Semua Bab Rejected But Elevated : Bab 31 - Bab 40

(Three Months later)The rain had not abated for three days running.Rivers of silver mist hung from the forest like cobwebs as Cassie stumbled along the trail, hand wrapped around her distended belly, the other holding the edge of her sodden cloak. Every step sent shudders of lightning down her spine. It was time—too early, too early, and in the most inadvisable location.She fell into the glade and the totems and braided ivy trinkets—the den of the ancient healer, camouflaged among the oaks and shrouded in the heavy cloak of ancient power. Smoke poked out of the creak at the apex, and deep under the roots, the earth vibrated with leftover power. Cassie's gasps were shallow."I made it," she croaked.The door groaned open before she could knock.Larna, the healer, stood in her doorway, a single braid of gray hair, the bright eyes twinkling with unspoken understanding. "You're lucky the babe within you wants to live," she growled, stepping aside. "Or you would have perished out there

The snow started falling once more.It crept in slow whirls from a bruised sky, wrapping the woods in a hush of silk. The woods that surrounded Cassie's ramshackle hut had apparently gone to sleep. The birds too had fallen silent, as if they were conscious of something which would burst the tenuous peace.Cassie stood at the stream outside the cave, hands in the icy water, washing a bloody rag—Lucas's first rag. The cold seeped into her skin, but it was welcome. It reminded her she was still here, still alive, still in control.The dreams never let up.Every night, the runes burned warmer. Her memories delved deeper. She awoke gasping, hurting with feelings alien to this life—love, loss, loyalty—and the absolute knowledge of betrayal.She died for the twins once.Would she die for them again?The wind changed.At first, there was nothing. A hint of movement behind her. A muffled step in snow. A drawn breath in quiet.Then she heard it.Her name."Cassie."The voice was harsh. Shattere

The cottage was far down in the lost hollows of the Greyer lands, a solitary figure set among mist and pine. Within, firelight warmed rough stone walls and weathered wood beams, casting golden halos upon everything—save the woman in the rocking chair, holding a child to her breast.Daisy hummed a soft lullaby, the low tones soothing, her fingertips following the strands of the golden curls in Lucas's hair. He slept, cheek mashed into her shoulder, oblivious to the night-after-night lies whispered into his ear. She kissed the middle of his forehead and whispered once more, no longer the lullaby but the bedtime story she recited to him."She left you," Daisy trilled, voice dripping with warmth flavored with venom. "Your mother left you because she was a coward. She ran from the ones who loved her—Mark, Lark, Kael. From me. But do not worry, little one. I stayed. I always will."Lucas stirred slightly, a small sigh escaping his lips. His hand clenched a piece of her shawl as if holding

Mark was alone in the moonlit palace archives, dusty scrolls and worn books scattered out on the table before him. Ash-scented dust hung in the air. His eyes ached from reading for hours, but he couldn't quit. He had to understand what was occurring to Cassie.One entry, older than the others, took his breath away."Witchblood Lineages of the Forgotten Era."He opened it slowly. On page four, he discovered a familiar crest, a thorn-wolf curled up with a serpent, crowned, black as night. It was the identical mark he'd noticed on the back of Cassie's neck once when she'd been out cold.It said:"Das Blumenprojekt"A bloodline born of betrayal and sealed vengeance. The accursed marriage of the Wolf King and the Witch of Ash. Their daughter will return when the seal is broken. She will bear the curse and the power which once destroyed the moon."Mark sat back in his chair, his heart pounding. A sealing ceremony. A curse. A daughter reborn."Cassie. What are you?" He pondered to himself.H

The hall of the palace was hushed, though the air hummed with tension. Lark stood with his arms folded against his chest, his eyes fixed on the man standing before him. Kael had appeared as if out of thin air, his greatcoat flowing behind him like dark flesh come to life. The warlock's eyes blazed with an unnatural gold light, his stare blazing in the moon."You don't deserve her," Lark snarled, his wolf straining near the surface. "She's not yours."Kael didn't react. He inched forward, a faint smile dancing in his eyes. "I have a right you can barely imagine."Lark advanced. He didn't care that Kael was strong. He didn't care that magic churned inside the man like a storm held back by thin control. He only knew that Kael had come to take Cassie.But then Kael spoke it."I know about the boy. Lucas."Lark bristled.Kael's smile was gentle, but it did not reach his eyes. "I know about the child she keeps hidden. I could feel it the moment I crossed through the wards. His magic is as