VALORIA WILDEROSE
By the next day, I’m healthier and stronger.
The side effects of being poisoned are almost nonexistent thanks to Calliope’s concoctions every six hours.
Proof that the bitterness in the dicine does an it works.
And with this newfound strength, I throw myself back into work and research to make up for lost ti spent healing and recuperating after the amount of days that have been stolen from .
But it’s not just that.
A lot is on my mind—thoughts I need to think and decipher, too much to process, leaving on the verge of losing my mind.
I said I was going to figure out who had it out for in my family, but I have no way of knowing, and that uncertainty has left feeling helpless and anxious.
Anxiousness that pushes towards sothing I can actually possibly make sense of, which is finding that dagger again.
My mission has now beco my new salvation in all areas of my life.
I’m in the royal archives as early as possible, sifting through ancient books and secrets as always.
I pick out one of the many books I’ve recently begun to revisit—the very one that had helped in deciphering the ancient tongue Azrael had used—reading through its alphabet and more words, deciding learning this different language won’t be a bad skill to have on my quest.
I flip through the pages to my last checkpoint, and my eyes catch sothing that wasn’t there the last ti I was here.
Brown old paper, printed with old faded text, now has modern-day English words written over it in bold ink letters:
’I know what you’re looking for. I can help you.’
It looks like a sick prank.
Who in their right mind would find a perfectly good historic book and ruin it with ink just to pass a ssage to soone?
Soone who has no respect for books, that is.
I roll my eyes and turn the page, but there’s another one—more ssy and splotched across the entire page.
’I have important information you won’t find where you’re looking. You need to change your direction.’
This ti I scowl, fully irritated. Just when I was getting invested, it’s ruined by so vandalizing idiot.
But then my eyes drift to the last sentence, and my blood runs cold.
’Secrets of the dagger are kept where the eyes can’t find them,’ it reads, followed by a well-detailed description of how to find them.
It’s only now that it sinks in that the person the ssage is ant for is .
I gasp, stepping back, letting the book drop from my hands like it’s made out of hot lava as my mind begins to process what’s going on.
I’m torn back and forth for a few seconds before I pick it up again, reconfirming with my eyes that it is actually what I think it is.
I’m shocked speechless, trembling from what might be fear, my mind too crippled to deduce anything when hands fall on my shoulder from behind.
I scream like my life depends on it, releasing all that internalized fear in one go.
I clutch the book to my chest as a shield, then face my assailant—and it’s the last person I’m expecting to see.
"Hello, darling." Elowen smiles anything but sweetly.
Mischief and delirium hide beneath her exposed teeth. A shiver of fear trickles through my whole body after the shock.
My free hand absentmindedly moves to my neck because it was the first place that burned when the poison started killing .
Seeing her again after not much ti has passed seems to trigger phantom symptoms.
"Y-Your Majesty."
I back further away from her into the bookshelf behind , my eyes darting towards the exit and gauging how many steps it will take to get there.
I weigh the book in my hand, wondering if it can actually be used as a shield, preparing to not take any chances this ti.
"You look like you just saw a ghost." Her smile deepens, knowing what I’m doing—that I’m completely wary of her.
It’s like she’s getting so thrill out of how terrified I am that she might try to kill again and succeed this ti.
"What are you doing here?"
"I decided to do so light reading. Am I not allowed to?" Another taunt followed by a chuckle.
I swallow, remaining silent, refusing to humor her in case this is another one of her gas.
Her laughter is replaced by disappointnt, realizing that too.
"Relax, I’m not here to try and kill you again. Azrael has already made sure I don’t do anything stupid. I wonder why?" She tilts her head. "You look good, though. I should praise Calliope for improving her skills in dicine."
"I didn’t say anything to him," I reiterate, just in case she thinks I sent him to her. I didn’t even think he’d actually talk to her.
She rubs her neck with a look of annoyance hidden behind a tight smile.
"And yet he ca running like a loyal dog." Her eyes reminisce on a distant mory, sothing that obviously displeases her, before she refocuses.
"I will comnd you—you’ve managed to do more than I could in five hundred years. But don’t let yourself be deceived for a second and think you’re special. I was once like you."
Her hand reaches out, catching a lock of my hair that she twiddles between her fingers. I stiffen, cautious in case she rips my jugular next.
"Did he offer to turn you into a Lycan?"
"How did you..."
"He did the sa for , you see. Many years ago I was a servant here, bullied and wounded, scorned by the sa people I was taught to be loyal to because I was weak. He saw my pain and hatred, said it made far more interesting than the rest of the pack of rats, so he turned . Gave power as long as I used it to burn down the world I hated so much."
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