Chapter 99: Chapter 99

Adelie

Night had fallen. I had posted guards outside the armory and was now making my way to the prison. It was time to liberate the humans.

Under different circumstances, I would have needed someone to wipe their memories clean. But I figured a few stiff drinks would do the trick this time.

If I could manage to get them out of the pack without revealing anything out of the ordinary, they still wouldn’t be able to traverse our land.

Every werewolf pack and every mythical territory was safeguarded by celestial entities. Only humans who were personally escorted or under a spell could gain entry.

I spotted Esty exiting the prison. The guards she had incapacitated were still unconscious. I couldn’t help but wonder what they would think when they came to.

“They’re out cold,” she informed me. “I think it’s best to let them sleep it off.”

It was probably the right call. I couldn’t just dump them outside to face certain death. They weren’t as resilient as us, and it took far less to kill a human. “How’s Kairos?” she inquired.

“In pain,” I replied. “What were you doing in the prison?”

She shot me a look. “There are things humans can offer me that none of you can.” She quickly raised her hands in a defensive gesture.

“They’re unharmed. I’m a guest here, I wouldn’t dare touch anyone.”

I rolled my eyes. Did she really need to pull this stunt now?

I sighed. “You were also a guest when you murdered Raphael,” I muttered.

She showed no signs of remorse. “It was an accident. He got in my way. Maybe one day I can make it up to you.”

I clenched my jaw. “I will never forgive you for taking a good man’s life. Believe me, you’re the last person I want here.”

She just shrugged. I knew my words meant nothing to her. But I didn’t have anyone else who could even attempt to help me.

I glanced around and saw Maeve at her house. My feelings towards her were conflicted. Part of me wanted to strangle her. Yet my forgiving nature had me making excuses for her.

She seemed remorseful. And she had stayed with the pack, devoted to Alpha. Maeve claimed there was nothing we could do for him, but what if… “Maeve mentioned that…,” I began, but Esty cut me off.

“I’ve already spoken with her. Judging by the heated exchange you two had, which I could hear over the music, I figured not many logical questions would be asked.” She clapped her hands together.

“Right now, she’s correct in saying there’s not much we can do. But nothing is ever a dead end.

“I sought you out because my pride won’t allow me to be alone with Burton,” she admitted, heading back towards my house with me trailing behind her.

“Is he on his way?” I asked.

“Yes, he should be here any moment.”

I scanned the area impatiently, looking for any newcomers to my pack. Then I entered my house and was met with chaos.

All my plants were dead. The furniture had been moved to unfamiliar locations. Alcohol was spilled all over.

I sank into an empty couch by the still-lit fireplace. I stared at the flames, sitting alone for the first time, feeling something akin to grief. But it was grief for the living.

I closed my eyes, letting my head fall back. I felt the cushion next to me shift. I didn’t say anything, assuming it was Esty.

I felt exposed, but I didn’t want to show that side of me to her. “I’m exhausted,” I admitted, my eyes still shut. While I sat here in relative comfort, Kairos was chained up. Fala was missing.

Many of my pack had chosen to become rogues rather than stay. Children had been torn from their homes.

“I’m weary of constantly being on the brink of death, or witnessing someone else’s demise. My father is Death, and I’m an angel of death. But that doesn’t mean death should shadow my every step.”

“Countless times, I’ve risked my own life. Countless times, my actions have led to trouble.” I heaved a deep sigh.

“And countless times you’ve had no other option but to sacrifice yourself,” Esty’s voice echoed, not from beside me, but in front of me.

I slowly opened my eyes to find a stranger sitting next to me. I recoiled slightly when I realized a large man was occupying the space.

His lengthy beard was neatly braided. His hair cascaded down to his shoulders. It was difficult to discern whether his body was naturally large, or if his coat exaggerated his size.

He turned to me. “You’re a fighter, Adelie, but a green one.” His voice was a gravelly whisper.

“You’re kind yet fearless. You should be more afraid. You should allow yourself to feel fear occasionally. Fear is what shields us from danger. That’s why you attract danger.”

“But I’m afraid of everything,” I confessed.

He chuckled, his laughter echoing around us. “Then show it. Sometimes, fear can be a good thing.”

He extended his hand towards me. “I’m Burton,” he introduced himself.

I cautiously shook his hand. “Adelie Garcia,” I responded.

My hand was still in his as he shook his head.

“You’re not a Garcia. You’re a Murrell. Not your mother’s maiden name. That wasn’t her true identity. She chose to be a Murrell, and you’re no different. She was once young and naive too.”

My eyes widened at his revelation. “You knew my mother?” I inquired.

“I know many things and many people. And she needed to know beings like me to protect you,” he replied, finally releasing my hand.

“I visited Kairos,” he continued, causing me to tense up. “An intriguing case. A complex one.”

I was so exhausted that I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to hear what he had to say. I was terrified of hearing the worst. But perhaps I needed any closure he could provide.

“Complex?” I echoed, sighing with a faint laugh. “But can you do anything?” I asked.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with Christopher Price. He was involved with a young girl before this.”

“Yes, Maeve. She’s part of this pack,” I replied, trying to hasten him, but my answer seemed to unsettle him.

He studied me, his eyebrows raised. “You allowed her into your pack?” He sounded taken aback.

“She was here before I arrived. And I know she was possessed, and I also know that Christopher was transferred to Kairos from her. And she didn’t tell me about it, she just feigned ignorance.

“And she told me that there’s nothing that can be done, but I implore you,” I clasped my hands together and leaned in closer to him, “I beg you to please try to help me. ~Please~.”

Burton glanced at Esty, who was shaking her head, cautioning him. She didn’t want him to reveal something to me. “Esty!” I warned her through gritted teeth.

“You’ve done it again, sister. Lied for your own gain,” Burton stated emotionlessly.

“I’m not lying, but there are things that won’t help her now. So why bother telling her things that will only create more chaos?” She attempted to appear confident, but her cheeks were turning pink.

I turned back to him. “Burton?”

He didn’t hesitate, but Esty beat him to it. “I told you that Maeve was a tool of evil before I knew about her connection to Kairos. I didn’t think it would matter much. I’m aware of your close friendship with her.”

Her gaze fell to her hands, resting in her lap, as she evaded my eyes. “Extracting Christopher from a body is a perilous endeavor. It’s not impossible, but you need to comprehend that Maeve was just a pup when it occurred.

“She had only just received her wolf. She lacked the strength to resist him. Kairos is more powerful, he stands a better chance of surviving it…though I wouldn’t hold out too much hope,” she added.

Naturally, she couldn’t resist adding that last bit.

“So how did Maeve survive it?” I questioned.

“She didn’t have to. Christopher left her. With a little assistance, of course.”

“So, he could leave Kairos too, right?” I posed the question to Burton.

“He abandoned her because she was the one who summoned him back to the human realm,” he explained.

Esty’s earlier words echoed in my head.

“~One would have to be exceptionally cruel and heartless to even consider summoning him back and introducing him to the living. They would need to drain the blood of fourteen different species of human creatures~…”

“~Why… How could she possibly need to do that?” I inquired.

“I was acquainted with your mother, and I’m also aware of who was searching for you before you became too dangerous to control,” Burton responded.

“I knew her,” he stated. “There were individuals seeking out your family, particularly you, as you were the offspring of Death. She was a member of the tribe that tried to locate you. She and her sister both resided there.

“Extracting Christopher was part of drawing out your Death aspect, since your death aspect wouldn’t respond to Christopher the same way it would to others.”

Suddenly, my mouth felt parched, and my palms were slick with sweat.

“What would they stand to gain from it?” I questioned.

“I’m not entirely sure. What I do know is that they eventually gave up. Most of that tribe didn’t just die… they were murdered. And Maeve was the one who slaughtered them before she departed.

“Only Maeve, her sister Maya, their mother, and James remain.”

James is her sibling, so why wouldn’t Burton use the term ‘brother’? “Isn’t he Maeve’s brother?”

“James is her ally,” he clarified.

“Her ally…how?”

“You surely don’t believe she made all these connections independently.”

And I recalled how much she’d despised me when I first joined this pack. And for what reason? She knew. She had always known. When I first arrived here, she knew everything…

Soon after, Burton retreated to my study with Esty. They didn’t provide any guidance. They simply told me to wait. And so, I waited.

But for the wait to be worth it, I needed resolution…resolution for Maeve and for myself.

The night was dark. A chilly autumn breeze swept over me, but I no longer felt it. I sought out Maeve and found her seated on a bench by the pack garden, her gaze lost in the depths of the forest.

She appeared so serene. So eerily tranquil. It scared me. Scared me to consider what else she was capable of. What else had she done?

Yet, I still approached her, my face twisted in anger and my fists balled at my sides. I was prepared to tear her to shreds. And to think that Nymphs were forgiving creatures!

I finally recognized that I inherited more from my father than my mother. Regardless of what anyone said, Death was not forgiving.

It was ruthless and devoid of compassion. To snatch people away from those who cherished them, driving some to madness…

I was gradually losing my sanity as well.