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Chapter 21
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Rise of the cardinal Chapter 22
“Where am I?” I asked myself. I looked right and left; I couldn’t see anything but whiteness everywhere. I didn’t know if there was ground beneath my feet, so I lifted a leg and tentatively took a step forward, feeling my way. My foot hit a hard surface, so I repeated the process until I was confident I wouldn’t fall into nothingness. I was confused by what I was doing. The last thing I remembered was the forest, the eclipse, and Otis starting the spell to unbind me. Soon after, it plunged me into this whiteness with no visible exits or paths. Although I was walking, I had the distinct feeling of gliding, almost flying. The sensation made me dizzy, so I stopped and sat down, looking up at what should have been the sky. More white… Why was there so much white? I called out, asking if anyone was here with me, but no one answered. I sighed and then resumed walking in the white void, going seemingly nowhere. I had no notion of time or direction. I simply walked until my feet got tired,
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 23
Many soldiers had already perished under Xander’s dreadful Lycan jaw and claws. They soaked the forest clearing in their blood, making it harder to move without slipping on the wet grass. Only a few were left to fight, including the hunter still standing proudly on his horse, shooting arrows to subdue us. When the hunter reached the last arrows, he charged with his horse, slashing his sword close to Xander while another soldier distracted him. When the hunter’s sword came down on Xander, I blasted it away before it came too close and ran towards the man. Ever since I had woken up from the unbinding, I felt a surge of energy I hadn’t known I had. Each parry, barrier shield, and attack I did seemed effortless. Before, I would have been low on magical energy, just as Otis - his attacks were becoming sloppier. Wielders didn’t have an endless supply of power. At one point, just like their bodies, their magic would become weak, and they would need to rest. Xander saw me charging the hunt
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 24
After we left the battle, we walked in the forest for half a day before stopping to make camp for the night. Xander’s wounds had healed perfectly, so we made good time with him scouting the area in Lycan form and reporting back once he found a hidden spot to sleep. Xander mentioned he had encountered the hunter’s party while looking for us. We couldn’t be too careful. If the hunter had told others he was on my trail, there could be more not too far behind with the same intentions. I helped Otis prepare a small fire. We chose specific wood branches that would not create a thick smoke and made sure the fire was hot enough not to produce any. Later in the evening, Xander returned with a rabbit in his jaw. He quickly came to my side and dropped it at my feet, his tail wagging. I passed my fingers into his fur and scratched the back of his huge wolf-like head before giving him a smile. I skinned the rabbit and prepared to cook it with Otis’s spice pouch he had thrown my way to add some
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 25
I woke up just as the sun started peering over the trees and its rays hit my face. I extended an arm to where Xander had slept, but I touched dirt and rocks. I hastily turned around; a small panicking feeling swelled inside of me. Had I dreamed Xander had returned? When Otis saw my head scanning the area anxiously, he came closer and reassuringly placed a hand on my shoulder. “He just stepped out to scout the way ahead. He’ll be back before you know it. Come on, I’ve made breakfast. It’s not much, but it will keep us full for the day.” I still turned my head to look deeper into the forest. When I saw and heard nothing except birds and small critters, I pulled myself up, followed Otis to the other side of the fire, and sat down on a fallen log. It was humid, so my perpetually wind-blown-looking hair stuck out from every side of my face. I took my water flask and poured water over my face to clean it, then put some on my hair to smooth out the frizz. I twirled the strand the hunter h
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 26
Otis POV I found the travelling road we were on to be quite refreshing and a stark contrast to the life I had lived for nearly ten years. I had been reclusive during my exile, and I found the company of Cressida and her mate to be a breath of fresh air. I still had a tricky habit of using formalities whenever I was with her. I watched her grow up, so it was difficult for me to let go of the fact she had a life without me and no longer went by ‘Princess,’ ‘Highness,’ or just plain ‘Cressida.’ Her new name suited her. A new name for a new life. One I, unfortunately, would not have wished upon her, I thought sadly. As for the Lycan, I had no opinions of him for now, other than he seemed affectionate and extremely enthralled by the Princess. Cressida had lost both her parents, so I took it upon myself, moving forward, to protect her from those that would want her harm. The Lycan—Alexander, I chastised myself for not saying his name, seemed charming, with good etiquette, but what comfort
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 27
Every day in the morning, I would practice drowning out the whispers. I had to find the middle where they came and focus on placing them in an empty chamber in my mind, then lock them in and ignore them. I had been at it for days now. When we were walking, I tried to do it. I thought if I could drown them out while doing something else simultaneously, it would help me get better. It did, but it had been a hard task at first. In the beginning, when the whispers would fill my head, I would stumble and fall, unable to concentrate clearly on what I was doing. Eventually, I could do it, becoming more confident with each passing day. I was so absorbed with my training that I didn’t hear Otis say my name until he grabbed my arm and pulled me off the road under a bush. “What’s the matter?” I asked him, a little staggered. “Shh, there’s a patrol coming our way.” I ducked my head close to the ground and altogether stopped breathing. This was the first patrol we encountered since we were amb
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 28
Xander POV Since Otis and Ida had horses, we made good time reaching Pine Lake. I gave them directions to the cabin while I went ahead to meet up with Gideon. He must have been worried because he barged outside when he heard my howl and scanned the entire area until his eyes settled on my fast-approaching form. He returned inside and came out holding a pair of pants, a sly smile spreading rapidly on his face. “You forgot to bring clothes for your travel. I’m guessing you stayed in this form, so you wouldn’t need any. Did you find Ida?” I lifted myself on my hind legs and painfully moved toward Gideon while my body twisted and snapped into human form. When I arrived in front of him, I clasped his arms, gratefully took the pants from him, and slipped them on. “I did. Ida’s not too far. She should be here within the hour. How has everyone held up?” Gideon closed the front door and walked with me a little way from the cabin. “We’ve been doing well, but there are definitely shifters
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 29
“Are you sure we need to look for a marked tree? What exactly does that even mean?” I called to Xander, who was a few yards away, inspecting his side of the woods. We had been at it for the better part of the day. I had hoped we would immediately find what we were looking for, but the task seemed more daunting than I had initially thought. And by the look on Xander’s face, I figured my sentiment was shared. He looked discouraged. The sun was beating on our heads, and sweat was pouring from every inch of our skin. I thought the only reason Denis, Nimu, Gideon and Leo didn’t mind it was because they had been stuck in the cabin for a month and were finally happy to be out and about. “We just need to look for a mark, something that stands out but is still inconspicuous. Something humans would not think twice about. Maybe look for claw marks or a bark that has been removed?” He answered a little curtly. “That could be anything.” I let out, feeling my shoulders sag. This was going to be i
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