Chapter 119
Chapter 119
Elara’s POV
“Shat,” I muttered under my breath, frustration gripping me.
Danton had called Andre away. I didn’t know what fate awaited him, but it wasn’t hard to imagine. The look of terror on Andre’s face as he walked out earlier, his eyes wide, his shoulders tense—told me all I needed to know. Whatever was coming for him, it was going to be bad.
Even though I was angry, I couldn’t help but understand Andre’s hesitation to work with me. He’d been trapped in hell for too long, deprived of any hope, any chance at happiness. When I offered him an out, a chance to escape it all, it must have seemed too good to be true. He didn’t trust me, and why should he?
We were on opposite sides. We couldn’t be more different.
Sighing deeply. I ran a hand through my hair. My thoughts were all over the place. I needed some space to clear my head.
I pushed through the crowd, the laughter and chatter of the party fading as I made my way toward the patio at the back of the house.
Once outside, I leaned against the railing and let the cool night air wash over me. The crisp breeze carried the faint scent of flowers, their perfume mingling with the earthy smell of damp soil For a moment, I could almost forget where I was Forget that I was standing in the heart of my enemy’s camp.
Footsteps behind me broke the momentary peace. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Thorne.
He appeared next to me, holding two glasses of champagne, the sparkle of the glass catching the moonlight.
“Tough night?” he asked softly.
I took the glass from him, my fingers brushing against his “very” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “Andre doesn’t trust us, and honestly, I can’t blame him. He’s been abused by his own people, and we’re the enemy. Why should he think we’re any different?”
He nodded, understanding the depth of the situation “Do you think he’ll tell Danton about tonight?”
I shook my head. “No. He might not trust us, but I can tell he hates Danton even more. He’ll keep quiet.”
“Good.” He squeezed my hand, his fingers warm against my skin. “Tonight, we planted a seed in his heart. We’ll just have to wait for it to grow
I forced a smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. Thorne was just trying to make me feel better. The truth was, we didn’t have the luxury of time. Lance had kept us here for a reason, and we still didn’t know what that reason was. Every second we spent here put us at risk,
Thorne’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Care for a walk?”
I glanced at him and nodded, grateful for the distraction. Together, we walked away from the party and down the path leading to the garden. The full moon bathed everything in silver light, casting an almost ethereal glow over the flowers and trees. The air was still, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the breeze.
I looped my arm through his, resting my head on his shoulder as we walked. I could smell him–strong, comforting. Even the perfume of the flowers couldn’t compare.
“What if we can’t pet Andre to work with us?” I asked, my voice barely audible against the quiet night.
Thome’s head shifted, and I felt the soft press of his lips on my forehead. “Then we’ll keep trying,” he said, his voice calm, unwavering.
“But what if we can’t? No matter what we do!”
He didn’t miss a beat. “Then we go after Lance directly. We’ll end it. We’ll take him down–cut his head off, burn the body. Whatever it takes.”
1/3
Chapter 119
tcouldn’t help but laugh. The darkness of the situation seemed to lift a title, just from the absurdity of his words.
“How reassuring.” I teased, squeezing his arm.
We walked deeper into the gaten, eventually finding a bench under a laurel tree. We sat down, and Day my head in his lap. His fingers threaded through my hair, gently, almost absentmindedly.
“You know,” he said, a smirk in his voice, “you never dance with me,
tout a small yawn, still half asleep. “We dance all the time.”
“One time. Our wedding night,” he replied, teigning offense.
I looked up at him, my eyes narrowing in playful suspicion, “Walt. Are you jealous that I danced with Andre earlier?”
Thorne raised an eyebrow. “Are you sumptised?”
I scoffed. “Come on, Thorne. Andre’s just a kid. That dance wasn’t even real, it was just a cover for us to talk.”
He grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Doesn’t matter. Whenever see you with another man, something inside me snaps. I get this…burning need to shift, to claim you, to hide you away where no one can find you, it’s getting harder to control”
My heart skipped a beat, and my breath caught in my throat. His words were so raw, so honest. And the intensity in his gaze made my skin tingle.
“But I’m here with you,” I whispered, my voice steady, though my heart was racing. “Just you. Not anybody el
ehe.
“Yes,” he replied, his voice low, almost a growl. He lifted my hand to his lips, kissing each fingertip gently. “Having you by my side is the only thing that keeps me sane:
I closed my eyes, the weight of the night settling over me. Our mission had been completed, but neither of us was ready to go back to the suite. Instead, we stayed under the laurel tree, the quiet night wrapping around us like a blanket.
I felt myself driting off to sleep, the rhythm of Thorne’s fingers in my hair lulling me into a peaceful state. Surrounded by enemies, I knew I was safe as long as Thorne was here.
I don’t know how long I slept, but I was woken by Thome’s voice, soft but urgent. “Elara…”
I stirred, groggy. “W–What happened?”
he whispered, his breath warm against my ear. “Listen.”
“Someone’s nearby,” he
I held my breath, straining to hear, in the distance, I could barely make it out, but there was a sound–soft, almost like a sob
It was faint, but it was there.
I sat up:
straight, fully awake now. “Shall we go find out?”
Thorne nodded, his expression grim. We rose quietly, moving through the garden, careful not to make a sound. The sobbing grew louder, and we followed it, creeping closer to the source-
When we reached the clearing. Thome stopped abruptly. He motioned for me to hide behind a tree, then carefully parted the branches.
There, just a few meters away, we saw what we’d been looking for.
A group of guards sat on the ground, playing cards, completely unaware of what was happening beside them.
And there, hanging from a tree, was Andre,
His feet were tied to a branch, his head dangling just inches from the ground. His body trembled violently, and his face was flushed, the blood rushing to
Chapter 15
Please. Please. Andre’s voice tracked, baiely audible.
A thick snake, its body as large as a baby’s arm, colled around his chest. It slithered closer, its hiss cutting through the air as it neared hic ord
AD
