rise of the cardinal Chapter 20
We had been walking for two days, but it felt like a week. I doubted we could ever reach the rebellion within a month, not unless we could get horses. Walking over mountains and through forests by foot was a tedious affair, and my feet had blisters from the sweat that made them slippery in my boots. Otis had thought it wiser not to stop and rest for too long since the hunter we met back at Mirra would have gone over the rip. He had an army at his side and horses, making them fast and dangerous. I took one more step and bit my bottom lip. One blister had popped, and I felt the raw skin rubbing on the inside leather. “Otis? Do you think we can stop for a while? I don’t think I can go much farther.” He looked at the sky, pinpointing where the sun was, and nodded. “I think we’ll be safe here for a short while. Your pursuers will have difficulty finding us since we didn’t use the main roads. They won’t know in which direction we went. It could take them days, if not weeks before they fi
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Rise of the cardinal Chapter 21
Xander POV I ran until my legs tired out, and my body fell to the ground. To my surprise, it took three days to tire my Lycan. He hadn’t stopped at night and kept a steady but fast speed. We had probably made a week’s worth of road by horse in that short time. I preferred staying in Lycan form, considering it was safer. Moreover, I had left in a hurry and hadn’t brought a spare change of clothes. I would need to borrow some once I returned to my human form. I didn’t know where I would find some; my chief concern upon departing was to find Ida. Clothes were a trivial matter entirely. I had to sprint deeper into the woods when I encountered a band of soldiers with hounds. I had been lucky to have been downwind and caught their scent instead of the reverse. There were no doubts in my mind the man leading the party had been the hunter who had taken Ida in Osprey city. I would have recognized his face anywhere. If they were near, that meant Ida wasn’t far away. This bothered me. If she h
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Rise of the cardinal Chapter 22
“Where am I?” I asked myself. I looked right and left; I couldn’t see anything but whiteness everywhere. I didn’t know if there was ground beneath my feet, so I lifted a leg and tentatively took a step forward, feeling my way. My foot hit a hard surface, so I repeated the process until I was confident I wouldn’t fall into nothingness. I was confused by what I was doing. The last thing I remembered was the forest, the eclipse, and Otis starting the spell to unbind me. Soon after, it plunged me into this whiteness with no visible exits or paths. Although I was walking, I had the distinct feeling of gliding, almost flying. The sensation made me dizzy, so I stopped and sat down, looking up at what should have been the sky. More white… Why was there so much white? I called out, asking if anyone was here with me, but no one answered. I sighed and then resumed walking in the white void, going seemingly nowhere. I had no notion of time or direction. I simply walked until my feet got tired,
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Rise of the cardinal Chapter 23
Many soldiers had already perished under Xander’s dreadful Lycan jaw and claws. They soaked the forest clearing in their blood, making it harder to move without slipping on the wet grass. Only a few were left to fight, including the hunter still standing proudly on his horse, shooting arrows to subdue us. When the hunter reached the last arrows, he charged with his horse, slashing his sword close to Xander while another soldier distracted him. When the hunter’s sword came down on Xander, I blasted it away before it came too close and ran towards the man. Ever since I had woken up from the unbinding, I felt a surge of energy I hadn’t known I had. Each parry, barrier shield, and attack I did seemed effortless. Before, I would have been low on magical energy, just as Otis - his attacks were becoming sloppier. Wielders didn’t have an endless supply of power. At one point, just like their bodies, their magic would become weak, and they would need to rest. Xander saw me charging the hunt
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Rise of the cardinal Chapter 24
After we left the battle, we walked in the forest for half a day before stopping to make camp for the night. Xander’s wounds had healed perfectly, so we made good time with him scouting the area in Lycan form and reporting back once he found a hidden spot to sleep. Xander mentioned he had encountered the hunter’s party while looking for us. We couldn’t be too careful. If the hunter had told others he was on my trail, there could be more not too far behind with the same intentions. I helped Otis prepare a small fire. We chose specific wood branches that would not create a thick smoke and made sure the fire was hot enough not to produce any. Later in the evening, Xander returned with a rabbit in his jaw. He quickly came to my side and dropped it at my feet, his tail wagging. I passed my fingers into his fur and scratched the back of his huge wolf-like head before giving him a smile. I skinned the rabbit and prepared to cook it with Otis’s spice pouch he had thrown my way to add some
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Rise of the cardinal Chapter 25
I woke up just as the sun started peering over the trees and its rays hit my face. I extended an arm to where Xander had slept, but I touched dirt and rocks. I hastily turned around; a small panicking feeling swelled inside of me. Had I dreamed Xander had returned? When Otis saw my head scanning the area anxiously, he came closer and reassuringly placed a hand on my shoulder. “He just stepped out to scout the way ahead. He’ll be back before you know it. Come on, I’ve made breakfast. It’s not much, but it will keep us full for the day.” I still turned my head to look deeper into the forest. When I saw and heard nothing except birds and small critters, I pulled myself up, followed Otis to the other side of the fire, and sat down on a fallen log. It was humid, so my perpetually wind-blown-looking hair stuck out from every side of my face. I took my water flask and poured water over my face to clean it, then put some on my hair to smooth out the frizz. I twirled the strand the hunter h
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
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Rise of the cardinal Epilogue
Ida POV - Three years later I placed my quill down and looked at the manuscript I had finished. I had worked on it for three years. It had been an arduous task, especially since it recounted the story of my life—a life I had no memory of. I looked it over once more, and once I was satisfied, I closed the book and backed away into my chair. Xander had presented me with this blank book years ago. He had encouraged me to talk to everyone and gather all the stories they had to share of past moments we had lived together. Otis had been a tremendous help. He told me of my upbringing and of my parents. He had known me the longest and had emphasized that my parent’s legacy lived on through me. I was more than happy to write everything down on the blank pages of that book if it helped me understand where I belonged in this world. The first year had been challenging. Many individuals came to speak with me, and I didn't know who they were. They wanted me to become queen. They said it was my b
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 65 - End
Xander POV Trepidation and falling into the unknown had been things entirely foreign to me. In the past, I had always been the sort of person who calculated every possibility. It was partly because of my Lycan side, being logical, cautious and using those primal instincts. I never took chances without thinking of the outcomes. If I took a risk, at least I knew what could happen, and I would know how to react when faced with them. Ever since I joined my life with my fated mate eight months ago, I had become reckless and impulsive—my Lycan side as well. Everything I did, I did for her, so we would never be parted again, and I often found myself in situations where I didn’t know the ending. As I watched Ida floating above me, unmoving with her heart-wrenching, teary-eyed face, I knew in that instant that she was making a tough choice, and I had not been privy to her plan. I shouted her name and extended my hands, hoping that by some miracle, I would catch her an
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 64
Otis and Xander charged the guards that were looking out at the battle unfolding. They had not thought of being attacked from the back. They would have never suspected someone would have come through a different entrance than the ones at the base of the mountain. Xander was limited in what he could do, as he couldn’t fully transform into Lycan form, but he did his best with the situation and helped until I had regained a little of my strength. I had lost a lot of blood, and although I had healed myself, I still had slightly blurred vision and slurred movements. I thought I looked inebriated. The piercing sounds of clashing swords and dreadful screams resounded inside my ears. I placed a hand on a tree and worked hard to stay upright. I needed to get my head straight if I wanted to face Osprey, and trepidation spread over me like a cold shower. I squinted my eyes when I saw flashes of colour out on the battlefield. I momentarily wondered if I had imagined it,
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 63
Jordan used his nose to locate Xander, and once we heard a war horn echo faintly through the underground tunnels, the three of us froze.“It’s starting,” Otis whispered.The colours on my face drained, and I hurriedly grabbed Jordan’s arm.“Are you sure Xander is close?”“Positive. He’s down there somewhere.”“Good. We can take it from here. Find the Lycans and help the rebellion!”Jordan hesitated but accepted my orders. He walked away, then circled around and stared at me with nervous eyes.“What of Lynn? Where is she?”“She’s safe with the healers away from the battlefield.”Jordan nodded and doubled back, running into the darkness. Otis and I continued our way down the path until it forked, and not long after, there was a wooden door to our left. There weren’t any guards, but I could hear some discussing further away
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 62
Silas POVThe tension in the air was palpable. Everyone was on edge, and the slightest noise made all the rebels jump. We had a restless night of marching before taking a break, and I feared it would not sufficiently prepare us for the battle to come.When we stopped, the rebellion leaders and I discussed the plan, and I thought it good. We had everything ready, and everyone present knew the risks they were taking. None of them left in the night, and everyone was accounted for in the early morning before the sun rose.A rebel woman brought everyone something to drink to help perk us up, but I just stared at the beverage and couldn’t find the will to swallow the hot drink. I didn’t have the stomach for it. What made me even more anxious was that I hadn't heard from Ida yet. She had left us in the evening the day before, and I wondered if she fared well with her wielder friend. I knew she could take care of herself, but if what the shifter that a
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 61
The black mass of the western mountain appeared before Otis and me. It separated a narrow passage between Mirra and White Birch districts, leading to either the Spruce Cove or Willow regions. It wasn’t as tall as the other mountain ranges, but it was sizable nonetheless.I dropped lower above the tree line and climbed the mountainside by flight.“What are we looking for exactly?”Near the top of steep cliffs, there was a tunnel that led inside the secret passages of the mountain. From what I had gleaned from the forest earth, there were a few, but that one had seemed unoccupied and our best chance at getting in undetected.“A passage. We’re almost there, I think. It’s harder to spot in the dark.”“Please tell me you have a plan,” Otis grumbled as I took more speed.“I do, and I don’t. My plan was to get us here.”I thought I heard Otis mumble, but I ignored him. M
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 60
Xander POV The silver shackles that bound my wrists and ankles burned my skin. I winced and shifted my weight, wanting to prevent the bindings from touching too much skin. I slowly opened my eyes. There was no difference between having them close or open. Complete darkness surrounded me. Only the scar of Ida’s blue mark left a dim glow on my skin. But it wasn’t enough to see anything clearly. The clinking of another set of shackles resonated in the space, and I heard a grunting sound coming from another person. The other prisoner coughed and hissed as the silver stung them. “Who’s still alive?” I asked in a hushed tone. “It’s me… Jordan.” Good. Jordan was still here. He was the strongest out of the ten Lycans that accompanied me on this mission. “Can you recall what happened to us?” “Some, not much. We went inside the village. It was silent. Shifters attacked us, but they weren't shifters. I tore a leg from one of them, but it
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 59
I saw red and jumped off my horse.“Ida! Don’t do it. I know what you’re thinking!” Silas pleaded. His voice was frantic, and he followed suit, dismounting his horse to grab my arms and stop me.I shook my arm out of his insistent hold and jumped backward.“We waited too long. The plan won’t work. If Xander or any other Lycans have not returned, they were taken by Osprey’s men… or Osprey himself. Arm everyone, now! I’ll take Otis with me, and we’ll go straight to White Birch Castle. Keep moving in that direction and keep your eyes peeled. I have a feeling this fight will happen much sooner than expected.”‘Then I’m coming with you!”“Don’t be absurd.” I scoffed at Silas. “The rebellion needs you here. Who will lead them all once the battle starts? I can do it with Otis.”I tried to show him I was confident, but I only wanted to
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 58
As soon as Roselin and Count Robin had produced and distributed the immunizing liquid against the incapacitating effects of the other, we quickly set for White Birch plain. All the shifters followed the moving party from the forest, while all the human rebels took the road with hundreds of wagons in tow. We needed to move the weapons, the armours, the food and water supplies.Only a handful of elderly rebels stayed in Perch. They would reroute any other rebels that arrived from farther districts. My heart broke when no wielders showed up, making me think that Otis and I were the only ones brave enough to show ourselves. I refused to believe we were the last two left.We had been on the road for over a week. It would take another day to reach the designated portion of the plain, where the rebellion intended to set up and prepare for the war. By my calculations, Junco had most likely arrived in Osprey City two or three days ago, which made me worry.I was atop my
