Ranni Not In Her Tower Novels & Stories

That weak, hopeful, pathetic girl who had begged for scraps of attention was gone. He was here, and he was mine to kill. I set down the dagger and walked to my window. The glass had been blown out completely, leaving jagged teeth around the frame. Cold wind rushed through the opening, carrying with it the scent of alien flowers and shadow magic. My skin prickled with goosebumps, but I barely noticed. Below in the courtyard, servants ran in all directions like ants from a disturbed nest. Guards shouted orders that no one seemed to understand. The whole palace was in chaos, and all because Ronan Nightbane had somehow found his way into our realm.

“It’s a big castle. Maybe she likes to keep to herself. You never know.” Just then, gold and white sparkles filled the center of the room as what looked to be a sparkling tornado appeared. When it stopped, Raven was standing there, her eyes frantic. “Raven, what’s wrong?” Lance was immediately at her side. “It’s Jase and Addie.” She let out a deep breath, her eyes wide. “They’re missing.”

Kael asked quietly. R didn’t answer. He stopped in front of a square. In the center stood a tower, taller than any in the valley. Its surface was covered in runes that moved when you weren’t looking directly at them. At the base of the tower knelt a dozen figures. Not wolves. Not human. Stone and metal and memory, shaped into bodies. Golems. One stood as they approached. It was tall, female-shaped, eyes glowing faint blue. *Alpha Khan,* it said. Its voice came from everywhere and nowhere.

Her breath is getting heavier as the seconds pass by and the nervousness has come over her. "Dear life, this is a castle!" She gasped as she took a look at the front view of the tower. Manticores are gathering on the ground and other beasts are all around the forest. Aria is cornered... "Am I..." She knows the fate of a crossbreed. She thinks of fighting back but the doubt of escaping is eating her out... A while later of battling with her mind, a grunting howl has made her shiver through her entity that has entered from the twin doors.

Cracked glass. No girl. No hidden door. Nothing. Then I noticed something. A single muddy footprint. Not on the floor. On the wooden workbench. I climbed onto it and looked up. "There." The glass roof was open. Rowan groaned. "She climbed onto the roof." We rushed outside. She was already halfway across the palace rooftops. She moved with the confidence of someone who had done this before. She reached the highest tower and stopped. The wind pulled at her dark cloak.

“But last night, long after midnight, I saw her slip into the old tower. The one that’s been locked for years. The one even the guards avoid.” I didn't know about any old tower but I was sure it was something Liliana knew and from her memory I could see it was an old tower. A crumbling stone structure at the edge of the palace grounds. Stories said it was cursed. Haunted. Sealed after a fire decades ago. “What was she doing there?” I asked, my voice low. “I don’t know,” Eren repeated, her fear plain. “But she wasn’t alone. I saw a shadow—a man’s shadow—join her inside. They were in there for almost an hour.”

Lauren fell to the ground, struggling to breathe. I rushed right to her, pinning her to the ground. Right then, Khanos took over and my eyes glowed a light shade of white as I bared my fangs, ready to sink them in when I heard the gasps around. "Kill her," Khanos snarled, noticing my hesitance, but I shook my head, unable to do it. "Submit," I said to Lauren, whose fangs were retracted and her face pale. "Finish her off," Jade suddenly said. "I know you want to."

“You're not one to break your promises aren't you? Your oath? Staying true to the conditions of a lost bet? I could go on and on.” “Fine!” She turned around and stormed off, slamming the door and making me chuckle lightly. It was fun tiling her up. My smile vanished just as quickly as my mind went back to the guy in the dungeons. It still didn't seem right. Darius had never met Rora so what would he benefit if she was gone? Of course he must have heard of her considering her unique standpoint in the werewolf community but what would he gain? I looked around and something caught my eye on the shelves.

Ravenna’s POV My boots echoed on the stone steps as I hurried to the dungeon. My arm throbbed under the bandage. I reached the guard post. A huge guard looked up. “Franka’s not here,” he grunted. My heart sank. “Where is she?” I demanded. His brows furrowed. “I don’t know. She’s gone.” I pressed others. A cook shook his head. A stable boy avoided my eyes. Nobody knew where Franka was. My chest tightened. My wound pulsed as I ran to the Omega quarters. The common room was dim, lit by a single lantern.

Only when I was certain she was safe behind those walls did I allow myself to stalk toward the war room, where Roran waited. He stood over the central table, maps and reports spread before him. His expression was grim, his jaw tight. “You found her,” he said, not looking up. “Yes,” I growled. “She was in the gardens. Alone.” Roran’s mouth thinned. “That shouldn’t have been possible. Someone should have been watching her.” “Someone was.” My voice dropped, cold and lethal. “And I intend to find out why they weren’t at their post.” Roran finally met my gaze. “You think Garrick’s spy tampered with her guard?”