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Chapter 23
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Rise 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
Rise 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
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 26
Otis POV I found the travelling road we were on to be quite refreshing and a stark contrast to the life I had lived for nearly ten years. I had been reclusive during my exile, and I found the company of Cressida and her mate to be a breath of fresh air. I still had a tricky habit of using formalities whenever I was with her. I watched her grow up, so it was difficult for me to let go of the fact she had a life without me and no longer went by ‘Princess,’ ‘Highness,’ or just plain ‘Cressida.’ Her new name suited her. A new name for a new life. One I, unfortunately, would not have wished upon her, I thought sadly. As for the Lycan, I had no opinions of him for now, other than he seemed affectionate and extremely enthralled by the Princess. Cressida had lost both her parents, so I took it upon myself, moving forward, to protect her from those that would want her harm. The Lycan—Alexander, I chastised myself for not saying his name, seemed charming, with good etiquette, but what comfort
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 27
Every day in the morning, I would practice drowning out the whispers. I had to find the middle where they came and focus on placing them in an empty chamber in my mind, then lock them in and ignore them. I had been at it for days now. When we were walking, I tried to do it. I thought if I could drown them out while doing something else simultaneously, it would help me get better. It did, but it had been a hard task at first. In the beginning, when the whispers would fill my head, I would stumble and fall, unable to concentrate clearly on what I was doing. Eventually, I could do it, becoming more confident with each passing day. I was so absorbed with my training that I didn’t hear Otis say my name until he grabbed my arm and pulled me off the road under a bush. “What’s the matter?” I asked him, a little staggered. “Shh, there’s a patrol coming our way.” I ducked my head close to the ground and altogether stopped breathing. This was the first patrol we encountered since we were amb
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 28
Xander POV Since Otis and Ida had horses, we made good time reaching Pine Lake. I gave them directions to the cabin while I went ahead to meet up with Gideon. He must have been worried because he barged outside when he heard my howl and scanned the entire area until his eyes settled on my fast-approaching form. He returned inside and came out holding a pair of pants, a sly smile spreading rapidly on his face. “You forgot to bring clothes for your travel. I’m guessing you stayed in this form, so you wouldn’t need any. Did you find Ida?” I lifted myself on my hind legs and painfully moved toward Gideon while my body twisted and snapped into human form. When I arrived in front of him, I clasped his arms, gratefully took the pants from him, and slipped them on. “I did. Ida’s not too far. She should be here within the hour. How has everyone held up?” Gideon closed the front door and walked with me a little way from the cabin. “We’ve been doing well, but there are definitely shifters
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 29
“Are you sure we need to look for a marked tree? What exactly does that even mean?” I called to Xander, who was a few yards away, inspecting his side of the woods. We had been at it for the better part of the day. I had hoped we would immediately find what we were looking for, but the task seemed more daunting than I had initially thought. And by the look on Xander’s face, I figured my sentiment was shared. He looked discouraged. The sun was beating on our heads, and sweat was pouring from every inch of our skin. I thought the only reason Denis, Nimu, Gideon and Leo didn’t mind it was because they had been stuck in the cabin for a month and were finally happy to be out and about. “We just need to look for a mark, something that stands out but is still inconspicuous. Something humans would not think twice about. Maybe look for claw marks or a bark that has been removed?” He answered a little curtly. “That could be anything.” I let out, feeling my shoulders sag. This was going to be i
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 30
Otis and I readied ourselves, walking protectively in a circle around Nimu, Denis and Leo, who all stood in between both of us. We were surrounded by at least fifty beasts, each bigger than the other. I saw Otis shoot me a look, and I nodded, wiggling my fingers when I felt the tingle of magical energy flow through them. He was letting me know to prepare for an imminent attack. Xander and Gideon were nowhere in sight, but I could still hear jaws snapping and furious growls and whelps coming from inside the forest. Whoever attacked me was probably still fighting off Xander. One of the smaller Lycans lunged at me, and I moved just in time to dodge it, swirling my wrists and sending it flying through the air with an energy blast. It landed on its side, close to the edge of the forest. Otis did the same with another attacker. One by one, they tried to breach our perimeter, snapping their giant maws at our limbs in an attempt to make us fall or fatally wound us. We had been able to parry
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 31
Xander POV I followed the old lady to the Lycans’ den. The den was a small village. They made houses of tree logs with roofs that had wooden shingles. They seemed well constructed and comfortable to house multiple people in them. Looking around the village, I must have counted at least a hundred, if not more, Lycans. They must not all have been Lycans; I was reasonably confident that some were human mates who had moved there when they found their partners. However, as Ida had pointed out to me earlier when we arrived, a few of them had spousal marks, which explained the lack of pups running around. I made sure Ida stayed close. I held her near, often inhaling her scent, ensuring she smelled of me. I still didn’t know if they would become hostile, and I noticed that most of the pack was comprised of males. I didn’t want any of them trying something on my mate. The rest of our group followed closely behind, and Gideon was the last one, protecting our rear and surveying the area. We c
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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
