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MAD END'S DECEPTION
MAD END'S DECEPTION
Author: Sakiah Zee

1 - Clover Wish

Author: Sakiah Zee
last update publish date: 2024-06-07 17:20:29

ARAH

Plumber Paul was dead.

Not even a month had passed since he’d walked into her shop and picked her Clover Wish for his first tattoo. She'd pitched that design as a lucky charm to her clients—just a gimmick of sorts. So imagine her surprise when Paul’s wish to win the lottery actually came true days later.

Now, he was gone. Just like that. It wasn’t because of her tattoo, of course. But with that last memory of him, how could she ever look at her Clover Wish and call it lucky again?

Her eyes drifted down to Barky, who was happily munching on his dog food. She squatted next to him, stroking his back and twirling her fingers through his soft brown fur. At least she had this big guy to cheer her up.

The bathroom door creaked open. She glanced up to see Gildeon strolling down the hallway in black sweatpants, rubbing his dark hair with a towel. She’d seen him naked plenty of times, but each time, his perfectly sculpted body drew her gaze like a moth to a flame. The way his muscles flexed with every move always made her blush like a teenager seeing a hot guy for the first time.

At least her past self had good taste.

For six months, she’d been scared and suspicious of Gildeon. How could she not be when she couldn't remember marrying him? Still, it’d be a lie to say she’d never fantasized about him making her come in every way possible.

But until she got her memories back and trusted him completely, she wasn’t about to give in to him—no matter how incredibly irresistible he was.

When Gildeon walked into the dining area, the scent of his minty soap and aftershave filled her senses. Everything about him was so addictive. It made her wonder what she was like falling in love with him before this whole amnesia thing.

“Dinner's ready,” she said, trying to hide her excitement. “Tonio taught me a new recipe for that tuna. Hope you’ll like it.”

Her heart sank a little when he barely glanced at the table. What was she expecting anyway? A loving smile? A “this looks delicious, you're the best wife ever” response?

Stop trying so hard to please him, Arah,’ she thought, smiling bitterly to herself. It wasn’t fair that she seemed to be the only one trying to make this marriage feel real. What else could she do? It hurt thinking he’d probably only start appreciating her efforts once she agreed to sleep with him.

Arah washed her hands and returned to find Gildeon already seated, now wearing a shirt from the pile of folded clothes on the couch.

She sat across from him and loaded some veggies onto her plate. “Did you hear what happened to Plumber Paul?” she asked, her tone somber. Gildeon’s attention was still on the food even as she said, “He got stung by a jellyfish. He didn’t make it.”

“Didn’t he just win the lottery?” he said, without so much as flinching. What was he made of? A block of ice?

“I really thought my Clover Wish gave him that luck,” she muttered, more to herself.

That made Gildeon pause and glance up at her. “What Clover Wish?”

“My latest art—the one I inked him with,” she replied before taking a spoonful of food. “Shame he didn’t get to enjoy his prize for long.”

Gildeon leaned back in his chair, staring pensively at his plate, drumming a finger on the table. Did the news finally get to him? It took a while, but she’d take it. Maybe he still had a heart after all.

“When did it happen?” he asked, meeting her gaze with a serious expression.

“This noon. I heard it from Tonio.” She bit her lip, pondering. “Though it’s weird he decided to swim in the rocky area alone.”

A lot didn’t make sense to Arah, but if she dwelled on it too much, she'd feel sorrier for the poor guy.

Pushing stray blue curls out of her eyes, she said, “Um, the mayor’s doing a public funeral for him. You should come with me.”

“Public funeral?” He raised a brow. “Where’s the body?”

“Yeah, it’s public,” she replied, reaching for her pineapple juice. “He didn’t have any family left, so there’s no one to organize it. But almost everyone on the island knew him, so—”

“Arah, where’s the body now?” His sharp voice cut her off, almost making her spill her drink.

What was up with him all of a sudden?

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  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   359 - She Felt No Regret

    ARAHEENGildeon’s body was already stretched to its limits. If she didn’t act soon, he would be in real danger.Yadira and Eitan supported her decision. It was Kohina, surprisingly, who opposed her plan to shut down the Prisoner Sigil, arguing that this was not what Gildeon would have wanted.“He put himself in that situation so you wouldn’t end up in Zephyr’s hands,” Kohina added.“And if he dies, I won’t be able to live anyway!” she snapped, her lips trembling.Silence fell over them.Araheen drew a steady breath. “I’m doing it whether you agree or not,” she said, finality in her tone. Then she sank onto her heels and placed a hand at the back of Gildeon’s neck. Kohina said nothing more and allowed her to work.She drew on her power, and the sigil began to glow. Closing her eyes, she reached into its depths, like forcing open a vault seale

  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   358 - I Could Get Used To This

    GILDEONHe lay at the grassy edge of the riverbank. Araheen sprawled over him, her body draped along his. Heat bled from him, drying the water on both of them, spreading through her until her shivers eased.This was peace—her blue hair damp against his skin, her cheek resting on the steady rise and fall of his chest.The feel of her made him forget the world burning down around them.“I could get used to this,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his chest. “I won’t feel cold anymore.”His hand moved along her spine, fingers tracing each ridge with care. “Long as you keep ending up naked on me like this.”She rolled her eyes at him, and he let out a low, amused breath.Araheen reached for her phoenix dagger resting at their side.“I haven’t seen you use that yet,” he commented.She planted the tip into the ground and spun it lazily between he

  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   357 - You Belong To Me

    ARAHEENThe night deepened, and they decided to rest where they were. Kohina placed sigils on the surrounding trees to cloak their aura and scent. It wasn’t strong—given her condition—but at least, compared to sylph sigils, seer sigils blended with nature. Even if trailhounds were nearby, they would struggle to distinguish the scent of her seer power.Everyone fell asleep except Araheen.She made her way toward the river, drawn by the soft murmur of water cutting through the night. The full moon hung high above, its pale light spilling across the clearing and glinting off the surface like scattered silver.She undressed by the bank, drove her sigil needle and phoenix dagger into the trunk of a nearby tree, then stepped into the water.Araheen had already expected it to be cold, but fortunately, she was able to bear it. The river was mild, almost soothing, the current slow and steady as it curled around her legs. S

  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   356 - All We've Known Is War

    ARAHEENGildeon shadow-walked them to the mountain. It was only a temporary stop to find food and rest before moving on.While Kohina handed Gildeon spare clothes she had grabbed just before they left the Mad End’s Wall, Araheen took the chance to speak to the two salamanders alone.“I know you’re only here because of your loyalty to Gildeon,” she began. “But truthfully, I wouldn’t be surprised if you chose to side with General Markaus and handed me over to Zephyr after everything I put you through.”“Don’t flatter yourself.” Yadira snorted, sitting on a tree stump as she fixed the strap of her boot. “It’s not the first time enemies have tortured us.”Araheen blinked. “You’ve been captured by sylphs before?”Yadira and Eitan exchanged a brief, unreadable glance, but neither answered.After a moment, Yadira leveled her with an impassive look. “Listen, just because we’re helping you run away from that lunatic sylph clai

  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   355 - Extensions Of Herself

    ARAHEENShe remembered General Markaus’s face just before everything went black. This memory pulled her back to what Kohina had said before—that the Vulkar’s Rod would allow Araheen to see him.Clearly, the general had been there.Right outside the Grand Castle.Her frown deepened, confusion crossing her face. “You didn’t know about that alliance?”“We had no idea, Araheen,” Kohina said truthfully. “General Markaus’s seer, Tesira, told me about it back at the tower. I don’t approve of it, and I know Gildeon wouldn’t either. I escaped before they could contain me, once they realized I wouldn’t cooperate.” She drew a breath. “Believe me, we were not informed.”Araheen stared at the dry ground. “Why would your general ally with Zephyr?”“Because Zephyr swore to leave us alone.” Gildeon slowly pushed him

  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   354 - Two Fools Trying To Win A War

    ARAHEENConsciousness returned in fragments. A dull ringing filled her ears, as if something had shattered inside her skull. Her body felt heavy, as though she had been struck by something massive and left buried beneath it.What had happened? Memories flashed through her mind—her running back to the castle, aiming for the war command chamber. The heat. The fire. The explosion. Her brooch vibrating, cracking—a surge of protective power enveloping her as the shockwave hurled her away.Araheen tried to move. Nothing responded. Her muscles were weak, and her arms were bound behind her, aching with a deep, numbing strain. Her head lolled to the side, curls falling across her face, her vision blurred and swimming.For a moment, she stayed like that, breathing shallowly, waiting for the haze to clear. When it did, Kohina’s face came into view. She was sitting in front of her.“You’re finally awake,” th

  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   200 - Alter Your Memory

    ARAHShe had a narrow window before any sudden movement might make one of the thugs pull the trigger out of pure reflex.Or panic.Before she even realized it was possible, her wind tattoo split into two. One lash coiled tightly around the ankle of the thug who was about to assault Mabel’s sister,

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-28
  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   202 - That Was All It Took

    GILDEONHe still had a few days left in his hibernation. But then he heard Ghulik’s voice. Said bad men were trying to hurt Arah.Sharko’s bad men.That was all it took.He tore out of his cocoon without a second thought.In the past, he might’ve held back, avoided tapping into the rest of his abil

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-28
  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   205 - Worst Damn Place

    ARAHShe reached across the bed, only to find cool, empty sheets. Gildeon was gone. But outside the house, she could hear his voice, talking to Roselia.She glanced down at her forearm. The vine strands had withered, and the bite wound was already healing.Sliding out of bed, she headed outside and

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-28
  • MAD END'S DECEPTION   II: CAYLAO FESTIVAL ARC. 194 - It's Just A Dream

    ARAHShe slipped the cardstock with her printed Clover Wish design out of the binder, tore it into pieces, and dropped them into the bin. Then she pulled out a few more flash sheets—ones with patterns that looked a little too much like real sigils—and tossed those out too.She couldn’t risk setting

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-28
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