Chapter 71

Chapter 71
Calix's POV.

My convoy pulled up in front of the castle. I alighted from my carriage and strode inside the mansion. Amidst the worried glances and bows of my staff, I hurried up the grand stairs and arrived at the threshold of my chamber, meeting the door wide open.

There Emily lay on the bed shivering, despite the heavy blankets wrapped around her. Beads of sweat clung to her flushed skin, and her breathing was shallow, uneven. Leia sat beside her, pressing a damp cloth to her forehead, her face drawn with worry.

What happened?" I demanded, striding toward them.

Leia looked up, her eyes filled with unease. "Her fever spiked the moment you left. I-I thought it was something I could manage but it's only getting worse."

I reached out, brushing damp strands of hair from my mate's forehead. Her skin was burning hot, her eyes shut as she whimpered. The sight of her like this sent a stab of fear through my chest.

"Get Mr. Petecin!" I instructed, glancing at Han standing at the threshold.

"Yes, My Lord." He bowed and left the room.

Instinctively, Leia stood up from the bed and I sat, taking Emily's hand in both of mine. "I'm here, bella," I whispered. Her hands were cold, like the winds howling at the shut windows of my chamber.

I took the damp cloth and gently pressed it to her forehead. My heart constricted with sadness, a lump forming in my throat.

Hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. I tilted my head in the direction just as Han and Mr. Petecin appeared at the threshold. Randolph lingered behind them.

"Mr. Petecin!" I lurched to my feet.

"Please, come in."

The old man stepped into the room.

"What happened?"

"She's having a fever," I replied.

VIN

Mr. Petecin wasted no time. He set his bag down, pulling out a small vial and a bundle of crushed herbs. "Hold her steady," he instructed.

I sat beside Emily, cradling her gently as he mixed a tincture with practiced hands. He pressed the vial to her lips, letting the liquid trickle into her mouth. She stirred slightly but didn't resist.

Leia handed him a bowl of cool water. He Soaked a fresh cloth and pressed it firmly against Emily's pulse points-her wrists, her neck, her temples. The room was tense, the only sound the ragged rhythm of my mate's breathing.

"She'll be alright," Mr. Petecin announced.

Her breathing evened out. Gradually, the fevered flush on her cheeks faded.

Relief surged through me, the tightening in my chest easing. "Thank you, Mr. Petecin."

"You're welcome, Your Majesty," he said, gathering his things. "Let her rest. She'll need her strength when she wakes."

I replied with a nod and turned to my beta. "See to it that he's escorted safely home in this storm." I turned to the royal physician. "Let my beta know if you need anything."

"You're gracious, My Lord."

Han saw him out, their receding footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Leia stepped forward, concern etched across her face as she glanced at Emily. "Any word on Elara?" she asked in a fhushed voice.

I exhaled, rubbing a hand over my face. Gently, I laid Emily back on the bed, and stepped away from the bed.

"We found Elara at her home. The girl spoke in riddles about a place where the earth rises to whisper to the sky, where an unseen mouth yawns wide, swallowing all who enter. A place untouched by light, where echoes never fade, and the air is thick with the whispers of the lost."

Leia's brows knitted together. "What does that mean?"

"We tried to get her to explain, but before she could, she collapsed. It wasn't just a simple seizure-it was as if something took hold of her." A chill ran down my spine at the memory. "And then, a sudden gust of wind swept through the room. The doors and windows were shut, Leia. It wasn't natural."

Leia's eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth. "The witch! Calix, don't you think she's behind this? What if she's watching us-listening to our every move?"

My jaw clenched at the thought. The idea that we were being watched, that every step we took was already known, sent a slow burn of anger through my veins.

It's possible. The timing was too precise. The moment Elara tried to reveal more, something-or someone-had silenced her with the seizure.

"That witch!" A growl rumbled in my chest.

"So what do we?" Leia asked, exactly the moment Han reentered the room.

I turned to my beta. "Double the guards outside this chamber, instructing them to report any strange movements or sound."

"Yes, My Lord." Han bowed and hurried out of the room again. Randolph, who'd been standing quietly at the threshold, stepped forward.

Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.

My gaze darted to my cousin, noting how her shoulders sagged from fatigue. "Leia needs to rest. Take care of her and keep her safe. Can you do that for me?" I asked, taking my gaze back to the werewolf.

"Yes, My Lord. With all pleasure"

"Calix." Leia took another step forward. "She'll be fine... We'll figure this out-the riddles," Leia murmured, her voice still a whisper.

"Thank you, Leia," I said, my tone firm yet grateful. "But you need to rest now." I shifted my gaze back to Emily, signaling the end of the conversation.

Randolph placed a gentle hand on Leia's back. "Come on," he urged.

With a quiet sigh, Leia relented, and their footsteps echoed softly out of the room.

Just then, Han reentered. "The guards are in position, My Lord."

"Good," I replied. "Get some rest, Han. We'll need our strength for whatever comes next."

He hesitated for a moment, then bowed. "As you wish."

Once the door clicked shut behind him, silence settled over the chamber. I exhaled slowly, my attention returning to Emily.



Four hours has passed since everyone left the room. I paced restlessly, my mind churning through every possibility, every clue Elara had given before the witch's magic had silenced her.

The riddles haunted me. "A place untouched by light... an unseen mouth that yawns wide... where echoes have no end."

What does it mean? What place could it be?

Qutside, the storm raged on. Harsh winds frowled through the castle walls, rattling the windows as if all the elements of the earth were conspiring against us.

Thunder rumbled across the sky, shaking the earth beneath my feet. The beams of the lanterns flickered, as though cowering from the impending doom waiting to consume us by midnight.

No! I must find a way out of this

Exhaling sharply, I ran a hand through my hair. There had to be a way to break this curse...to find the witch's lair. I'refused to accept that my mate's fate was sealed.

I turned back to the bed, watching as she lay there, her breathing steady but shallow. The fever had passed, but she had yet to wake.

Slowly, I strode to the dresser, pulled open a drawer and came up with ink and a piece of paper.

I sat down and took a deep breath, willing Elara's words to replay in my head.

"Beyond the town's reach, where the earth rises to whisper to the sky..."

Where does Tyr town end? The port!

"...where the earth rises to whisper to the sky. An unseen mouth yawns wide, swallowing all who enter."

What part of the earth could rise to the sky? A place untouched by light, where echoes have no end and the air is thick?

A cave! A cave in a mountain!!! How could I not have figured this out all this whole time?

The answer to the riddle was a cave in the mountain, at Tyr's port!

Breath lodged in my throat as my thoughts drifted to the woman on the cliff with gray hair coiled into two like a bull's horn. That's her! The witch!

Good grief! That explains why she always startled whenever our gazes met! She knew all along... had been watching my every move.

A rush of determination surged through me. I couldn't risk waiting any longer-not when midnight was around the corner.

Taking a deep breath, I folded the paper and tucked it into my coat. My heart pounded with the weight of my decision.

But I couldn't afford to alert the others. If Han or Leia knew, they'd insist on coming, and I couldn't afford to risk them. So, how do I leave without letting them know?

'The rooftop, Gabriel growled.

I strode to Emily, brushing my fingers lightly against her cheek. "Rest, bella," I whispered. "I will end this."

Straightening, I mind-linked the guards outside my chamber with a last command before crossing the room. Umlatching the window, I pushed it open just enough to slip through.

I stepped into the storm and shut the window after me.