Epilogue

Shouts came from a distance and the body I was in ignored them. I payed no attention to the wolves fighting meters away but just kept running.

Lightning flashed across the dark sky. I reached the castle and circled it until I arrived at a small door hidden behind many vines. I heard myself mutter a few words (not exactly myself but the body I was in). The door came open and I went through it. I followed the dark, unsettling corridors, unaffected by the ripe stench of rotting carcasses. I made way up a flight of stairs, moving closer to the loud growls resonating from the upper floors.

Panting, I stopped my steps at a broken door and peeked through the hole. It was a hall. Two men stood inside, talking. I could not hear their words behind all the noise coming from the other parts of the building.

A door across the room suddenly slammed open, banging against the stone wall.

My body shivered. Had I been in control of the form I was in, my breath would have caught in that very moment.

He walked like a man rising from amongst the ashes.

Even from a distance I saw him clear as day. I could never forget or mistake him. The man was tall like god, his body red with the blood of his kills, his hair dark and wet with sweat.

Vasiliek , the man that I now realized was Augustus said. He did not move even as the man he had been conversing with ran.

Ivan neared him until they were within arms length of each other. His eyes moved across the room until they rested on me. Hed seen me.

"Your little witch will not protect you," Ivan spat.

Augustus turned to him, looking him in the eyes, "the heavens will not spare you."

In unison, both men grew their claws. I watched, through Zoladies eyes as their human forms fell away, as if by magic and they began creatures made for hunting and death.

Ivans form left me in awe. He was not like the king; he was tall and stood comfortably on two feet instead of four. His body was generously covered in dark fur that appeared soft to the touch, tough the creatures claws and fangs appeared anything but.

Thunderous roars reverberated through the castle making it shake. In the background, the cries of lightning boomed, highlighting the action.

Augustus delivered a hard punch onto Ivans head, causing him to fall back. But he recovered quickly, launching himself into his foe at an impeccable velocity.

Vasiliek flew for a moment before his claws landed right on Augustus side, tearing into him. The king struggled to regain his strength, howling in agony as his opponent tore at his side.

The king lay weakly on the ground, at the mercy of his adversary. A last howl broke through the atmosphere as his challenger took a harsh bite at his neck. His fell limp and weak.

It was clear to me. He was dead.

"The gods will not spare you, Ivan and neither will I."

***

My eyes opened to my world. I was back in my body. Zoladie stared down at the wooden table, eerily quiet. Her silence triggered a fear in me.

My mind pieced the story together and I had all the answers. I recognized the look on her face. Revenge. Thats why you are doing this?

"Augustus did not deserve such the mental torture, the erosion it caused to his health..."

A lone tear rolled down her cheek. For a moment, the hatred I felt so deeply for her faded and I began to sympathize with her. Augustus had been more than a king to her

"You loved him," I said conclusively.

She sneered at me," what Augustus and I had was more than that chemical lie! I was neither his queen nor his mate. Our feelings towards each other were, explosive, our relationship lit the world around us like a supernova and in the end, it burned him."

She continued, "when we met, I knew it was dangerous ..., but I became like a child who sees fire for the first time. I could not resist the temptation."

I lost my breath. Seeing Zoladie in a new light was overwhelming. I had to fight the urge to comfort her.

"When I lost him, I knew I would not allow myself to die until I avenged his death. And when Ivan was denied a beloved for years, I told myself to be patientnever to give up or let go even as my own life began to fade."

She heaved again and again. Her hand pressed against her chest, now hyperventilating.

She was dying. She had been dying from the second we met.

"It looks like I must speed things...up now,"she forced out, her other hand searching the folds of her skirt. She stood. I did the same.

Her hand shook exceedingly as it appeared with her dagger her pocket. I became instantly aware of what she wanted to do. A second did not end before the blade was flying at me.

Reflexes kicking in, my hand grabbed her wrist.

"It is either I kill you or you die here, you will not survive, Cara," she gasped.

Her body pounced on mine. I landed on the ground with a harsh thud, the witch falling right on top of me.

Zoladies weakness was clear as we fought. She struggled against me, fighting for the dagger that was now in my hands. I took her lethargy to my advantage, taking control now. I rolled us. Zoladie was now on her back and me right above her.

Her dagger was right in my hand, raised up above my target.

"Do it. I will die any second now, spare me the wait. I will die now, knowing that you will never find him. You will die here! Now do it!" She shouted, not even an ounce of fear in her voice.

I looked at her, reminding myself of all the pain she had caused me.

I screamed, taking all my pain out on her as I drove the blade through her chest.

I watched her die, crying.

"I hope you meet Augustus again..."