Thessara stepped forward, her lips pressed tight. She made her way towards the bed where Adina was, her eyes blurring with tears that she quickly blinked back.
She reached for her hand gently and squeezed tight. Thessara was unable to stay back in Obsidian, knowing sothing was going on in Crystal Moon. She left hours after Thorne and his warriors did. And she'd never been so thankful to have left Obsidian. She t Caelum outside the pack house, looking shocked to see her. He was on his way to send a ssage to her when he saw her.
He had been the one to direct her to the room where she was being kept, and now that she was in, staring at Adina, it felt like all her walls were crumbling.
Behind her, Thorne stood still, watching Thessara. He knew Adina's disappearance affected her just as much as it affected him. Seeing her struggling to hold herself together cented it for him.
"Alpha," Caelum called over the mind link. He looked at Adina once again, but this ti he was sure he could trust her with Thessara, so he stepped out of the room.
Thessara glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the door closing. She realized Thorne had stepped out, leaving her and Adina alone.
Thessara exhaled and closed her eyes. She lifted her hand, hovering her palm just above Adina's chest. Threads of her own energy flowed until they brushed against Adina's core.
Adina's eyes flew open instantly, she looked around, she was sowhere… that she could tell. "Thorne?" She called, her chest beating fast now.
Had she been dreaming? That she saw him and he hugged her?
She sat up, her eyes darting around, "Thorne?" She called out again, ready to stand up.
Thessara was quick to hold her down, holding her hands in hers, she forced her to look up. "Thorne stepped out just now. He'll be back in a second."
At this, Adina relaxed. It wasn't a dream. He was truly here, and she— she blinked, looking at the woman now.
"Thessara?"
Thessara smiled softly, caressing Adina's cheek now. "I'm here now, child," she whispered.
Adina's eyes welled up with tears. "Thessara, I—" Her lips quivered, and before she could think, she scrambled forward and threw herself against the woman, her lips quivering as she sobbed.
She didn't think she would see Thessara again. Adina clung to her, her fingers fisting in her robe. The sobs wracked her body, pouring out everything she had been holding back since the nightmare began.
"I'm sorry," she cried, her voice muffled against Thessara's shoulder. "I'm so sorry… I killed—I killed them—I—"
"Adina," Thessara's tone was firm, cradling the back of her head. "Listen to . You killed no one. You did nothing. None of this blood is on you. This was Carter's doing. His, and his alone."
Adina shook her head, her tears spilling faster. "N-No, you don't understand. He took us—, Mason, Kora. He and Radek and—" Her breath hitched sharply. "…the witch."
"The witch-" Thessara blurted.
Adina's eyes widened slightly, and she leaned back to look at the woman. Thessara sighed, sitting next to her.
"There was a witch, right?"
"How…. how did you know?" Adina asked instead.
Thessara squeezed her hand tight, a strained smile on her face. "Because after everything had happened. After the chaos in the mating hall. I went back. I thought I could find sothing that would lead to you. I didn't find anything of such, but I did find sothing. I found remnants of a bloodlust spell woven into the air itself."
Adina's breath hitched. Bloodlust spell?
"Bloodlust spell is hexed on a person to make them beast-like. They crave blood, the need to kill fills them. They're not themselves at that mont."
The more she spoke, the more Adina rembered just how it had been for her.
"I believe you were spelled with a bloodlust spell."
Adina's mouth parted in horror.
"And worse…" Thessara's expression hardened, "There was black dust scattered across the ground. A concealnt charm. Soone must've done that during the chaos. They transported you right where they wanted you."
Adina's mind flashed back to the crypt when Alma had vanished with the second half of the core. She dragged her hand over her face. She should've known. Of course, Alma was there too…
"Carter brought a witch into the palace. Right under everyone's nose. And no one noticed," Thessara continued.
"He did… The witch used the sa dust to vanish in the crypt," she murmured.
"Adina.." Thessara called, and she looked at the woman. "You must know that none of this was your fault. You didn't kill any of those people. Carter did so. He spelled you with the bloodlust—"
Adina shook her head. "He didn't."
"What?" Thessara asked, brows furrowed.
Adina shook her head, everything was beginning to be much clearer now. She could recall all that happened…
"Carter… He didn't spell directly. I don't know if he told her to do so, but it wasn't him who hexed ," she replied confidently.
Thessara's eyes narrowed, "If it wasn't him, then who?"
"Freya. His daughter. She ca up to while I was waiting for Thorne in the hall. Said so many things I can't rember, but I do know, I began to feel strange monts after she left. It must've been her who spelled ."
Thessara knew to relay the truth to Thorne. Carter and his entire lineage were monsters.
She glanced at Adina, who seed to be lost in thought, squeezing her hand slightly. "Tell everything that bothers you."
Adina looked at her for so seconds then looked away. "Carter… There's a reason why he wanted ," she began.
"He knows that I am a sage, and that's not all. He's planning on awakening Khaos."
Thessara's eyes bulged out at this. "WHAT?"
"He needs a sage to bear all of Khaos's curses and also store his powers until his ascension."
Thessara couldn't believe her ears. She's known Carter for years. She was there when he was appointed head councilman. She knew how much of a greedy man he was, but never did she think he was this evil. Her mind was working through it all now, piecing everything together.
"He needed the Aethiris core before all of this happened and.."
"Only a sage's blood can call on the core. That's why he brought you here, to the crypt," Thessara finished.
Adina nodded, "He did."
"Did you find the core? Tell !" She asked desperately.
"I did. But that's not all. While the fight was going on, the core broke in half. The witch escaped with the first half of it," she paused.
"And the second?" Thessara asked.
Adina stared at her for so seconds longer… "I swallowed it."
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