Chapter One Hundred & One 

...Dead

No... that couldn‘t..... 

I could feel my heart racing at hearing her words. 

Why would she have done that? Why do something before... 

Unless... unless she expected me to rush into war regardless of whether she used him as bait. Because she knew I wouldn‘t have any way of knowing he was alive and would assume that I would come for him blindly anyway

‘It‘s just another move made to hurt me. 

During our stay in the cabin, I‘d always avoided the topic of Aleric marking me. I hadn‘t wanted to tie him t o me knowing I might not be long for this world, and I didn‘t want to put him through feeling that pain upon my death. But I hadn‘t anticipated for the reverse to now become detrimental to me. If only I‘d actually done it, I would have known the minute it had happened and saved everyone from rushing in to save him 

So then, was he actually... dead

And the most guttural, animalistic growl then escaped my lips, forcing several people nearby to flinch and shy away from the pressure. 

This wasn‘t how it was meant to go. 

He wasn‘t meant to die from my own failure to save him in time. 

He wasn‘t meant to die before me. 

I could feel Thea‘s eyes watching me closely, feel the smirk on her face. 

...And suddenly I knew what I needed to do. 

My legs started sprinting towards her, pushing myself to move faster and faster. Several people were fighting between us but I didn‘t let that distract me, manoeuvring around them with ease without breaking stride even once. 

“Aria!” I heard someone yell. 

But I wasn‘t stopping. 

This was because of her. It was her fault. She needed to pay

I kept on running to the treeline, towards the figure waiting for me there. Nothing would be able to stop m 

...Not even the ten or so rogues I could now feel following me. 

They were trailing behind just close enough that they would probably catch up soon, having the advantage of four paws over me But just before I could make it to the trees, I sensed as one of them went to lunge at my legs, trying to pull me down. 

Not that this would be nearly enough against me though. Not when I could see their next move. 

Teffortlessly dodged their attack, countering with a dagger into their side, and their body slowly rolled to a stop two feet away

The others became frenzied at seeing me kill the rogue and began circling around me, snapping and 

Scanned with CamScanner 

Chapter One Hundred & Une 

growling towards me as they waited to strike. They were now laking their time to size me up as their pack mentality kicked in. 

But I didn‘t have time for this. 

I looked up towards the trees, now close enough to meet Thea‘s eyes, and a mixture of frustration and desperation consumed me. I needed to get to her in time. To catch her before.… 

And then my heart sank as she did exactly what I feared, 

With a final smirk at my situation, she quickly turned around and began running into the woods, away from the battle. 

Fuck. 

“Get lost already!” I yelled at the rogues angrily. “I don‘t want to fight you.” 

Clearly, they took this the wrong way though as I watched them begin eagerly approaching closer. They stupidly ignored what I‘d just done to their comrade and took my words to mean that I was afraid of fighting so many of them at once. 

....Something they then acted upon, attacking me under that false belief. 

Without any further hesitation, they all began to charge me, trying to overpower me with sheer numbers. Unfortunately for them though, I saw every one of their attacks, 

‘Left... dodge... Swipe....‘ 

I moved around all the rogues fluently, swiftly taking them out one after another. 

‘Drop... side–kick... stab....‘ 

And before even five minutes had passed, soon I was all that remained. Standing in a circle of dead rogues around me, covered in their blood as I looked down with distaste. They‘d failed to land even a single scratch on me. 

All they‘d accomplished with their lives now lost was wasting my time. Time that could have been better spent going after Thea. What a meaningless death indeed. 

Aster one final look at the bodies around me, I then resumed running towards the woods, tracking Thea‘s disgustingly sweet scent through the trees. I could feel as the branches scratched against my skin as I ran through the foliage, not caring to take the extra seconds needed to slow down and avoid them. My mind was set on one thing, and one thing only. 

Thea 

“Suddenly, another clearing came into sight, opening up into a large empty plain. I could see how the trees surrounded the area in a circular way, giving it the appearance of being almost like an arena. And yet. something about this place felt familiar. Something that was impossible given I‘d never travelled anywhere near here before, 

further as I finally caught sight of Thea, standing in the centre

confidence for a woman now isolated from her

movement, but she remained completely still. Her demeanour was

a smile,

Scanned with CamScanner 

Despised the way my name sounded on her lips.

e both knew there was only one question

“Is he dead?” 

I held my breath as I waited for the answer,

by were actually hours, dragging on so excruciatingly slow. I could feel the heavy weight of my impatience crushing me, needing to

in complete

her head to the side slightly,

was all she said.

instantly, I exhaled as if the wind had been

was as simple as the answer she‘d provided. None of our lives mattered to her, I already knew this. But it felt like salt in the wound to hear her confirmation a s if we were

to kill you,” I whispered under my breath, staring at the ground in

could feel as tears stung at my eyes but I barely acknowledged

just say?” she asked.

I‘m going to kill

eyes. All I saw was red, saw my own anger and the blood

few steps closer and pointed my dagger up towards her, my hand

have taken everything from me. Everything. I don‘t

amusing than anything, and it

the bloodlust pulsing through my veins.

without even taking another moment to think.., I

defence, looking to deflect my arm by hitting it to the side, but I read her like a book. Using my other

caught on at the last second, narrowly missing the attack to leave merely a small scratch behind. It was barely more than

begin my next attack, but somehow she moved faster than I expected. Before I could

she noted, finally jumping backwards to create some distance. “This dagger seems familiar. Wasn‘t this the same weapon I killed

a low growl escaped my lips menacingly.

Scanned with CamScanner 

! DIUCU UI 

warned. “After all, the last time we fought,

eyes immediately narrowed at that, no longer finding the situation as

mock me, child….”

The one who speaks how she really feels. As if we‘re

faster and faster a si tried to land multiple different blows on her body. Pushing myself to hit her even once. And, before too long had passed, soon only the sound of our daggers colliding filled the air as they matched perfectly. With every strike, it was as though she was somehow able to

if she could sense my moves as I could

...Oh. 

looked up to see her smiling at me once

was in my head.

this meant the fight was basically impossible for me

mirroring and anticipating the other person‘s moves. All she had to do was wait

a little surprised, Thea,” I said, straightening back up to catch my breath. “I would have thought that you could defeat me easily without cheap tricks. After all, you should possess a wealth of knowledge with endless experience... or is it that you’re becoming senile in your old age and need all the

as her smile instantly contorted into a scowl, messing

ended up being the very last thing

*Clinnnnk.* 

collided once more, the sound of the metal kissing screeching into the

against hers, barely with a second to spare, and it

becoming more just a game of speed. The

I was now completely reliant on my instincts as I moved, putting complete trust in my ability

she finally screamed, jumping back to rest a moment. A drawback of her

becoming progressively more forceful as opposed 10 swift. It

now smiling in my chance to

dead a thousand times

Scanned with CamScanner 

UNE riunoreu a

that was stolen

much,” I noted. “Almost as if a mortal were of equal

before launching herself at me again, her attack now focusing on her full strength rather than speed. It was something I‘d anticipated... and yet was helpless to defend against. I knew it wouldn‘t be possible to

fact the battle had lasted this long meant something so incredibly important. Something worth fighting for.

backwards until I hit the ground roughly. I‘d tried to cushion the fall with

had hurt far worse than I‘d expected.

onto my side to try and get up

Make her

than normal. Apparently, I wasn‘t the only one losing grasp on their ability. If anything, that alone would make all of

was that?” she then suddenly asked,

said, ignoring her comment. “A lucky

and closed the distance

she sent another kick to my chest, forcing me onto my back

wheezed at the air, desperate for the oxygen that had been stolen so aggressively. My whole body had already been aching

you...,” she started, a frown forming between

then I felt it. The rummaging in my head.

End her. Get up

–Protect him.’ 

let her in to

waist to hold me

nothing to hide,” | spat, squirming under her

to

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255