A snarl caught my attention, making me whip my head to the side. “Who’s there?”
It started again, this time from another direction. Then another.
“Kaiden! This isn’t funny!”
Feet crunched against the hay and leaves outside of the stables, and I saw him standing there with his hands clasped behind him. “Ryuk and I had a very… enlightening conversation.”
Something appeared off with him. His stance… even his voice… “Kaiden, what’s going on?”
More snarls grew louder from places I couldn’t see, sending a terror-streaked chill through my bones.
“You see… the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. I mean, one can’t really deny a chance at being king, can he?” He stepped closer but still hadn’t entered through the doors. “Now, I can’t exactly have you following me around like a lost pup, can I?”
“What are you talking about?” Too many alarms rang through my head. But when I turned to leave in the opposite direction, I saw them. I had only seen those creatures once or twice during the war, but they never made it past the castle gates. By thetime I would lay eyes on them, they were dead. Their carcasses brought in for examination.
“Kaiden!” I spun to him only to find him smiling at me.
“This is truly what’s best for all of us, Mara. Loose ends and all. I just…” He inhaled, closing his eyes and smiling as he shook his head. “Gods… I wish I could have played with you first.”
Before I could respond, I heard them charge behind me, and I screamed just as teeth sank into my arm. I couldn’t fight them. I couldn’t stop them. Another set of fangs dug into my shoulder… Then, my other arm… My neck… I was immobilized, only standing because of the countless hands holding me up. The only thing I saw was Kaiden, staring at me as pain enveloped my body and my screams became gargled.
“K… Kai…” My body fell to the floor, my face still pointed toward the doors. But now, I could no longer feel their bites. It happened so quickly—my blood draining.
“I hope she’s as pretty as you…” he said quietly before closing the doors and locking me inside.
He left me… He… How could he…
Suddenly, heat filled the stables and the horses whinnied, kicking around in their stalls. Fire. The stables… They’re on fire!
Kaiden…I wanted to cry out.Please don’t do this to me.
I battledmy eyes, forcing them to stay open, but I could no longer feel my limbs. Every part of my body had gone numb, and the only thing left to hurt was my heart. It shattered, breaking in a pain worse than the wounds that now covered my limbs.
He left me… He…
Kaiden…
Chapter 37
KAIDEN
When I opened my eyes, I no longer stood in the forest.
Instead, I stood in the receiving hall of a castle thatlookedlike my own, but… everything was different—brighter. The windows were curtainless, letting the sunlight shine through, casting an orange hue on the paintings that hung along the wall—paintings I had taken down a long time ago.
I almost jumped as someone passed by me, a member of my staff that had been let go centuries ago. He wasn’t evenaliveanymore.
But what really caught my attention was the girl running down the stairs,dressed in riding attire.
“Mara?” I breathed out, but she continued toward the doors like I hadn’t said a word. Without missing a beat, I turned on my heels and followed after her. “Mara!” I yelled, but she still didn’t respond.
I followed her all the way past the gardens to the stables, and it wasn’t until I saw her enter that the memory truly struck me. This was it—the day that she died.
“Mara!” I ran after her, but when I rounded the corner to the entrance, I slid to a stop when I saw…mestanding there. “What the… Hey!” I called to the man.
I was never there when the fire started. I had still been with Ryuk at the Garden of the Gods, speaking with some of his lycan generals. It wasn’t until a shadow walker appeared, alerting me of the stables being torched, that I returned home. The fire had already been put out by the time I arrived, courtesy of one of the elementals under my employ.
The strange, mirrored version of me locked the stable doors and turned to leave. I wanted to follow him… Ishouldhave followed him… but then I heardherscream.
