Chapter 134 Lies and Truths

Chapter 134 Lies and Truths
LORCAN

By the time I reach the training grounds, the students are already being assigned to their different groups and I don't see Lyria anywhere. 

Dammit, where is she?

"I'll see if I can find her," Finnegan Zicco says to me before shooting me a look. "We're on the same page, aren't we?"

I clench my jaw, but I have no choice but to say, "For now, yes."

After his lengthy explanation about his involvement in all this, I have no choice but to work with him, at least for now. If I had known what Morian's plan was from the start, I would never have interfered. But I guess what happened toward the end wasn't my fault, because I didn't help her escape. 

I should've believed my uncle when he said that she was going to a better place. I should've known to trust him. My uncle wasn't a dishonest man, far from it. 

But it's not too late to make things right. 

Right now, my main priority is finding Lyria before she disappears into the woods. Hunting Day will undoubtedly be used as an excuse by some people to get to her without the academy's supervision, and by someone I mean Anselm. 

I keep thinking about what he told me last night, and I'm convinced that he'll try something today. Maybe that's what he meant. Hell, maybe he knew that this event should be shifted to this date. Dad used to tell me all his plans, but now, he doesn't do it anymore. I guess in many ways, he expects me to be thankful that I'm even alive. 

Betrayal is not something my father has ever taken lightly, but who cares? In my own way, I'll never forgive him for what he did to me either. 

I make my way to the head of the group, where one of my classmates who also oversees the freshmen's training, Ada, tells me, "You're late, Delacourt. You've been assigned to the Yellow Team. You need to help track their movements and make sure they're not cheating."

What the fuck does that even mean?

I look around the crowd, and panic builds inside of me when I don't spot her. A lot of the students whose names are being called are heading toward one of the long wooden tables to grab their vests and a bag of supplies. 

Still, I don't see Lyria anywhere. 

I sniff the air for her, but there are so many people around and her scent is still so subtle that I can't detect it. For some reason, I have the feeling that standing around and doing nothing is not going to be doing me any favors. 

If anything, I should be more worried that she isn't standing around. 

"Lorcan?"

I whirl around, heart skipping a beat then sinking rapidly when I realize it's not her. It's simply despair at this point because Annicka's voice isn't even like Lyria's. I need to get a fucking grip. 

"Do you know where Lyria is?" I ask, not giving her a chance to speak. 

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," she claims as she clutches her blue vest closer to her body. "She was looking for you. I suggested that you might be in the training room, but she isn't back yet."

Panic washes over me, and I excuse myself right away. I hurry to the training room, hoping and praying to the Goddess that she will be there because I'm imagining all sorts of fucked up shit right now. 

That's when something catches my attention, making me stop dead in my tracks.

I see Wallace talking to Mrs. Rochester, the same lecturer Lyria complained about. Something inside of me hardens and once again, I panic. What the hell is going on? I have to find Lyria, but at the same time, I can't believe this guy would betray us like this. 

How fucking could he? Why didn't we ever suspect that there would be a traitor among us? 

The urge to confront him is fucking strong, but I have to make sure that Lyria is alright first. So, I go left to enter the training room from the back. 

As soon as I get there, I find the space empty, and disappointment washes all over me. As I get to the center of the space, though, I realize that I can smell faint traces of her scent. 

So she was here. 

She couldn’t have gone too far, then. 

I burst out of the training room and start hurrying back to the training grounds. I don’t see Wallace and the lecturer anymore, but I push them to the back of my mind in any case. 

Not for long, though. 

“Lorcan?”

Wallace. 

I slow my steps and turn my head to look at him. How dare he approach me like everything’s fine and he’s not a fuck of a traitor.

“Everything alright?”

“You’ve got some nerve, man,” I retort. “You don’t think I saw you with Rochester?”

Panic flashes across his eyes and he tells me, “You’ve got it all wrong. She’s on our side now, man.”

“Fuck that. I don’t believe it.”

“The Oracle of the Moon told me so herself,” he claims more forcefully. “Obviously, it’s not as safe to trust her, but the more allies we have, the better.”

I scoff. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Mrs. Rochester had a vision,” he explains. “She went straight to the Oracle of the Moon. Haven’t you heard? It seems Lyrianne’s wolf spirit has been partly awakened, and there’s something different about it. It’s not like yours or mine. They can’t explain it either. They just know that it’s real.”

I’m wasting precious fucking time. I’ve got to get to Lyria. 

As soon as I turn away, he says, “Wait. Where are you going?”

“It’s none of your fucking business, man.”

He starts following me. “You really don’t believe me, do you? Don’t you get it? Mrs. Rochester was given a vision so powerful that she went from being Lyrianne’s biggest hater to someone willing to do anything to make sure she’s safe! The Goddess has shown her! Something’s going to happen, Lorcan. Right here on these grounds.”

I don’t stop walking, but I turn my head to fix my gaze on him. Why does that sound so fucking ominous? “Something like what?”

“Something bad,” he clarifies. “Today. Nothing to do with Lyrianne, though. That much Mrs. Rochester was sure. According to her, all the veils will drop, and everyone will see the truth.”

I shake my head. I’ve got to find Lyria right now. I won’t rest until she’s in my arms again. 

But when I get to the training grounds, she isn’t around either and neither is Finnegan. 

“Fuck,” I grit out. Wallace keeps looking at me questioning, and I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt. “I’m looking for Lyria. I can’t let her go on this hunt.”

He nods solemnly. “Let me ask the other trainers if they’ve seen her.”

Two minutes later, he returns with the news. She was here, and she was assigned to a group before she headed into the woods. 

It’s like my worst fucking nightmare come to life right before my damned eyes.