Chapter 29 – Investigations
Aero
Serena was right. Viscount Daniel was everywhere. It was maybe because of the nature of his work or he just loved to travel.
For me, I say both.
I had known the man for almost three months now and had spent time with him enough on the cruise ship to say he was someone to be vigilant of. He was a careful man. His words were selective all throughout our time together in the ship. He didn’t open up the subject of his position as representative on Earth, and neither did I.
I wanted to hear these things on the point of view of another person; from Marcus dela Forte, to be exact. But the old man was still unavailable, so now I had no choice but to further step up my game.
Planning to meet the viscount, I found myself in Budapest with his scent lingering in one of the rooms
Chapter 30 - The Maternal TruthAeroAfter finding a safe spot away from the crowded streets of Budapest, I teleported back to Phanteon, inside my chamber specifically to place all the important materials I bought and replace the ones I wanted to replace. My conversation with Viscount Daniel was fruitful. Now, I was more cautious, more alert with him and with the people around me.I found the room already warm; the fireplace lit and fresh of logs, but Serena wasn’t around. I tuned in my version of a GPS in our mate bond, and there I found her already on Ehnrelil. My brows furrowed. She was due to visit the place tomorrow, but why was she there now?I mind-linked her instead to get the answer.“I want to know more about fae pregnancies,” was her explanation. She also informed me about the twins and Lady Hanhenna, and where they w
Chapter 31 - Sins of the FatherAero‘I’m busy, Elijah,’ I answered, almost in a snappy tone. But then, I reminded myself to calm down. It was my father and his minion whom I was angry about, not my brother. He didn’t deserve my wrath. ‘I can’t talk to you right now, but later. Certainly later. I’ll visit you in your house but please make sure you’re dressed this time.’‘Okay, brother,’ he conceded, but still, his voice was roped with concern. ‘Is Serena with you?’‘She’s in Ehnrelil right now.’ And I was glad she was because I want to sort out this mess on my own. I don’t want her to see me murder my royal augur should he try to deny me the truth.‘I see,’ was Elijah’s reply. I could sense his worry increasing thereafter, but I
Chapter 32 - A Brotherly BondAeroChoosing to cool myself first before going to Elijah’s manor, I took a quick bath and changed my coat and pants into a lighter clothing of t-shirt and jeans. Tossing my old clothes into the laundry basket was me tossing away all my insecurities and sadness I had bundled up since a child. Now that I know Olivia isn’t my mother, all my memories of her became nonexistent. She didn’t matter to me anymore. She didn’t occupy a space in my heart.That vacant space remained a gaping hole. When I find my real mother and if I find her, that’s the time I could decide if she belonged to this space. She was yet to prove her worth to me. She was yet to explain her side of the story.If I had uncovered this truth before Serena arrived in my life—the past me who declared absolute hatred to all females—then
Chapter 33 - The Ineri CaveSerenaIt turned out, Ineri wasn’t a town or a city, it was the name of the cave where all the pools were housed. This cave was the biggest I had seen by far. I had been in some on Earth and one on Viacronis—where that human hunter named Manross captured me—but they paled in comparison to this cave in Ehnrelil.It had a closed roof, so no light from the outside penetrated it. The entrance had a small lobby, but beyond it was a gaping hole with about a hundred foot drop to the darkened ground. It looked like a sinkhole to me, but with shimmering waters flowing down seemingly to fill it.When Adamar and Adaen and Lady Hanhenna led me here, I found myself immediately giddy. I felt a rush of energy the moment I stepped inside its territory. Since only pregnant faes were allowed, the twins guarded the entrance while their moth
Chapter 34 - The Guardian AscensionSerenaBy morning, Queen Adna and I stood at the entrance of the portal between Ehnrelil and Phanteon, waiting for the rest of the High Elders to arrive.The twins were already with us, acting as both our guards and witnesses of the guardian ascension of their mother.High Elders Asherah, Jhenniha, Hrista, and three more were already present. Though there were approximately twelve elders in Ehnrelil who were supposed to witness the event too, because of the great war and Geraden’s eventual fall, only six were left; all loyal and supportive of me and Queen Adna’s double rule.We needed one more elder, and this one had already informed beforehand he will be attending.Queen Adna called him High Elder Hadon, and upon careful digging of my memories, I remembered this fae to be one o
Chapter 35 - An Enemy within the CourtSerenaWith fluid movements, Nicolette gestured for Lady Hanhenna’s hands. She gave them, palm up. Then, the former guided these same hands to submerge inside the fount. Lady Hanhenna bent forward and lowered her head in the process.“Lady Hanhenna, please follow me,” Nicolette continued. “Respect, devotion, courage, strength, honesty, and equality.”“Respect, devotion, courage, strength, honesty and equality.” Lady Hanhenna echoed the words with sincerity.I watched them in silence, happy that I get to see the ritual this close.“These are our key values as a guardian. Accept them.” The water that submerged their hands started to glow.“I accept,” Lady Hanhenna replied.“Vow
Chapter 36 - DesperationAeroI went back to the castle with high hopes of the future: me, Serena, our children, and Elijah, Rhea and their children, living, surrounded by love, and running the kingdom in harmony and peace. It was the best vision of the future I could ever hope for.This was what I held onto to keep me sane; to keep me from trashing the whole castle or the mountains of Phanteon.When Elijah and I still talked, like a big brother, I concealed the chaos brewing inside me. I didn’t want him to worry. I didn’t want him to see how on edge I was with all these revelations popping in one day.But now, as I stood alone inside my chamber, the walls started to close in on me. I gripped the cushion of my sofa and with my retracted claws, tore some of it out and tossed it into the burning logs. The blazing fire thereafter covered
Chapter 37 - The Lost Alpha KingAeroGrandmother.She had to use that blatant term.I was supposed to be pissed off about it, but there was something inside me that stirred. Warmth. An affirmation that she was my blood. My family.As she was now, she indeed looked like a servant with her printed apron and her unkempt long locks, but the depths of her eyes showed a degree of nobility. Of strength and boundless knowledge.She was a luna through and through. And that intrigued me how she became a servant for General Halcynos. However, her past life wasn’t what I wanted to hear. It was my mother’s, so instead of indulging her query, I changed the topic.“Donna.” My real mother, I wanted to add but refrained. “Is she still alive?” The winds rushing over the hills died to ac