MAXINESeeing the spell caster meant that Liam considered this a serious issue. I snatched my hands back gently."There's no need," I said, remembering how Alaric had sounded when he was casting a spell. How the whites of his eyes had covered his irises and made him look like a creature of pure evil with all that makeup on his eyes.I didn't want that same man to tinker with me to find out what was wrong with me when surely, he hadn't dealt with anything like that."If I wait a few more days, I'm sure I'll be back to normal," I said giving Liam what I assumed was a reassuring smile. I wasn't scared of Alaric per se, but I was uncomfortable."Maxine…" Liam started."I'll be fine, I promise. I could take herbs and see if they'll help me. There would be no need for him to look at me and try to cast a spell on me or something." I whined."Is that why you're scared? You think he'll do something to you?" He asked. "Maxine, I'll be right next to you. I wouldn't let him do anything to harm th
MAXINEMy heart was racing in my chest and I wondered how long it would take him to fix whatever was wrong with me. I didn't need him to tell me what to do next.I closed my eyes. I tried to focus on anything but his voice as he chanted strange words. But he was the only one I could hear.Suddenly, I felt the water around me. It began to rise, halfway up my arm until it covered my ankle. I tried to open my eyes but it was impossible.The water dragged me under, filling my nose and filling my lungs. I tried to swim but the more I tried, the more I drowned. My body was like a rock, sinking deeper and deeper into this vast ocean of blue surrounding me.Soon, I ran out of air. I stopped struggling. I looked up towards the light breaking through at the top, a sign that it was the surface. I stretched my hands, trying to reach it.I exhaled, my eyes shutting as I let the water claim me.I gasped awake, coughing, and suddenly found myself on the forest floor. Dry leaves stuck to my wet skin
MAXINEI gasped awake to arms shaking me. My eyes frantically look around and I see Liam. He helps me sit up as I pant, covered in sweat."Shit, you scared me." He said with an exhale. He and Alaric are crouched next to me."How did it go?" Alaric asked peering at me with those golden eyes of his.I heard the artifact's voice re-echo in my head, answering the question I had asked. "I only stay where I'm welcome.""We tried to get the artifact's energy out of you. I think it almost killed you." He said.I shook my head, clearing the fogginess of the past few minutes. "No, no, don't get rid of it. It's fine. Let it stay." I said, confusing them.Liam glanced at Alaric. "She's the one, right? She's not under any control, right?" He asked. I wondered what had happened when I was talking about the artifact.Even my thoughts sounded crazy. "I… I had a connection with the artifact. It's not dangerous. It's…" I was lost for words to say.Liam helped me stand to my feet either way. "It's helpi
MAXINEI turned around to see the Luna Queen. She was dressed in less formal regalia and she walked towards me. I was shocked that she knew my father's name. I never told her."How do you know my father's name?" I asked, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. "I never told you."She took a seat next to me on the bench. I was outside, receiving fresh air in the gardens."He's the one holding you back," she replied instead. "When I was reading your energy, he was on your mind a lot. I couldn't help it when I got a vision."I wondered what else she might have seen. Especially regarding Liam."He gave you away," she said, confirming my suspicions.I wanted to tell her that I didn't want to talk about it but she was helping me with my controlling journey and maybe she could help me move past this."You wonder what this would mean for you and your father if you eventually awaken your wolf through the artifact's energy." She said, saying exactly what was on my mind.I tried not to sigh
MAXINEI stood to my feet and wrung out my hands in front of me. "Liam…" I didn't know how to begin."What's going on?" He looked at me and then the Luna Queen."The next part of her journey requires her to do it on her own," The Luna Queen spoke up. "She will be going to the lore keeper on her own in one hour.""Your Majesty, with all due respect, no," Liam said. "Maxine is my responsibility. I can't just send her off to some stranger and not follow her.""I swear with my life that Maxine is in safe hands. Your support has been good for her but now, she must do this alone." She replied."There must be another way," Liam replied. I didn't know he was that attached to me."There is none, Alpha. This is the best and fastest way for her.""When can she come back to our pack?" Liam asked. "Because she's a part of us."I felt my heart warm. I had been saying that Liam's pack was my home but hearing him confirm that I was a part of his pack was literal icing on the cake."No less than two w
MAXINEThe driver drove us away, farther and farther away. I stared outside the window, watching the trees and the landscape go by. After almost more than an hour of driving, we pulled off of the main road and took a side road.The road soon faded into a dirt track until we were driving through the forest, being tossed about in the back seat. The Luna Queen held onto the handlebar and maintained her balance pretty well. I had to hold on with a death grip."Sorry about that. Cinder doesn't want to move out of her home carved into a mountainside for anything. She's the only one there for miles. She likes the quiet and she's never moving away. Even when reaching her is this terrible." The Luna queen explained."Cinder?" I asked, a little confused."Cinderella. The lore keeper." She replied."Oh." I've never heard of anyone being named that.The driver was holding on well. He looked like he had done this a lot because he had a bored look on his face when he dodged things that could have o
MAXINEA laugh escaped Cinder's mouth and she threw a smile at me over her shoulder. It was then that the semblance hit me."I'm just joking, dear Maxine." She replied. "I have eleven. A whole football team. And before you ask me how I know your name, Luna told me."I was going to yell "Eleven?" in disbelief because that was more wild to me than her knowing my name. Nothing surprised me in that forte anymore. Crazy things were always happening.I couldn't keep my curiosity to myself. "You're her sister." I let out in disbelief."Who?" Cinder asked, a bit of a tease."Luna. She's your sister.""Guess who's older?" Cinder asked. She stopped and held onto a door handle. "Depending on your answer, you could get a great room to stay in. If you're wrong, you're staying with the littler kids where your patience is going to be tried."I paused. I remembered Oz and Magpie, how they looked nothing alike, and how nothing seemed to be normal in this house."She's your twin." I guessed.Cindy's fa
MAXINE"Oh, I know. Thanks." I smiled and stepped around her. I hurried to my room and closed the door. Weird children. Dear goddess…The next day, Cinder woke me up for breakfast. Not a lot of the kids were downstairs, mostly the younger ones because they didn't need to be at the table.Magpie was very sweet and she tried to share every single thing she was having with me.After breakfast, she took me out of the house and we walked along the edge of the mountain, taking the steps that were carved out of rock to the top. It was a long walk. I broke out in sweat despite the wind blowing in our hair.Cinder moved with zero effort. It was almost like she did this daily. I wondered if she did."Are you nervous?" she asked, breaking the quiet as we neared the top.I glanced forward at her. "A little," I admitted. "I don't know what to expect.""Neither do I," she said with a small smile. "But you'll be fine."When we got to the top, I collapsed on my knees and hands, catching some rest. Ci