Semua Bab The Stand-In Luna: Bab 61 - Bab 70

Ashley We had to lose Jace and Lucas somehow. They were hot on our heels, chasing as though there was no tomorrow. “Can we lose them?” I shouted into Zane's ear as we moved forward. Wind distrorted my perception of sound, making it even hard to hear myself, but I could clearly hear, and see, the two wolves chasing after us, powerful muscles flexing with every movement. I had thought that Zane's bigger size would have made him slower, but somehow, he managed to stay ahead, as though he weighed nothing. I'd never ridden a horse, but if I closed my eyes, I could imagine myself doing such.But that was not what I was supposed to be doing. We were racing against time, trying to return the Ignis Relic to its place of rest so that Zane's curse could be broken.As we rushed through the cave, I realised that it now appeared to have multiple twists and turns, unlike when I had initially gone through it. There had only been one path, a long winding path and seemed to be unending, with painted

Ashley I stepped back a little, shaking my head. “What? What are you talking about, Zane? A few people might trust me because of the fact that I've made tinctures and medicine that helped their family member, but it doesn't mean that they'd trust me enough to put their lives in my hands.”“Trust me, it does. Even if you don't quite believe it yet.” He held out his hand again, and I took it, if a little bit hesitantly. “The people don't know how deep the change that I've gone through is, and they can't find out just yet, or things will get seriously chaotic. We need to douse the sparks first to put them off.”Resigned, I nodded. “You're right. Clara just told me the state of things, and I can't believe that there were people actually hoping you didn't return just so that they could get power to rule the Tribe.”“The Tribe runs of competition. This harmony we have? It was born from countless years of iron-fisted leadership. I need you to do that for me, even if just for a short while,

JaceThere was nothing more humbling that being confronted by the truth of your own mortality.My world was shrouded in darkness, but voices kept on penetrating the veil. A woman was crying, and a man barked orders, even though his own voice shook with tangible fear.“Please, save him!” The female voice came again, more high pitched than before. It struck a chord within me, and I realised that I knew the voice very well. “Don't let him die, please!” Warmth pressed against my face gently, and two quick drops of liquid fell on my cheeks.“You're not making things better with your loud whining, Carina. Just stay back and let the healers handle him,” said the man. Lucas. “You should go inside and stay there until you're less hysterical.”There was an uneasy silence for a short while before Carina responded. “Oh you can't fool me, Lucas. I know you're scared too. Scared that he'll die and leave your cowardly ass in charge.”“Shut up, Carina. What do you know? At least I can do something as

Ashley The duel was just a few minutes away from starting, and we all watched in anticipation.The Lycan Tribe was full of surprises, especially when it came to the topic of their unity. Right from the moment I had stepped foot on their grounds, it had been obvious that there were factions. Some were loyal to the throne, like Clara, Bryce and Alicia. Others were against them, like the Gamma family, and some were just independent choosing to neither sway one way or the other. What I learnt about Lycans was that they were simply werewolves that somehow evolved, and the process wasn't easy. It was like having family that one day no longer shared the same traits as you. Zane had told me one day that even though he was privileged to be born into the royal bloodline, there were many others, not just the Gamma family, who didn't agree with their leadership. In-house conflict occurred every once in a while.As I watched him square off with Gabriel, my mind went further than I anticipated,

Ashley The morning came like it couldn't wait. I quickly got dressed and headed for the dungeons with a simple apple in my hand. Why did I want to see Gabriel? There were many answers, but the one that pushed me like a nail to the skull happened to be the great need to get answers out of him. Two understand why he tried to kill Zane, even if it meant being disgraced and dishonoured.At the entrance which led to the dungeons, I saw a familiar face arguing with one of the guards and demanding to be let inside.“I'll have you removed from this position if you don't let me in this instant!” Her shrill voice carried down the quiet, empty hall, unperturbed by even the slightest of winds. The guard on the other hand, remained stoic, and stared straight ahead, not even showing signs that he heard the threats spewing out of Thea's mouth.I would have preferred to to slide past with little affair, but as the universe would have it, she stood right in my path, blocking the way. I cleared my