⇼ E L O R A ⇼
Everything is happening fast. Perhaps too fast. The moment I get up and get dressed, things just go by, flicking past me like images from a rushing carriage’s window. Everyone in the camp is getting ready or packing up, separating into six big groups that will go to every city-state and attempt to dismantle the authoritarian government in place.
Like Alistair said, Hendrik and I will be left here in Corrin, but we will not be staying in the camp. We will go with Kristoff, the designated diplomat, to head to the town square and make our presence known at the Feast of Independence.
But that would be tomorrow. For now, we have to get the others prepared.
I’m currently in Jossie’s tree house, helping her pack the weapon kits that will be distributed among them. She will be with Alistair in the Capital. He’s currently meeting with the diplomats.
“You okay?” Jossie’s voice brings me out of my reveri
⇼ E L O R A ⇼ I blink rapidly. Even though Uncle Osman’s face is clear and unmistakable, a big part of me still wants to believe that what I’m seeing isn’t true. I would much rather be facing Governor Celso or any other big shots in the government. Just not my uncle. Just not the man who basically raised me. With my heart flooding with denial, I slowly take a step back. And another, and another. However, with every step back I take, he takes a step forward, levelling the distance between us and maybe even closing it. “You didn’t think I would find you?” he asks, and I expect his tone to be gentle as always, but right now it’s clear that he’s mocking me. “You didn’t think I would know? I know you, Elora. I know you got attached to the scums. I know you like my own.” His gaze briefly passes on Hendrik. “And you’re here too. Unexpected, but understandable.” “Uncle,” I begin, my throat still tight. “You have to know why we’re doing this. Why I’m doing thi
⇼ A L I S T A I R ⇼The path to the Capital is long and unforgiving, and the strong cold winds of the dawn doesn’t help. I’m the only one carrying a small lamp to light the way and to lead everyone, and even though it’s enough to illuminate my immediate surroundings, I still feel like we’re in the dark, like I’m leading them in the dark. Perhaps in more ways than one.“The sewer is where we’re supposed to go,” Jossie tells me in a hushed tone, sidling up close to me. “Hendrik said that we might be encountering something there. He was trying to explain but Candor cut him off.”“That’s Candor for you,” I say jokingly, trying to lighten up the mood, but as we go deeper and deeper into the forest, I’m starting to feel darker. My mind is drifting towards places and people. People who aren’t here with me now. People who might be in danger. People who might get hurt because of this mission. “Are you still regretting splitting up?” Jossie suddenly asks. I don’t answ
⇼ E L O R A ⇼ After a long time in the darkness, floating and disappearing, I begin to stir. Slowly and surely, with very little of my sensations coming back with every second passing. Memories of what happened begin to come back to me, and my heart just explodes in pain. Hendrik . . . Hendrik is gone. He was killed right in front of me. He was killed trying to save me. Tears begin to flow down my cheeks. I try to extend my hand because of what I was doing last, hoping to reach for his hand, but then I realize that I can’t move. My wrists are bound by thick rope. My eyes are covered in a thick strip of cloth, same with what’s between my teeth. My ankles are also tied together, and my torso is stuck to the backrest of the chair I’m sitting on due to the tight knots around
⇼ A L I S T A I R ⇼ ‘Don’t hurt them!’ I try to tell the wolf, but it’s no longer listening to me. I’m pushed all the way inside our shared consciousness, so deep that the only way I can get out right now is if the wolf lets me. But no. There’s no chance. The only thing going on in its head is war and his desire for a bloodbath. The soldiers fire another round, and the wolf only growls, but all the ammunition disappear midair. That’s when I realize that the wolf and I are surrounded by this acidic cloud of darkness that’s melting everything that comes close. Jossie is driving our own allies away from me. They all look terrified of what the wolf is doing. Some of the soldiers are scaling the wall to get close to us, and the wolf just runs to meet them halfway. ‘None of you will hurt me,’ it says menacingly. ‘Not again. Never again.’ The wolf rears as the men try to attack us with a spear, and instantly a cloud of shadows engulf them. Th
⇼ E L O R A ⇼ Everything stopped existing all at once. I could swear everything turned black the moment Father uttered those words. I don’t even know what to call him now. My whole life was a lie. I was never the heir, never the princess. The whole thing I based my entire world on was never based on the truth. And surprisingly, knowing this gave me a sense of relief. Yes, my life just got into disarray because of this revelation, but at the same time, the puzzle pieces are finally coming together. All the things that I worried about before are now being answered, just because of that simple statement. I look down at him, the man I thought was my father, and he stares up at me with a mix of apology and regret. “It was all in the letters,” he says, his voice breaking at the last word. “Ravea often left the palace to roam, and it was because she still visited them, met up with them, given that they wore disguises. She was in love with one of them
⇼ A L I S T A I R ⇼ The bricks of the wall behind me start to cascade down in a cacophony of thuds and cracks. In a puff of smoke, the entire section of the wall crumbles, taking down some of the guards standing on top of it, sending them crashing right on the ground. The crack of their bodies hitting the concrete is grating my ears, but it’s doing the opposite to the wolf. It’s music for it. I can sense its dark satisfaction, rippling through its body like a wave of warmth in a bitter winter. I look to my side and see that my allies have made it down safely, but they’re still backing into the corner, away from the palace guards and away from me. Any moment, they could be attacked. If all these guards, who are pointing their cannons and other weapons at me, turned to them and decided to hurt them instead, they would all be dead. And it would be my fault for not being strong enough to control the raging beast that’s dominating the show now. ‘Please let
Hello, everyone! I have been made aware that my chapters have been repeated for an embarrassing number of times, and for this I am sorry. The problem is fixed now and you can view the new chapters as they should have been set. Again, I am truly sorry for this inconvenience. I am currently using a very old device to write the story, and I will get a new device after getting paid here. I hope you understand. Thank you to the people who left comments and raised this to my attention. Thank you for not giving me a bad rating because of this. I really appreciate your support and your patience. Please, if you have time, give this story a review. It will help get this book a boost in the ratings and this will also give the book more exposure. So if you enjoyed it, please let me know! Also, if you have any feedback, I would love to see those as well. The book is approaching its end but this will undergo serious editing and revision, so any kind of construc
⇼ A L I S T A I R ⇼ I stare at the man who claims to be the King’s brother. I have seen King Odion a couple of times through images, and up close when we were entering the gates of Gailis. The resemblance between them is pretty clear. Not uncanny, but really hard not to miss. He tries to step forward, closer to me, but I stop him by raising a hand. “Do not come any closer.” Osman stumbles back abruptly and almost knocks over one of the mannequins. “I’m so sorry, please do not kill me.” “I won’t do that,” I say, making my way around the place slowly, not taking my eyes off of him the entire time, especially when he lowers his hands. “You said you’re going to show me where the King is?” “Yes!” he answers breathlessly, sinking into another deep bow and falling forward. He lands on his knees, and in the same jerky manner, he straightens up, brushes himself off, and bows again, but much carefully this time. “But I have one condition, sir. Just one