Outside was chillier than before. Or was it just my body shutting down?I wrapped my hands around myself, inhaling in and out softly, needing to tell my body that I was here, in charge, but my legs felt heavy and about to give out. One more step. I chanted with each step I took, until I was out of the library vicinity.I stopped, rested on a tree, and looked at the cave. What do I do about the illusion? Not that I expected the strange witch to be waiting for me, but I kind of thought she would be hovering somewhere, or maybe had put a spell for the illusion to return once I came out.How that spell would have worked, I don't know. I didn't think it existed. 'Just go, Maya. Yes, the Queen would know that someone had broken through her illusion, but she doesn't know that it is you. Even if she suspects, there is no evidence.'But I didn't want suspicion at all. I was uncertain what her next move would be. Maybe a stronger illusion I couldn't break, even with El's help? "Hey."Where di
Three hours out, three books in, and I felt like I was floating in a sea of knowledge, never mind that most of them seemed unpractical; impossible realities spun from depraved minds.Because if it were true, then this world as I knew it was hanging on a very delicate thread. Try explaining to me how only a prophecy was stopping one supernatural species from attacking the other. It just didn’t make sense. And if it did, then it was a crazy-ass prophecy.About a certain one that bore the mark of divinity, which would bring both terror and peace… it sounded like a fairy-tale, but it was pleasing to read, pleasing and time-consuming.I was only able to cover three books because I had activated El’s speed reading, only that I had blown through the protein and chocolate bars I had come with. And now I was running on empty.El believed I should head out before I fainted in the library and became entrapped by the Queen. I thought so too, but only after I have finished this fourth book, which
I was lost. I finally accepted it after running in circles for the fifth time, arriving at the same spot.I had marked the long tree—because that seemed to be the best adjective for the tallest tree I’ve seen in my life—after the second attempt had landed me right at its feet. What am I getting wrong?I looked around the dark forest--which once would have drowned me in fear, but now seemed mysterious to me--and I wondered where I had gone wrong.I had followed the area Rachel and her brother had led us through hours ago. I had stopped at the landmarks I saw then, so why wasn’t I seeing a wall? Why weren’t I seeing the caves? Was I missing something? Was it because I came from a party? Was there some code to this thing? ‘El, you gotta help me. What do I do?’ ‘You want me to locate the secret library?’ I rolled my eyes. ‘Of course. Can you do that?’ Please, know how to do that. For someone or something capable of much magic, surely locating a simple library was no task. I
"So where were you planning to go before we had interrupted your night?"This question was coming moments later, after we had stared into space for about five minutes; after we had talked tensely, at first, about mundane topics like dinner and breakfast; after steadier talks about the happenings in the pack and in the community—boring except for the late-night attacks which Adam thought came from vampires. The casual way with which the term had slipped from his lips—as normal as if he was talking about dinner—had left me stomped, until this new question of his.He really was that informed about vampires? Was it now taught in the pack's school? Were measures being made regarding it? I wanted to talk about all these, but he cut it all off with that stupid question of his, which sadly wouldn't be getting an answer. "Maya, you know you can trust me… I won't be telling anyone else…" Aha! Such golden words coming from the mouth of a son to the cunning Lycan. "After all, we are friends.
"Adam is approaching us." Naomi giggled as she spoke, a testament to her drunken state.Levina was worse off, pointing at Adam and laughing like one whose brain nuts had been unscrewed. "I think he will prefer you to be the princess, rather than Rachel…" She placed her index finger on her lips. "Sheesh. Don't tell Rachel…" I shook my head, and took a sip from the drink in my cup, one out of seven. I was counting, since it wasn't in my plans to be drunk like the fellows around me. The bonfire had been lit as I expected, with everyone and no one talking. There had been horror stories told at one point, with Sinclair clutching the prize of storytelling. Even the triplets had enjoyed the gathering, if the smiles on their faces had been any indicator. Sadly, they weren't drunk. Not for want of the booze being weak. No, Sinclair had kept his word to the 'magic angel'.It's just that, like me, they had minimized their intake of the drink after the first few sips informed them of the streng
Dangerous to the community? I didn’t know whether I should laugh or explode in anger about the accusation. At the end, I chuckled. Then laughed. Again and again. Until my hand held my belly as my boisterous laughter echoed through the area. “What else did the princess tell you?” I asked, darting glances between her and Rachel. Rachel lowered her head in shame. Or was it guilt? Or anger?Oh, what did it matter? It didn’t change the fact that she was a two-timing bitch. I am not Queen material? Well, was she? With her thick black hair when she was at an age where she should be owning a couple of white strands.So much for being friends. I would rather keep to Diana alone. “Don’t try to deviate from the subject topic. Who are you? I don’t believe for one second that you had lost your memories… you could be a spy!” Claire insisted, her face a bland mask, not exposing any emotion. But I was sure she was seething—she has been since Adam took interest in me. “So what if I am a spy? W