Chapter 57 Return
Chapter 57 Return
“Don’t you find it weird?”
I glanced at Kieran as we entered the White Manor. Lind immediately took our bags as he met us by the doorway. He had returned from his journey, escorting Malik and his family back to their tribe down south. When he learned about what happened to me, he decided to wait by the Manor while being assisted by Castiel.
“Weird?”
“The sudden warmth from the Council members. 17 votes out of 23 just to keep you in the competition? Releasing that statement telling that the picture was edited? You said it yourself earlier. They wanted you out.”
Of course, I did find it strange. After hearing the news yesterday, Kieran and I immediately departed from the settlement to prepare for the third trial.
With a lot of things going on at once, I don’t have the time now to even worry about whether something was strange or not.
But truth be told… who would’ve swayed the Council like that? After all, Alpha Heron had taken one of the highest seats in the hierarchy of the Council.
He simply wouldn’t let me go away like that.
And even if he had a change of heart, Medea won’t allow him just to do whatever he pleases. She would definitely put up a fight.
“We can worry about that later,” I said, slumping on a nearby chair. “We need to worry about the third trial first.”
Despite winning the second trial, Castiel declared it void after my Divine Link with Augustus manifested. That was why he chose a harder, longer third trial.
A month-long quest to find the Goddess’s Tree.
Mother often told me about it. She said it was a persimmon tree that she blessed long ago with drops of her blood. In turn, the fruits became blessed and bore divine healing abilities that could cure even the worst of the illnesses. The tree bore fruit all year long, but it was invisible to the naked eye of common Lycans without divine powers.
Only the candidate Mother deemed worthy could locate the tree. And only she could pick the persimmon fruits.
It would’ve been easy for me, hadn’t Mother become silent for a while now. Even Castiel couldn’t talk to her through their connection, only through the Temple pyre.
It wasn’t unusual, just… worrying for me. After all, the Goddess had always been present in my life. Her absence often caused my anxieties to spike.
Has she abandoned me? Did she decide that I‘m more trouble than I was worth?
“The Temple’s designated ship would sail across the continent just to bring us to the Forbidden Island. It would be a very rough ride. After all, Lycans hate the water,” I said as I pulled an old map of the world, showing Kieran the route we were expected to take.
“I’m sure we would be able to handle the rough seas,” he replied dismissively. “It’s not like—”
“Those very rough seas are the home to the fiercest sirens on the continent,” I warned. “This voyage is as deadly as drinking wolfsbane extract straight from its bottle.”
The trip alone to the Forbidden Island was like a death sentence. During the initial trials, we’ve been warned over and over about this. About the danger the waters hid, and how those creatures would easily snatch away our Vassals.
And here Kieran was, acting as if those sirens were mere pests under his boots.
“Don’t worry about me, my Queen. I can resist temptation. Us Whites are often unaffected by most spells and hexes, unlike those puny Black and Golden Wolves,” he teased as he sat by the massive open window, looking out into the gardens. “You should be more worried about the other two.”
Shit, I thought as I remembered that Castiel and Augustus would be on the same voyage as well, along with Michael, Castiel’s right-hand man, and Beta Kaiden, Augustus’s Beta.
There’s no doubt that they’re at least aware of the dangers of the seas. But Kieran was right. The siren’s voice would sound more alluring, more… tempting. At least, for them.
Kieran chuckled as he watched me nibble on my finger, deep in thought. I glared at him. He stood up, taking my hand away from my mouth.
“You worry too much. Everything’s going to be fine. Trust me.”
I sighed, leaning against his chest. “Alright, I trust you…”
“By the way, I asked Uncle Reuben to keep the old woman in the dungeon until we get back,” Kieran said as he ran his fingers through my hair. “We’ll still need a lot of information from her.”
I sighed, nodding. “I'm sorry for adding another burden…”
“It’s alright. Uncle Reuben seemed to be fond of the old woman, anyway. He said they shared a common interest with divine magic and stuff.”
My body subtly flinched at what Kieran said, the things I’ve seen rushing back in my mind. The old woman used drops of her blood to open the book.
Who really was she? And why did she approached me in the first place, when someone seemed to be going through great lengths just to cover up their crime?
My head and heart were both in two warring factions, each against the other. While my heart wanted to believe that I wasn’t a Locke, my mind kept on presenting questions that I should’ve asked before.
How did that old woman know all about the things that she was claiming? What if she was lying?
What if she was hiding something?
If only Mother were here…
“When we get back from the third trial, let’s wrap up things with her,” I suggested as Kieran let me go. “I don’t like leaving loose ends. If what she’s claiming was true, then she would be in grave danger. I don’t like the mere fact that I’m painting a massive target on the settlement for whoever’s trying to hide the truth about my identity.”
Kieran’s eyes darkened as he felt the anxiety in my nerves. “Don’t worry, the settlement’s prepared for this. Even so, some of my mother’s relatives stepped up to help the settlement after hearing that I’m still alive. One of my uncles sent his private army, and they would arrive there by now.”
Yet, despite his constant reassurances, something still gnawed inside me. Something… that I can’t pinpoint.
Mother… please help me with this trial…