"The alum powder is everywhere. My guess is that whoever used it wanted the victim to go crazy with the surge in power and then even crazier when they realized they lost it all. But there is one thing I don't understand yet." Adriel said.
The trio stood in the middle of the Lycan cell. If Adriel noticed the electricity of tension sparking between Aurelia and Rowan, he was wise enough to keep quiet about it.
"The bloodlust." Aurelia nod her head. "There is something else that is triggering the bloodlust as soon as their power - or in the case of wolven - enhanced senses, brute strength and speed completely shuts down."
"Can it be the poison drug-" Rowan began to ask.
"No." The siblings answered at once.
Rowan glanced between them taking in the unnerved expression and tight set of their jaw. The remnants of the memory of a past they hadn't experienced but still felt the connection of. A past they had all only heard passed down as stories but knew how close it had come to the destruction of their entire world.
"I can perform a spell to unearth traces of Netta only so to prove you wrong about the possibility of this drug." Aurelia offered.
"You're still healing, I'll do it." Adriel stepped forward.
Aurelia looked around the dank surroundings of the windowless cells built of hand carved stone, shackles and chains glinting in silver and bars of forged rare metal that neither fire could melt nor frost could shatter. The low set ceiling barely allowed Adriel and Rowan to stand to their full height and Aurelia just about.
"Keep it low scale." Aurelia warned her brother. "The entire palace will crumble on top of us if you try to show off unprovoked."
"You still don't have your powers under control?" Rowan raised a wary eyebrow.
Adriel waved them off. "I always have them under control. Lia's just being a mother hen."
"His magic has been expanding and mother is worried it might go beyond what can be controlled." Aurelia explained. She shot a stern look at the youngest. "If you try anything stupid I will punch you."
Adriel rolled his eyes at his sister's threat but knew her enough to understand that it wasn't empty either. He and Rowan shared a look that said enough to Aurelia to grasp that they were agreeing to a useless male conviction about the general female population.
"You should step back farther. I need some space for this one." Adrial finally said.
Aurelia had never acknowledged it but there had always been a tendril of fear curled up inside her when it came to her brother's spectrum of magic. While Reagan and her had long before found the limits of their magic, Adriel's seemed to stretch into a bottomless pit. Aurelia already knew that he had long before surpassed the capacity of even their parents even if he never voiced it.
"Your brother isn't like the rest of us." Their father had said. "He's different. Blessed by something different. A dangerous different."
Aurelia noticed Rowan take the smallest step in front of her as six magic circles sparked to life - a massive circle flanked by five intricately patterned smaller orbs. Adriel stood in the centre of the largest circle. From where she stood, only the back of Adriel's head greeted her but Aurelia knew how bright those molten gold eyes would glow under the spell of his magic.
"This is safe right?" Rowan whispered to her.
Aurelia made the mistake of looking at her mate when she spoke. The heat of Rowan's gaze slammed into her. She quickly snatched her eyes away. Her heart thrummed in her head, on the tips of fingers and down to the nails of her toes.
"Maybe." Aurelia answered.
Rowan narrowed his eyes as they landed back on Adriel. If she didn't know any better, Aurelia would have concluded that Rowan stood seconds away from driving a sword in between Adriel's shoulder blades. But she did know better.
"Relax your wolf brain. Adriel knows what he's doing." Aurelia muttered.
Rowan's expression grew sheepish as his fingers loosened around the hilt of his sword. "Sorry. It's more of an involuntary muscle memory than an intention."
Aurelia couldn't dampen the upward tug of her lips. The smaller magic circles blended with the carved stone surroundings. Adriel stood in the centre of the large circle, fuelling it with his power. To bystanders, it would merely look like he's putting on a show of sorts but Aurelia knew the magic spoke to Adriel, feeding him with information concealed in bits and pieces of energy.
The thrum of magic suddenly halted. Adriel cocked his head to the side, like an predator picking up on the movement of his prey. The hair on her neck stood straight.
"What other being was confined here?" Adriel questioned. His voice was unnaturally dark and ice-cold.
Rowan frowned. "Average convicted wolven." He replied.
Adriel's hand lifted from his side and showered the magic circle with a torrent of energy. Aurelia caught the gleam of his eyes. She knew that gleam - Adriel had found something.
"What is it Adriel?" Aurelia asked tentatively.
"What other being was confined here?" Adriel repeated.
Rowan shifted on his feet. His frown deepened as he opened his mouth to reply. Rowan paused, as if a thought had suddenly crossed his mind. Aurelia touched his sleeve.
"Was there somebody else other than the lycans?" Aurelia asked.
"Rhea's sister. And her friend." Rowan said slowly.
"Third cell from the end." Adriel said in an eerily calm tone. "I sense magic activity in there."
"Impossible." Rowan shook his head. "Wolven don't possess magic. And if they had other means of access to it, the basement is heavily armed with wards to destroy any illicit use."
"Lia." Adriel's voice rang loud with command.
Aurelia glanced at Rowan before quickly slipping out of the cell they stood inside. She made her way down the corridor following the steady thrum of Adriel's magic. It lead right to the third cell from the dead end. There were no guards in this part of the prison. Her eyes glowed as Aurelia pushed her magic forward.
As children born to two Descendants blessed by the first dragon queen, each of her siblings and Aurelia were blessed with a gift that was rarely shared with the world. Wisely so, for it consumed a fatal amount of magic from their bodies during every use. Aurelia opened her senses to allow that gift to fill the room, into every nook and cranny. Every crack and ridge.
An invisible force pushed back. Aurelia's eyes shone like sunlight. She grit her teeth and forced her gift to break past the invisible barrier. Blood trickled down her nose as a low hum reached her ears. Adriel's magic coaxed her for access. She opened a small gap in her mind for him to enter, moulding it shut as soon as his magic filtered through her body.
The low hum bloomed into a high pitched wail. More blood trickled down her nose. Her vision that looked at grimy blood streaked stone seconds ago went opaque. The pupils rolled back leaving behind the bone white of her eyes. A lone figure took form before her.
Aurelia flinched when the figure reached a hand toward her. The pale, milky skin ran smooth over slender fingers. A thick scent of lavender drifted in the air. Strange purple eyes blinked at her. Aurelia recognised the high cheekbones and clean cut jawline, the sweetheart shaped face and bow shaped lips. A gasp lodged deep in her throat as Rhea smiled at her.
Her deep red hair flowed like blood over the crisp white of her dress. Her fingers brushed Aurelia's cheek so gently that it made her wonder if she had imagined the touch. Aurelia choked on a breath as the hand clenched around her throat in the blink of an eye. The devastatingly beautiful features of her face twisted into something ugly and sinister. Blood gleamed on her teeth when she smiled.
Aurelia clawed at the hand. Almost as if it were never there, the grip on her throat disappeared. Pain lashed through her stomach and up her spine. Aurelia grit her teeth.
'It is not mine to bear.' She repeated the words until the agony left her body.
Aurelia sunk to her knees while breathing hard. Pleas of mercy reached her ears. Aurelia searched, grappling in the darkness until she found the source. A woman with dark hair, bloodstained clothes and dirt stained skin lay on the floor. Aurelia couldn't see her face but she recognised the figure standing over her. The woman reached for Rhea's feet. Her pleas turned into sobs.
The raw pain in that voice made Aurelia shudder. A tear streaked down her own cheek. Something tugged in her mind. Aurelia blinked and the woman's sobs morphed into blood curling screams. She stumbled back at the sight of a newborn being slaughtered right in front of the woman - the infant's mother - Aurelia realised as her stomach hurled it's contents outside.
Aurelia gulped down deep breaths willing herself to focus. The screams faded and Aurelia was thrown into a new setting. She stared at the familiar throne room. The screech of a blade against the floor reached her ears. Aurelia grew very still as the sound crept closer. She wanted to gnash her teeth at the unnerving noise.
A young girl ran past her. Aurelia recognised the female at once - the late Princess Ariana. Aurelia watched her stumble up the dais where the thrones sat. Ariana called out a name. Aurelia tried to step closer to hear it but her feet remained rooted at the spot. A small, frail child crawled out from behind the throne.
Aurelia did not recognise the child but she did recognise the boy behind the child - Cassian - or a much younger version of him. Cassian gripped the child's hand - a little girl - Aurelia realised as she willed for her magic to take her closer to them. Both their cheeks were tear stained but a strong sort of determination marred Cassian's expression.
The screech of the sword got unbelievably close. A figure entered the room. The same figure that slaughtered the new born, now held - Aurelia let out a shuddering gasp - Rowan. The figure held Rowan in her arm. Blood dripped down the blade that she held in her free arm. Aurelia stared and stared as the figure that held an uncanny resemblance to Rhea position the sword over Rowan's throat.
Aurelia could almost smell the fear radiating from young Rowan. She tried to make a grab for him but an internal force held her in place. Aurelia watched Ariana step in front of Cassian and the little girl that he hugged close to his body. The figure - Rhea - whispered something in Rowan's ears.
Aurelia watched in horror as his eyes darkened to nothing but black, like that of a demon. He accepted the sword from Rhea and slowly walked to where Ariana stood defensively before the kids. Claws descended from her fingers as she spoke something to Rowan. Behind her, the little girl began to cry at the sight of Rowan.
Aurelia wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Princess Ariana had died at a young age due to Cassian's curse. Aurelia's parents themselves were called to erase the memory of the young Princess in order to protect Cassian by the Alpha and Luna. Only members of both their families were aware of the incident.
The scent of lavender drifted in the air once again. Aurelia barely had time to process before she was pulled away from the scene. Her heart hammered at the thought of Rowan and his demon eyes. But she forced herself to calm down.
'He's alive right now so that means they got out of the situation, whatever that was.' Aurelia convinced herself.
She shivered as her body was flung head fast into thick snow. Aurelia glanced around at her surroundings. The thicket of well kept trees pointed out that she was now in one of the palace gardens. A snarl tore through the air as two beasts stumbled through the snow. Something hit her boot and Aurelia picked up the torn velvet pouch.
'Dami?' She wondered noticing the familiar shaped leaves.
Aurelia shifted her attention to the wolven grappling in the snow. Cassian's glorious midnight black wolf was familiar but the ginger and white wolf beneath him wasn't. Aurelia winced as Cassian bit the female and high-pitched whines rumpled the otherwise quiet night. A movement in the trees far ahead caught Aurelia's eye.
A figure stood hidden in the shadows, watching just as Aurelia was. The unearthly purple of her eyes gleamed with a malicious glint. Aurelia flinched back when those same eyes landed on her. No, not her. Aurelia knew the scent before he fully appeared. Rowan brushed past her but Aurelia knew that to him she would be nothing but snow covered branches.
She barely caught the longing in Cassian's gaze as he watched the female go when the figure disappeared in the shadows. Aurelia was pulled into another scene. She frowned in confusion at the sight of coffin boxes and the female Cassian had introduced as his mate - the actual Rhea that Aurelia had seen hours before and not the figure that resembled her.
She gasped at the events unfurling before her eyes. Aurelia did not know who the male was but she doubted Cassian would be happy about the reunion. Especially when the male kept gazing at Rhea with intentions that exceeded the limits of a friend.
'Is this male the same friend Rowan spoke of?' She wondered.
Aurelia however was more interested in the third person present in the room. The energy radiating off the wolven matched the cold-blooded figure who shared the likeness of Cassian's mate. The room held a strong scent of lavender as if every wall had been doused in it. Aurelia wondered who these wolven were and how Cassian's mate was connected to them.
Aurelia glanced at the male. An ugly thought passed through her mind at the possibilities of his relationship with Rhea. She quickly dismissed it. If the mate bond between Rowan and her were any indication, then it wasn't possible to look at another male the same way you do your bonded. However, Aurelia did not put the same amount of trust on the male in the room.
'I'll have to keep an eye on her for a while. Whatever is happening in this room does not look promising.' Aurelia decided.
She saw Rhea leave the room and wait for her gift to pull her into another vision. Nothing happened for a few minutes. Aurelia wondered if she ought to take a look inside the coffins and then quickly decided against it. She felt Adriel's magic push against the barriers in her mind. It soon turned into a full throb when the effort became relentless.
Aurelia walked to the doors that Rhea had exited through minutes before. They did not budge. She tugged and kicked at them. Nothing happened. Aurelia already had a headache forming from Adriel's magic.
'Is he trying to tell me something...?'
A trickle of panic swept through Aurelia. Giving up on the doors, she turned around to look for other options and yelped. Her heartbeat thundered from the fright. The figure from her other visions - the same one with Rhea's face and those unearthly glowing purple eyes - stared straight into her eyes. Aurelia dug her fingers into the door behind her to keep them from shaking.
'This-This is the being Adriel sensed in the prison. But who or what is this being? And why does it possess the likeness to Rhea?' Aurelia's thoughts jumbled together.
When the figure spoke, the voice made Aurelia cringe. It did not match the exterior beauty of the body at all. It's voice was scratchy, raspy and wet as if somebody had shoved a ball of fire down it's throat and burnt everything in sight. Aurelia could barely breathe. The reason hit her moments after - that horrible stench of lavender - it came from this figure.
"You have been quite a nosy little rule breaker, haven't you?" The figure rasped. The sound grew on her like a dull razor cutting through skin. "Which part of it did you like best?"
Aurelia refused to answer. She searched those purple eyes for some sort of recognition though nothing but Rhea's face greeted her. The figure raised its hand toward her face. Aurelia willed for her hands to move but they were held back with an invisible force. She was trapped between the door and this being.
"The part where I tore that wretched bitch's pup with my bare hands," The figure drew closer to her face until the wet raspy voice whispered in her ear. "Or the part when I slit your mate's throat and took him under my control?"
The figure cackled and Aurelia recoiled from the biting sound. "I quite like you. Pretty face, powerful soul, a perfect pawn."
"Who...what are you?" Aurelia demanded.
The figure grew amused. "Nobody has asked me that in centuries." It replied wistfully. Those slender fingers gripped her chin. Her head was pounding with pain. "What do you think?"
"A witch?" Aurelia offered, willing her voice to remain calm. "An escaped demon?"
The figure narrowed its eyes. It clicked its tongue displeased. But before it could reply Aurelia shot another question.
"Why do you possess the likeness of Cassian's mate?"
The figure smiled. Aurelia wondered how such beauty hid such cruelty underneath the flesh. Then it occurred to her that the beauty was stolen from somebody else.
"It is the other way around child." The figure told her as if she could read every ongoing thought in Aurelia's mind. Rhea's gaze grew sharper. Lips twisted in a sneer. "She stole everything from me."
"Did you kill Ariana?" Aurelia asked.
The figure cocked its head to the side and observed her. Her lips tugged into a radiant smile. "I did not."
"Then who? Was it really because of Cassian's curse? Are you behind his curse as well?" Aurelia prodded.
The figure narrowed its eyes. "So many questions."
"What are you?" Aurelia repeated.
Those purple eyes shifted as if to reveal the darkness of its identity. The figure smiled once again. It took a step back and lifted its arms higher.
"A goddess." The figure declared.
"From where? The underworld?" Aurelia scoffed. "No goddess will slaughter a newborn. Or cause such misery upon the world."
The entire demeanour of the figure shifted. Aurelia watched those beautiful features transform into something that left a bad taste on her tongue. Those purple eyes flashed with dark cruelty. Aurelia bit back a groan as her back slammed against the door. The figure clasped it's bony fingers around her neck and dug it's nails into her skin.
"Vain little dragon." The figure spat. Aurelia tried her best to not let her inner turmoil show. "I wonder how that tongue will yap when I rip it out or where this bravery will show when I suck the power out of your body."
"Lia-"
"Get...there!"
"Aurelia! Open-"
Aurelia struggled against it's grip. Her limbs wouldn't budge. Blood trickled down her nose as she pushed her gift to make her escape. The figure laughed and a chill rushed down her spine.
"Maybe I ought to whip you instead. I'll make sure you bleed out in this place where none could find you." The figure rasped in glee.
Her head throbbed with pain. Aurelia focused on the place where she truly stood. Those prison walls. Her brother. His magic. She gasped as something flood inside her. Something like fear and worry. Tears gripped her eyes. The figure squeezed her neck harder, grinning with those bloodied teeth.
The mate bond flickered and pulled. Rowan. Aurelia grappled to hold on to the bond. For it to pull her back into reality. Rowan's face flickered in her mind.
"Aurelia, you need to let go!"
His voice shook her violently. Aurelia screamed as she finally freed her limbs. Her vision went in and out of focus as the figure's power seeped inside her. Aurelia's eyes glowed as she called forth every ounce of magic she could in that moment.
"Seek her. Seek the girl who bears my likeness and find out for yourself. The Crown Prince does not belong with her. The curse as you name it, protects him from her. She killed her sister. She killed her mate. She will kill him and take your mate down with her too. Seek the girl and be rid of her before she does it to you. Kill her."
Aurelia gasped awake. Her magic grew into a dull thrum before giving out all at once. She heaved the contents of her stomach. Shaking heads held her hair away from her face and rubbed her back. Aurelia struggled to take in breaths. Rowan's face appeared in her line of vision. His hands held her face gently as he told her something. The ringing in her ears did not calm down enough for her to understand.
Images of him in that throne room flashed before her eyes. The figure's words played through her mind. Aurelia flung her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in the crook of his neck. His arms encircled her body at once holding her close.
"Ordered me around to not push myself and almost ended up half dead yourself!" Adriel barked out in frustration from somewhere behind her mate. "Are you dumb-"
"You're okay. I'm here." Rowan reassured Aurelia. She drowned out Adriel's voice in the back.
The figure's last words washed over her like a cold bucket of water. Aurelia pulled away from Rowan.
"I have to find her at once." Aurelia murmured.
Rowan's eyes searched her face. "Who? We can do it later. You need to rest."
Aurelia shook her head. She was already pushing past him and stumbling out of the cell gate.
"Where is she off to now?" Adriel growled angrily. "I'm calling Reagan to get here first thing tomorrow. His meetings can wait. I need him here to handle his twin. My patience-"
His words washed away as Aurelia ran out of the basement prison. The figure's words played over and over in her head. Aurelia did not want to believe that wretched being who called herself a goddess.
"I have to find out for myself." Aurelia muttered under her breath.
But if Cassian's mate was truly a threat - had been one the whole time - then, she had to do something before it destroyed all of them.
Sorry about the really long chapter! This one is the start of the chaos that's about to unleash among them.
I noticed that QOW hasn't been receiving much attention these days, so I was wondering if you guys didn't like this book or my writing. Because even though I assure myself that I write because I love doing it before anything else, it's always nice to receive some support and feedback.
Anyhow, we are almost at the end. There's about 15 or so chapters left (one final part) before it's complete. I wonder if more of you will pick up this book to read if it's complete. Oh! I also noticed that the 'legend' chapters are getting lesser reads than POV chapters.
You will never understand most details here forth if you do not read the legend chapters as well. I barely post two per part and I assure that they are as interesting as the main storyline. So it's my request that you show your support thoroughly so I'm motivated to do better as well.
Take care of yourself and I'll come back soon with another chapter!
Dawn xx