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Chapter 34
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Rise of the cardinal Chapter 35
I took to the sky as another detonation happened. I needed to find the catapult or cannon responsible for inflicting so much damage. If we wanted a chance to survive, I would need to destroy it. I didn’t hear two sets of explosions, which meant that there was most likely only one. Before leaving, I turned around and shouted to Xander. I didn’t want to leave him behind while I went on my quest. To reply, he simply brandished his hand and shooed me away while he morphed into his Lycan form and crashed into the swarm of knights. From above, I could see that many Lycans had also transformed to assist their Alpha. Jordan was heading toward Kestrel with big angry snarls and barrelled like a crazed animal through the crowd. I caught sight of Gideon and hailed to him. He seemed to have stayed behind to help Xander and me. “We need to find the contraption that’s making explosions. I’ll try to find its position, but I’ll need help from the ground. It’s too dark for me to see clearly.” Gideo
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 36
Xander POV The chaos which had been raining all around us halted. I assumed Ida had found whatever was causing the explosions that killed Lycans and soldiers alike. I had lost track of Jordan when he pushed through the mob, trying to get to my father. I suspected he was most likely dead. This had been a fool’s deal, I thought as I tried to claw at one soldier’s jugular. The Alpha had given a golden opportunity to one of this country’s most dangerous men. How did he not think that Duke Kestrel would not waste this chance? I howled in rage and jumped on the next available victim. The ground was starting to be slippery, and I had to work extra hard not to land on my haunches. One wrong move to the ground, and I could get slashed by a sword. The weapons they had brought had been dipped in silver. One jab and the Lycans would go down, writhing and transforming back into a human where they did not stand a chance against the well-trained Kestrel troops. The screams and sound of sliced f
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 37
A soft hand brushed against my forehead and had a calming effect on me. The person hummed, and I heard them sit down on the chair beside my bed and start crushing what sounded like herbs in a mortar with the pestle. I turned my head and smiled when I saw Diana staring back at me with warm eyes. “About time you woke up. I’m making some tea. Would you like some?” I knew this was a dream, but it was one I did not care to wake from. I missed Diana so much. Seeing her like this, full of life and happy, made my heart soar and made me want to cry. “How much time do we have?” I asked my friend. I backed myself on the bed, repositioned the pillow underneath my back, and leaned my head on the headboard. I tried not to blink, fearing Diana would disappear forever. “Not much. Something’s looming on the other side. I can feel it.” “I’ve missed this. Those days where it was just us and nothing else. I’ve never really had a friend. You were my first in a very long time. There isn’t a day that p
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 38
After a few moments of silence, Jordan banged his fist to his chest and bowed his head, accepting Xander’s offer. Many followed suit until every member of the pack present stood and made the same gesture. The old council members were the only ones unhappy with this turn of events. “Very well. I thank you all for your confidence in my mate and me. I understand the pack has chosen all of you to represent its best interest in these meetings. While we prepare for our departure, please vote for new council representatives. I will expect a list of names by the end of this day to discuss logistics for this pack. You may voice any concerns or quarrels with Beta Jordan, who will bring them forward to me.” Seeing Jordan there surprised me. I didn’t think Xander would have kept him in the pack with the stunt he tried to pull. But I supposed Xander saw something in the defeated Alpha that made him choose to keep him. “I will also need representatives of this pack to visit every wolf shifter pa
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 39
Xander had left in the early morning light with approximately two hundred Lycans in beast form. They were heading to the rebellion headquarters first while I was in charge of those who could not follow. Nimu and I had healed many Lycans after the battle, but some were still too frail to make the journey. Healing magic required extreme concentration, depleting our magical energy in the blink of an eye. Even I had to take a break as my energy became dangerously low. I found that those who had ingested silver during the battle were in the worst shape. The silver burned their organs and made them suffer immensely, counteracting their healing ability. Some we had pinpointed the location of the silver and remove it, while others were harder to find. I just hoped that their bodies would expel it naturally. We carried those still in agony in makeshift wagons, along with our food and water supplies. Once we would find a place to settle down during the night, Nimu and I would resume the heali
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 40
“What do you mean, he died? He was fine last night! When did this happen?” “Sometime during the night. Leo came to get him, and the next thing I knew, the boy was at my side, white as a sheet, telling me that Nimu was unmoving. Once I got there, I confirmed his death. He must have used too much magic for his old age and slipped quietly in his sleep.” My heart sank. I had let this happen; I thought miserably. I should have been more alert when I noticed Nimu getting paler. I felt utterly devastated that I had pushed him to his limits. Otis saw the look on my face and grumbled, placing his hands on my cheeks and forcing my head to meet his gaze. “It is not your fault, Cressida. He knew what he was doing. There’s nothing more you could have done to prevent this from happening. Let it go.” Tears spilled down my face, and Otis flicked his thumbs over the rolling beads. I grabbed his wrists and stepped forward, burying my head in his robes. “He did so much for me, for all of us. He hel
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 41
Otis didn’t hesitate and immediately pulled a shield over us. I needed to hurry before losing control over every body function. “I was hit by a paralyzing agent. I won’t be able to move for a couple of hours. They used it on me when I was held captive by Osprey. That means a hunter is here. You must not get hit, or else you won’t be able to do magic! We have to hurry and get everyone to safety!” Otis grabbed my arms and lifted me up. As he dragged me away, a Lycan came forward and pulled me in his arms. “Lycans, to me!” Shouted Otis, who ran to where our party had stopped. I could hear him giving out orders, then returning to my side with one of Xela’s healers and two other people. “Tell them what ails you, and they’ll do what they can. We’ll try to keep everyone safe.” I wanted to nod, but my body did nothing. I groaned and let my head fall back on the Lycan’s chest. “I thought you would have left with your pack,” I told the shifter. “I offered to stay in case healing was need
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 42
Silas quickly shortened the distance separating us and took my face between his hands, assessing my state. His eyes were sharp and anxious, and their piercing blue was as mesmerizing as I remembered. I slightly flinched at his contact. “Ida! Thank the Faiths, you’re alright! When I heard this man say your name and that you were incapacitated, I thought I had arrived too late. You’re lucky my men and I were passing through. I ordered my troops to assist with the invasion of those soldiers, and then we set off to find you. Who ambushed your party?” I shivered at his touch and swiftly detached myself from his hold. It felt wrong for him touching me like that, especially after what he did back at Starling Castle. My cheeks heated with anger at the recollection. “They’re part of the same group of people you tipped off about me coming to Osprey city. Were you that selfish and insulted when I refused you that you decided I was better off tortured and maybe killed?” “What? I don’t underst
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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
