Chapter 69

Chapter 69
Calix's POV.

After letting go of Thane, we released the Azaleans we held prisoners, and then retreated to our vessels.

"Weigh anchors!" Han's voice clamored, resounding in the night breeze.

The lead vessel lurched forward as we set out for Tyr.

Inside the Great Cabin, I carefully cleaned my mate with warm water. She whimpered and flinched at my touch, shrinking away as if expecting pain. My jaw clenched. Weeks of torture had made her fear even the gentlest of hands. She believed everyone who came near only meant to hurt her.

Sighing, I reached for the bowl of soup on the table, scooped a spoonful, and brought it to her lips, "Here, have something to eat."

She hesitated, and then finally parting her lips, she took a sip and chewed slowly.
"The stars." She giggled. "There are stars in the soup."

"What?"

She pointed at the vegetables in the soup. "I like the stars. Do you like them too?"

I wavered for a second. "Y-yes. I like them too." To prove it, I took a scoop of the soup into my mouth. She giggled again.

"How do they taste?"

"Divine. They taste divine."

She took the bowl from my hands, her fingers trembling. She lifted the spoon to her lips and took a small sip, her eyes darting toward me as if expecting punishment for it.

"'s fine. Go ahead, bella." I encouraged with a smile.

She finished eating the soup and gave me the bowl. "It's true, the stars taste divine. I want them some other time."

"I'm glad you like them."

She toyed with her dress. "Who are you? Your face looks familiar."

My heart sank, fresh tears threatening the rims of my eyes. "I'm your mate. My name is Calix Ledger."

"Calix?" she repeated.

I nodded.

"I like your name," she whispered.

"And I like your name too."

"Do you know my name?" she asked.

"Yes, your name is Emily."

She frowned and shook her head. "No, my name is Sunflower, my name is not Emily."

fought back the tears. "Exactly. Your name is Sunflower...how foolish of me to have forgotten."

"You're not foolish...you're handsome," she said, blushing and timidly lowering her gaze to the floor.

I couldn't help but smile. "And you're beautiful, Sunflower."

Her gaze widening, she looked up from the floor as though not believing the words I just said. "Do you think I'm beautiful?" I nodded. To prove it, I leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheeks.

A rosy hue bloomed across her face, a sharp contrast against the deep purple bruises marring her skin. She yawned. "You need to have some rest. It's almost midnight," I said.

She followed my eyes to the bed, and nodded. When she climbed into bed, she didn't sleep immediately. She whispered to her hands for a long time, before she finally dozed off.

Returning the bowl to the table, I covered her with a blanket and strode out of the room.

The cool night breeze greeted me as I stepped on the deck, a distant rumble of thunder echoing from the horizon. "We're going to have a storm," I said, joining Han behind the wheels.

"Yes, My Lord. But we should be in Tyr before then."

Nodding, I glanced at my beta. "Thank you for today. I couldn't have pulled this off so easily without you."

Han smiled. "What are best friends for?" He glanced at the cabin. "How's she?"

1 took a deep breath. "She's fine, except she doesn't remember me or herself." A wave of melancholy swept through me.

"She'll be fine, My Lord. Once we arrive, Tyr, we'll find a way to break the spells."

My gaze wandered across the ship and landed on Randolph standing near the Bow of the main deck. Without another word, I made my way toward him.

"Hello, Randelph."

My Lord?" He straightened from his stance, his eyes meeting mine.

"I want to thank you for the letter," I said, my voice quieter than usual. "Without it, I wouldn't have known what she was going through."

Randolph gave a solemn nod. "I only did what was right. She endured more than anyone should." His gaze flickered toward the cabin door, concern evident in his features. "Is she... any better?"

"She ate," I said, though the words felt hollow. "But she doesn't know who she is. She calls herself Sunflower."

Randolph's jaw tightened. "They tampered with her mind."

My hands clenched into fists by my sides. "The day before you left Tyr, Leia said Emily had an encounter with a witch," I said, watching as his brows creased. "Do you know any witch that might want to harm Emily?"

used to know of one witch, Tetina, the one I told you worked with your father that night decades ago to abduct Thane. But she's dead, Queen Larissa killed her."

"Does she have any descendants or members of her coven?"

"Tetina operated solo, but she did have a daughter called Adria, who happened to be Thane's former lover."

Slowly, my gaze shifted to Randolph, a pang of rage coiling in my chest. "Thane's former lover? Are you telling me that the witch who might have cursed Emily is the same woman who once shared Thane's bed?"

Randolph was quiet, confusion reflecting in his eyes. "That morning, Thane had ordered us to burn the ship Adria was on. It went up in flames. No one could have survived that."

Lighting streaked across the sky. "I do not know of any witch in my family history that might want to hurt me. So, Adria goes on our suspect list. There's still chances that she survived the fire, still chances that she's behind my mate's illness."

A loud thunder reverberated through the sky and shook the waters. "Land ho!!" the lookout man hollered. I brought out my spyglass and glimpsed the gray hump ahead-home, sweet home.

Another thunder cracked the sky as we alighted the ship, the docks creaking under the strong wind than our boots.

Emily remained asleep in my arms, curled against my chest as I carried her to our private carriage. Though dawn had arrived, the presence of the storm made it look as though it was still midnight. The streets were eerily empty, rain hammering against our carriage's roof as we rode past.

Emily suddenly stirred. "My hair! No, stop!" She thrashed in my arms, but her eyes remained shut. "Give me back my hair!"

But I wasn't holding her hair. "Bella?"

Just as abruptly as it began, the struggle ceased. She sagged in my arms and drifted again to sleep.

I wanted to ignore the sudden outburst, to convince myself it was nothing more than fevered delirium. But her words struck a chord deep within me, tugging at a memory buried in the recesses of my mind.

'Elara, Gabriel whispered.

My breath hitched-a shiver running down my spine. Yes, Elara's prophecy!

"Beware the collector. Beware of the pot shrouded in eternal darkness... It overflows with blood... When the thread of life is cast into the pot..."

The thread of life! That was a cryptic name for a hair! The realization clawed at my chest, leaving me gasping for air.

Could the witch have taken my mate's hair? Could that be the reason she suddenly fell ill?