CHAPTER SIXTEENThe night was yet to awake from its slumber, not even a cock had crowed signaling the break of dawn when Kylian and five of the palace guards set out on their mission up North.His quest to find the witch doctor believed to have the cure for his father was not going to be an easy one owing to the fact that the journey was quite a distance ahead and also to the fact that the witch doctor was famous for her absurd demands in exchange for her service.The gaze of fright that lingered on the faces of the palace physician upon revealing his mission caused quite a concern for Kylian."But Alpha, this sorceress you speak of is well known for her extreme dark magic and rebuntious demands in exchange for her work." The grey haired physician expressed his reservations, his eyes a testament to the nervousness in his tone."There could be repercussions my Alpha." Another added, the others hummed in unison."I understand your concerns but my mind is made up. I'll have some guards g
CHAPTER SEVENTEENFor the umpteenth time, Zena was fed up by Knox's insistence at blaming her for everything going wrong in his kingdom. Even a toddler knew the simple solution to this whole mess - letting her go. But no, not Knox, not that brute of a man who was he'll bent on exerting his power over her for this short time he is holding her captive.Her escape plan was definitely already being concocted in her head and there was no backing down. If she was lucky, she would make it out alive or she dies trying. The place guards were just as mannerless as the man who had summoned her. How stupid must they be toward her that they pushed and shoved how about however they pleased.But that was the least of her concerns at the moment. Zena's mind drifted to the execution night again and back to the mysterious plague that claimed the lives of young children. Has her presence in the palace actually led to this?Why are the gods invested in helping her who didn't have second thoughts before c
CHAPTER EIGHTEENThe atmosphere was heated, charged with great tension and intensity. The room got really tense and hot, emotions running high and making the atmosphere charged with intensity.In the blink of an eye, Kylain was surrounded by an army of the royal guards, large and imposing. His eyes shifted across the room, trying to find some form of distraction to aid his attack but there was none.His senses heightened, he observed closely as Maverick with a determined gesture signaled for an attack. Kylian was trapped with no room for escape. The guards closed in on him from every side with unleashed claws. But just before they could launch a successful attack, a mysterious smoke suddenly filled the room from no particular direction, leaving behind a hazy atmosphere that cast panic in the hearts of them that were there.The sound of commotion that permeated the air died down as the noxious smoke and its unpleasant scent assaulted their senses, making it difficult to breathe. As the
CHAPTER NINETEENIt was a glorious day for Knox. He had experienced a thrilling night tormenting Zena, and his aura emitted pleasure and satisfaction. Nothing could ruin this day. He hummed happily to the tune of a song as he prepared to begin the day's affairs.Zena remained locked up in the room as he had commanded. The punishment he had dealt her had left her hanging on a thin line between life and death, but he knew it was not enough. He had only just begun executing his plan for revenge. A slow and painful death was the promise he had made to her, and as a man of his word, he was doing his best to fulfill it.In his chambers, Knox reveled in the glory of his actions when a palace guard rushed in with an urgent gait. Knox's head turned towards him in anger. He had hoped for a peaceful morning, but this man advancing toward him was about to disrupt it, and it displeased him."Whatever you have to say had better be worth the disturbance," Knox voiced curtly and with displeasure.The
CHAPTER TWENTY ONEJane proved to be remarkably resourceful in obtaining the specific herbs Zena had asked her to gather. Slowly but steadily, Zena's wounds began to heal, and her strength returned. Interrupting the brief moment of silence that Zena enjoyed while tending to her rapidly healing wounds, Jane declared, "I also want to learn how to heal people with herbs."Zena's eyes registered surprise at Jane's unexpected statement. She hadn't anticipated such a request from the girl. In fact, Zena had never needed to learn how to heal with herbs herself; she had acquired her knowledge naturally, without the guidance of a master. It seemed that her time in captivity was revealing aspects of herself that she had previously overlooked. Most of her life had revolved around endless wars, leaving her with little knowledge of her own identity or personal preferences.Curiosity piqued, Zena asked, without turning to look at Jane, "Why the sudden interest?" Jane shrugged her shoulders casually
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWOKnox was beyond confident that Zena was the culprit behind his brothers’ attack. She even dared poison him with wolfsbane which said she meant to kill him. The grand doors to the palace creaked open and the guards emerged with Zena in their custody. She had resolved in her heart to plead her case and not show any form of fear or guilt as that could make her look even more guilty than he already perceived her to be.Knox growled as he advanced towards her with hasty steps. His bloodshot eyes pierced through her skin, her unfaltering gaze infuriating him the more. He expected her to be on her knees, begging for him to have mercy on her but rather she stood tall even in her crime.How dare she?The lashes he had been so kind to deal her with would not be enough this time to make her pay for her crimes. She deserved death.Oh the joy he would derive from seeing her blood spilled all over the place in a gruesome slaughter. Knox’s fury knew no bounds with her in front of
CHAPTER TWENTY THREEZena’s face twisted into a grimace as she paced, impatience etched on her features. “Think Zena, think!” She voiced in her head. No concrete plan had formed in her head and it was starting to get extremely frustrating for her. She had considered informing Knox about the lady whom she suspected could be party to the crime but she decided not to go with it because she could be wrong and would only end up putting the lady at risk. She knew Knox was not one to deal lightly with anyone he considered enemy.She looked beyond the metal bars that kept her within the confines of the dungeon walls, there were two burly armed guards keeping watch. She studied them closely, her head forming a plan to aid her escape. All she needed was a day, just one day to find out who the mastermind behind the incident was. As she kept watch, her eyes were drawn to a subtle glint near the waist of one of the guards. Latched to a leather belt, a bunch of keys dangled freely. The sight of it
CHAPTER TWENTY FOURThe full moon festival was coming up in a week; it was a very big celebration for the Blue Moon Kingdom. Anticipation of the upcoming event hung in the air like the buzzing sound of bees. Everyone hummed with excitement as they busied themselves, eagerly preparing for the event. The work at the servant quarters tripled, each one joggling different tasks, as they could handle.Zena was in the middle of the whole thing. Her tasks were way more than that of the other servants if they were to be compared. She shuffled between going to the market to pick up groceries to pulling down, washing, and fixing up new draping on the palace grounds. Her countless attempts to shift some of the responsibilities to others who weren’t as busy as her proved futile. The only person willing to offer a hand was Jane but she had been moved to a different section of the palace for other work.She was halfway done with the draping when one of her superiors, a woman assumed to be in her thi