Nerezza's Point of ViewThe smell of the bodies hadn't reached the inside of the house yet. But the flames could be vividly seen through the pristine windows. It cast the open-plan house in an eerie orange glow. The world was aflame from down here.Lysander had tossed the last corpse on the pile. Wiped his hands on his pants. Amadeus, Alastair, and Zaven were beside him. The four spoke in hushed tones, from this point I couldn't hear them or make out what they were saying. Amadeus produced beers from the cooler to their side. Cracked them open.I had long since wrapped my arms around myself. Watched as the sun set hastily. As if it no longer wanted to see the abominations of today. I wanted to sleep, myself, but I had other things to tend to.A light hand placed itself on my back. Soothed the ache that had started forming at the bottom of my spine. Small currents of electricity ran through my skin. Heated up the tender patch. Kallik, most likely. Inhaling, I knew it was him. Herbs waf

Nerezza's Point of ViewLysander had gone up to check on Farren. Amadeus and Alastair had gone outside to make the necessary phone calls to their Alpha. We couldn't leave for Namibia. The trek would be too long. Too difficult to make. Maybe one day I would have the privilege of seeing where they came from.Priamos was still in bed. Healing. But we had to leave later tonight. The journey wasn't far. Wasn't strenuous but I feared for his health regardless. The bullet wound had been torn thanks to my antics. Now he might get an infection. All because I had rushed him into something his body was clearly not ready for yet. Hopefully, we would have all the time in the world once all of this blew over. If it blew over, that was.Reginald was not the type to simply let things go. He lingered on the wrongs of other people. But I still felt justified for doing what I had done. Overthrowing him would have been the best course of action. People were going to die beneath him. But it was no longer

Nerezza's Point of ViewPriamos was awake by the time we stopped in the underground parking lot. His head was covered in a sheen of sweat. Shivers ran down the length of his spine. I feared an infection. All of us did. But none of us wanted to say it. Or speak at all.The car ride had been silent. Zaven was brooding over what had happened with Lysander. I was a mess on the inside and refused to let anyone in again tonight. Kallik just realized neither of us wanted to speak. So, he had turned the music up. Propped his legs on the dash. Watched as the world flew by.No soul had wandered the streets and for a second I wondered whether we had anything to do with it. If Reginald had imposed a curve because dangerous king-killers were at large. The prospect of him doing such a thing was comical, seeing as the king-killer would most likely sit on the throne tomorrow.As promised, Lysander and Amadeus walked into the parking lot. Lysander had his hands in his pockets. Strolled closer as if no

Amadeus' Point of View Nerezza had rushed to her mate's side shortly after Lysander's mother came in. Left the sleeping arrangements in Lysander's hands. Who had explained it to the best of his abilities to his mother. From the cry of relief that came down the hall moments later, we all knew he would make it through the night. Neither Lysander nor his mother commented on how Nerezza had just flown to him. Forgot everything else and ran when she knew he was stable enough to see her. Zaven and Kallik came in moments later. Gave one look in Lysander's mother's direction and nodded. The woman scowled back at them but took her leave. Left the rest of us to sort through what our next step was going to be. "I take it he is going to be fine," Kallik mumbled, slithering further away from Zaven than we were used to. Both refused to look in each other's direction. Glanced everywhere but at their lover. I wanted to ask them what was up. Or broach the topic of what we had to do next. But there

Nerezza's Point of ViewMrs. Hemgrove hated being called that. Insisted that we call her by her name. Merida.“Like the Disney princess?” Farren had asked, a sunbeam above her head. She looked much better than she had inside. Radiated again in a way I had last seen before Reginald passed. Gardening, she had told us, reminded her of her mother and her early childhood. Both were pleasant. Until it wasn’t and she changed the topic.Merida laughed. Plucked another weed from between her prized irises. Purple ones. The ones I adored the most out of all of them. “Isaac mocked me for weeks when we first saw tha movie. Said his mother was a princess.” She explained through her giggling.Somehow, she hadn’t gotten a speck of dirt on her beautiful dress. Managed to pluck and throw away and dig without anything touching her. Her gloves were another story. Had a layer of dirt on it. Fresh and clean, that’s what it smelled like. Because nature had been our home before we decided to become more urba