Ava tried to compose herself as she stayed a little longer in the banquet hall, forcing herself to act unaffected by the sudden appearance of Cain’s daughter. She had heard the rumors claiming Althea wasn’t really Cain’s child, and tonight she could tell, the Alpha King seed to believe them too.
As soon as she found the chance, Ava excused herself and left the hall, her steps quick but steady until she reached her quarters. Nilda was already waiting for her inside.
“My Lady, we have a problem,” Nilda said the mont Ava entered.
Ava closed her eyes and drew in a slow breath, still reeling from everything that had happened at the banquet. And now, another problem? She could feel her patience thinning.
“What is it?” she demanded, her tone sharp, eyes flashing with irritation.
“The Princess... Princess Riela is now heavily guarded. They’re not letting anyone near her, not even ,” Nilda explained nervously. “For now, our only hope is that the breeder won’t be able to heal her.”
Ava’s glare hardened. “Didn’t you say you already sealed the spell on Riela? You told no one could cure her except you and that you’d give the antidote once we get rid of that breeder!”
“Yes, my lady, but sohow I feel sothing is off,” Nilda said hesitantly.
“What do you an?” Ava snapped, her patience running thin.
“After hearing that the breeder can perform magic using all elents... I’m not confident she won’t be able to heal the princess,” Nilda explained, her voice trembling slightly.
“And why are you not confident?!” Ava grunted irritably.
“If she truly commands all elents, there’s a high chance she can break the spell I placed on Riela,” Nilda confessed. “You see, Archmage Uriel doesn’t possess the ability to wield elental magic, so he couldn’t detect the seal I used to suppress the princess’s recovery.”
Ava’s eyes narrowed, her patience running thin. “Are you saying the breeder can undo your spell?”
Nilda’s throat bobbed as she swallowed nervously. “It’s possible, My Lady. The poison I made is bound by elental seals—earth, air, and water. I used them to keep her illness from being traced back to us. But if that woman can manipulate all the elents... she might be able to sense and unbind them.”
Ava turned away sharply, her nails digging into the armrest of the chair she gripped. “You told your spell was flawless, Nilda. That no one could detect it, not even Uriel!”
“It is flawless against ordinary healers,” Nilda quickly defended, her voice trembling. “But I underestimated her. If her magic truly cos from both light and elental power, she could purify the curse I placed. It won’t be easy, but... she has the ability to try.”
Ava let out a low, dangerous laugh. “So you’re telling that after everything we’ve done, after all our careful planning, so girl with a pretty face and cursed blood might ruin everything?”
Nilda bowed her head, terrified to speak.
Ava paced across the room, her thoughts spiraling. She had worked too long, manipulated too many, to let Althea take it all away. That wretched girl was not even supposed to live this long.
After a long pause, Nilda suddenly stiffened, her eyes darting around the room. “Who’s there?!” she demanded, her voice trembling.
Ava straightened at once, instincts snapping. She moved as if to lunge, claws lengthening, when sothing shifted in the shadows of her quarters. Her heart thudded hard.
“So,” a deep male voice drawled from behind them—calm, almost amused, “do you two need so help?”
Both won froze. Ava wheeled around, ready to strike.
“Easy,” the man said, hands open as if to soothe. “I’m offering help. I want to take Althea, so I need allies to make it happen. Shall I help you ensure she fails to heal Princess Riela?”
“Who are you?!” Ava demanded.
“Zander,” he replied with a smirk.
Ava’s frown sharpened, then her eyes widened. That was the sa mysterious man her scouts had reported, the one who’d dragged Gavriel into a portal. He was after the breeder too.
“Why would soone like you want the breeder?” Ava asked cautiously. She narrowed her eyes and continued, “And what exactly do you gain from helping us?”
She wasn’t foolish enough to believe a man like him offered help without a price.
“Straight to the point. I like that,” Zander said, stopping just a few feet away. “Like I said, I want to take Althea with .”
Ava’s claws retracted slightly, curiosity overtaking suspicion. “So you want to take her away,” she said slowly. “And in exchange, you’ll make sure she fails to heal Princess Riela?”
“Precisely.” Zander folded his arms. “If the she fails, Gavriel’s trust in her crumbles. The Queen Mother will turn on her. The court will question why he’s protecting her at all. Once that happens, it’ll be easy for to take her.”
Nilda exchanged a wary glance with Ava. “You talk like it’s that simple,” she muttered.
“Oh, it will be,” Zander said smoothly. “But I don’t do charity.” His gaze flicked to Ava, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “I demand sothing in return.”
Ava stiffened. “What is it you want?”
Zander’s smirk sharpened as he pointed first at Ava, then at Nilda. “You two will call Master,” he said calmly. “You will work under . No questions. Do that, and I make sure Althea fails. Refuse, and you get nothing.”
Ava frowned, her jaw tightening as she glared at the man who erged from the dim light.
“Call you Master? That’s a large na to give soone who just walked in from the dark,” she spat, her voice laced with disdain. How dare this stranger think he could manipulate her.
Zander only smirked, unbothered by her defiance. His steps were slow, deliberate, as he closed the distance between them. “You want results,” he said, his tone smooth yet commanding. “This is how I collect loyalty—by taking it and making it useful.”
Ava hated how composed he looked, how easily his presence seed to dominate the room.
“Say the word,” Zander continued, his eyes glinting with quiet amusent, “and I’ll provide the thod. Refuse, and you lose the only chance you have left.”
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