35–Iris
“Telline, Luis,” She inged “How will that baile maggot of yours cope?” She questioned, her four dripping with poison.
“You mani be leappy flim he is rating aish daring in adapt to our pack, but what
hange that?” Sir threatened. “What if I make those nightmares
My heart wesc racing at a maile per second sailau
Chuch my cheu. “How do you know?” I gasped.
She flashedne a menacing suik. “How I get in find out is none of your business. What should emnern you is what you will du to protect him Because siner you are ideque eumigle not to notice, the people in this castle do not appreciate your irritating presence. If I can’t reach him, it will bir the maith. I not them, then the guards. They see me as more ofalama than you conllever Lie able to fathom.” She struck the table with the joling tur aut of my horrified dire. “This is a warning, maggot. It seems like you are here to stay for a long while. If you thought that I was forneming you before, you are sadly mistaken. Framint stand the sight of a imaggot like you standing by my one Alpilia. You will be punished every day simply for that Der alone. And of course, by yours nuly.” She went donen liu mick bow. “Or your other will be the one to pay for your sins.“ She clapped her bandh like it brought her so much musasement to see my fare lose color from linerne. “You have not told him, have your Iblinked in confusions, dreading the answer to the question liefore I even asked, “Told him what?
“Thai bus father, the only parent he has left, is dead. That you killed him with your very own hands. The lands that stroke his hair, the hands that comion him, the hands that feed him.”
“Enmight” I screamed, unable to take another word from her manuels. Talous of dread and fear gripped my heart and squeezed so tight that I saw stars. “Pleasel” tbegged “Trave him out of this. Don’t tell him.
“That is if you belove! She bellowed. “You will not be a person but a puppet whose stringa i wich.“
“You.“I was it a loss for work. My mind was busy spiraling.
1 will do what I have to do to po vermin like you in your place. Do get it twisted that you have the Alpha wrapped around your linte finger.” She slammed the table with the cane again. “Do you understand?”
I nodded numbly, the implications settling deep within my bones. I had foolishly begun to think that the worst of it had passed. How wrong was I Abel was getting better but he was still unstable. I could not imagine him going through another stressful episode. Because of what my father had pon him through from an early age, he was far more enduring than children his age. But there was no telling what the truth of father’s death would do to him. He had been so resilient for so long, I could not let him turn into a broken child. I just could not bear the thought.
1 grit my teeth, trying to master the strength to cross this dillik huddle. “I will do as you
d, Zahila dapped. “Now, let’s begin with your first lesson. Get up
I hurriedly got on my feet.
u say.“1 finally conceded.
Follow me,” She ordered tobeyed, and she walked deeper and deeper into the library. With each step, it got dustier and darker. Then, before we reached a dead end, she stopped and I did the same. Then I noticed the bookshelves become higger and books bulkier. Soon the books in the section all looked like codices.
She faced a shelf with dusty codex–like books that looked for too big for our person to carry.
Zalth carefully ran her fingers along the spines of the massive books, that looked like it had been a decade since anyone endeavored to open them. The dust swirled in the dim light as she finally selected a tome, pulling it from the shelf with a grant of effort. She turned to me, a cruel glint in ber
ryc
“You will arrange these books alphabetically,” she commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Every, Single, One”
I stared at the towering shelves, my heart sinking. Exchi book was massive, covered in layers of dust that made my throat itch just looking at them. But I had no chose. “Yes, Zalala,” I said quietly.
Slar thrust the codex into my arms. I nearly buckled under the weight but manages to hold steady. The leather cover was rough under my fingers.
looked as though they could trouble with a single touch
“Get to work.” slie ordered, stepping back to watch for EUŲ
I started with the nearest shelf, carefully pulling down each book and squinting through the dust to read the titles. My hands trembled as I tried to balance the weighty volumes, stacking them on the floor in what I hoped was the right order. The that was overwhelming, and I began to cough, my throat burning with each breaili.
I reached for a particularly large book, my grip slipped, and is inulled to the floor with a beavy thud. Paik surged through ine as Zahila’s eyes narrowed dangerously. I instinctively braced myself.
“You clumsy maggot,” she hissed, raising her cane. Before I could react, the struck me hard across the back. Pain exploded through me, and I bit back arry, staggering under the blow. When was the last time that a cane had struck my skin?
nom. “You will finish this task perfectly.
“You have no right to make mistakes when your whole race is a mistake!” she spat, her voice dripping with venont or Abel will suffer the consequences.”
Tears stung my eyes, but I forced myself to nod. “Yes, Zahila,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
She watched me for a moment longer, then turned and walked away, leaving me to my miserable task. My back throbbed with pain, and my bangs burned from the dust, but I continued, determined not to let myself falter. For Abel, I reminded myself. For his safety, I would endure. I could not
