CHAPTER 10

 

The words on the letter echoed in my mind like a haunting melody I couldn’t escape. My father’s tone—desperate, apologetic, but most of all, resigned—gripped my heart in a vice.

“Cassie?” Gwen’s voice was laced with worry as she sat beside me on the bed. “Talk to me. What did your dad say?”

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my shaking hands. The letter trembled in my grip as if it carried the weight of his fears directly into my veins. “He said… he doesn’t have much time. He thinks someone’s after him.” My voice cracked as I tried to get the words out. “He said not to trust anyone.”

Gwen’s expression darkened, her brows furrowing in concern. “That doesn’t sound good. Did he say who it is? What’s happening?”

I handed her the letter, unable to say more. As she read it, I could see the same unease settling over her features. She finished reading and looked at me, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“This is serious, Cassie,” she said, her voice hushed. “If what he’s saying is true—if someone’s targeting him—you could be in danger, too.”

“I know,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around myself. “That’s what scares me. He’s out there, facing this all alone, and there’s nothing I can do to help him.”

“You can’t think like that,” Gwen said, her tone firm but gentle. “Your dad wouldn’t want you to risk yourself. He wants you safe.”

Safe. The word felt hollow. How could I feel safe knowing that someone out there was plotting against my father—against everything our family stood for? How could I sit back and do nothing?

Gwen must have sensed the storm brewing inside me because she reached out and placed a reassuring hand on mine. “We’ll figure this out, Cassie. But first, you need to stay calm. Panicking won’t help.”

I nodded, though my chest felt tight, and my thoughts were anything but calm. “You’re right. I just… I don’t know what to do.”

“For now, we wait,” Gwen said firmly. “Your dad said there are allies who can help. Maybe they’ll reach out.”

Her logic was sound, but it didn’t ease the knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach. That night, I tried to distract myself, even opening Finder to chat with Licht, but my heart wasn’t in it. My replies were half-hearted, and eventually, I stopped responding altogether.

When I finally fell asleep, my dreams were a chaotic swirl of fear and anguish.

I saw my father, his face gaunt and weary, standing alone in a shadowed forest. His voice called out to me, faint and echoing, but I couldn’t reach him. Around him, shadows loomed, their shapes indistinct but menacing.

“Run, Cassie!” his voice boomed, full of desperation. “Run before they find you!”

The dream shifted, and suddenly I was in a darkened hall, surrounded by figures I couldn’t identify. My father was there, bound and kneeling, his face twisted in pain. A cruel laugh echoed through the space, and I turned to see a man I recognized—the one my father had referred to in the letter.

My former mate.

“You thought you could stop me?” he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. “You’re nothing but a relic of the past.”

I screamed, but no sound came out. My father’s eyes locked on mine, full of sorrow and love, and then everything went black.

I woke up gasping, my heart racing and my body drenched in sweat. Gwen was at my side in an instant, shaking my shoulders gently.

“Cassie! Are you okay?” she asked, her voice full of worry.

I struggled to catch my breath, tears streaming down my face. “It was him,” I choked out. “I saw him. My father… he’s in trouble. I know it.”

“It was just a nightmare,” Gwen said softly, pulling me into a hug. “A horrible, vivid nightmare, but a nightmare all the same.”

“No,” I said, my voice trembling. “It felt real, Gwen. Too real. I think… I think he’s trying to warn me.”

Gwen pulled back, studying my face with a mix of concern and determination. “Then we need to be ready. Whatever’s coming, we’ll face it together.”

I nodded, clutching the letter tightly. My father’s words were a call to action, and no matter how afraid I was, I couldn’t ignore them. The time for hiding was over.

Gwen stayed with me that night, her presence a much-needed anchor as I tried to steady myself. Sleep didn’t come easily, but when it did, it was shallow and fragmented, haunted by fleeting images of my father and the man who betrayed us.

By morning, I was exhausted but resolute. Whatever lay ahead, I couldn’t afford to be passive anymore.

Gwen handed me a steaming mug of coffee, her face drawn but supportive. “What’s the plan, Cassie?”

I took a sip, grateful for the warmth. “I don’t know yet, but I can’t sit here and wait. My dad’s letter mentioned allies. We need to find them.”

“That’s a start,” Gwen said, nodding. “But how? He didn’t exactly leave a list of names.”

I thought for a moment, the gears in my mind slowly turning. “If there are allies, they’d be people who’ve worked with my father before. People who’ve stayed loyal to our family even when things went south.”

“That narrows it down,” Gwen said. “Do you think any of them are still close enough to contact?”

“Maybe,” I said, uncertainty creeping in. “But I’d need access to my father’s records, and those are at the estate.”

Gwen’s face darkened. “That’s risky. If your father’s enemies are watching, they’ll expect you to go back there.”

“I know,” I admitted, “but I don’t see another choice. He kept everything important hidden in the study. If we can get in and out quickly…”

“That’s a big ‘if,’” Gwen warned, leaning forward. “We’d need a solid plan—and backup.”

I nodded, determination hardening my resolve. “Then we’ll get backup.”

Gwen raised an eyebrow. “And who, exactly, are we going to call? You’re not exactly rolling in trustworthy friends.”

That was true, but one name immediately sprang to mind. I hesitated, knowing how Gwen would react, but there was no avoiding it.

“Licht,” I said finally. “I’ll chat him and ask for help.”

Her jaw tightened, just as I expected. “Licht? Cassie, are you serious? You haven’t even seen this man.”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “But He’s smart, resourceful, and… I trust him.”

“You trust him?” Gwen asked, incredulous. “Cassie, he abandoned you once. How do you know he won’t do it again?”

“I don’t,” I admitted. “But right now, he’s my best option. He’s been reaching out, trying to make things right. Maybe it’s time I let him prove himself.”

Gwen sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I hate this, but if you think he can help, I’ll go along with it—for now. Just promise me you won’t let your guard down completely.”

“I promise,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure I could keep that promise. Licht had a way of disarming me, and that was as dangerous as it was comforting.

I texted him around noon, my fingers hovering over the keyboard for longer than I’d like to admit.

Me: Hey. Are you busy?

Licht: For you? Never. What’s up?

Me: I need your help. It’s serious.

Licht: Serious, huh? This doesn’t sound like one of your usual sarcastic texts. What’s going on? 

I wasn’t sure why but I trusted Licht so easily that I ended up chatting him about my father, but not all, ““I need your help, Licht. My dad is in trouble and I would be needing some of the help of our family allies, and I think the key to finding them is at the estate. But going back there alone would be suicide.”

Licht replied: You’re right. You can’t go alone.

Me: So you’ll help?

It took Licht for a while before he replied: Of course I will. But if we’re doing this, we do it smart. No rushing in blind.

I smiled, relief washing over me as I chat back: Thank you.

Don’t thank me yet

he replied back. We’ve got a lot to plan—and not much time to do it.