All Chapters of Flight of the cardinal: Chapter 41 - Chapter 49

On the morning we left Starling Castle, we encountered Gideon and Leo on horseback while we reached the outskirts of Perch. Xander had predicted that we would meet them on our way out, and he was proven right. Gideon seemed anxious to see us so early in the morning, and his demeanour was tense. However, after Diana and Xander explained what had happened, Gideon’s mood also became sour.Despite the tension, I was thrilled to see little Leo again. He was a sweet and lively child, and his presence was a welcome distraction from the others’ brooding mood. He sat between Gideon’s legs, holding the horse’s mane. When he saw me, his eyes lit up, and I moved my horse closer to Gideon’s, inviting Leo to come and sit on my horse for a while. He happily obliged, and we rode together for a bit, chatting and laughing as we went.I wasn’t sure if they had used the forest path to leave the city of Maple, but I knew their horse must have been exhausted. Gideon had even brought back a small chest conta

We had been stuck in the house for three long days without anyone coming to get us. Xander, who was usually patient, had become irritable from waiting for so long. Being Unnaturals, we were all too afraid to venture outside, except for Diana, who left to fetch food and supplies. She made sure to return as quickly as possible each time, not wanting to leave us alone for too long. The rest of us, Gideon, Nimu, Leo, Xander, and I, had chosen to stay inside the house, watching the world outside through the windows.The city we were in had strict laws against the colour red, so I dyed my hair brown to avoid drawing any unwanted attention to myself. It was especially important since we needed to go to the Arcane Library and didn’t want to risk being caught. I had brought some of my own clothes, but we had limited space, so I was grateful that Lady Lucia had left some of her dresses and petticoats during her last visit.I wanted to look presentable as the fiancée of a lord, so I wore my nicer

After several days had passed without any response from Denis, we came to the conclusion that he had no intention of assisting us, and so we began to prepare to leave the city. Diana was extremely upset after learning that her brother was still alive but had not replied to her note. She was on the edge of a breakdown, and I could see the turmoil in her eyes.“Did he read the message you gave him?” Diana asked me repeatedly.We had already discussed this subject multiple times, and I had given her the same answer each time.“I’m not sure. All I know is that Denis took the note and put it in his front pocket. Can you please tell me what was on that piece of paper I gave him?”Diana continued folding our clothes, appearing deep in thought and keeping the note a secret from us. Her behaviour had caused quite a stir with Xander, who was afraid that Diana might betray us and sell us out to her brother. I understood Xander’s concerns, but I also understood why Diana was being secretive. The C

I closed my eyes and allowed my thoughts to focus on unlocking the memory orb. I sensed the magical energy emanating from the glass sphere and let my own energy flow into it, absorbing some of its power. I slowed my breathing, listening to the vibrations passing through my fingers and into my body. I imagined the orb as a small, delicate package, tied with multiple taut strings that protected its contents from being revealed.I whispered an unlocking incantation, trying to tug at the invisible strings within the orb. I felt my magic tugging at the strings, but they refused to budge. I tried again, chanting the incantation with more intent. I sensed the energy within the orb vibrating in response to my magic, but the strings still held fast.I decided to try a different approach. I would force the strings and break them. I summoned all the energy I could muster, feeling my body heat up and the orb becoming warm as well. I focused my power on the strings, envisioning them snapping under

The whip cracked in the air. I felt the leather strings touch my lower back, and as Shrike pulled, I could feel my skin lift and tear. Once the whip hooks were out, I was flung back near the post.I stopped breathing and tried to control the pain. I hadn’t expected it to hurt this much.“The show is for my personal amusement and to instill fear in your mind. Fear in the body is no fun, but fear in the mind—now that is entertaining. Regarding the reason why I am doing this… let’s just say it’s simply to pass the time until the king arrives, and then we get down to the nitty-gritty,” Shrike answered my previous question.Once more, I heard the crack of the whip and felt the leather touch the inside of my ribs. Again, the skin pulled as the hooks receded. Shrike inflicted four more hits, but those had been higher on my back, where my skin was thicker. It pained me less than the previous ones, but I still had to muffle a cry.I started sweating from the pain and noticed my feet and knees w