Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Eight
“Let me go!” the woman screamed. “I demand to speak to the Alpha.”
The voice sounded familiar.
“Julia?”
Daemon immediately tensed.
How had she been caught trying to sneak into the pack? That was the first question on my mind. The Empresses had the gift of shifting, among other abilities–it shouldn’t have been hard for her to get in. Cynthia had managed it multiple times.
She looked different too–aged, not in the usual way stress night wear someone down, but like thirty years had passed in the space of a few days.
“I need to speak to you. It’s important,” Julia said, eyes wide. She kept glancing over her shoulder, like she expected someone–or something–to appear out of nowhere and attack her.
“I’m not letting you in. I’m not granting you access to the pack house,” Alexander replied.
“You don’t understand. Do you think I’d be here if this wasn’t a matter of life and death?”
Alexander looked at me. I gave him a nod. We could let her in.
4
The soldiers escorted Julia into the dungeons–to the very room where Cynthia’s body had been burned to ash. The scorch mark was still etched into the stone floor.
“I guess you know now how Cynthia died… and how you’ll be dying too,” Daemon said, his eyes hard. Moments like this reminded me that his snarky remarks were just a mask. Right now, he wasn’t joking.
He was furious.
“When Cynthia died, I felt it, but that’s not the reason I’m here.”
“Then why are you here?” I asked.
“I’m here because of Aliyah. She’s in danger.”
I risked a glance at Daemon before I asked “What do you mean?”
“The empresses had all lost favor in the sight of the god of Light. It’s all because of me. I failed her. She stripped us all of our gifts.”
It explained why she looked so aged and why she’d been caught trying to sneak into the pack, but even with that, there was still a strong chance this was all part of her ploy.
“And why would she do that to you? From what I’ve seen, you’ve been doing a good job keeping her happy–well, aside from losing the Chosen,” Daemon said, his façade slipping neatly back into place.
“That’s what you’d think and what I let the other Empresses believe.
Aliyah didn’t need to be eighteen for the Encounter to take place. From the moment she turned sixteen, her body was already in perfect youth, ready for the god of Light to possess. But the others didn’t share the connection I had with the goddess, so they didn’t know. I lied to them. I lied because… I couldn’t bear to lose her.”
“Now that’s definitely a lie. I watched you starve her, punish her. You didn’t care one bit for her.”
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Chapter Two Hundred and ThirtyEight
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“That’s what I wanted everyone to believe, but it’s not the truth. Despite everything, she was a girl I took in when she was nothing but a child. I watched her grow. Since I could never have a child of my own, she became like my own and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.”
“This might sound rich coming from me, but most ‘mothers‘ don’t usually get handsy with their children.”
“What I felt for her wasn’t just a mother–daughter bond. She was the only one I ever truly cared about.”
“Well, you sure had a poor way of showing it.”
“You can hate me all you want, but that’s the truth. I cared for her more than you would ever know, and when you took her away from me, I was mad. I didn’t know what was happening to her. I was ready to do anything to get her back, but when I got her back, I saw what you did. You tainted my pure little angel.
I could have begun the ritual as soon as I got her back, offering her body to the god of Light, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let her go. I failed, but I’ll never regret keeping her alive.”
“An award–winning act you just delivered, Julia,” Daemon said, getting closer to her. “You know, I’d wanted you instead of Cynthia. I’d wanted you dead for what you did to her, for all she had to suffer. And now you present yourself to me? This might just be my lucky day.”
“You’d know if I’m lying,” she said, her eyes locked on Daemon. “The magic in my blood would give me away, except there’s none. Have a taste.”
“Daemon, no.” I spoke up. If this was all some kind of setup, and her blood was… poisoned, then she’d accomplish her mission.
“I’ve taken from infected blood before, and it didn’t harm me. This shouldn’t be a problem.” He said, taking her arm. She didn’t struggle; she gave in.
I couldn’t shake the unease that crept over me. This could be a trap.
Daemon brought her wrist to his mouth, but just as he was about to take a drink, he suddenly gripped her and sank his fangs into her neck instead.
