Lyra's POV:It's been five days and six nights since Xander Blackstorm went missing.Several men have been sent out to survey the whole of Joaska, but nothing to show for it.I heard that some men even crossed the vast border that divided Joaska and Corvus in search of Xander.No one can comprehend how Lady Blackstorm's head is still held high in such a time.Some say that she is not worried because she has a second son who can inherit whatever position her first son leaves behind. Even Thalia believes that to be the case.But one thing is for sure, Thalia and I are not half as worried as Lady Blackstorm is. She is only trying her best to stay calm so as to not lose her sanity.No one should state how a mother should grieve.Few days ago I was able to have a conversation with Havoc Blackstorm. I asked about the success in locating his brother, Xander.And he had this to say. “We have heard rumors that Draven Darkmoon can hypnotize werewolves to do his bidding. We believe that he sent
Lyra’s POV:I tapped lightly on Thalia’s door before I stepped in.From where I stood, I saw Thalia seated on a stool before her dressing table, staring keenly at the mirror.“Your mother has arrived.” I announced, but she showed no reaction.“Can you hear me? Milady. Your mother, Queen Aria is here.” I said again.“Why is she here?” She asked.“Lady Blackstorm invited her.” I replied. “She may be the Lady’s guest but she still remains your mother. You must welcome her.”“Just leave, please.” She pleaded. “You are killing yourself, Thalia. Xander will return, trust me.” I assured her.Suddenly, she turned around to face me, her eyes were red from crying too hard and underneath her eyelids were black from lack of sleep.“Why are you so sure?” She asked.“I am not sure, I am just being hopeful.” I replied.“You have no idea how I feel right now, the man I spent my whole life training to be perfect for has gone missing. And you stand there telling me about hope.” She ranted.“I underst
Lyra’s POV:I did as Havoc suggested two hours after dinner I met up with him at the library.When I got there he was already seated on a sofa, with his legs crossed and his eyes shut.I cleared my throat to notify him of my presence, then I made my way to him.I dragged a stool and sat down not too far from him.“I guess I came late, forgive me.” I apologized.“You did not come late, Lyra. I came earlier.” He said, while staring deeply at me. “I do not recall everything we spoke about earlier, regarding my brother. Can you please refresh my memory.” He added.“You had said that you suspect Clegane Bloodhowl, of Ser Xander’s abduction. But he doesn’t seem to be one who has a keen interest in politics like his father does. Then I asked about the rumors you might have heard about him and before you could reply, the guardsman announced Queen Aria Blackfang’s arrival.” I summarized.Havoc suddenly stood up from the sofa, he began to walk back and forth as he said. “I have heard countless
Lyra’s POV:“I now understand why my brother is mad about you....” Those words kept on echoing in my mind.I couldn’t believe that Xander Blackstorm was mad about me, I walked through the dimly lit corridors with a wide smile on my face. I was about to take a turn when I heard voices emanating from the study, it was Xander’s study.“Who could be there by this time?” I asked myself as I made my way to the door.I stood at a corner and pressed my ears on the slightly opened door.I was able to decipher the voices of the two women in a light banter after a while.“Lady Blackstorm and Queen Aria!”“What would you do if he is not found?” Queen Aria asks.“He will be found.” Lady Blackstorm replied, firmly.Queen Aria lets out a hearty chuckle then says. “You sound like you are sure but your eyes tell a totally different story.”“What do you want from me, Aria?” Lady Blackstorm inquires.“I need you to assure me of my daughter's well being. It’s been almost a week since he went missing, Dr
Hysander’s POV:For the past four days, I have felt nothing but restlessness.At first I thought that it was because I had not seen Draven for some days now, but now that I think about it, maybe it’s because of that strange dream I had.“Would there be another Death’s Eclipse?” I asked aloud.I picked up a watering can and filled it with water then I proceeded to my window. I placed a flower pot there yesterday, it already had steady sunlight, but no water.“Maybe watering those plants would keep me at ease.” I thought to myself as I made my way to the windowI lifted the watering can up in an attempt to begin spraying, when a cat suddenly jumped, landed on my window.I was slightly taken aback but I quickly composed myself.“You will be the death of me.” I said, as I stared at Draven in a cat form.He suddenly hopped into the room and transformed into a little boy dressed in rags.“Be careful of what you wish for, Sander.”He said, as he made himself comfortable in my rocky chair.“Yo
Lyra’s POV:“It’s time.” Gallen announced.“Time for what?” I asked.“No time for questions, follow me.” Havoc ordered.Gallen stepped out of the storage house, while we stood at the entrance.In not less than two minutes, I saw Gallen leading about fifteen men as they were about to walk past the storage house.Then Havoc suddenly grabbed me by the hands and pulled me into the crowd.And once again I perceived that ominous scent, I had no idea who it came from as I was in the midst of almost 18 men.“Make sure you look tired and worn out.” He instructed, as we came close to the main gate.At the main gate, there were two guardsmen positioned at the two ends of the black iron gate.Four were scouting round the walls that surrounded the area and more might even be positioned outside.One guardsman suddenly walked up to Gallen, from where I stood I could overhear the discussion between the two men.“Gallen!” The guardsman called out.“Joeffer, how are you doing today?” Gallen asked.“Not
Lyra’s POV:“What should we do now?” Havoc asked, waking me up from my daydreams.“I do have an idea, but it has to be done by the both of us.” I replied.“Care to share?” He asked.“I had this crazy idea a while ago, I saw a group of performers flocking in and out of this field. They passed through that passage.” I said, as I nudged my head to the direction of the passage.“So what do you suggest?” He inquired.“Let’s go one after the other through that passage, we shall both take turns to avoid suspicion and to keep an eye on Gallen. I will go first and sneak around the place for at least thirty minutes, when I get back I will tell you of my findings and I will break down every mapping of every new passage and direction I come across. In order to make it easier and faster for you to do the same.” I explained.“What if one of us finds something fascinating and we decide to stay longer than thirty minutes?” Havoc asked.“Whatever thing you or I find but can’t survey due to time we wou
Lyra's POV:“Follow me.” He said and began to walk deeper into the corridor.I followed him regardless of how scared I was. I needed to find Xander.We stopped in front of a room, he pushed the door open and we stepped inside.“What do you want to know?” He began.“Where is Xander?” I asked again for the uptint time.“My father has him.” He replied.“The viscount?” I asked rhetorically. “Why?” I questioned further.“He has been trying to get Lord Draven’s attention for months now. He has written and sent letters to his castle in Tiluk, but has received no response. He knows of Lord Draven's rage towards the SilverMoon Pack and him wanting to put an end to Thaddeus Blackstorm. So he abducted Xander, he wrote a letter last night and sent it to the grand castle. Hoping to get a response but have yet to receive a reply.” He explained.“I do not understand, why does your father want to get Draven's attention?”“Because Lord Draven is like a tide, he is unstoppable. He destroys everything
River's POV:We were done with the appetizer in no time, we moved to the main course which we had Beef Wellington and Lobster Tail. Then for the side dish we had Truffle Mashed Potatoes and a White Rice Pilaf. Finally for dessert we had Tiramisu (an Italian dessert) and Chocolates Fondant.We were currently seated at the dining table sipping champagne from a fancy new glass.When Michelle decided to break the silence. “So River, I heard that you studied History, is that true?”‘Oh boy here we go again. What is it with these people and my choice of study.’“Well yes I did. In Fact, I work as a manager of one of the greatest Museums in England.” I added to lessen her criticisms but it seemed to only fuel it the more.“So you are in it for the money?” She asked rhetorically.“Same question I wanted to ask the other time we met.” Natalie (Derek's aunt) chimned in.“Well, no I am not in it for the money, I am in it for the passion.” I replied.“So what about your father's business, do you
River's POV:We were done with the appetizer in no time, we moved to the main course which we had Beef Wellington and Lobster Tail. Then for the side dish we had Truffle Mashed Potatoes and a White Rice Pilaf. Finally for dessert we had Tiramisu (an Italian dessert) and Chocolates Fondant.We were currently seated at the dining table sipping champagne from a fancy new glass.When Michelle decided to break the silence. “So River, I heard that you studied History, is that true?”‘Oh boy here we go again. What is it with these people and my choice of study.’“Well yes I did. In Fact, I work as a manager of one of the greatest Museums in England.” I added to lessen her criticisms but it seemed to only fuel it the more.“So you are in it for the money?” She asked rhetorically.“Same question I wanted to ask the other time we met.” Natalie (Derek's aunt) chimned in.“Well, no I am not in it for the money, I am in it for the passion.” I replied.“So what about your father's business, do you
River's POV:The black dress my dad bought for me to wear to the dinner was strapless, above the knee, and a bit too tight. I could barely breathe in it, and I had no idea what material it's made of, but it felt almost as strong as plastic. It really cinched my waist and accentuated my curves perfectly.I paired it up with ankle strap heels, a pearl necklace, earrings and bangles. I made sure I put on light makeup. I didn't want to come out as desperate.After glancing at myself at the mirror for a third time I took a deep breath, picked up my phone and made my way downstairs.The dining table was already set, my dad was seated on the head of the table as usual, my mom was nowhere to be seen. I looked around and realized that the Milton's were yet to arrive.I glanced at the time on the top of my phone screen and I saw that it was forty minutes past nine. The agreed time for the dinner was nine so they were forty minutes late.Suddenly, Lola ran into the dining hall, “The Milton's are
River's POV:The next three days I had the same routine: wake up, have an awkward breakfast with my mom and dad, plan my outfit for a date with Derek, go on a date with Derek, come back from my date with Derek, give the full details to August over the phone and fall asleep during our conversation.Today was the long awaited day, Derek's parents, himself and his sister would be arriving for dinner. The whole house has been busy from installing new house decorations to brewing crazy recipes in the kitchen. Mom and Lola have been in the kitchen all day supervising the chefs. I can't believe they paid chefs to prepare dinner for The Milton's.Dad has been on the phone placing calls to different wine brands to get the latest and most expensive wine.Then there is me, the trophy of the event. Sitted on the couch staring back and forth at the people pacing up and down, working relentlessly on making this dinner a success. This whole scene kept on adding to my already exiting nerves, and if
In a rusty apartment in a less glamorous part of town. Li Ping stood before an apartment’s door and knocked on it impatiently. He didn't care about the noise he made or the possibility of the door falling apart, he just kept on knocking.Until the door was pushed open revealing George standing not too far from him.“Are you insane, were you trying to break down my door?” George asked rhetorically.“Are you not going to invite me to Georgie?” Li Ping asked not caring about the angry look on George's face.George took a deep breath in an attempt to control his anger. “Did Aiden send you here?”“Let me in and I will tell you who sent me.” Li Ping said with a sheepish smile.George stared daggers at him then moved aside, gesturing for Li Ping to Walk in.George's apartment was filled with high-tech gadgets, maps, and surveillance equipment.Li Ping stared around for a while before sitting down on the couch.“Do you really live here?” Li Ping asked while staring at a pile of take outs at t
"Hey." River said as she made her way to Derek.Derek turned to face her with a weird look in his eyes."Is there a problem? You look annoyed." River asked."Well, that's because I am annoyed." Derek answered."What got you annoyed, is the arcade not to your liking? Should we go somewhere else?" River inquired."You know I don't understand what your problem is, you're the one who wanted us to come here when we got here you were acting all weird and suddenly you're all happy." Derek said."Is your problem the fact that I'm happy or is there something else?""My problem is that you ran off to meet some dude all upset and annoyed, and now you are all happy. If you had a man in your life, why insist on making things work.""I only said that he looked like someone I knew. I don't recall mentioning that he was once a man in my life. Tell me what's your problem exactly?""My problem is that the young man walked up to me saying that you had denied ever knowing me." Derek answered.River: “...
Aiden sat in front of the television in his modest apartment, where a female newscaster reported the latest business news."On business news tonight, AD Innovations has acquired yet another enterprise," the newscaster announced. "Yesterday, it was reported that Twilight Incorporated had suddenly gone bankrupt. A few hours ago, it was confirmed that AD Innovations successfully negotiated the purchase of Twilight Incorporated. The company will soon proceed with rebranding."Aiden smirked mischievously as he switched off the TV. He dialed a private number on his cell phone, which surprisingly went through. "Good work," he said before ending the call.Putting on his jacket and grabbing his helmet, he made his way to the Arcade for its grand opening.River stood in front of Aiden's bustling arcade, a sign proclaiming "Grand Opening" greeted visitors at the entrance. Customers bustled about, attendants diligently catered to their needs.Suddenly, the roar of an approaching motorbike caught
"Oh, trust me, it is," August countered."So what are we talking about here, millions or billions?" She continued"He hails from a wealthy family and is affluent himself, perhaps boasting billions. Trust me, I couldn't care less," River replied"So, is this gamer guy some kind of legendary gamer or does he own a gaming company?""He owns an arcade downtown," River replied."Seriously?" August sounded incredulous. "Your problem is choosing a scooter over a Bentley. Honey, you need relationship therapy ASAP.""I don't know why I thought you could be useful. Goodnight," River said, ending the call abruptly and switching off her phone to avoid any further disruptions. She lay back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.It was past 11:00 in the morning, and River was just getting up. She quickly brushed her teeth and took a shower before slipping into a pair of shorts and a white top. Rushing downstairs on her way to the kitchen, she noticed
River nodded, feeling awkward. "Yeah, it was urgent, that's why.""I've noticed this before, it's like you always have something urgent going on. On our first date, you were on a call when I approached you and you couldn't stop looking at your phone all through the little time we spent together. It was as though you were expecting a call or something. And today at the cinema, you seemed lost in your thoughts. It's like you have a lot of calculations going on in your head," Derek observed.River felt a surge of frustration. "Goodnight, Derek. I would have invited you in, but it's too late now. My parents must be asleep. Goodbye," she said abruptly, opening the car door and stepping out, already feeling upset.River quietly ascended the stairs on her way to her room. As she passed her parents' room, the door suddenly swung open, revealing her father's curious expression as he emerged."How was the movie date with Derek?" he inquired, still holding onto the door handle."It went really w