Chapter 100: ONE HUNDRED

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While Acantha prepared the map with full concentration, I stockpiled a small bag with some nonperishable food that would last us for a while. I selected foods like canned beef and vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, granola, and a few others.

Finishing up with enough water and some blankets, I breathed out in accomplishment.

I checked on Acantha and her complete focus was on the map she was creating through a spell. I watched her for a while, a smile tugging at my lip. It was still hard to believe that she was my grandmother, that I had a family that cared this much about me.

"Mom, are you happy for me?" I mumbled, "Can you finally forgive me now?"

Sinking in my emotions as the night drew darker, I curled myself into a corner and decided to rest a bit.

At dawn, I woke up to find Acantha staring at a glowing piece of paper with a smile on her face.

"I did it!" She cried, her lips spread into a wide grin.

I quickly got up and moved to her side to stare at the paper. The blue ink was glowing, and there were different spots on the map marked with red. I figured they were spots to avoid, probably some enemy camp.

Unexpectedly, she engulfed me in a hug, "we can finally leave."

We started out of the cave minutes after, carefully making it through the rocky path. As we neared the cliff, Acantha suddenly halted and signaled for me to be quiet.

Almost at the same time, I perceived familiar scents and we quickly yet quietly hid behind the walls of the cliff.

"There are people up there, and I have a weird feeling about them," Acantha whispered to me.

My eyes widened as I recognized the scent, their footsteps shallow as they paraded back and forth.

They were Derek's henchmen! Almost immediately, I caught a glimpse of Damien as he paced but I was quick to hide before he could even notice.

"It's Derek," I told Acantha, my face etched with fear and confusion. How did he find out where I was so quickly?

"They must not know that I am here."

Acantha nodded.

If Derek wasn't amongst them then there was a chance that he had no idea that I was here. He probably had his men all over the area where they last saw me, conducting roadside checks and searches.

I watched discreetly as they inspected every passerby carefully, making sure to search them in and out. Instant fear gripped me as I realized that they had also set up checkpoints and seemed very alert.

My heart thumped in my chest. If Derek was to capture me again, this time, he would never let me out of his sight. I would be stuck with him for life with no chance of ever meeting Ace.

I felt Acantha's palm touch my knee, and I breathed out, realizing at that moment that I had been holding my breath out of horror.

She gave me an assuring look, "I will protect you from him."

I wasn't sure if I believed her but I nodded.

For a while, we observed them, watching their every movement and activeness.

They patrolled vigilantly, ensuring that no living thing escaped their sight. From time to time, they would stop and look over the cliff for some time. When they did, Acantha would shield me and some branches would sprout out to cover us.

Seeing how alert they were, I had no doubt that they would immediately notice us if we were to make a move.

"What do we do?" I asked.

Acantha was silent for a moment, and suddenly, her eyes lit up.

"We need to split and divert their attention," she suggested.

I immediately felt skeptical and I didn't hide it. "What if they notice me still? They know very well what I look like."

"They won't. I will make sure that it doesn't happen."

My doubts cleared at her assurance and she explained her plan to me.

"I will go up there and be searched; in the process, I will divert their attention. While they are distracted, you will go to the other side of the cliff and climb as fast as you can. Don't stop running until you see a running spring; hide yourself there, and I will join you soon. Can you do that?"

I nodded yes and she smiled at me.

"Will you be okay?"

"Of course. If things get funny, I can just get rid of all of them."

Without wasting time, we set to work. She adjusted her charm bag and started for the mud steps. She carefully arrived at where Derek's men were and I watched as their attention diverted from their business to her like they had found something suspicious on her. In no time, she had gotten all their focus on her and the men now gathered around her for inspection.

For a second, I was worried, but recalling her capability and her promise to join me at the spring, I became confident and moved as quickly as I could.

Despite the difficulty, I managed to get on top of the cliff and as soon as I landed, I took off. As Acantha instructed, I didn't stop running until I arrived at the spring.

Once there, I caught my breath and found a spot to hide while I waited for her.

She joined me in some minutes and I was relieved to see her still hale and hearty. I had feared that Derek's men might have hurt her, or worse still suspected. The tension in my chest gradually dissipated.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

I nodded, "I was worried about you."

She laughed, "Worry more about yourself, child. My death cannot be guaranteed in the hands of mortals."

I didn't know what that meant but I was relieved to know that she was fine, and so we continued our journey.

We walked for hours, covering distances in the wild and avoiding hunters' traps. At night, we would take breaks and rest our heads for a while.

I would spend that time thinking about Ace and wondering what he was up to. I would try to imagine what he would probably be doing and end up smiling in the process.

I missed him terribly.

I wondered what he thought about me now, or if he hated me. No doubt, he must already be aware of my betrayal and he must have heard the rumor of how I abandoned the pack.

What if he believes them? I missed him but what if he doesn't feel that way about me anymore?

Ace and I weren't mates any longer, but I had prevented Ryker's marking until his death. I didn't know who I belonged to anymore, but it was the least of my concerns.

I was worried about Ace, we might not be mates anymore but I could still sense him. Our memories were still vivid and he was the only one on my mind.

I knew what I had done was wrong and maybe inexcusable, but if I was going to die, I should at least make it up to Ace, who had sacrificed so much for me and stuck by me in my time of despair. This was going to be my way of doing that. I was going to break the curse for him and help him live the rest of his life in normalcy.

Even though I might not be involved in it, Ace deserved a perfect life. I didn't care if I died on this course or what he might think of me now; what mattered most to me was paying for my sins by helping him.

"You're still up?" Acantha came up to meet me. "What is on your mind?"

This was our third night in the wild and from Acantha's calculation, it could be our last.

I smiled at her, contemplating telling her the truth. She could already tell what I was thinking; it was all I had thought about for the past two nights, and knowing her history with Ace's father, I was always cautious whenever I talked about him to her.

No matter how hard she tried to hide it, I always noticed how tense and uncomfortable she became whenever a word about Ace came up. She hadn't healed like she thought; deep down in her heart, Acantha still bore hatred for his clan even though she would not admit it and claimed to be fine.

It was something I could relate to so I recognized it pretty well.

"I don't feel sleepy yet," I stared at the full moon, picturing Dylan underneath it. I was certain Amy was just as heartbroken with my decision but she didn't question it, "can I ask you a question?"

She nodded hurriedly.

"What is the flower of destiny like?"

"It seems like you already have an idea."

"Well, I read about it but it was concluded to be a myth," I told her.

"It's not," she shook her head. "That conclusion was fabricated because of how dangerous the flower is. It is insanely beautiful but utterly evil, and to reduce its victims the ancestors agreed to cover it up as a myth."

My brows furrowed with worry, "how dangerous is it?"

Acantha laughed softly, diverting her gaze ahead. "You don't have to worry, child. I will do whatever it takes to bring you out of this mess."

"As long as you also get to stay alive, I'm willing to sacrifice anything," I told her truthfully. I was ready to let go of even my life.

She breathed out, "It feels good to have someone that cares about me. It's been so long since I last felt that way."

I reached for her hand, "now, you will feel it for the rest of your life."

She beamed in gratefulness, facing me. "Do you want to know another fascinating thing about the flower of destiny?"

Enthusiastically, I nodded.

"It's almost similar to every other flower you see around but quite different. I have never seen it myself either but according to the witch family archives, the flower of destiny grows in a secluded and mysterious forest that requires a special spell to be seen by the ordinary eyes. The forest lies here," she pointed to a spot on the map, "it only blooms on specific nights of the full moon. This means that even if we get to the flower in time, we have to hope that it is its time of bloom."

"That is indeed fascinating," I said. "And daunting," I mumbled. But we're going to find it.

//No matter where you are or who you're with, I will always find you first because I burn for you so hard whenever I'm away from you that it drives me insane. I cannot imagine my life without you. I would rather die than be in a world where you do not exist.//

A tear strolled down my eye, and I didn't know why I suddenly thought about one of Ace's promises to me. Thinking about it now made me realize how he had always kept to his words. He had found me first in every situation and he had loved me.

He had proved his love for me both in ordinary and extreme ways. All the things that I was willing to let go for him would not match up to the sacrifices that Ace had given for me. He risked even his life.

Just as I secretly dabbed the tears from my eyes, we heard nestling in the nearby bushes. We froze simultaneously and I instantly grew worried. We were already covered and hidden behind a bunch of tall trees but I couldn't help my fear. It was a trauma I wasn't sure I could be free from.

My breath hitched, and I felt whatever it was that had invaded draw closer; I could perceive their scent, and strangely, it was familiar. My heart skipped as my mind immediately thought of Derek.

Had he found us? Perhaps he had trailed us up till this point.

I faced Acantha, my eyes holding questions as the footsteps drew closer; the scent growing more familiar.

Discarding the quick thoughts, my senses piqued as the scent grew insanely familiar and different. It wasn't Derek or his henchmen. I sniffed again, confirming my thoughts to be true.

Acantha had already prepared to attack, and she urged me to do the same, but I stopped her.

"It's not Derek or his men," I muttered to her while shaking my head. "It's someone else."

The footsteps stopped, and I could feel the person now standing right in front of us, we were separated by the huge leaves and coverings.

With a conventional swift, the leaves were parted and he hovered above us...