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Chapter 6
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Rise of the cardinal Chapter 7
I woke up drenched in sweat and shivering. The wounds on my back had healed to some extent, but I feared they had gotten infected, not allowing them to heal right. The fever sent me vivid dreams, but the most recurring one was regarding a white dove bird landing on a wolf, then taking off and disappearing into the sky under the howling cries of the wolf. I thought it was connected to Xander, somehow. My hosts had kept their word and had not fed me for days. The only thing I had in my stomach was the vial's content that incapacitated me. Shrike or Harrier came two times a day to give it to me. Whether I obliged or fought, the liquid slid down my throat and numbed my whole body. It left me in an unresponsive state, yet still able to feel the cold and uncomfortable floor that served as my bed. I didn’t know what exactly was in that vial. It wasn’t water, but at least I was getting some liquid inside of me. Had I not had that, I thought I would not have lasted very long. Diana had mentio
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 8
I opened my eyes to the startling sunlight. I blinked a few times to adjust my eyes to the harsh stream. I had not seen the sun in what felt like weeks. I instinctively placed my arm in front of my face to shield it and was surprised it had come over my eyes with no resistance. They did not tie me to anything, and I could easily move my body. I also didn’t feel lethargic anymore. I was lying on top of a nice comfortable bed in clean clothes. The window drapes were slightly opened and helped illuminate the room. It was my old bedroom, the one I used to have when I lived here. Had all of this been a bad dream? I rolled myself off the bed. My lower back hurt, as did my insides. I lifted the nightgown and saw the faded scars on my ribs. No, it hadn’t been a dream. But why did Osprey transfer me here when he seemed willing to torture me to near-death? Again, why would he let me have complete control over my magic when he did everything to prevent me from using it? This made little sense.
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 9
Xander POV I had thought losing Ida to Osprey’s goons had been a living hell. Had I known what was to come, I would have thought less of it. Whatever they did to her, I could feel it as though it were happening to me. The first time I felt something through our mate-bond, it had been like a big slap on my ribs and back. Cold sweats later overtook me, and I could feel how hurt and cold she was. It broke my heart when I understood she was being tortured, and I couldn’t do anything to help her through it. That feeling alone made me go out of my mind and hate myself. I felt like a total failure. That first few days had been hard on me, but it wasn’t as bad as what happened after. When the shocks started without warning, I fell from my horse, shaking and convulsing uncontrollably. The last shock spike prevented me from breathing to the point where Gideon had to take Leo and Denis away, not wanting them to see what came over me. My shifter friend had said I had turned purple in the face
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 10
I wanted to shut my eyes, but I couldn’t. I had not regained control over myself. I was high in the sky. My fear of falling to the ground made me pray for a safe landing. I didn’t know how it was possible for me to even fly. I had never noticed wings on my back before, but remembering what I saw in the memory orb of my father, I knew Faiths had translucent and delicate paper-like wings. They looked like those of a dragonfly. I must have had them as well. I could feel the force of the winds pushing me higher into the bright, lit sky. Tiny water droplets misted my face each time I passed through a cloud. Initially, I thought it would make me land in the forest, just beyond the castle, but my wings took me past it. I wanted to tell it it wasn’t taking me in the right direction. I needed to go southeast towards the rebellion, not southwest. We had already reached the border of Cardinal city’s district, or should I say ‘Osprey city.’ Usually, this would have been at least a two-day ride
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 11
*** Sensitive subject ahead*** The terrain had become flat, now that I was nearing the valley's center. The city of Mirra loomed before me, each step taking me closer to it. I doubted they would let me pass easily. I was certain they would see through the façade. Even though I looked like a peddler, I didn't have any wares. I would need to be clever. As I continued walking in the forest, always keeping the main road in sight, I worked on making my voice a little lower and more masculine. I didn’t know how often I cleared my throat, grumbled, and laughed to practice. I thought I was horrible, and my trying was pathetic. No one in their right mind would believe I was a man. I would have more chances at trying to pass for a mute. Besides, I looked like a scrawny young man, not a big burly salesperson. Maybe I could pass for someone looking for work in the mines? I still needed to figure out my excuse for entering the city. I stayed in the forest's shadows, preferring not to walk where
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 12
Lynn took back the reins and led the cart through the city streets. I was grateful since I had no idea where to go. I had never come to Mirra before. When my father had the throne, Lord Junco often came to my home, so we never needed to go here. I remembered he had a wife and daughter, but he said they had perished during the uprising. The streets were lit by torches, and many vendors were slowly closing shop. The sun had become low, slowly hiding behind the mountains, and cast a dark pink and orange shade on the walls of the houses and shops. It would become dark within half an hour, and the streets would be free of merchants and city folks; they would have settled in their houses and waited until the next day to come back out. I spared a glance towards Lynn. Her face was deep in thought with a slight red tint on her cheeks. I wondered if she reminisced about what had happened on the road. Or maybe it was about the cute guard from the gates. He let us pass without further questions
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 13
I rummaged through the kitchen cabinets during the night and found everything I needed to colour my hair brown. I thought it looked suspicious to continue wearing a cloth over my head. I found coffee beans, black tea, and walnut shells. I crushed everything down into a fine powder and took about two hours to boil it in water, making it lose approximately half its water content. The fire in the hearth had enough heat left for me to use it without arousing any suspicions in the household. I returned with the watery goop into my chamber and covered all of my head and eyebrows, then waited until morning to rinse everything out. The black tea and walnut shells gave my hair a darker colour and even removed the usual shiny redness that the coffee sometimes left. Maybe it was because I had boiled it and made it into a thick liquid? I never had the chance to cook it for long before. I thought it worked much better this way. After the colouration was done, I pulled my damp hair into a knot at
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 14
Lynn came back from her walk to the guard tower. She had met the friendly guard who had let us pass through the gates the evening before. I had preferred to stay away and give them some privacy. She had brought me to a small park before leaving me alone. I sat on a bench and watched people go by, bustling around the city streets to get some things in the market or simply enjoying the lovely spring weather. A deep sadness overcame me when I looked at the empty seat beside me, remembering the special moment when Diana opened up to me about her childhood with her brother. I looked at the sky to change my mind and prevent tears from falling. I missed her terribly. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t think of her, especially when I went to the apothecary store and saw all the herbs and medicine. The mortar sitting on the table that the store owner used to crush the dried flowers had me feeling lightheaded. I remembered Diana sitting on a chair, her mortar between her thighs and mashing everyt
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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
