Chapter 132 Sweet dreams
Chapter 132: Sweet dreams
Milo's POV
“Cornelius!!” Daphne whispered, her voice layered with fear.
The head rolled towards the foot of my bed, stopping with a clang sound. It was the guards who had been protecting us.
"You killed him," I gasped. "You killed a fellow shadow!"
"First time for everything," Cornelius laughed. "And trust me, it won't be the last."
He moved into the room like a cat stalking mice. Blood drippling from his sword making little splat sounds on the floor.
"Well, well, well," he said, his smile growing wider. "Look what we have here. The Alpha's pet and his guardian angel."
"Stay back," Daphne warned, moving in front of me.
"Or what?" Cornelius laughed. "You'll heal me to death? Throw some herbs at me?"
He was enjoying this. Playing with us like a cat with mice.
"You're supposed to be in the dungeons," Daphne said, still shielding me with her body. Her voice was steady now, but I could hear her heart racing.
"Supposed to be lots of things," Cornelius laughed. "Supposed to be loyal. Supposed to follow orders. Supposed to be dead." He spun his sword. "But here I am."
"How did you escape?" I asked.
"Oh, little omega wants to know my secrets?" He took another step closer. "Let's just say I had help. Lots of help. You'd be surprised how many people want you dead."
My blood went cold. "What?"
"You heard me." His smile got wider. "The perfect little pet. The Alpha's favorite toy. Everyone hates you. Even your own family had to seek you out."
"You are lying."
"Am I? Who do you think told me about the death match? The binding curse, who do you think made sure you ate the apple before the fight?..."
“Apple?” Daphne asked, looking at me.
“Hahaha, surprised?” He laughed at Daphne's shocked face. “It seems like our little omega is hiding a lot of secrets.”
“Shut up. It's a lie, she is just a homeless orphan.” I screamed out but I could hardly believe my own words.
“Ohh, really, is that what she told you? The homeless girl met a rejected.” He gestured widely with his hands. “How symbolic and touching.”
No, she wouldn't… I trailed off,
But then I remembered her face that fateful night, I had sensed that something was wrong that night. But then, I waved it aside.
The fear, yes. But also... satisfaction? Like things were going according to plan?
Cornelius walked closer, like he had all the time in the world.
"Why?" I asked, "What did I ever do to all of you?"
"You existed," he said simply. "You made the Alpha weak. Soft. Do you know what he was before you? A god. Untouchable. Feared by everyone." His face twisted with disgust. "Now look at him. Running around like a lovesick puppy."
"That's not my fault…"
"ISN'T IT?" He roared. "Everything was perfect before you came! We were strong! United! Now half the pack wants to protect you and half wants you dead!"
He pointed his sword at me. "Well, I'm going to fix that problem."
"You have to go through me first," Daphne said firmly.
Cornelius laughed harder. "The healer wants to play the hero? You can as well go to hell together."
He lunged forward, sword flashing.
I cringed, not able to look.
But something incredible happened.
Daphne moved like lightning. She grabbed his wrist, twisted, and sent him flying across the room.
Cornelius crashed into the bookshelf, books falling everywhere.
"What?" He gasped, struggling to stand.
Daphne hadn't moved from her spot. She stood perfectly still, perfectly calm.
But Daphne moved faster than I had ever seen anyone move. She dodged his sword and hit him in the chest with her palm.
Cornelius flew backward, crashing into the wall.
"What?" He gasped, his face was filled with horror and confusion. I could see his brain struggling to understand what had happened. "How did you…"
I looked at Daphne, or what looked like the Daphne I know
Daphne's whole posture had changed. She didn't look like a healer anymore, didn't look like a middle aged peaceful woman... She looked like a warrior.
"Get up," she said coldly. "Try again."
“If I don't kill you today, know I am not Cornelius.” Cornelius snarled and attacked again. This time with more care. More skill.
But Daphne blocked every strike, without stress. Her knife met his sword again and again, making sparks fly as they exchanged a hundred blows yet Cornelius couldn't break past Daphne.
"You're not just a healer," Cornelius said, breathing hard. "You are trained… Military trained."
"I'm many things," Daphne replied.
They clashed again. Cornelius was strong and fast, but Daphne was faster. She moved like water, flowing around his attacks.
"You fight like a shadow," Cornelius said, backing up. "But you're not one of us. I know all the shadows."
"Not all of them," Daphne said.
They circled each other like wolves.
"Unless..." Cornelius's eyes went wide. "No. That's impossible. You can't be..."
"Can't be what?" I asked, confused.
Cornelius's face went pale. "The Widow…You're the Widow."
"The what?" I looked at Daphne. "What's he talking about?"
But Daphne didn't answer. She just smiled. A cold, dangerous smile I'd never seen on her face before.
"The Widow is a legend," Cornelius said, answering my hottest curiosity, real fear in his voice now. "A shadow who killed a hundred men in one night. Who could fight ten warriors at once and win. Who retired after…"
"After my husband died," Daphne finished. "Yes. That's me."
I stared at her in shock. Sweet, gentle Daphne was a legendary killer?
"You've been hiding here," Cornelius said. "Playing healer. Why?"
"Everyone needs a purpose," Daphne said simply. Materializing a knife out of thin air. "Killing got boring. Healing seemed more useful."
"And now… Now I remember why I was good at killing."
She moved so fast I barely saw it, nobody saw her move. One moment she was standing still. The next, she had Cornelius pinned against the wall, her knife at his throat.
"Shadow Unit Code, Section 3," she said formally. "For the crime of killing a brother shadow, you are sentenced to death."
"Wait!" Cornelius gasped, fear evident in his voice. "You can't! I have information! I know things!"
"Nothing I want to hear."
She started to press the knife deeper, going for the jugular vein.
Then a hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her millimeters from slashing his neck.
"Stop."
We all turned to look at the new person who had appeared in the doorway.
My heart stopped.
No matter how I tried to recognise the new person, shadows seemed to obscure his face.
"Let him go, Widow," he said calmly.
"He killed a shadow," Daphne said. "The law is clear."
"The old laws don't matter anymore." He stepped fully into the room. "Release him now."
My blood went cold. The person that had entered, whoever he was was working with Cornelius.
Daphne pressed her knife harder against Cornelius's throat. "You are a traitor. You should be ashamed of soiling the generals bloodline.:
"I am a patriot," he said. "I'm saving this pack from destruction. Damon is weak. Cursed. He will destroy us all."
"So you'll destroy him first?"
"If necessary." The strange man 's hand went to his sword. "Now let Cornelius go. We need him."
"No."
"That wasn't a request."
The air in the room got heavy. The new stranger's power filled the space like thick smoke.
He was strong. Maybe stronger than even alphas.
"You can't fight me, Widow," he said. "You're good, but you are old and retired."
"Want to test that theory?"
"With pleasure."
Daphne stared at the shadow that was the stranger. The tension in the room was so thick I could barely breathe.
Finally, the man chuckled. "But not here. Not now. We have what we came for."
"You're not taking Milo," Daphne said.
"Oh, but we are." Elijah pulled something from his pocket. A small whistle, immediately, Daphne backed away.
Suddenly, the room filled with masked soldiers. They came through the windows, the door, even through the walls somehow.
Twenty of them. All armed. All pointing weapons at us.
My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach.
They attacked daphne all at the same time.
My hairs suddenly stood at attention, but before I could react I felt a prickling feeling on my hands.
A dart??
A soldier had shot a dart at me.
Pain exploded in my shoulder. I screamed.
"Stop!" Daphne released Cornelius immediately. "Don't hurt him!"
"Too late," Elijah said.
The room started spinning. The dart. It was drugged.
"Daphne," I gasped, falling to my knees.
She rushed to me, but the soldiers blocked her, keeping her occupied.
"Sleep tight, little omega," Cornelius said, rubbing his throat. "When you wake up, you'll be far from here."
"Damon will find me," I said, my words slurring.
"No," the man said, coming closer for me to see his face. "He won't."
“You…Eli...”
The last thing I saw was his evil smile before my eyes closed.
"Sweet dreams,"
Then nothing.