24: Iris
Blood drained from my face as the implications fully settled in. The result was my mind was left in a spiral. The simple thought of my father put out fear of the goddess in me. Every memory of him was tainted by the memory of him kicking my stomach. Killing my child. There should have been hatred coursing through my veins at any reminder of him, but all I could feel was fright and despair.
“Yes, she will deliver on her promise,” Zahls said, suddenly on board and understanding Rolan’s ploy. “Our Luna will deliver on her promine
All eyes fell expectantly on me, I felt like a rat in a cage. I was trapped and there was no escape in sight. I looked at Cassian, but even he said nothing. and continued to look at me. As though expecting my reply like everyone else
‘I promise,” I forced the words out. I had just promised to kill my father before the eyes of the Lycans.
I returned to the room where Abel was still sleeping I wondered how he would feel if he found out what I had promised to do to our father. Despite everything that he had done, there were still moments when I remembered how he was before. Before the affair, before Lyra, before his mistress’s death. Before everything went to hell. Horse riding lessons, story times, picnics, parts of father that Abel never got that chance to see.
Ever since it was revealed that he had a stutter, father went from bad to the absolute worst. There was no horrible word in the world that my father had not called Abel. I doubted that Abel even liked his father, not to love him.
“What are you doine a voice behind me pulled me out of my reverie.
I turned to face the owner of the voice, only to see Zahla. She had her arms crossed, her eyes gleaming with something I could not place but filled me with dread all the same.
“What are you doing here?” I asked
Her eyes mrrowed at me. “Who do you think you are? You do not own this castle,” she chuckled lightly. Don’t tell me that it’s already gone to your head, everything my husband said, that is.”
1 said nothing to that. There was nothing to say.
When I would not respond, her eyes fell behind me, on my sleeping brother. My protective instincts kicked in, and I stood between her and him
Her gaze was trained on me once again, amusement dancing in her eyes. “What are you doing?” She asked. “Tam just taking a lot at the retard that you brought to our castle.”
1 felt heat rise in my gut. But I bit my tongue, I was not going to willingly take another bait.
She took a step in my direction, and another, with each step my dread only grew, “You are trying to protect him from me.” She stated. “Do you think you can succeed
I felt my blood slow to a crawl in my veins. She was threatening his life.
“Do you really think you can stop me if I decide that you will lose him as well” She asked, a malicious smile making its way to her mouth. “Should we perhaps make a wager on that?”
I refused to speak.
Her smile waned, suming bitter. “Answer me,” She growled.
I refused.
Her expression turned even more sour. “You really don’t know what you have gotten yourself into, do you?” She asked, voice dripping with hate “You don’t realize that you trould have been better off dead than you having to be married him.”
Igulped but I uned to keep a straight face.
But like the predator that she was, she could smell my fear.
She laughed again, “Don’t be delusional enough that he cares for you. “He might have married you, but his beart belongs to another. You are nothing but a tool, a mesos to an end.” Zahila continued.
I felt my hands clench into fists at my sides, the nails digging into my palma. Despite the terror gnawing at my rides, I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me crudile
“You can think whatever you want, Zahila,” I said. “But you can do that outside this room. Where I got the bravery, I could never say. But I was beyond tired of everyone trying to wear me down. I was worn down enough.
Zalila’s eyes narrowed to slits, a dangerous glint in their depths. “We shall see about that,” she hissed before turning on her heel and leaving the room, the echo of her footsteps lingering long after she was gone.
I stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, trying to regain my composure. When I finally turned back to Abel, he was still asleep, oblivious to the storm brewing around us. What had she meant by Cassian’s heart belonging to another? It was the first that I had heard of it. And found that, despite the circumstances that I had wedded Cassim, the thought made me uncomfortable. Why was thath
I stood by my brother’s side, my and racked with anxiety and uncertainty. I was a couple of hours before I could even manage to doze before a knock on that door had me on my feet, On the other side of that door was a servant,
“The Alpha has summoned you,” she relayed.
I took a deep breath, nodding to the servant before casting one last glance at Abel. He was still peacefully asleep, blissfully unaware of the turmoil outside in dreams. Steeling myself. I left the room and followed the servant down the winding corridors of the castle.
My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Zabila’s words echoed in my ears, the venom in her tone still lingering like a bitter aftertaste.
The servant stopped in front of a large wooden door and knocked gently. “Enter,” came Cassian’s voice from the other ride. She opened the door and gruured for me to step inside.
Cassian stood by the window, his back to me. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel my anxiety rising again. “You wanted to see
mel Lasked.
He turned to face me, his expression unreadable. “Yes,” he said, his come as controlled and distant as ever. “Sit.”
I did as he asked.
His face was a mask of cold indifference that sent a chill down my spine. His eyes roved over me languidly as though he was not in any horror, but that did nothing to reduce the intensity of his dark gare.
You were unconscious for quite a while,” he finally said.
nd why he had called me. “Yes, so I have heard,” I replied.
I nodded with a bit of trepidation, wondering where he was going and
My answer was received with an ominous look before she reached for something on his large mahogany desk. He raised it, it was a paper.
One that I recognized well, one whose words were written in blood. My heart lunged into my throat. How had he found it? I had made sure to hide well so as not to incriminate myself.
“What is this, Iris” His voler was low and dangerous, the lairs on my arms rose at attention.
“A letter,” I replied, my voice miraculously stabile,
He raised a brow, a gesture that he had not graced me with since the first time I was caught with a knife on me. “From whom?”
“Kavnel..” I replied, my eyes filling to the ground as I was unable to take the intensity in his stare.
The silence that followed was deafening. I did not even hear his breathing, but I felt the heat of his presence.
“You hid it,” he stated.
I wanted to reply, but my tongue felt thick in my mouth.
Abang startled me out of my skin and I was forced to look up at him. “Speak!” He ordered.
“LL.“…hid it,” Istammered, my voice barely a whisper.
“Why?” He demanded.
My eyes darted everywhere else other than his face.
“Look at me,” he ordered, his tone daring me to disobey.
Again, I did as he asked, my body quivering, my legs turning to jelly,
“Now…” He rose and walked out from behind the desk, instantly dwarfing me. He took slow, deliberate steps towards me “Tell me why you hid it.”
“I couldn’t… I just could not…” I stammered out as best as I could. “It would implicate me.”
“Did you really believe me to be such a monster? That I would not be able to tell that he was threatening you?” He growled, his eyes blazing, slightly flashing that crimson within their depth
“No…no, I did not believe…you are not a monster…
“I spared your life, I protected you, I even gave you space so that my presence would not overwhelm you.” With each word he took another step towards me and each time I backed away. “Yet you hid this. What else are you hiding, my dear wife?”
Frook another step away from him, only for my back to hit a wall. There was nowhere to go. His body caged mine, trapping me.
His head bent towards mine, his face close. “Tell me, what else are you hiding?” His voice being so close sent a chill down my spine.
Only when I tried to push down the fear that had affected my senses did I finally register the sweet–sour smell of his breath. Wine. He was drunk.
“Please, I am not hiding anything else.” I promised.
“Don’t lie to me,” he whispered, his lips grazing my ear. “I despise liars, hebt down on the tip of my ear.
Tshivered against his body, mine going hot at the contact “Please,” Lumured “Believe me.” I bit back a moan
Cassian’s breath was hot against my ear, his proximity making it hard to think clearly. He pulled back slightly, his eyes searching mine, trying to
discern any hint of decent. Liner his gaze as steadily as I could, despite the tremor in my hand and the fear clenching my heart.
“Do not hide anything from me. Iris,” he finally said, his voice a low growl. “After this…” He said gesturing to the letter. “If I discover any more deceit, I promise that you will begin to fear me
He didn’t finish the threat, but he didn’t need to. The unspoken words hung heavily in the air between us. Cassian stepped back, giving me just enough space to breathe again, though my heart continued to race. What was he doing to me?
- Kavriel
