Chapter 151 Bleeding Cacophony (6)

Chapter 151 Bleeding Cacophony (6)
E L E A N O R

The moment the antidote hit my system, relief flooded through me. I felt the wound on my shoulder pull itself back together, flesh and blood twisting and sealing shut almost as quickly as the poison had spread. Around me, other soldiers let out shaky sighs of relief, some already slipping their armor back on, their faces pale but determined.

I swung my legs over the side of the cot, my body still humming with residual pain. “I have to go to Perseus,” I told Jeremiah, my voice leaving no room for argument.

He stepped forward, his expression tight with concern. “No, you can’t do that, Eleanor. It’s too risky. If you get hit again—”

But my eyes were already fixed on the tent entrance. In the distance, a fiery ball of flame arched through the sky, heading straight for us. My blood went cold.

“We have to leave!” I yelled, snatching my sword from where it leaned against the cot. “NOW!” I shouted when they just stared, frozen.

I didn’t wait. I bolted for the exit, soldiers and nurses scrambling after me, Jeremiah right behind. We barely made it ten steps before the world exploded. The bomb hit with a deafening roar, throwing me off my feet. I landed hard on my side, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. Fire engulfed the tent we’d just been in, turning it into a blazing inferno.

Jeremiah was already coughing, struggling to stand amidst the smoke and debris. “Eleanor?” he called out, voice ragged.

I pushed myself up with a groan, my body protesting every movement. Then I saw them—Meredith and her soldiers, moving through the smoke like ghosts, their weapons drawn. My grip tightened on my sword.

“Jeremiah,” I whispered urgently. “Play dead.”

But he wasn’t listening. His eyes locked on the approaching threat, and a low growl rumbled in his chest. “I promised your husband you were in safe hands,” he said, voice steady. “And that’s what I’ll do.”

Before I could stop him, he shifted. Fur ripped through skin, and his lycan form emerged, snarling and powerful. He launched himself at the soldiers, a blur of rage and loyalty. But he didn’t get far. An arrow struck him mid-leap, and he crashed to the ground, shifting back to human form with a pained cry.

I rushed to his side, my hands already pressing against the wound in his chest. “Jeremiah, you shouldn’t have…” My voice broke as I ripped a piece of my shirt and pressed it firmly against the bleeding.

“I had to,” he groaned, his face pale but his eyes clear.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice soft but fierce. “Really. You’re going to be okay.” I rose slowly, turning to face Meredith and her troops just as they closed in.

I reached out with my mind, my thoughts sharp and focused. ‘Asmodeus, can you hear me?’

His voice came back quickly, laced with tension. ‘Eleanor?’

‘Jeremiah’s been injured. I need you to come help him, now.’

‘I saw what happened. I’m already moving. Just be safe, Eleanor.’

A faint smile touched my lips despite the danger. ‘Funny. You’ve always predicted my death.’

‘How many times have I been right?' he replied, his tone dry but edged with something like encouragement. I caught a glimpse of him with a smile on my lips, he was behind a nearby rock, his expression grim but ready.

Then Eira’s voice brushed against my thoughts, calm but urgent. 'Let me take over, Eleanor.'

'The venom they’re using would take you down in one strike,' I replied, my breaths coming sharp and controlled as I tightened my grip on my sword. 'We need to wait. Let it cool down first.' I took a steadying breath. 'How are the children?'

'They’re safe, Eleanor,' Eira responded, her presence a steadying force in my mind. 'Focus. I’m with you.'

I lifted my chin, eyes locked on Meredith as she stepped forward, a cruel smile playing on her lips. I was ready.

“It’s nice to see you, Astrid… Cage, is it?” Meredith laughed, her voice smooth and cold.

She looked just as Bernadette had described her—young, with dark wavy hair that fell loosely over her shoulders. Beautiful was an understatement. There was something mystifying about her, an aura so heavy with darkness I could almost taste my own fear.

“Eleanor Astrid Cage,” I replied, keeping my voice steady. “You must be Meredith?”

“Yes,” she gushed, as if we were old friends meeting by chance.

I noticed she carried no weapon, only wore polished armor that gleamed under the smoky sky.

“You didn’t possibly think I came here to fight you, did you?” she asked, tilting her head.

I tightened my grip on my sword. “Well… what’s the point of starting a war, then?”

“For fun,” she said lightly. “And of course, revenge. Your husband killed my son.”

“Your son wouldn’t have died if he hadn’t started a war. He shouldn’t have gone to battle if he didn’t want to die.”

A cruel smirk curled her lips. “You know, for a moment, I thought you might understand my pain. After all, you lost your first husband to war too.” Her eyes glinted with malice. “But who am I kidding? Your husband died, and now you’re in the arms of his murderer. Oh yes—he shouldn’t have gone to battle if he didn’t want to die, right?”

My mouth went bitter. Her words hit a place I had tried to bury. I remembered the rage, the grief, the way I had once resented Perseus for what he did to Tobias.

“Heaven forbid I kill a man who was trying to kill me. If Tobias didn’t want to die, he shouldn’t have come to war. He killed others too. He killed my only cousin, Regina, in that war. People die in wars, Eleanor. It happens all the time. So stop acting like I raided your home and killed an innocent man.

His words echoed in my mind now. Maybe I had been irrational back then. Would I have felt differently if Tobias hadn’t betrayed me in the end?

“I’ll be willing to see which man you jump to next, Eleanor,” Meredith purred, pulling me from my thoughts. “Especially since you’re about to be a widow again.”

I blinked back into the present, my voice hardening. “Your husband can’t kill Perseus.”

“But I can,” she shrugged casually, then lifted a hand toward the shadows at the edge of the clearing.

Thousands of soldiers stepped forward, bows raised, arrows nocked and ready. Some were already lit with flames. My eyes followed their aim, and my blood ran cold.

Their target was Perseus.



I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, desperation clawing at my chest, but Meredith’s grip was like iron. She yanked me back, one hand clamped tightly over my mouth, silencing my scream. But it was too late—he had already seen me. Perseus turned, his eyes locking with mine just as the arrows struck. The impact threw him backward, over the edge of the cliff. Thomas lunged after him without hesitation, vanishing into the abyss below.

Meredith’s blood ran cold. I could feel her hand stiffen against my lips, her breath catching in stunned disbelief.

“NO!”

A raw, gut-wrenching howl of agony tore through the air behind us. Severus.

Rage erupted inside me, red-hot and blinding. I stopped fighting Meredith’s hold and instead let Eira surge forward. The shift was swift and sickening, bones cracking and reforming as fur and muscle ripped through skin. In seconds, I was no longer myself—I was something larger, fiercer, towering over Meredith with a roar that shook the very ground beneath us.

Before she could react, my clawed hand shot out, plunging deep into her chest. There was a wet, tearing sound as I ripped her heart straight from her body. I tossed it aside without a second glance, letting her lifeless form crumple to the ground.

Around me, other lycan soldiers seized the moment of distraction. They shifted almost as one, a wave of fur and fury crashing into the dragon shifters who stood frozen in shock. The air filled with snarls and the sounds of tearing flesh as they began to maim, kill, and destroy any enemy within reach. Those who weren’t cut down immediately turned and fled, scattering into the trees.

I didn’t wait to see more. I shifted back, my clothes hanging in tatters, and sprinted toward the cliff’s edge without pause. My heart hammered against my ribs as I skidded to a stop and looked down. Far below, a fast-moving river churned violently, its currents strong and unforgiving. My eyes scanned the water, the rocks, the banks—searching, pleading, hoping.

But Perseus was gone.