جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 90

Betrayal’s StingThe air in the war room felt thicker and heavier as soon as I walked in. It was like the walls were holding their breath. There were maps, halfdrained coffee cups, and the slight metallike smell of blood on my clothes all over the long wood table."We lost the west border patrol," Jared said in a low voice. "Three dead." "One is missing."It hurt like hell to hear those words, but I kept a straight face. Not here. Not in front of them."Where is my uncle?" I looked around the room and asked.People looked around. Keep quiet.One of the guards said, "He was here earlier."I clenched my teeth. I already knew what you meant. For days, my gut had been screaming, and tonight they felt like a storm about to hit. I pushed off from the table and crept down the hallway, my boots making noise on the old floors.I found him in his own room. The fire was not very strong, so it cast dark shadows on his face. He didn't seem shocked when he saw me. That told me everything.I spoke m

The Unseen WarIn the middle of the meetingI saw Elara's eyes from the other side of the table. Even though I couldn't read her face, I could tell she was with me because her eyes were fixed on mine.Serena then told her something behind her back. Elara jerked her brow and leaned back."What did she say?" I asked, my eyes getting narrow.Serena answered, "Nothing you need to know."A loud knock came through the council doors before I could question her. A guard rushed in and whispered to one of the elders quickly. I didn't like how they looked at Elara.She wasn't there when I looked for her again.Now"Everyone has one chance," I said, my voice cold. "Where is she?"No one spoke.Aaron got up from his chair and moved toward me. "Lucian, if Damien has her""He doesn’t." I moved forward until we were almost touching. "Not yet." But someone here is making sure he does.""That's a strong accusation," Marcellus said in a low voice."I'm not making a charge. It is true." At my side, my ha

The Unseen War"She was right here." I tried to hold back my anger, so my voice was a low growl that was dangerous. "She was right next to me..." She's gone now."It smelled like fear in the council room. This is not the kind you see in fights. This is the kind that rots from the inside out, with distrust, anxiety, and the poison of betrayal. Everybody looked quickly from one face to the next, hoping to find a crack, a clue, or a confession.Marcellus began, "Lucian, maybe she stepped outside" but I stopped him."No." The nails on the wooden table were smashed so hard that they lit the candles on fire. "Elara doesn't just disappear. "Not unless someone made her do it."Aaron moved around awkwardly. He was still pale from the hurt he got in the battle. "You think it’s one of us?"I looked at their faces. There are old friends, new friends, and maybe even enemies who are dressed up as friends. "I know it's one of us." Damien has his hands in this room. They are getting tighter around ou

Lucian’s Desperation"I don’t care what it costs meI’m bringing her back."There was a low rumble of voices and the shuffle of boots in the war room, but my voice cut through it like a blade. All eyes were on me, some of them filled with worry and some with doubt. I didn't mind. Elara was out there with Damien, and she was getting farther away every second I paused.Ronan leaned forward on the table and made fists with his damaged hands."This isn't a rescue, Lucian." It's a suicide. Do you really believe Damien doesn't know you're going to get her?"I replied, "I'm sure he does." "That's why we need to move now, before he gets farther."Serena had a soft voice that meant something."He wants to trick you. If you rush in without a plan, you'll lose more than just her.I hit the table hard with my hand."I'm losing more than she is already." There are cracks in the pack. The group is breaking up. And without Elara” The words were getting harder to say because my throat got tight. "This

Breaking Point"I'll lose everything if I lose her now." As I pushed another guard against the wall, my claws tore through the air and the notion was banging in my head like a battle drum.The air within the stronghold was thick with blood, smoke, and the smell of panic. Every step was full of risk. My boots splashed in pools of something I didn't want to know what it was."Lucian!" As Darius got up to me, his voice broke through the noise. His breathing was uneven, and his sword was pouring blood. "You're going too fast!" You'll be too tired before we even get to her!I turned, and my chest heaved. "I don't care." "Every second I waste, she's getting closer to" I held back the remainder. Saying it out loud made it too real."To what?" Darius challenged, and our eyes met. "To lose hope?" To break?I tightened my jaw. "Damien taking her away from me for good."We moved from corner to corner, guard to guard. It got darker the deeper we went. The flames burnt low here, as if the walls we