Chapter 50 The Awakening

Chapter 50 The Awakening
Cael’s POV: The Awakening.

I opened my eyes and expected pain. I expected the burning fire of the spear in my side, the pain of the silver light I had felt through my veins. I sat up but felt nothing.

I touched my side, and my shirt was gone, replaced by a clean hospital gown. My skin was smooth. I ran my fingers over my ribs. There was no hole, no scar, not even a bruise.

"How?" a healer whispered. He was standing by the bed, holding a clipboard. "He was... he was dying, the blood loss..."

I looked at my hands; they were clean, the blood was gone.

"Where is she?" I asked.

The healer stepped back, looking at me like I was a ghost. "Cael?"

"Lira," I snapped and swung my legs off the bed. "Where is she?"

The door to the infirmary room slammed open, and my father walked in. He didn't look like a grieving father; he looked like a man who had lost control of his chessboard. He stopped at the foot of the bed as his cold eyes scanned my bare chest, looking for the wound that wasn't there.

"It seems the reports of your death were exaggerated," he said.

"Where is she?" I asked again.

My father’s face didn't change. "The girl is dead."

The world stopped.

"Dead?"

"We found the body," he spoke flatly. "In the old house. Burnt beyond recognition, she probably played with magic... it must have consumed her. She played with forces she couldn't control."

I stared at him. Dead? Burnt?

I reached inside myself. I reached for the golden tether I had felt just moments before I blacked out…the pull, the heat, the mate bond.

I felt nothing.

"But…" I whispered.

"Her accomplice, Riven, brought you out, he confirmed it. She tried to set herself free with some magic but it exploded. You were lucky to survive."

I remembered the house, the light. I remembered Lira…no, she told me her name was Selene. We had been talking about a plan.

"Where is Riven?" I asked.

"In custody," my father answered. "He claims he saved you. He claims he wants amnesty for bringing the Crown Prince home." He scoffed. "As if a traitor deserves anything but the noose."

"He saved my life!" I screamed.

My father took a step closer. "Do not raise your voice at me, boy. You are alive because I sent the Shadow Units to find you. Because I cleaned up your mess."

I laughed. "You sent them to find me? You ordered my execution, you whipped me until I bled and you told me to eliminate her. Now you care that I was missing?"

"I care about the line!" he roared. "I care about the Crown! You were dying, Cael! You were skewered like a pig in a slaughterhouse because of that girl!"

"I was protecting my people! Protecting Riven!"

"You were protecting a traitor!" He pointed a finger at my chest. "And look where it got you… you almost died for following her."

He turned to leave, and I stormed out of the infirmary. The guards outside fell into step behind me. I led them to the holding cells near the Council chamber.

Riven was sitting on a bench, he wasn't chained this time but he looked terrible. His face was bruised, his clothes torn and stained with blood…my blood.

He looked up when I entered.

"Leave us," I ordered the guards.

They hesitated. "Now!" I snarled.

They left, closing the heavy door.

Riven stood up slowly. He looked at me; his eyes scanned my body. "You look... healthy."

"My father says she's dead," I questioned. I didn't waste time with greetings.

Riven’s face was unreadable. "He found a body…a burnt body."

"Stop it," I said. I grabbed his shirt, bunching the fabric in my fists. "Cut the crap, Riven. Tell me the truth. Is she dead?"

Riven looked at my hands, then up at my eyes. He didn't push me away. "You healed fast. The stone must have done its work."

"I don't care about the stone! I care about her!" I shook him. "I can't feel her, Riven. The bond. It snapped into place right before I went under. It was... it was everything. And now it's gone. Is she dead? Did the stone kill her?"

Riven laughed; he looked like he was enjoying the show. "No, she's not. Get me out, and I'd spill."

My knees almost gave out. I leaned back against the wall, letting out a breath I felt like I’d been holding since I woke up. "Then why? Why can't I feel her?"

"She blocked it," Riven whispered, his voice was low so the guards outside wouldn't hear. "She used the stone. She wrapped the bond in a shroud. She said if your father sensed her through you, the plan wouldn't work."

"The plan," I repeated. "What plan?"

"She went back," Riven said.

"Back where? To the forest?"

"No," Riven shook his head. "To the Academy, to burn it down," A small, dangerous smile touched his lips. "She said she's done running."

I ran a hand over my face. "But they think She's dead…oh goodness, Lira. She's alone in there, meaning she hasn't been caught In the dark?”

"She's not alone," Riven said. "She has the stone and she has us. Or... she hopes she has us."

He looked at me pointedly. "She told me to bring you back, she told me to surrender. She wanted you safe."

"She wanted me out of the way," I muttered.

"She wanted you alive, Cael," Riven snapped. "Don't be thick. She saved you and healed you. And now she's risking everything."

"My father wants me to play the hero," I said. "He wants me to stand in front of the Council and pretend everything is fine."

"Then do it," Riven said. "Play the part. Be the perfect Prince. Let them think they won. Let them think the threat is over. If they think she's dead, they'll get sloppy. They'll drop their guard."

"And you?" I asked. "You're a prisoner again."

“It's over to you now, Cael. Play your part and get me out.”

I looked at him wondering how to come up with a plan …I certainly had to do something.