SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT!
Dedicated to frasermagoo for all the support and love you have been showing this story. Means a lot to me. Thanks hon!
A huge shout-out to NimishaPokam for all your lovely votes and amazing comments. Its a pleasure to read them. Thanks sweetie!
This chapter is unedited so kindly excuse the grammatical errors. Enjoy!
_____
John Penson's POV
Oh my God!
I couldn't believe what had just happened. Suzzanah's spirit was no longer here. It had left her body. It had disappeared from present time!
My eyes met Zuerien's wide alarmed ones, and for the first time ever in my entire life, I saw deep, raw and unconcealed fear in his eyes. He was terrified!
Terrified at the thought of what had happened to his mate
All around me, everyone wore similar expressions of utter and unparalleled horror, their pale faces and wide eyes not moving from their Luna's lifeless frame.
Marco exhaled shakily, and breathed out, "How?..."
That was the very question that was haunting every single person's mind here.
How...!
Realization washed over me like a cold bucket of water and my eyes widened in disbelief.
It couldn't be!
"Intercession", I breathed out and my head whipped towards the window facing the woods at the rear of the cottage, the one Prophecy had looked towards before teleporting.
Without wasting another second, I dashed towards the back door. The minute I stepped out, my heightened senses kicked in as I searched the surroundings thoroughly.
There was no one there.
HOW?!
As I examined the surroundings, I immediately picked up a faint scent and my eyes zeroed in on a nearby tree. I immediately rushed to it, and although there was no one there, I could still pick up a faint scent of lilac and something that felt slightly off.
And my eyes went wide when I realized what it was.
"Magic!"
My head whipped to the side to find Rino looking baffled.
"Magic", he repeated and I nodded.
Exactly! And there is only one Supernatural species here that can perform magic. Which means...
"Intercession is a witch!" Rino breathed out my very thoughts.
My eyes immediately scanned the surroundings again, but I didn't see or sense any female witches within a radius of 50 meters from Prophecy's cottage. I only sensed two females, and they were both werewolves.
Marco! I mind-linked immediately.
John! What happen-
There's no time to explain, I cut off his frantic question, create a maze around the entire area of the resorts immediately, I told him, and make sure that it is meant especially for witches.
Witches?! He asked sounding utterly confused.
Make it such that no woman, especially a witch, who is within the resort territory can leave here, even by means of magic, I told him.
But-
Do it Marco. Right now!
Alright, fine.
I cut off mindlink, and looked at Rino, knowing he was thinking the very same thing I was.
"It must have been a teleportation spell", Rino said, "And the magic I sense is very recent", Rino said, "Whoever performed it couldn't have done so longer than a few minutes ago"
I nodded. Witches and wizards could perform teleportation. Unlike Prophecy, they could not teleport in spirit or travel in time, but they could use magic to teleport themselves, as well as those around them, from one place to another. The stronger their magic, the farther they could teleport.
But why did she teleport away from here so suddenly?
Was it just a coincidence...or did she...
Did she run?
I didn't have the time to ponder that question the very next second, all the windows of Prophecy's cottage shattered into a million shards and a wave of enormous power crashed into me and Rino, forcing our bodies to jerk backwards.
My eyes immediately went wide in horror.
Oh no! Zuerien!
Without wasting another second, I rushed towards the cottage, Rino trailing close behind me. The minute we entered the living room, another wave of power and anger came hurtling at us and we were pushed backwards.
My eyes immediately zeroed in on the large frame of my King, who's back was to me. The room around him was a complete mess, the furniture was upturned, the walls were cracked and the windows were shattered. I sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of Marco, Cole and Talon all thrown against different corners of the room.
Beside me, Rino gasped and his frantic eyes immediately searched for the same things mine did.
Suzzanah and Prophecy!
Much to our relief, we found Suzzanah's and Prophecy's comatose bodies laid on two large sofas, which were the only two pieces of furniture in the room which were still perfectly alright.
I immediately knew that Zuerien had knowingly shielded them from his outburst of power and my gaze shot to his frame that stood beside Suzzanah's body, facing her.
"Wolfa..." Rino breathed out in shock and I inhaled deeply before stepping forward.
"Alpha", I spoke up loudly and he immediately clenched his fists. Another ginormous wave of power radiated off of him and I had to brace myself to avoid being pushed backwards at its impact.
"John"
I almost couldn't recognize his voice. It was the deepest and roughest I had ever heard it sound, and it was laced with so much anger and power, that I immediately cringed.
This is not good...he is losing control
A few pained groans sounded from Cole, Marco and Talon as they got off the floor, their panicked eyes immediately falling on the two Lunas before zeroing in on the King.
I immediately mind linked them, asking if they were all alright and they answered in the affirmative.
Marco, please shield Prophecy's cottage, I mind-linked Marco, no one must see what is going on
Aye, he replied.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Marco limp towards the back door and out in order to create a maze around Prophecy's cottage that would keep others from seeing its devastated condition.
Cole and Talon straightened up, their concerned gazes flickering between me, Zuerien and the Lunas.
I took a step forward, "Alpha, please stay calm", I said to Zuerien, being careful not to sound commanding.
His body tensed, and his back stiffening, "Stay calm?" he growled out, and I could tell that Kai had taken over, "You expect me...to stay calm?"
"Alpha, we won't be able to achieve anything if-"
"I don't' care", he cut me off as his body started to tremble, "Bring her back"
He slowly turned around to face me, and I sucked in a shocked breath when I saw the look on his face. His jaw was clenched, his lips pulled into a snarl as his sharp canines protruded from his mouth. His hair fell messily into his eyes but did nothing to hide the brilliant glow of his orbs.
His eyes were pitch black, except for two bright golden halos encircling his corneas. I inhaled deeply, knowing exactly what that meant, the strikingly contrasting colors holding deep meaning.
"Bring her back", he repeated again, taking a menacing step towards me. I could see fur slowly sprouting from his arms and knew that if not pacified, he would shift any moment, and then we would not be able to stop him.
"Alpha Kai", I said, knowing that his Alpha wolf had taken over, "we'll do out very best-"
"I don't give a damn what you do", he growled out, "I want my mate back NOW!"
"Alpha, Calm. Down."
A thunderous growl erupted from his chest followed by surge of power that sent me hurtling into the wall. My body crashed into the concrete and I grit my teeth as pain flooded my back.
I heard Cole, Talon and Rino cry out in shock and I opened my eyes, my blurred gaze falling on the frame of my dear Luna Queen.
My dear child...if only you were here...
"John!" Rino cried out worriedly as he ran up to me and helped me up.
My eyes returned to the Alpha Supreme, who was now breathing heavily. Cole took a step towards him but he immediately growled loudly at him in warning.
Standing up shakily, I gestured to Rino that I was okay, before taking a step towards Zuerien. I could tell he was trying hard to suppress his emotions. I knew that he was internally fighting for control, but it would be next to impossible to do, if he had no motivation.
"Son, listen to me", I breathed out desperately, "Losing control now will do nothing to bring Suzzanah back"
Another deep growl resonated through his chest, and I took another step forward, "I know you're worried. So are we. None of us had any idea that this would happen", I told him, "But we need to keep our heads. It's the only way we will be able to bring her back"
He didn't reply, but his eyes momentarily flashed to their original brown color, and that gave me hope. I was getting through to him.
"Alpha Kai, we'll do everything we can to bring the Luna back", I said honestly, "We won't stop at anything till she is safely with us again. So please", I begged, "Please calm down"
"Suzzanah", he whispered, his eyes still menacing, but I could see the fur slowly receding into his body.
"Suzzanah needs us all to not panic and to keep it together", I told him, stressing on every word as I spoke, "And this applies to you more than anyone else. She is your mate. And when something happens to her, you need to stay in control"
His body stopped trembling and he closed his eyes, and I took that opportunity to close the distance between us. Slowly and carefully, I placed a hand on his shoulder and though he tensed immediately, he didn't attack in any way.
"Son, I know this is hard for you", I told him, "None of us could have ever even imagined that this would happen. But please believe me when I tell you that we will bring her back"
His body jerked slightly as he grit his teeth, trying to reel in control. Cole walked up to us and placed a hand on his other shoulder.
"Besides", he said softly, "This is Luna Suzzanah we are talking about. She is our brave and kind and strong Luna Queen. Please believe in her Alpha. She will return to us"
"Yes Sire", Talon added taking a few steps towards us, "She will, for sure"
"That's right King", Marco said as he hurried back inside, "We will retrieve the Queen"
"Anna will come back to us, Wolfa", Rino said walking up to us along with Marco, "Everything's gonna be okay"
I nodded squeezing his shoulder, "Suzzanah will return to us Alpha", I said softly, "So now, it's time you do too"
The King's body started to relax and the massive amounts of power that had been radiating off his body slowly began to die down. He exhaled slowly and heavily and I squeezed his shoulder once again, knowing exactly how he must have been feeling.
There were very few things that could break an Alpha Wolf's control. But the ones that could, were usually very extreme things.
And out of them all, the thought of something happening to your mate, was the most devastating...
I would know...
"We'll bring her back", I told him again, "No matter what, we will bring her back here. Everything is going to be alright. So please, take heart and calm down"
He exhaled a ragged breath and I pressed my hand over his shoulder and said, "For Suzzanah"
As the words left my mouth, his tense body slumped, and immediately the overwhelming tension diminished and died away. The room fell deathly silent, and everything went still, as all the power threatening to destroy the walls slowly faded away.
Relief flooded my veins and I exhaled heavily exchanging small relieved smiles with everyone. My gaze fell to Suzzanah's frame again and pain pricked my heart.
Suzzanah...stay strong my child...we'll get you back very soon...
My eyes then returned to the young man beside me, the one student of mine I took most pride in. Zuerien took two deep breaths before opening his eyes, and I was happy to see two light brown orbs greet my own dark ones.
He gave me a nod and I patted his back once. The minute he was calmer, Zuerien's head turned towards Suzzanah and he immediately marched over to her side.
Although he was doing a good job of concealing his concern now, I could tell that he was still extremely worried on the inside. He was breathing heavily and his eyes looked tired.
It had hardly been 5 minutes since she had disappeared and he already seemed more burdened than I had ever seen him. But I was very, very proud of him for being able to regain control.
It's something I wasn't able to do for a very long time...after my own mate passed away...
He knelt next to Suzzanah and took her hand in his, and I could see the pain and desperation brimming in his eyes.
"How?" he asked me quietly and he didn't need to complete his question.
How...how did this happen...and how...can we change it back?
I exchanged glances with Rino before inhaling deeply. Anticipation built up inside of me as I spoke the next words, knowing there was a lot more to come.
"Luna of Intercession"
****
"So she's a witch?!" Marco exclaimed bewildered.
"That's what we think", I said.
"Oh great! Another one!" Marco groaned in exasperation.
"When I rushed outside, there was no one around except for a few she-wolves who were quite far away", I said, "And Rino immediately sensed magic which means whoever had been there had used Magic to teleport away. And only Witches and Wizards can do that!"
"But wouldn't that mean that she deliberately teleported away before she could be seen by any of us?" Zuerien asked.
I nodded, "It is a strong possibility Alpha, or it could just be a coincidence that she teleported when she did"
But then again, they do say there are no coincidences...
"But now that we know for sure that she is a witch and that she is here at the Games, we should be able to find her right?" Talon asked.
"We should", Cole said, "Provided she lets us. What if she really is running from us for some reason and teleported herself somewhere away from the resorts", Cole asked, "for fear of getting caught"
"She can't", Marco said shaking his head, "John had asked me earlier to create a maze to cage within the resort territory all women, especially all witches present here. The maze spans an area of nearly 400 acres all around the resorts so none of the witches here can leave, even by means of magical teleportation"
"Then we can definitely find her", Cole said and Marco nodded before adding hesitantly, "That is...if she didn't already teleport out of the territory before I set up my maze"
"Teleportation requires a lot of magical power", I spoke up, "Only a witch who is strong and well versed with spells can carry it out. But seeing as the magic we sensed was very faint, it could either mean that she masked the use of magic rather well or that the spell she cast wasn't very strong, meaning she couldn't have teleported far. She most definitely teleported to some place within the resorts"
"Only older and very experienced Witches and Wizards like the Ancients can perform long distance teleportations and still manage to mask the use of magic", Rino said, "And I don't think anyone that experienced is here at the Games"
"Pardon me for intruding", Talon said, "But what if she performed multiple successive but small teleportations to leave here before Alpha Marco set up the maze?"
"Successive teleportations are, once again, incredibly hard to carry out", Rino said, "Only the Ancients can do it. It's one of the reasons why Profussy sleeps so much after she gets back from her teleportations"
"You're certain about this?" Zuerien asked and he nodded.
"Alright", Zuerien said, "I'll mind-link Del to get all the witches present here to assemble in the lounge", he said, "And I'll also tell him to increase patrol in the woods, just in case she is trying to hide in the woods"
"That is...if she can enter the woods, right?" Talon asked, "I mean, we still don't know if she is affiliated to us or not"
"Actually, all witches and wizards present here at the Games are affiliated to us", Cole replied, "If she wasn't, we could have rested easy knowing she couldn't escape through the woods, even without Alpha Marco's mazes"
"Actually, No"
All gazes zeroed in on me, their eyes slightly wide.
"No?" Marco asked and I shook my head.
"The three High Lunas of the Council Extraordinaire are exceptions to the rule of affiliation", I told them, "Even if they are not affiliated to us, they can still cross over the territorial shields"
"You're kidding!" Cole exclaimed in shock.
"So what about the maze I put up in order to stop her from escaping just now?" Marco asked bewildered, "Wont she be able to cross over that too?"
I shook my head, "The maze you created just now cannot be crossed by anyone. Not even by those affiliated to us, so she won't be able to escape"
"But then, if she is a witch who is already our ally then why the hell is she even running?" Zuerien grit out, clenching his fists.
Exactly...
I nodded at his words, "It's a valid point Alpha", I said, "But then again, we're not sure that she is running from us. So lets not jump to conclusions just yet. A lot of things can happen unexpectedly"
Like Suzzanah's soul teleporting in time...
"The only way to find out for certain what exactly happened, would be to find Intercession and ask her", I said, "So let's get to it. I picked up a scent, which although not very prominent will still help us in identifying her"
"What if she uses magic to disguise her scent?" Zuerien asked.
I looked at Rino, "Then he will sense the magic", I said patting Rino's back, "He is a wizard after all. He can sense the use of magic better than us"
Rino tensed slightly as I continued, "And let's not to forget the most important part", I said, "Rino is not only a wizard but also a Guardian. And judging by what we know so far, Intercession is most likely his Luna. He should be able to recognize her"
Opposed to my supposition that Rino would be rather excited by my statement, he just gave me a small smile and didn't make eye contact.
Huh?...
Before I could ask him what was wrong, Marco spoke up.
"And what if she shields even her aura?" he asked.
"That would imply that she is well aware that she is the Luna of Intercession and is specifically trying to hide that fact", I said, "And it's highly unlikely. But regardless, what we do know is that she has to be one of the handful of witches who are present here at the Games. That narrows our search down considerably. It should be easy enough to retrieve her"
"And what if she puts up a fight?" Cole asked.
"It's our duty to reassure her that we mean her absolutely no harm", I replied, "I know for a fact that none of the witches here at the Games are our enemies, so at least we don't have to worry about that"
I exhaled heavily, "If she really did teleport away in order to run from us, and if she refuses to listen to us, then we'll have to hear her out instead, find out why she ran and why she didn't want to be discovered"
"I don't give a shit about any of that anymore", Zuerien growled out in rage, "She is the goddamn reason my mate's spirit freakin teleported in time! She is the cause of this mess and I don't freakin care about her reasons. She will set things right and she will bring back my Suzzanah if that's the last bloody thing she ever does!"
Releasing an exasperated breath, Zuerien turned away from us, running both his hands through his hair in frustration. We all exchanged sad glances before looking back at our Alpha King. We could understand why he was so angry and impatient. We knew the reason why he was so desperate.
Suzzanah...
Unlike Prophecy, who's body had been created to hold a soul that could teleport in and out of her, other people could not withstand the lack of their souls within their bodies for long.
The fact that Suzzanah was largely human made matters worse. If her soul did not return to her body soon she would...
Zuerien knew that Suzzanah's body would not stay viable without her soul for long. The sight of the young Alpha wolf looking broken and helpless as he gazed at his beloved mate pained us all.
My eyes drifted to Suzzanah's frame and I immediately noticed how she was already looking paler. It had been a little over 15 minutes since her spirit had been teleported, and seeing as her body had already started showing signs of that loss, it was obvious we didn't have much time.
We need to bring her soul back at the earliest!
"Alpha", I said, "We should head over to lounge immediately so that we can find the Luna of Intercession. I and Rino will be going for sure. And you-"
"I'm staying here", Zuerien cut me off, his gaze not leaving Suzzanah, "I'm staying with my mate"
I nodded in understanding, "Alright"
"I'll stay too", Marco said, "And Talon can also stay with us. You, Rino and Cole should go ahead"
"Okay", I replied before looking back at Zuerien. He turned his head slightly, his eyes falling to me.
"I'm counting on you", he said and it pained my heart to see our King so desperate and burdened.
"You have my word", I told him with every ounce of my sincerity, "Our Luna Queen will be back with us very soon"
****
"We need to make sure that we stay on guard", I said to Cole and Rino as we reached the lounge, "If the Luna is indeed trying to hide from us, it's pretty obvious that she expects us to come after her. For whatever reason she doesn't want to reveal her identity to us, she will try her very best to stay hidden from us"
"What if she avoided coming here all together?" Rino asked, "That's quite an obvious reaction, especially if she doesn't want us to find her"
"I beg to differ Rino", I said, "If a single witch, out of the few who are present here, refuses to come at the request of an Alpha Extraordinaire, it will be rather easy to single her out as the Luna of Intercession. If she has thought this matter through at all, she will definitely try to blend in with everyone else here and give off the impression that nothing at all is wrong. She will try to be as casual and nonchalant as possible"
"You're spot on about that Alpha", Cole said, "I just mind-linked Del and he said that all the witches who came to the Annual Games have assembled in the lounge, and are waiting"
All three of us exchanged glances before heading towards the lounge.
"So either the teleportation earlier was just a perfectly timed mistake, like how it often happens with Luna Prophecy, that led us to thinking that the Luna was trying to run from us", Cole said, "Or she really was trying to run from us and is now going to try and act aloof while simultaneously masking any and all possible characteristics we could use to identify her?"
"Well the only lead we have apart from her being a witch is her scent", I said, "And that is pretty easy to disguise, especially for a witch. We'll need to stay sharp so we can pick up any traces of magic in the room, especially you Rino"
He nodded wordlessly and I frowned slightly, what's wrong with Rino?
Ever since Prophecy's and Suzzanah's souls had teleported, he had been looking quite tense and concerned. At first I had thought it was because he was worried about them, there was obviously more to it.
"Rino, you are alright, aren't you?" I asked softly as we reached the door to the lounge.
He frowned slightly before saying, "I think I'm malfunctioning"
Huh?
"What do you mean?" I asked.
He looked about ready to say something but then he quickly shook his head, "Never mind", he said, "I'll tell you once we find Intercession", he looked at the door before us, "And hopefully it will be very soon"
Rino...
The door of the lounge suddenly opened and Delta Del stepped out. He immediately bowed to us before asking softly, "The Queen?"
I shook my head, "No changes yet"
His brow furrowed, "How unfortunate it is, our poor Luna"
"It's going to be okay Del", Cole said, "Are they ready?" he asked motioning towards the lounge.
Del nodded, "Yes, I have assembled all the witches present at the Games just like the King asked", he said, "And I told them that this is just a meeting regarding a special event meant especially for witches and wizards, so that they don't suspect that something is wrong"
"Good job Del", I said, "We'll be going inside now. In the meantime, make sure that no one, not even the men here at the Games, leave the resort territory by any means alright?"
"Understood Alpha", he said with a bow.
His eyes briefly flickered towards Rino who gave him a subtle shake of his head. What is this about?...
"Shall we go?" Cole asked and we both nodded.
He pushed the door open and we walked inside.
****
Only 19 women present at the Games this year were witches. Intercession had to be one of them.
And yet...she isn't!
"Del, are you sure those were the only witches present at the Games this year?" Cole asked him for the 10th time, "You didn't miss anyone?"
"I'm absolutely certain Beta Cole", he replied, "Everyone's details had been taken on the first day when they got here, and there were only 19 witches in total"
"What about the new guests who arrived last night?" Cole asked.
"Including them", Del replied.
"Goddammit!" Cole breathed out in exasperation.
"Del, what about hybrids?" I asked, "There may be she-wolves here who have one parent who is a witch or wizard and can therefore use magic"
"I'll look into that immediately Alpha", he said and hurried away.
"Damn!" Cole cursed again, "It's been 40 minutes since the Queen's soul teleported and we still haven't found anything"
As we had expected, none of the 19 witches in the lounge had a scent even remotely resembling the one we had picked up from the clothes we had found. And none of us had picked up even the slightest hint of magic in the room, not even Rino.
Which either meant that the magic she used to alter her scent was extremely well masked, or, that none of the witches in the room had used any magic at all.
Which in turn means...she wasn't one of those 19...
Only the Ancient Witches and Wizards had powers strong enough to make their magic completely unnoticeable. And none of the witches or wizards at the Games this year were that strong. Even Rino, who was an extremely powerful Wizard, only specialized in Elemental abilities so his magic wasn't all that strong either.
I looked at Rino who was looking out of the window, gripping his hair in frustration. The weather outside had turned stormy again and I knew it was because of how terrible Rino was feeling on the inside.
I had mind-linked Marco a few minutes ago and he had told me that the King was growing restless again. The Queen's body was getting colder by the minute and her heart rate was falling.
Suzzanah...hang in there...
I walked up to Rino and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Rino..."
"I think I'm malfunctioning", he repeated and my brow furrowed, "Don't think like that Rino"
"I'm serious John!" he exclaimed turning towards me, his eyes wide in both concern and fear, "I don't think it's a good idea for you guys to rely on me in order to find the Luna...I'm messed up"
He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hand over his forehead and grit out, "I'm unable to sense her presence! Even when she was outside Prophecy's cottage, I wasn't able to sense her presence"
I frowned at his words, But why...
"Rino, don't doubt yourself", Cole told him, "You need to pull yourself together. We can't afford to fall apart right now"
"He's right Rino", I said, "Besides, you sensed her presence inside Annabelle remember. You can do it again, seeing as you did it that once"
"Twice"
What?
Both I and Cole looked at him wide-eyed, "Rino?"
"Twice", he repeated, looking us in the eye, "I sensed her presence twice"
I and Cole exchanged baffled glances, "W-when was the second time?" Cole asked.
"Yesterday", he replied, "At the orphanage"
"WHAT?!" both I and Cole cried out in shock, "The Luna was at the orphanage?" I asked.
He shook his head, "No, she wasn't", he said, "It was exactly like with Bell. I sensed my Luna's presence from inside one of the children there"
Bell? Cole asked through mind-link.
Annabelle, I replied.
"Which child?" Cole asked.
"Juno", he replied, "The boy's name was Juno"
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Cole asked wide eyed.
Rino cringed, "Thing is...I wasn't even sure of what exactly it was I felt", he said.
"Rino, what do you mean?" I asked, my brow furrowing.
"The presence I felt from inside Juno was even fainter than what I felt from Bell", he told us, "I almost didn't even feel it till I picked him up. And even then, the presence did feel somewhat different from what I sensed from Bell. I wasn't even sure it was my Luna's presence"
"But now you are?" Cole asked.
"No", he said, "But it was still worth a shot. So I asked Ms. Mary from the orphanage to write me a list of the names of all woman whom Juno had made contact with in the last 2 days, just like we did with Bell"
Mary? Cole mind-linked again.
Ms. Maria, I clarified.
"And when she gave me the list, I immediately left the orphanage after telling Anna that something important had come up that I needed to take care of", he said.
"You didn't tell Suzzanah about Juno?" I asked and he shook his head.
"Anna already had a lot on her plate and Wolfa was dead tired, even if he refused to accept it", he said, his shoulders slumping, "I didn't want to get their hopes up over something I myself wasn't sure about. So I thought I'd go meet the women in that list personally so that I could get some proof or at least some solid leads"
"Do you have the list?" I asked and he shook his head, "It's in my room"
"I'll go get it-"
"It doesn't matter", Rino said softly, cutting Cole off, "I already met everyone on the list. It wasn't any of them", he looked at me, "Remember how I asked you yesterday to show me the list of names we got from Bell?" he asked and I nodded.
He had taken a picture of the list last night and said it was just in case. I hadn't made much of the matter, thinking it was just him being his usual quirky self with respect to names.
"I took a picture of the list because I wanted to cross check it with the list of names that Ms. Mary had given me", he said, "Because if any name matched, that woman would probably be my Luna, since she made contact with both Bell and Juno"
"And did any names match?" Cole asked.
Rino nodded, "Three of them", he replied, "And I had been so ecstatic last night thinking that it had to be one of those them. But then, when I met them after our meeting yesterday got over, I didn't sense my Luna's presence from any of them"
My frowned, "Rino, did you only talk to them or-?"
"I grabbed their hands and shook them a little", he said and both mine and Cole's eyes went wide.
"You shook them?!" Cole exclaimed and Rino shrugged.
"Anna said that it always worked for her sister", he said, "I thought, why not give it a shot?"
He made contact with them...but the didn't sense anything...
"How many names were on that list that Ms. Maria made for you?" I asked.
"Seven", he replied, "And one of the women who made contact with both Bell and Juno was apparently Anna's friend"
"The Luna's friend?"
Rino nodded, "Ms. Mary told me so", he said, "She was a pretty young thing. Fair and slim, just like Profussy's description of the Luna she saw in London, and her name...uh...what was it?" he scratched his head, "I can't remember but it reminded me of a vegetarian"
Vegetarian?...Uh...
"Her name reminded you of a vegetarian?" Cole asked again and he nodded.
"But unlike the dark haired woman Profussy had seen when she teleported to London, Anna's friend had red hair"
Both mine and Cole's eyes went wide and when our gazes met, I knew we were thinking of the same woman.
Her roommate...Megan!
My mind went over the list of names we had collected from Annabelle, and I was quite sure she had mentioned Megan's name towards the end. Something about how she had crashed into her on her way to the bathroom.
Brief contact...and therefore only a faint presence...
"Was the red haired woman's names Megan?" I asked Rino and his eyes went wide as he gasped loudly.
"That's it! Megan! It reminded me of Vegan!" Rino cried out and Cole and I face palmed in unison.
"How did you know John?!" Rino asked and I shook my head as one thought predominated my mind.
But Megan...isn't a witch. She is human...
"We need to find these three women again", I breathed out quickly standing up.
"But Alpha, Rino said that he met them already", Cole said, "And he didn't sense her presence"
"I'm telling you, I'm totally malfunctioning", Rino repeated.
"Actually I agree Rino", I replied making both the men gawk at me. I smiled, "You are malfunctioning, but the problem isn't necessarily with you"
"What does that mean?" Cole asked.
"Since no Luna has ever had a predestined Guardian, I don't know how this works", I said, "But something is definitely hindering Rino's ability to be able to sense his Luna. One reason could be that the Luna's powers haven't manifested completely yet, because of which Rino can't tell that it's her."
My brow furrowed as I added, "And the other could be that the Luna knows full well who she is and is deliberately hiding her abilities and aura so that no one will be able to recognize her"
I turned to Rino, "That's why we need to find all three women who made contact with both Juno and Annabelle"
"Two", Rino corrected me, "One of them was Anna"
My eyes widened, Of course!
"Wait", Cole said, "If one of them was the Luna Queen then...isn't there a chance that she is the Luna of Intercession?"
I smiled at his words and shook my head, "No Cole", I said, "Suzzanah isn't the Luna of Intercession"
"How can you be so sure?" he asked.
"The Luna of Intercession is a mediator", I said, "She facilitates between two people without getting affected in the process herself. It is not possible for Intercession to acquire the abilities of an Alpha or Luna Extraordinaire herself, but it is possible for her to attribute those abilities to someone else. That's why, if Suzzanah had been the Luna of Intercession, her soul wouldn't have been teleported"
"Man! This is complicated", Rino breathed out, "And poor Anna had to unsuspectingly get sucked into this big mess"
"So what now John?" Cole asked, "after we find the Megan and the other woman who also made contact with both Annabelle and Juno, what do we do? What's the plan?"
"We need to take them to Suzzanah immediately", I said, "Even if Intercession hasn't manifested her abilities completely yet, her presence is bound to cause some improvement in Suzzanah's condition"
"You think?" Rino said and I nodded.
"Suzzanah's soul may not have returned to her body", I said, "but she is still alive, which means that, to some extent, Intercession's powers are still active inside her. Intercession's powers of mediation are enabling her to survive without her soul. So if we can bring Intercession close to her again, it should help her condition, she should show some improvement"
Should...
"But what about the theory of Intercession being a witch?" Cole asked, "We can't just disregard that now can we?"
"The other woman who made contact with both Bell and Juno was a werewolf", Rino said.
I frowned, Megan is a human and the other one is a werewolf?...
"Rino go get the list that Ms. Maria wrote for you from your room", I said and he suddenly pulled out his phone.
"Wait", he said, "I think I have a picture of it", he said scrolling through the photos, "Here!"
All three of us looked into his phone screen. The list had a total of 7 names, including Megan, Suzzanah and Annabelle's names. And even before Rino pointed out the name to me, I recognized the one name that was also present in the list of names Annabelle had given us"
Matree Daddario
The Alpha's PA?!
"This one!" Rino said pointing to her name, "She is the she-wolf who made contact with both the kid and Bell. I met her yesterday but I didn't sense my Luna's presence from her"
"Oh my God!" Cole exclaimed in shock, "Matree?! The Alpha Supreme's PA?!"
I was just as alarmed as he was. Matree had also participated in the women's combat event, but had lost to Annabelle in the semi-finals.
And wait! Matree is also-
My shocked thought was interrupted when Del suddenly mind-linked me.
Alpha, I looked into any hybrids who may be here at the Games, he said.
My breath hitched, Did you find any? I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
Yes Sir! he said, Four of them, three of whom are women. They are children of one werewolf and one Mage- either Witch or Wizard, just like Alpha Zuerien.
Zuerien's mother had been an Elemental witch, but although Zuerien did have Elemental abilities, he did not possess any other magic which wizards and witches did.
Two of the she-wolf hybrids were in the woods on patrol, in the vicinity of Luna Prophecy's cottage about 45 minutes ago, Del told me.
My eyes widened, could he be talking about the two she-wolves I had seen in the distance when I had run out of the cottage? And wasn't one of them...
Tell me their names, I said hurriedly.
One of them is named Hannah Palvin, he said, and the two hybrids who were patrolling near the Luna's cottage are Jessica Rover and...
And?...
And Matree Daddario
****
Suzzanah's POV
There are few unforgettable times in one's life when one feels like they are having an out-of-body experience.
But rarely ever, is it meant in a literal sense.
Ever since I came to the Royale Industries, I had had more than my fair share of absolutely unreal experiences, starting with dousing my own face with water to discovering a whole new world of Supernatural beings.
So I told myself that I was now used to being shocked out of my wits and expecting the unexpected.
But apparently...that wasn't humanly possible.
Now, as I suddenly stood by in a friendly looking neighborhood I had never seen before, I couldn't help but vouch for the credibility of those words.
One could never get used to expecting the unexpected, because even if you expected the unexpected, it would still shock you when it happened.
I would have been perfectly happy to be here in this happy and bright looking neighborhood, provided I could just remember how the heck I got here in the first place!
My presently onion-sized eyes rolled wildly in my sockets, frantically searching all corners of my line of sight. And a feeling too akin to panic started to cloud my mind when I realized to my utmost horror, that I recognized nothing.
Nothing?!?!
"ZUERIEN?!"
That was the first word I heard myself cry out, finding even the sound of my own voice rather foreign.
"Zuerien? Alpha Penson? Mr. Talon?" I called out anxiously, "Where are you guys? Rino? Cole? Marco? Luna Prophecy?"
As my head whipped from one side of the unfamiliar street to the other, as tidal waves of utter bafflement washed over me.
Zuerien? Where are you? Where is everybody? Where am I????
The last thing I remembered was being in Luna Prophecy's cottage, with Zuerien, Cole, Rino, Mr. Talon, Alpha Penson, Marco and Luna Prophecy herself! I remembered walking up to her and touching her shoulder. Then how did I suddenly end up from being in her cosy little living room to some totally unfamiliar street in God knows what corner of the city?!
Is this a dream?!
Not tearing my gaze away from my utterly new surrounding before me, I pinched myself, hard, or so I thought I did, but I felt nothing.
Huh?
I tried again, pinching as hard as I could, but still I felt nothing. Not even a slight sting.
I tore my gaze away from the street to look down at my hand in confusion only to gasp in shock when I took in the sight of my hand. It wasn't bloody, bruised, broken or anything else gory like that. On the contrary it would have looked perfectly fine, had it not been...see-through.
WHAAAAT???!
My hand flew up to my horrified face and my alarm spiked even further when I could see a hazy image of the tree in front of me through my arm. An inhumane scream escaped my widely parted lips and low hanging jaw.
What the HELL happened to my hand?!
My eyes immediately shot towards my other arm and found it similarly translucent, much like my old white shirts tended to become when they got soaked in water.
Why is my hand see-through?!?!
Wait...only my hand?!
My head jerked downward and I petrified screech left my lips at the sight of my legs in the very same state. Alarmed, my hand flew all over my body, touching my hands, legs and face and torso. Had anyone turned to look at me, I would have passed for a total pervert feeling herself up in the middle of the footpath.
So maybe it's a good thing nobody is looking at me...for some reason...
I could feel all parts of myself just as solidly as I could when I bathed this morning, so then why was I suddenly turning see-through? I always knew that I was mildly anaemic but no so much that my body started to fade away, literally!
Releasing a panicked breath, I rushed to nearest window, not caring that I would look like a total wierdo to the people inside. I needed to have a look at my reflection. Maybe my eyes were just playing tricks on me.
As I ran, it almost felt like my feet weren't really hitting the ground. I felt no pressure under my soles, nor did I feel the wind in my face as I ran, and it was scaring the bejeezus out of me. Once the reached it, my head immediately shot up to look at my face.
And for a second, the world seemed to stop spinning, as my wide, shocked eyes stared into the clear, polished glass and saw...
Nothing...
I stared in disbelief at the glass lacking my reflection. I wasn't there. I wasn't there at all.
My head whipped to the side, eyes skimming over all my surroundings, and my panic levels exploded over the zenith of all measurements when I realized that mine was the only reflection not mirrored by glass.
I have no reflection. I have no reflection. Just me. Only me. I have no reflection.
WHY?!
HOW?!
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!
Both my hands covered my mouth, muffling the alarmed scream that was threatening to spill out. Feeling like all breath had been knocked out of me, I stumbled away from the glass window and onto an unsuspecting pedestrian walking down the side walk.
Even in my state of shock, I waited for the impact, for my body to crash violently into someone else's but when it didn't, my panic only intensified, because I realized why it hadn't happened. The man I was supposed to collide with had just passed right through me.
Through me?!?!
A piercing shriek escaped my lips as I stood shuddering and shivering like beggar on a snowy night. I took twenty steps back, clutching my chest in panic. As I went, I walked right through a red mail box, making my fear skyrocket to the highest heavens.
WHAT'S GOING ON??!!!
I didn't even have time to contemplate that though when suddenly, something moved in my peripheral vision, and my head shot to the side, and my heart stopped in shock when I saw a large semi truck come hurtling down the street right at me.
I didn't remember screaming, I had no time to. I didn't remember moving, I was too terrified to. I didn't even remember closing my eyes, I was too shocked to.
And that must have been why, as the 2-ton monster of a semi drove right over me, I saw everything as clear as day, with my own two eyes.
I watched thunderstruck, stunned into oblivion, as its hard metal surface slammed into me hard. There was no pain and there was no pressure, as the thick grey bumper slid right through me, and as the several layers of metal dug deep into my frame at a terrifyingly factual and painfully slow pace, I felt like I was watching a horror movie in 3D- everything was virtual but it felt so damn real.
I stared breathlessly with my mouth agape, as my face collided and yet didn't, with the thick leather seats in the cabin, on which a large middle aged man was seated comfortably as he sang loudly to a song by the Beatles.
Immediately afterwards, my body rammed into the acoustic partition behind the seats, and a gust of air flew at my face before I found myself looking down the long detachable semi-trailer compartment. Dozens of large boxes that sped past me, filling my nostrils with the strong stench of wet wood and frozen fish as the thick metal base of the semi continued to glide right through my calves.
And as the long trailer compartment came to an end, its huge rear walls came hurtling at me, and I grit my teeth and held my breath as the 2-inch thick metal doors hammered into my frame. They collided with the front of my stationary body, invading my incorporeal form, their sharp metal surfaces piercing right through me, jutting out of my body, cutting me in half.
And before I even knew it, the doors exited my body, shooting out of my back like a mighty barrage, and the mammoth of a machine sped down the street leaving me standing like a stone statue in the middle of the a suddenly deserted road.
For a short moment, everything stayed still, as though letting nature come to terms with what had just transpired. And when that short moment ended, the time that had seemed to halt, suddenly started ticking again, the heart that had seemed to stop, suddenly started beating again, the breath that had seemed to catch, suddenly flowing again and the life that had seemed to end, suddenly started existing again.
And I after what seemed like a seven ages past, my mind registered with painful slowness, the one fact that had become glaringly obvious, one truth that had become inevitably evident.
There are few unforgettable times in one's life when one feels like they are having an out-of-body experience.
But rarely ever, is it meant in a literal sense.
Ever since I came to the Royale Industries, I had had more than my fair share of absolutely unreal experiences, but despite the countless number of times that I had felt like I had died and my spirit had left my body, nothing, and I mean nothing, could have ever prepared me for the day that it actually did.
This day.
Today.
N.O.W.
I had just been run over by a truck...
And I was still alive...
And as my heart returned to beating normally in my chest, the movements finally returned to my body, I released a ragged and heavy breath and shook my head slowly.
I was alive...but then again...I wasn't really.
****
Okay...so I'm a spirit.
Once I came to terms with that fact, it didn't take long for me to put two and two together. I was a spirit and I was in a totally new place I had never seen before which probably meant that I had been teleported here.
And the only person in Luna Prophecy's cottage who had the ability to do such things was Luna Prophecy herself! But if I, somehow, managed to access her power and be teleported in time and space just like her...that meant...
Luna of Intercession!!
I gasped, my eyes going wide in shock. It must have been the Luna of Intercession's doing. That meant, she had been around there somewhere.
Oh my God! I really hope the others have found her!
I paced the ground, nervously chewing on my lip. So now one more thing was clear. I knew how I came to be a spirit. And that left me with the most disturbing question of them all.
How do I go back?
My heart constricted slightly as a wave of anxiety washed over me. How was I supposed to return to my body? How was I supposed to get back to everybody else, to Zuerien?!
Zuerien...
Pain pricked my heart at the thought of my mate. He must be so worried about me. I really hoped he wouldn't lose control and unintentionally hurt himself or someone else. But how would I know? How was I supposed to get back to him? How would I...go back home?
I was here, in an unknown place, all alone, far away from all my loved ones. And even though I understood that this had been done by the Luna of Intercession, how would it be un-done?
What if they couldn't find the Luna of Intercession? What would I do then? And what if they found her, but she didn't know how to put my soul back into my body? What then? What would I do? How would I go on living?...
That is...if spirits even have a life...
Chiding myself, I immediately shook off all the depressing thoughts.
You can do this Suzzanah, I told myself, remember how Alpha Marco had told you that in the very beginning, Luna Prophecy had been terrified of such teleportations. But now look at her! She overcame her fears and now she's brave and confident and strong. That's what you need to do.
Be strong!
Karina...
My mind immediately went to my sister and my eyes widened. Karina...Canada...wasn't that where Prophecy was insisting on going?
I immediately the words Luna Prophecy had been chanting before I teleported.
"Dublin-Toronto-Future-Present-Spirit-Spirit"
I gasped, could it be?
Could it be that I was either in Dublin or Toronto right now? If so, that would mean...there was a chance I could see Karina!
I immediately felt encouraged by that thought.
Be strong Suzzanah, I told myself, Be strong.
Zuerien and the others would definitely find a way to get me back to my body.
Believe in them, and believe in yourself! And do what you need to do!
Taking a deep breath, I let those words of encouragement seep into me. Once I felt calm again, I dusted myself off and immediately looked around to see if by any chance, Luna Prophecy had teleported here with me.
I scanned the place for both people and spirits, but I didn't find any familiar faces, so it probably meant I was here alone. So I needed to do this all on my own.
Okay, first things first Suzzanah, find out where the heck you are!
I looked around the street, trying to see if I could find any characteristic landmarks or any information which would reveal where I was. Unfortunately, there was nothing here that gave me even the slightest hint.
I remembered the Alphas telling me that Luna Prophecy always tried to find a newspaper or a TV showing the news. That often revealed the date, time and sometimes even the place!
Okay! Find a newspaper
Nodding to myself, I quickly ran across the street to a little café. Through the glass, I could see a TV running. Now if only that was the news channel!
I quickly ran, or should I say floated- because it sure did feel like it- to the door and pushed at the handle only to have my hands slide through the metal and glass and stick awkwardly inside the café.
Shuddering at the sight, I quickly slid through the glass and though it felt awkward, it was also rather convenient. Especially for someone like me who had a lot of bad blood with glass doors that couldn't resist slamming into me.
Once inside, I rushed to the TV only to groan in irritation when the channel running turned out to be a music station. I reached up and tried to grab the TV knob, but as was to be expected, my hand slid right through it.
I let out an exasperated sigh and stomped my foot only for it to slip through the floorboards, making me fall to the floor. Alarmed, I quickly pulled my leg out of the floor, and stood up cautiously. I needed to be careful lest my fear of going six feet under became a reality.
The only thing I got off the TV was the date and time, 21st July 2015, 8:58 am. I smiled to myself, so it was present time.
Turning away from the TV, I decided to look around the café for any newspapers. I went from table to table, searching meticulously, but most the customers were high schoolers and young adults, and as I had feared, none of them had any newspapers with them, nor did they have any magazines. I even peeked into a few phones, but all I ended up seeing were a few glaringly explicit pictures of hormonal high schoolers I didn't even know.
Ai yai yai! But what should I do now?!
Sighing, I decided to move on to the next café. Just as I turned, I came face to face with a customer who walked right through me, making me jump in shock. The boy, a high schooler probably skipping class, also shuddered, dropping his money.
"Dude! What happened?" the boy's friend asked.
"Dunno man!" he breathed out wide eyed, "Suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. Freaky as f***"
I scrunched up my face at the boy before bending down to pick up his money, only to realize that I couldn't. Sighing, I was about to stand again when my eyes found the 10-dollar bill on the ground. And my eyes went wide as I read the letters printed on the bill.
CANADA
I gasped, feeling my heart rate speed up. Canada! I was in Canada! Just to make sure, I rushed to the cash counter and peeked at the bills another customer was paying. They too were Canadian dollars.
YES! I'm in Canada! Now the only thing left to confirm is where in Canada am I?
Running out through the closed door, I quickly hurried into the next café. Thankfully, there were more middle-aged people here and I was elated to see that a few of them had newspapers. Just as one man finished his cup of coffee, I ran to his table, my eyes immediately zeroing in on the newspaper. And the sight of the title, I could have almost cried tears of joy.
TORONTO STAR
I'm in Toronto! I'm in Canada! I'm going to see my sister!
Releasing a joyous squeal, I jumped around the table like a crazy maniac. After a few seconds, I composed myself and hurried out of the café, thanking the stars that no one here could see me.
Once outside, I wondered the next most obvious question, Where is Magnifis Incorporated and how do I get there?
I had never really asked my sister where exactly the main branch of Magnifis Inc. was situated, but she had told me that it was quite far from any other business or residential areas. She did tell me that she often took the bus halfway and that her colleague and friend drove her the rest of the way.
But I had no idea which bus she took, and even if I did, how would I travel the rest of the distance to Magnifis Inc.? I pressed my temples in exasperation. This was getting nowhere. How exactly was I supposed to get to Karina now?
Even if by some massive stroke of luck, I managed to get to Magnifis Inc, there was still no guarantee that I would find her there. Karina worked for a design house called 'The Fae Insignia' and was currently employed on a project for Magnifis Inc. There was no guarantee that she would be there right now because she could be working from her office in the 'The Fae Insignia' too. And in that case, all my effort would go to waste!
What should I do?
I fisted my hair in frustration. There had to be an easier way to do this! With Luna Prophecy, they said that she was automatically teleported to all the places significant to or related to the lost Lunas. But that apparently didn't work for me. Sighing, I closed my eyes, picturing my sister's face.
Karina...wherever you are, I hope you're okay, I said to myself, I just want to see you, once. Just to make sure that you're alright.
A gust of wind flew by me and my eyes immediately shot open. All of a sudden the entire scenery around me was going haywire, twisting and turning and molding itself leaving me more than a little bit baffled.
What's going on??
I screamed in shock when suddenly, I was pulled into the vortex of that mess. I flew through an abyss of blacks and whites, feeling like I was being sucked into a vacuum cleaner. And just when I started feeling like I would become the very first ghost-spirit-thingy to throw up, all my surroundings came to halt, and along with them, so did I.
I was thrown out of what seemed to have been a black hole and I feel right onto a marbled floor. And though I didn't feel any pain whatsoever, I did feel extremely disoriented.
What just happened? And where am I now?
Shaking off the daze, I slowly stood up, stumbling a little on my feet. I was presently standing in the middle of a long wide corridor, with a clean, polished, white marble floor and rich grey-white walls with intricate designs painted into them.
From the ceiling hung enormous crystal chandeliers, the size of which could possibly dwarf my own. On either side of the corridor were tall vases filled with some strange yet beautiful violet flowers. I had never seen their kind before, so I presumed they must have been ornamental, but somehow, the ambience of this place seemed far from that of a workplace. It radiated a far more majestic and mysterious aura, not quite what most offices would offer.
What is this place? And why am I here?
Could it be that when I wished to see Karina, I was teleported to where I could possibly find her? Encouraged by that thought, I quickly started to float down the long winding corridor, in hopes of finding my sister.
It was rather quiet here and I wondered if not many people were around. And the corridors just seemed to stretch on endlessly, making me wonder just how big this place was. I passed by a tall and wide window, and stopped to glance outside. I was shocked to realize that I was quite high up in the air, and the window overlooked a breathtaking green garden that stretched on and on and on.
This definitely isn't a workplace...
After a few more minutes of floating onward while staring in awe at the rich, intricate and somewhat mysterious and gothic interiors, as well as the beautiful garden outside, I finally reached the end of the long hallway only for it to split into two new hallways.
I looked down the right corridor to find that it wound around the corner, probably leading into a few more corridors. Shaking my head, I decided to go down the long hallway on my left instead.
This one was more brightly illuminated that the one I had just come down and had large and elegantly framed paintings adorning the walls. The paintings all seemed like modern art, but there was something rather dark and ancient about them that made them look antique.
And they all one thing in common. All the images were shrouded...in Shadows.
Gulping, I looked to my left. There were a series of widely spaced enormous wooden doors with elegant golden designs on them. I stopped in front of one of the doors and stared at it. I couldn't tell whether it was locked or not, but its imposing frame sure did radiate a Stay out kind of vibe.
On the wall opposite to the door was another giant painting. And somehow, the sight of it chilled me down to my...spirit. It was a very simple picture, but within that simplicity, was a darkness that was enough to leave the beholder more than a little bit disturbed.
Most of the canvas was nothing but a pitch black, but out of the darkness arose a ghostly grey hand that seemed to be reaching out to something. And somehow, the painting was just so realistic, that it almost made me feel like the ghostly hand would suddenly shoot out of the that canvas and grab me and then pull me into the dark world it that came from.
I involuntarily shuddered at that thought and immediately turned away from it, only to be completely freaked out by a fast approaching sound that I recognized all too well.
Footsteps
Karina?!
My excitement immediately died down and a chill ran down my spine when I heard the faint sound of a male voice. Oh God! Some man was coming! I released a panicked squeal and frantically looked around the corridor.
Where should I go?!
In a sudden moment of lack of thought, I rushed to the large vase beside the wooden doors and hid behind it. In an attempt to make myself scarce, I curled up into a ball and pressed myself against the wall behind me. But much to my alarm, I ended up not only pushing my body into the wall but right through it, and into the room it enclosed.
For two minutes, I sat there on the floor shocked, staring at the lower half of my body which was still on the other side of the wall. Then, releasing a shout of horror, I quickly pulled my legs through the wall and into the room with the rest of my body.
CREEEEPY!
Shuddering at the memory of my body impaling the wall, I stood up and dusted myself off, before slapping my forehead.
Why did you freak out like that?! You're a spirit you fool! No one can see you!
Sighing at my own idiocy, I let my gaze scan the ginormous room I was currently in and my eyes immediately widened at the splendor of the décor.
Every nook of the room just screamed wealth and luxury, the sheer size of the place being a mind-boggling fact to take in. This room was fit for a King!
It didn't look like a bed room. It was more like one of those historical parlors meant especially for hosting guests. The walls were painted different shades of rich dark browns and golds, and much like the rest of the place, this room too had a rather gothic feel to it- dark and mysterious.
I was still drooling over the interiors when something in my peripheral vision suddenly moved, catching my attention. I turned my head, just in time to see something dark disappear behind a pillar at the far end of the humongous room.
What was that?
I was still wondering if I had really just seen that or not, when I felt another presence in the room. And dread settled over me when I realized that the presence was very large, very powerful and very close to me.
With a gasp, my body whipped around onto to come face to face with a hard, solid chest. And my head shot up in alarm, only for my wide eyed to be met with a pair of brilliant blue ones, that for some reason, chilled me right down to my core.
Shocked beyond belief, I stumbled away from the mammoth of a man in disbelief. Just how the heck had he gotten in here without even making a sound?! My eyes flitted towards the large wooden doors behind him and my heart rate spiked in fear when I realized that they were still very tightly closed.
Then how?...
The giant of a man loomed over me, his back straight and head held high. Thick golden locks framed his handsome face as his blue eyes scanned the enormous room we were in.
I released an unsteady breath, willing myself to stay calm. Relax Suzzanah, you're a spirit. He can't see you!
Silently thanking the heavens, I took another step back, unable to keep myself from feeling dominated. The man's presence radiated so much power and authority that it immediately made the hairs on my neck stand on end. The only other person I knew who exuded so much raw and unparalleled power...was Zuerien.
So who is this guy?...
Something about his appearance felt strikingly familiar and my heart rate sped when I realized why that was. His description matched one that my sister had given me a long time ago, when she had first started working at Magnifis Incorporated. And fear seared through my veins when I realized whose description that was.
Terrence Magnifis, one of the Shadow People, and...
And Zuerien's Arch Enemy
For a minute my knees almost went weak, but I forced myself to breathe deeply and stay calm, knowing that the man couldn't possibly do anything to me when I was in this form.
Taking another deep breath, I managed to compose my wildly beating heart, only for it to freeze in my chest in shock when the man's lazy gaze drifted across the room and stopped on me.
And all breath left my body when he smirked darkly and breathed out,
"Found you..."
*****
A/N
Hey guys,
I know, I know, I've been MIA for ages! But life has been super hard and hectic and it took me ages to finish this chapter. Thank you to all of you who messaged me asking if I was alright.
THE NEW COVER FOR UNCONDITIONALLY WAS MADE BY alicesingh31. You're incredible darling. Love you! ♥ ♥ ♥
Hope you guys enjoyed this update. Poor Zuerien is going crazy without Suzzanah. And OMG! what's up with Matree? (Lol that rhymed) Find out in the upcoming updates.
And for those of you who don't remember Matree, she is the same woman who Suzzanah said it was nice to mate, instead of meet in Chapter 19, lol XD
If you want to read more about Terrence Magnifis, check out Shadow Play, which is Karina's story :)
If you liked the chapter, please do VOTE and COMMENT to let me know what you think :)
Until next time,
All my love
Angel