Chapter 88

Chapter 88

“Freya, is that true?” Jamie asked in a deceptively even tone. “Did you cast those spells? Make those curses?”

“L..” Freya wrung her hands. She was still trembling from head to toe.

“Of course she did,” Hera said, her voice weak from a loss of blood and Jamie standing on her throat before. “I’m not a witch. She is. Isn’t it oby

Jamie’s jaw worked silently as he looked from Freya to Hera and back again. “Answer me right now, Freya.”

“Pfft, what does it matter, anyway? Father is going to kill Isla, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Hera crowed, then choked on more blood. Crimson, sticky liquid flowed. down her chin, puddling on the ground near her face.

When her coughing fit ended, she continued. “Isla is weak. Weak and st upid. I poisoned her for years without her suspecting a thing. Then, the gullible idiot even managed to let me convince her she’d orchestrated a war! As though she had enough brains to do such a thing.”

Ignoring all of her insults, I pressed back the tears that threatened to pour from my eyes. A thousand questions

Ignoring all of her led my mind, but all I could choke out was a single word. “Why….

I asked, breaking my silence at last. “Why, Hera?”

“Because of the prophecy. You are not capable of taking ending father’s reign, my legacy! Well, it was my legacy. Guess I’ll just have to watch from the afterworld as father destroys. you, your mate, and your s tupid, blind, ignorant daughter.” Hera snickered.

“Don’t you dare call her that!” I yelled, kicking

heard the cr ack of bones as her b*dy sister in the side as hard as I could. I

further disintegrated.

Hera just cackled. The spell Freya had placed on her wouldn’t allow her to feel the paint I’d inflicted. “I’ve won. We’ve won. It’s all over

I want to strangle her. I think about choking the last of her life from her, but do I really want to be the one who is responsible for taking the life of my own sister?

I let her life bleed from her, slowly and painfully, instead. Jamie and I both watched dispassionately, as the monster drew her last, rattling breaths. Then she was gone, her eyes still wide and blank staring into nothing.

Ja rounded on Freya. “She’s dead. She can’t hurt you, or any of us, anymore. So you’d

better start talking”

“I meant what I said before,” Freya said. “I did all this for Isla. To save her life. I thought she was in danger. I thought.. I really thought.”

“You still thought I was some kind of devil that stole Isla from her family?” Jamie hissed. “Even after I got her back the second time, even after Hera started a war and blamed it on Isla?”

Freya nodded her head vigorously. “Hera told me to say those things to you to convince you to come this way so you could both be captured. I didn’t-I didn’t know they were actually true!”

Well, they were. And I have to say, Freya, I’ve gotten really tired of your antics,” Jamie said.

rather

I stayed silent. I was rather tired of her antics, too.

“But I did it all because I love Isla. Isla is my best friend.” Freya looked beseechingly at us. “Don’t you understand? That prophecy was going to get Isla killed. But all those things Isla’s family did, I figured they were keeping her safe. Keeping her safe from the prophecy.”

“Did you know she was poisoning me or not?” I finally burst out, anger boiling in my gut.

Freya bowed her head. “I didn’t think she was doing it with malicious intent, just in an effort to keep you alive. But I went through Moonrose documents, and I discovered something. Luna An alise interpreted the prophecy wrong. It’s not Isla who is supposed to bring about Alpha Ashlar’s downfall, but Margot.”

The shock of her words sank in quickly, and it didn’t surprise me at all to hear it. Of course, Margot was special. She showed that to us every day.

“Are you going to try to kill our daughter now?” Jamie growled.

No! Of course not,” Freya said. “I was trying to protect Margot. I was hoping Hera

found out about her. But she did. So I swore to myself I’d keep the secret-let Hera

and the other Ashbluffs believe Isla was the problem-to protect Margot.”

“You brought us here, knowing all of this?” I asked, wounded. “What kind of friend are you?”

Freya sighed. “Someone needed to be sacrificed. I figured it would be better if it was you two ratherthan Margot. Alpha Ashlar wants his pound of flesh.”

“He’s not getting his pound of flesh from our daughter,” I replied passionately.

“Absolutely not,” Jamie said. “And if half of what you’ve said is true, you should have told us and trusted that I could handle the situation Not tried to trap us.”

“I wasn’t sure about you. I’m still not.” Freya eyed Jamie warily.

“Yes, but you’re sure about ME,” I said. “You should have listened to ME. Trusted ME.”

“You don’t have any memories at all, and when you did, you trusted HIM.” Freya stabbed a finger in Jamie’s direction. “How could I possibly have trusted your judgment?”

I felt tears sting my eyes. Goddess, how many people were going to betray me today?

Jamie stepped over Hera’s b*dy to come to my side. He pressed a bl oody arm against my -back, massaging the back of my n*eck. “And what do you think now?” he asked Freya.

“Now? I don’t know what to think,” Freya admitted.

Jamie snorted. “Well, at least you’re honest.”

“Are we sure she’s being honest?” I whispered to Jamie.

He frowned. “Good point.”

“I have never lied to you,” Freya argued.

“No, Jamie said. “You just hid the truth.”

“Oh, and you’re some angel?” Freya sneered. “You took Isla away from mel And from her family!

“And we’re back to this again,” I sighed.

Jamie raised an eyebrow. “Her family was trying to destroy her over some stu pid prophecy.”

“I know!” Freya shouted.

“But you still think Jamie was in the wrong,” I said slowly.

Freya pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. “I don’t… I don’t know what to think. It need time to think.”

“There’s no time to think. You have to get us into Ashbluff Castle so we can rescue our daughter.” Jamie ordered.

“No,” Freya replied.

Jamie’s eyes narrowed, and he puffed up, conjuring his Alpha voice. “Freya Hallowshift, you WILL-”

Freya shook her head and took off running.

“Freya!” I cried, reaching out but catching only her shadow.

“F**k,” Jamie swore and shifted as he bounded after her.

I stepped in that direction a moment, then looked down at the ground, saw Freya’s ripped robes, and realized she had shifted as well.

I could follow them; I knew Freya was leading Jamie on a merry chase.

Instead, I turned my feet in the direction I’d seen the defeated wolves disappear into.

“I’m sorry, Jamie,” I whispered, knowing he’d expected that I’d follow his trail.

But I needed to find our daughter.

Now.