Chapter 109: Chapter 109

ADELIE

Maeve and Fala were standing there. Fala was alive, thank God. And Maeve was...present.

Burton moved forward, his face twisted in anger. “What’s going on?” he demanded, but no one paid him any mind.

Maeve’s gaze was fixed on me. “If you separate Kairos from Christopher, he’ll die,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Christopher is the only thing keeping him alive.

“The only way to save him is to break the curse. Your plan won’t work. It’ll only speed up his death and put you in danger,” she added.

We had never been sure that our plan would save Kairos. But we’d hoped that removing Christopher would buy us some time.

I let out a bitter laugh. Tears were streaming down my face as I knelt on the ground, laughing and crying at the same time. I shook my head. “I’m not doing anything. I can’t do anything. I can’t even try.”

Maeve surveyed the scene, then turned to Esty with a questioning look.

“Kairos changed his mind. Now he’s being sacrificed to control Christopher,” Esty explained.

We were doing this because we thought it might save him. I’d agreed to it because I thought we were trying to save him.

I didn’t sign up to kill him. I never wanted this to be the day Kairos died. I had hoped this could be my salvation.

I turned to my father, who was standing next to me. “Why didn’t you know that the curse couldn’t be broken by separating him from Christopher?” I whispered.

“Ask Maeve how she knows,” he replied.

I looked back at Maeve. “How do you know it won’t work?” I asked.

She hesitated, her lips parting slowly. She didn’t want to answer, but she finally closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and met my gaze. “Esty told me what you were planning to do.”

I turned to Esty, who was expressionless. She didn’t seem to care that she’d broken our promise or that Maeve was the one telling me this.

“I went back to some people from my tribe…the ones who survived.” I remembered Burton saying that they were all gone. He was wrong.

“They were known for bringing death to the human world. And Burton should have warned you. If you had known sooner, it might have made a difference. And he knew that.

“Burton knew that was an option at first. But not anymore. It’s too late, Adelie,” she said.

“Christopher isn’t a parasite to Kairos anymore. Kairos is the parasite. You can’t save Kairos this way.”

I looked at Burton. How many times had I asked him if he knew something? And each time, he’d lied to me.

“There will be no killing today!” I declared, staring him down.

Burton grabbed the dagger from the table and lunged at Kairos. I summoned all my strength and wrapped vines around his ankles and wrists. “I said there will be ~no~ killing today!” I yelled.

“I’ve been waiting to rid the world of Christopher, and now you’re telling me it’s not going to happen?”

I stood in front of him. “You’re here ~only~ because I allowed it. If I didn’t want you here, you’d be gone by now. I needed you here.

“You’re on my land, in my home. What makes you think you have any power here?” I challenged.

“I’m not here to save you or him. Or did you forget what happened in your basement?” he retorted, and the memory of it made my stomach churn.

“I’ll figure it out. For now, Kairos will be sedated and heavily guarded. I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone.”

“So, what’s your secret?” he challenged. “You claim to have a plan, but I see no evidence of it. You know why? Because you’re powerless.”

I tightened my grip on the vines that held him captive, causing him to wince in pain. I released him, but kept a watchful eye, ready to intervene if he tried to attack Kairos.

“What’s the next move?” a guard asked, clearly puzzled.

I glanced at Maeve, my angel in disguise. If she was here, she had a plan.

“The midwife who brought the first Garcia heir into the world is en route,” she declared.

I turned to Nathan, who was supposed to have located her. He began to stammer. “I didn’t know where to start. I asked everyone.”

“How did you find her?” I asked Maeve.

“I didn’t have a clue. I asked around… and those people asked others,” she replied. I felt a pang of guilt or maybe shame.

Maeve was wise. She had experienced more of life than I had. She was connected, known by many.

Our conversation had an audience, but no one interrupted.

I felt compelled to speak, not because of the onlookers, but because she had returned. “I owe you an apology,” I confessed, but she didn’t seem surprised. Or at least she didn’t show it.

“I’m sorry for sending you away, for the harsh words, for causing you pain.” I felt a weight lift from my chest.

“I guess you had your reasons. I wouldn’t expect any different from you. But you’re not forgiven,” she added, catching me off guard. “Just as I’m not forgiven for trying to hunt you down.”

I nodded. It seemed forgiveness was a luxury no one could afford.

“I’m glad you’re safe and back,” I said to Fala.

She acknowledged me with a nod, but she didn’t seem thrilled to be here.

“How long until she gets here?” I asked about the woman Maeve had located.

“She didn’t say. She’s on her way.”

“Alright, we’ll keep Kairos in custody until then. Escort him to his cell,” I instructed the guards, reminding them to keep a close watch. “Same rules apply,” I added, and they led him away.

Burton shot me a menacing look. “We’ll get to the bottom of this,” he vowed.

“Just a little longer and we might have our answers. If you need to leave, go ahead. We’ll call you when you’re needed,” I dismissed him nonchalantly.

To my surprise, he didn’t argue. The pack’s doctor, John, approached me.

“Luna, we might need him to stay close,” he suggested. I surveyed the guards.

“You’re dismissed for now,” I announced. Maeve and Fala started to leave, but Esty didn’t move. “You can stay,” I told her.

I needed a team. I couldn’t make these decisions alone. I didn’t want to act impulsively.

“I’m not sure you understand the measures we take to keep Kairo…Alpha detained,” John began.

“To keep him under control, I sedate him. But I use silver. Luna, the dosage increases each time. And its effectiveness decreases each time.

“If the dosage reaches its limit, Alpha will die,” he stated bluntly. “We’ll need Burton to capture Christopher’s soul.”

Burton interjected. “Then what are we waiting for? It could happen any moment! If I’m not there, the consequences could be catastrophic.”

Was he right? I found myself second-guessing, taking one step forward and two steps back in the midst of the chaos.

“From day one, I’ve been meticulous. I’ve experimented. I know the exact dosage if I stick to the schedule.”

“How much time does he have?” I cut in. “What’s the countdown?”

“Three and a half days,” he replied.

“And when are the ladies showing up?” I directed my question to Maeve.

“They’ll be here tonight,” she confirmed.

“Alright. Thanks for today,” I muttered, avoiding eye contact as I made my way to Kairos’ cell.

Once inside, I promptly dismissed the guards. I waited until they were gone. My tone was sharper than I’d intended.

“You played me,” I accused Kairos. He approached the cell bars, pressing his forehead against the cold metal. My heart pounded with fury, but I fought to keep my composure.

“I was protecting you. Did you really think I’d let you die in my place?” he retorted, his tone patronizing.

“What do you want, Kairos?” I asked, feeling utterly spent. “I’m trying to save you, but you’re not making it easy.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be saved. Maybe I don’t deserve to be saved!” he yelled. His anger was palpable, while I struggled to maintain a neutral expression.

“Didn’t peg you for a coward,” I shot back, then turned to leave.

“Maybe you were right,” he called after me. His words sparked a glimmer of hope in me. “You should never have been a Luna,” he added, extinguishing that hope.

“You were never cut out for it. You’ve never been capable of making sound decisions.” I spun back around to face him.

“Do you regret it?” I asked, my face a mask of indifference.

“Regret what?” he spat out through clenched teeth.

“Making me a Luna? Marrying me?” I clarified.

“Maybe we were never supposed to be together,” he said, his voice icy. He was a far cry from the man I’d spoken to just yesterday.

I refused to let myself cry. I couldn’t give him that satisfaction. “I was thinking the same thing,” I lied.

“Everything’s happened so quickly. The wedding. Everything with me and my wolf. It’s… it’s a lot. Maybe it’s too much to stay in love.

“After all, as everyone keeps reminding me, Nymphs don’t need love from a person. We’re perfectly capable of loving nature,” I added.

“Glad we’re on the same page,” he replied.

“Don’t worry. We’ll sever all ties once this is over.” I held his gaze.

“I’ll vanish from your life, and you’ll never hear from me again. Is that what you want?” I asked, my voice steady despite the pain I felt.

He straightened up. “I want you out of my life, Adelie,” he said. That was all I needed to hear.

I nodded, forcing a smile.

Then I turned and climbed the stairs, tears streaming down my face. But I bit back the sobs, refusing to let him hear me cry.

He once told me that only I could stab him in the ~heart~. I never knew he could do the same to me…