Chapter 65 The Prophecy
Vanessa
I'm up and ready before dawn the next day when the knocking comes. At least, I don't get manhandled like a criminal this time around.
It's the same stoic, buff guard from before, no one but him. Also, unfortunately, there's no Trish here to help keep me grounded, so I depend solely on myself for that.
The short distance to the Royal Court room feels like a century has passed. The guard stops abruptly in front of the door, almost making bump into him in the process. I give his back a menacing glare.
But all that vanishes as soon as he announces our presence.
Wiping my clammy hands on the sides of my clothes, I take a deep breath, straighten my back and walk in with my head held high.
All eyes snap towards me as soon as I come into view, so fast my legs quiver, but I don't stop even when all my instincts are screaming at me to run and don't give a fuck about anything else until I'm safe.
I feel the weight of each pair from the long Island table in the centre, but only two of them bring me a semblance of comfort in this claustrophobic space, so I focus on them instead.
I bow my head and courtesy in respect to the Royal Council members.
I catch Max's eyes, the latter giving me an encouraging smile, it's so small and barely noticeable.
I feel Xander's gaze on me the whole time, wanting to burn a hole in the side of my head, but I refuse to him let him distract me at the moment.
Nobody utters a single word for a long moment, all playing the waiting game with me, but I hold each and every gaze confidently. This is a crucial moment where showing weakness of any form is not an option.
A voice clears loudly, and I snap my head to the source. Xander leaves his position at the top of the table, and comes to stand in front of me.
He lightly grazes the back of his hand on my arm, and trains those dark eyes on me. The look in them so intense, a shudder goes through me.
"Thank you for coming, Vanessa," he says loud enough for all to hear, taking a step back. "The purpose of this summon is to discuss the recent happenings in the pack...and their connections to you," he states.
"I don't think I understand what you mean..." I trail off, confusion taking over me at his words, and my pulse quickens with every breath.
Did I just get trapped into another false accusation?
The heat of his presence feels scorching now, where it had brought me comfort just moments ago, but he shakes his head at me quickly, not wanting me to misinterpret his words.
Elda comes to our rescue in all her white glory, and steps over to me slowly, taking both my hands in hers.
Her white eyes bore into mine but they don't make me feel uncomfortable this time.
"Do not be afraid, child. You are not being accused of a crime," she soothes.
Yet, I'm about to reply, but instead, a calm sensation washes over me, spreading from the parts of my wrists she's circling, to all the other areas of my body.
I wait patiently for her to expatiate.
"For centuries," Elda begins. "There have been rumors of a prophecy, carefully guarded by the council - yet, it is one that shakes the foundation of our world as we know it today."
"A prophecy?" A strange feeling stirs inside my chest.
"When darkness consumes the bloodlines, and ancient betrayal stains the moon, a White Wolf will rise," she recites.
The whole room stills and my breath catches in my throat, noticing Xander's similar reaction.
"Elda! What are you talking about?" Wade, the Grand Marshal, yells, banging his fists on the table.
She ignores him. "The White Wolf will possess magic untamed by lineage, feared by shadows, capable of either restoring the balance...or destroying it."
Wade lets out a short bark of laughter, his stern face twitches as he sneers at me. "You believe this human, to be the one the prophecy refers to?"
He turns to look me over, disbelief in wild gaze as if the thought of a 'human' like me possessing anything more than blood in my veins is an insult to his existence.
"Elda, how long have you known about this?" It is Elias who speaks up this time, his eyes kind as always, looking at me, not like an abomination like Wade is right now, but more like a puzzle piece he's finding quite hard to solve.
"The signs have all been there from the start, it only all started coming together recently," she replies, eyes softening as she looks at me.
"But, that is impossible! Only a true-blood wolf is worthy of that position," Wade shouts again.
"And what do you know about her lineage, Wade?" Xander asks, and that shuts him up immediately, even though he continues to silently fume. "As it's been confirmed for a while now, she's not as 'human' as we had all thought."
"My agreement is with you, your Highness," Elias supports.
"But...how can you even be so sure? There's no sign of magic in my body except maybe the golden eyes aspect, and the seal."
Xander cups my face, leaning down to give me a soft kiss. "I trust Elda, and she would never put you in the spotlight for no reason. So please, have as much faith in her as I do," he pleads.
Elda nods. "The signs were all there to trigger you."
The signs... she means the sudden dark magic mysteries, the random killings, and I'm pretty sure even my encounter with the books are the library are no coincidence and all leading me to this very moment.
Taking a very deep inhale, I ask, "What's the first thing we need to do?"
"First, we break the seal."
"And if it fails? What if your conclusions turn out to be inaccurate?" Wade asks, a wild, evil gleam in his eyes.
"It won't be," Xander and Elda chorus.
I sure as hell hope so, because I definitely did not ask for any of this. All I ever wanted was simple; infiltrate, destroy, and live my life after like nothing special happened. But now, that has turned into such a web of complexity, and I'm so tangled inside, I'm not even sure how to start weaving my way out of it.
"When do we start then?"
"In three days."