Chapter 94: Chapter 94

Adelie

Esty left me with more questions than answers. The only concrete thing she gave me was a name: Christopher Price.

She didn’t elaborate on who he was, or if he was even still breathing.

She didn’t even hint at where I could find him.

But finding Christopher Price wasn’t at the top of my to-do list. I had bigger fish to fry.

I had managed to draw some strength from the forest, enough to feel like myself again. And right now, my focus was on Kairos’ situation.

I couldn’t just throw in the towel now that I knew Esty was a dead end. There had to be ~something~ if she held out hope that the gods might have answers. And Death was still MIA.

I made my way back to my pack grounds, heading straight for the vampire houses.

I needed to see if Irena had any information that could help me and Kairos.

After Maeve’s warning about them turning against me, I couldn’t shake off the thought. They despised me.

But then again, they’d never been thrilled about my presence. Or maybe they were just lashing out at everyone after Mia’s actions. Who knows…

I kept my guard up, just in case they decided to pull something. Their eyes were glued to me, but they all looked terrified.

I knocked on Irene’s door and was soon met with her pale face. A few of her friends were there, giving me the side-eye. She gave me a once-over.

“I heard you’re not exactly the pack’s favorite person. But I don’t think you’ll find any allies here.”

Even though she didn’t mingle much with the pack, she was well aware of their animosity towards me.

“I don’t see why not. I have no issues with your kind, and you should remember that I’m not a werewolf,” I retorted.

She continued to stare at me coldly but moved aside to let me in.

I didn’t want to beat around the bush, so I got straight to the point. “I’m sure you’ve heard about Kairos’ disappearance. He’s not gone. He’s chained up in my basement.

“There’s some sort of entity living inside him. We have no idea how, when, or why it happened. But I know that you’re more familiar with the beings and creatures beyond our world.

“I need your help.” Maybe I was being too brief. “It all started about a…” I was prepared to recount the entire story, sparing no detail, in the hopes of getting her assistance.

“So you’re the nymph who’s been pestering everyone with questions about a possessed werewolf,” she said, unfazed. “It gets tiresome hearing the same thing over and over.”

Her gaze was piercing. “They say you should give up. They wonder why you haven’t lost your mind yet.”

I didn’t bother arguing with her. “I need your help.”

“I don’t help people,” she retorted instantly. “What are you willing to offer me in return?”

From the outside, she might seem heartless and soulless, but I was certain she had some semblance of empathy…or at least an understanding of it.

“Anything. I need to help Kairos, and I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Without a word, she turned on her heel and disappeared into another room. I was left wondering whether I should follow her or stay put.

Just as I was starting to second-guess myself, she reemerged with a book in her hand. She placed it on the table and took a seat.

I figured we were past the point of formalities, so I joined her at the table as she flipped through the pages.

This wasn’t just any book. The pages were thick and heavy, but they fluttered like the lightest feather when she turned them.

The pages were blank, yet they looked worn, covered in fingerprints and grease spots.

She stopped at one page and placed a sheet of paper on top of it, her hands covering it. Her eyes turned a stark white, then returned to normal.

She handed me the paper.

The darkness was all-consuming at first, but soon it was replaced by a flurry of words and images.

In one corner, I spotted a hastily drawn sketch of a young man. His hair was a wild mess of curls and his body was thin, almost frail.

‘When they meet me at the divine soul for a soul I will be one with you on the edge of two worlds. The sacrifice we both must take to feed the gods.’

“What’s this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s a curse. Kairos is cursed. And curses like these can’t be done in a day.”

~Cursed?~

“Who would do such a thing?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“This curse would take at least a couple of years to reach where it is now. This happened way before you even dreamed of his existence.”

I glanced back at the sketch. “Is this the man whose soul is in Kairos?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“Yes. He was an atheist rebel in the last century. His life brought him to suicide, but then the gods decided to give him a second chance to make amends for what he did in his previous life.

“But these weren’t the good kind of gods. No, these gods wanted to see blood, pain, and suffering. They wanted the world to hurt, and he appeared to be their pawn,” she explained.

“How do I get rid of him?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“You need to end whoever put the curse on him. The person responsible holds the power to remove it,” she answered.

“But where do I go?” I was completely shaken. I finally had a solution, but I still didn’t know what to do.

She shook her head. I stood up, ready to leave. “But you can start with his name. Christopher Price.”

“What?” I was hoping I hadn’t heard it correctly. Esty had mentioned that name. She’d said to start looking for him if I wanted to find out about Maeve.

I figured Irene could sense something was up with me. Even if her face held no emotion, she still had ~some~ feelings.

“Is there something you know about Maeve?” I asked her. “How was she so close to you that she could just call you here, and how did she know the way to your coven?”

“We had a deal with Maeve a long time ago. It’s no secret now that she used to work in our coven.”

“Work? As what?” I questioned.

“We don’t blend into the human world well. We needed someone to handle our business there. Someone who looked more alive than us,” she explained.

To be honest, I was surprised at how candidly she spoke with me.

“Why her?”

“Because she came to us and offered. She convinced us to take her in, and we did.” Maeve had done that? Why would a werewolf want to live among vampires?

Especially when she used to call them murderers? When she resented the idea of her becoming one herself?

“Why did she leave?” I asked.

“She didn’t say. She helped us for a few years, and in exchange we remained allies.”

She had been in this pack for a few years, which means she was only a teenager when this happened.

“Thank you, Irene,” I said, instead of asking any more questions.

“And what about my part?” she asked. Of course. She never did anything for free. “I want half of my part now.”

I turned to look at her, not even questioning what it was. She always wanted blood. “I bet your blood will have a spark in it I haven’t tasted before.”

She walked closer to me as I slid the paper into my pocket. I didn’t want to lose it in case I fainted.

She caressed my cheek with her long, cold fingers and pushed my hair away from my neck. I almost noticed her smile.

Her fangs slid slowly into my skin, so slowly that I didn’t even flinch. I got used to the pain quickly.

I felt her sucking my blood out. My vision started to spin for a second. She stopped sooner than I expected, pulling away with a disgusted expression.

She had hardly touched her drink. Under normal circumstances, she would have left me to my own devices.

“Dreadful,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. “Ghastly.” She disappeared into another room, leaving me alone. I didn’t question her actions. I simply took my leave while I had the chance.

I was aware that I’d owe her twice as much after this, but it wasn’t something I had control over.

At the moment, I had more pressing matters to attend to.

I made my way back home, heading straight for the basement where Kairos was still shackled. I unlocked the door, turning the wheel to tighten his chains even more, ensuring he couldn’t get close to me.

I hadn’t informed anyone that I’d be here.

It was strange to realize that even now, Kairos didn’t instill fear in me, not even a smidgen.

I found myself standing in front of him. His gaze was fixed on me, unblinking.

“Greetings, Christopher Price,” I said.

His smirk widened. “The pleasure is all mine. If I were able, I’d kiss your hand.”

“Who forced you to possess Kairos?” I questioned him.

He averted his gaze, his smirk still in place. “You wouldn’t comprehend.”

My anger got the better of me. I thrust my palm against his throat, catching him off guard as I applied pressure, causing him to gasp for air. I could feel my nostrils flaring.

“Who summoned you?” I demanded, as he struggled for breath.

He didn’t respond, his face turning a shade of red. I released him.

What was I trying to achieve? He could manipulate me. He wasn’t Kairos. He was some sort of beast.

I heard the sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs. It was Helen. She halted at the edge of the room, aware not to step in and face Kairos. “Luna, I’m afraid I can’t allow you to leave this chamber.”