Chapter 54 A Tale of Two Sisters, Part III
Chapter 54 A Tale of Two Sisters, Part III
My hand hovered over the leather cover of the diary, a soft, dark smoke enveloping it. Ghastly whispers enveloped the room as my hand hovered close, and I could feel something clouding up my mind.
I clutched my chest tight, as I felt an invisible hand grip my heart. The whispers grew louder, almost deafening me.
“I—”
The dark smoke rose and formed a thick rope, slowly inching towards my hand. My muscles stiffened and locked in place, as the smoke slowly slithered around my arm…
“Hestia!”
My back slammed against the cold wooden floor as Kieran pulled me away. His arm was caught by the thick smoke, instantly burning his skin.
My lips uttered a prayer as I cleansed the object, but as my divine powers were still weak at the moment, the diary only burned instead of getting cleansed, leaving nothing but a charred spot on the wood.
“Hestia, are you alright?” Kieran asked in between his breaths. He pulled me close and planted a kiss on my temple, his hands shaking. “I thought I almost lost you…”
I pressed my eyes shut, my heart still beating wildly. “I saw my Father's diary, so I thought it might help, but…”
“You shouldn't touch random things around here, Hestia. I've heard this place has a lot of Mimics.”
A Mimic. A shape-shifting monster is trying to copy an object to lure its food.
I wish it were just a Mimic. But why, of all things, did it pick to copy my Father's diary? If it were a simple monster, then…
Why copy something personal? This library held official public archives, not personal belongings of Alphas.
I sighed as Kieran helped me get up. I dusted off my clothes, clutching tightly the other book, the one about the Aurora clan, and decided to call it a night.
Before we left the library, I saw Kieran gather some of the Mimic's dust, putting it inside a small plastic resealable bag before following me out.
The inn we booked for the night was quiet when we arrived. The Sunfolk inn owner immediately dropped towels and soap as soon as he noticed the thick dust on our bodies.
Kieran insisted on taking a bath with me. As we both sat in the ceramic bathtub filled with scented water, he gently planted a kiss on my neck.
“Let me wash your hair,” he whispered, his fingers gently combing through my locks. I let him be. His presence alone was enough to calm my nerves, and calm was the very thing I craved now.
“I missed you,” I whispered to him as I let myself sink deeper in his hold. “With you around, I don’t always have to worry much.”
He chuckled. “Of course, because you love to worry me to death.”
Smiles never left our lips for a few more moments until he decided to break the silence once more. “What does it feel… knowing that you have four mates?”
My brow furrowed. “What’s with that question?”
Kieran shrugged as he gently braided my still-wet hair. “Nothing, I just… I just want to know what to expect.”
“Expect?”
He grunted. After a long silence, Kieran let out a deep sigh and intertwined his fingers with mine. “You have an Alpha, a High Priest, and a Red, possibly an aristocrat… all at your disposal. And I’m…”
“My Vassal,” I cut him off, before looking up to meet his face. “That’s more than enough for me.”
Kieran scoffed. “You make it sound as if I’m the most special—”
“You are, though…”
His cheeks and ears were as red as tomatoes as he fished out more compliments from me. “Really? Then out of the four of us, who’s the most handsome?”
“You know what? You just want to hear me say that you’re the most handsome.”
It was undeniable that all four of them looked ethereal. Especially him and Augustus. After all, the Hunt genes were quite… well-cultured.
Strands of Kieran’s shoulder-length, silvery white hair fell on my cheek as he leaned closer to kiss me. His fingers unraveled the loose braid he had done on my hair, as his wolf, Trigger, howled loud enough to awaken other wolves.
“Honestly, I think you and Augustus were one of the most handsome in the kingdom,” I teased, “But he’s not as handsome as you.”
A satisfied smile spread across his lips. As he was about to plant another kiss on my lips, three loud knocks on the door echoed throughout the room.
Kieran sighed as he rubbed his neck and reached for the towel hanging on the wall. He stepped out of the bathtub, still dripping with water, and disappeared for a while.
I basked in the silence, wondering if he ordered room service. But instead of dinner, he went back into the bathroom, his face crumpled with worry.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. He sat on the edge of the bathtub, holding a leatherbound book—
“Is that—”
“Someone left this by the door,” Kieran said as his fingers traced the engraving on the book cover. “I didn’t get a good glimpse of them. They left before I could even…”
I reached for the book, but Kieran moved it away from me. “Why? Is the book cursed or something?”
His face looked grim. “Here in the settlements, a few Rogues offer services like this. Minor and major hexes… could be strong enough to hurt you, or kill you. They usually don’t work on random people. The hex only works on its target. Someone knew you’re weakened right now, Hestia…”
Kieran wrapped the book in one of his dirty clothes, intending to have it cleansed by Uncle Reuben when we get back. However, before he could fully wrap it, I noticed the name embossed on the book's spine.
Hakim Aurora.
My blood ran cold. Someone out there knew that we were snooping around.
And that someone knew too that I had just been drained of my divine magic, weaker than my usual state.
Is it the Stranger? The Lockes?
Or is it someone else? Someone we entirely didn’t know?
Kieran noticed the worry etched on my face. “Don’t worry, my Queen. I asked a few of my scouts to watch around us discreetly. If there’s anything wrong, they’ll report it to me immediately.”
His words usually offered me comfort. But now, this unfamiliar feeling of dread remained.
Who’s out there who truly didn’t want me to learn the truth about my heritage?