Chapter 87 The talk
Chapter 87 The talk
Chapter 87: Asher
I knew there was no turning back the moment I made my decision.
So despite the ache in my heart, I followed Fiona into one of the visitor’s rooms prepared to accommodate the ritual she was about to do.
The entire family also followed, watching impatiently as tension filled the room.
Fiona began to light dark candles and then she placed them around the centre of the room in a circular shape. When she was done, she silently signaled to me to come to her.
At this point, my heart was racing and my pulse drummed like my world was ending— and it was. Because if this was successful, then it meant, I was going to lose the one thing that made my broken life whole.
But I had no choice. For her safety, I had to do it.
By the time I got into the position she wanted— right at the centre of the burning candles— my whole body started trembling.
I clenched my hands to steady myself… it was almost as if every part of me was screaming for me not to do it. But what else could I do to find my mate?
“You need to understand, Asher. Once I begin, there’s no undoing this. The bond will be broken permanently,” Fiona explained again in a calm voice. “Scarlett will forget you— To her, you will be no one.”
The words cut deep inside of me but I swallowed the pain. This was the only way… We already lost so much time trying to find them. I couldn’t afford to lose another…
“It’s better that she forgets me,” I whispered, in a broken voice; “It’s better she lives not knowing who I am… than for me to lose her completely.”
Saying it out loud should have given me strength, but instead it shattered me even further.
“The procedure might be difficult. You need to prepare—”
“Just get on with the fucking ritual woman!” Emily hissed cutting off Fiona’s words, “The bastard as already agreed to fucking do it. Why do you feel the need to ask so many fucking questions?”
My heart skipped with guilt, but I stayed quiet. Not wanting to increase the tension already in the room any further.
“My lady, I’m only trying to follow the right procedure,” Fiona replied, but Emily wasn’t having any of that.
“Oh fucking please…” she scoffed, rolling her eyes in irritation. “We all know that Scarlett is better off not remembering a fucking monster like Asher. Do her a favor and burn the fucking bond!”
This time, her words cut through me like acid. It went straight to my bones as her use of word echoed in my head.
‘A fucking monster…’ That was what I was…
Ever since this whole ordeal even started, my own thoughts have echoed that one word a million times like a curse. And hearing her say it outloud, only made it stick.
Because in all truth, she was right. I deserved this.
As Emily continued going at it with Fiona, I simply lowered my eyes, wishing the ground could just open up and swallow me whole… wishing the pain in my chest could just end…
My chest caved in as the pain only intensified as Fiona began to draw runes on the floor… For some reason, I saw Scarlett’s smile.
I saw those ocean eyes… the way she looked at me, even when I treated her badly… the way she let me hold her, even after I had failed her so many times…
And I realised that I was about to lose all that… I would remember, but she wouldn’t.
She wouldn’t be able to remember the night of the love festival… she wouldn’t remember the way I had melted in her scent… even with the aphrodisiac out of my system, Scarlett was the only woman the whole of me craved for…
She had accepted me the way I was… making me believe that my sins could be erased…
And now— she would lose all of it. All of me. All of our memories…
My knees felt weak as the thoughts clouded my head. I nearly staggered, but I forced myself to stay inside Fiona’s circle.
“Emily, let the woman do her job!” Greg growled. “We are running out of time here.”
Emily backed down, but the hate in her eyes burned even brighter as she glared at me…
With a sigh, Fiona raised her hands, “We shall begin,” she stated. And just like that her palms started glowing.
The air began to hum, vibrating against my skin as her energy took control of the room.
The runes she made on the floor sparked to life, brightening until the whole room became illuminated by their pale, ghostly light.
“Focus,” Fiona rebuked, her voice picking up a strange tone. “If you resist even a little… this will fail. You must let her go…”
Let her go?
How do you let go of the only person that ever made you sane?
My eyes burned with tears as Fiona began chanting and I knew I had to do as she said. I had to release Scarlett from our bond…
And even though my life was going to be meaningless afterwards, I could end it. But, I needed to make sure that Scarlett returned home safely.
Fiona chants got louder, her voice echoing against the walls. The runes flared brighter, searing into my vision…
—And at that moment, I let go.
A thread of pain shot through my chest, pulling at the bond buried deep inside me… the bond that my wolf refused to let go.
I gasped, clutching at my ribs as if I could hold the thread in place. But it writhed, slipping through my fingers like smoke.
And then… “Scarlett…” I whispered.
I felt her. For the briefest second, her presence surged against me— her familiar warmth, and the sweet scent of roses…
She was afraid. Somewhere far away, and she reached for me. ‘Don’t do this, Asher…’ Her voice sang in my ears.
My heart cracked.
“No—” My growled, fighting the pain that tore us apart. “Wait, she’s doesn’t want this—”
“You have to let her go, Asher!” Fiona hissed.
The bond pulled harder, like someone tearing through my bones.
“No!” I screamed, as my body arched, trembling violently.
The glow in the room began to flicker and the loud roar of winds intensified… almost like the storm I felt inside of me was now within the room too.
“It’s failing!” Greg shouted.
“He’s resisting. If he doesn’t let go, it will destroy him— and her!” Fiona yelled above the noise.
And as soon as I heard her words, everything stopped.
No, I couldn’t let anything happen to Scarlett. I couldn’t continue resisting… if I kept clinging to her… it could kill her.
Not caring that there were almost a dozen people in the room, or that I was the King… I let the tears fall. And with every ounce of will I had left, I forced myself to release her.
It felt like a breath had left my body and then… the bond snapped and everything inside of me went dead silent.
The sheer force of it all, sent me to my knees, gasping for air like I had been under water this whole time.
Panic surged through me at the emptiness that filled my body… but I didn’t care. What mattered now was Scarlett…
“Did it— where is she?” I breathed, turning my broken body to Fiona. “Did you get her location?”
Her chants slowed and then slowly, her eyes also fluttered open with a victorious smile.
“We got it… we have her location,” Fiona breathed.
I felt relief wash over my battered body, fueling me with strength as I staggered back to my feet, just as Nathan, Greg, Albert and Bee came closer too.
“So where are they? What do you see?” Nathan asked Fiona— who still looked like she was in a trance.
Her eyes were glassy and that smile still curved on her face like she was seeing things we couldn’t… and truly she was…
“I see broken towers. Stone halls draped in black banners. Chains hanging from walls…” Fiona whispered. “They are in the old Kingdom.”
“Of course. It had to be there!” Greg hissed, already moving away from the circle. “Willow has been obsessed with the old Kingdom…”
“Where it all fucking began!” Emily spat out, also following behind him.
I didn’t know where the strength came from, but I straightened up and signaled to Albert to come closer.
“My King… I think you should rest. Now that we have the location, we can— ”
“No, I need to be there,” I cut him off, knowing where he was headed with the talk. “No one knows Willow like I do. We need to fight her with everything we have to bring them back home… and I’m not about to sit this one out.”
Nathan, who was watching me, finally nodded. “Okay, if that’s the case. Then we have to set out now.”