Gadmyne was silent the whole time, sitting on a marble bench. Her eyes were dark as if remembering the past.
"I..." Nystrix felt like trusting Hasiy but the rage of seeing her father in chains, and grief she felt when she saw the dispair in his eyes when Jamyd shot at Jacqueline core, swallowed her.
"Ha, your words are sure convincing, but you can't tell me you didn't covet the throne, if not, you won't be sitting on it and wearing the crown. You say you were weak, how did a weak person become ruler of a vast and powerful realm? You said you were waiting, why didn't you try to find your brother, you're telling me that twenty years wasn't enough to wait and look for him? You are just like the rest of them, deceitful, u‐..."
Nystrix's words were harsh. The anger and pain in her voice were unconcealed, making Hasiy flinch while she spoke, Hasiy had a look of guilt and shame in her eyes, her lips parted to interrupt, but she couldn't find the right words. It was Gadmyne cold voice that made Nystrix stop.
"Nystrix, don't judge without knowing the whole truth."
It seemed the effect of the dream started to take place now, coupled with Luthien sudden departure.
"Which truth, Gadmyne?" Her voice wasn't nice.
"The truth that your father was a traitor and deserved to die." A cold voice sounded at the entrance and Hasiy face showed a hint of dread before she masked it up in aloofness.
Nystrix stared at the person with midnight hair, and eyes similar to the colour of jade, thin lips and fierce features, features that spoke of dislike and derision to Nystrix.
"You are tainting the lands of shapeshifters with your bad blood and you dare ask for truth? We made a mistake by not hunting you down and killed you and your mother when you escaped to the human realm."
Nystrix body became rigid, a surge of energy rushed to her palm, and before anyone could react, a light beam was fired from Nystrix palm, at the man and by the luck of quick reflex, the man would have been ash, because the place that was shot, had become black, and ash. Surprise flashed through Hasiy eyes, followed by a hint of dissatisfaction
The man turned to the spot where he stood, suprise, shock and relief flashed through his eyes. He turned to Nystrix, a mocking smile on his lips– almost a sneer
"Just like your treacherous father, and– ugh."
The man could not complete his words as a force took over his neck and squeezed it. The force them pulled him to a terrifying Gadmyne. Gadmyne face was dark and her expression was almost hunting.
"One more word, and I'll rip the tongue from your mouth."
Nystrix was surprised, she had never seen Gadmyne this angry, even on the first night of Luminara, Gadmyne expression wasn't this terrifying.
Was it...
"I'm...sorry...Arch...witch." The man squeezed these words, his face was red and his eyes were almost out of it's socket.
Gadmyne threw the man to the ground and he coughed and took in breath of life.
"Hasiy, take us to our rooms, I can't stand this filth." Gadmyne said coldly and Hasiy nodded, her face still aloof, though a glint of satisfaction flashed through her eyes when she saw the miserable state of the man.
Nystrix wanted to speak, but decided not to.
She followed Gadmyne out and Hasiy was the last to leave and as she passed the man she said icily, "This is just the beginning, Ramset."
The man's eyes flashed with a hard glint—the kind that promised he wouldn't stop until Nystrix was gone.
"Just like her father… she will disappear. My decades of work won't be wasted."
~~~~~~~~~
Inside Gadmyne quaters.
Gadmyne sat on the cindralis bench, her eyed dazed. She wasn't looking at anything, just staring ahead, like her eyes were stuck in the past.
"She loved him," she muttered under her breath. "Jacqueline loved Slagus. And me…" She gave a bitter smile. "I liked him too. More than I should have. But he never looked at me that way. It was always her."
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the bench until her knuckles turned white.
"I still remember that night," she said softly. "She came to me, telling me she had a dream. Chains, blood, fire everywhere. She begged me to listen. And what did I do?" Gadmyne let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. "I chased her away. Told her she was just imagining things."
Her laugh turned sharp. "Imagining things… ha! Fool. It was a warning. A prophecy. And I didn't listen because I didn't want to."
Her eyes darkened as she went on.
"She came again," Gadmyne whispered. "She said she didn't feel safe, that Jamyd was planning something, that she needed my protection. She asked me for help… and I…" Her voice broke, and her body trembled. "I sent her away. I told her to handle it herself. Me—the Archwitch—sent her away, because I was jealous. Because I hated that she had him and I didn't."
Her laugh turned into something broken, half-scream, half-sob.
"And so she died. Jacqueline died, because of me. Not Jamyd. Not Zanre. Me. If I had just listened, if I had just helped her…" She covered her face with her hands, and the tears broke free. Her shoulders shook as she cried.
For a long while she stayed like that, sobbing quietly, until her voice slipped out again, hoarse and low.
"Nystrix… your mother died because of me. I won't let it happen again. Even if it kills me… I won't fail you."
Knock!,Knock!,Knock !
The soft knock snapped Gadmyne out of her self-loathing state, she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror, tapping herself on her face three times, the tears dried up and her red eyes became normal.
She fixed herself and sat on her bed.
"Who's that?"
"It's me, Hasiy."
Gadmyne face froze for a moment before she answered, "Come in."
Hasiy opened the door and it was evident she had been crying.
"Gadmyne, she hates me." Was the first statement that left her lips as she sat on the cindralis bench that Gadmyne had stood up from.
"She's angry, give her time." Gadmyne said in a low voice.
"Which time, Gadmyne I'm dying, twenty years trying to keep Slagus alive is no small deal, and my core is almost gone!" Hasiy said in a voice that displayed her frustration. "I need to pass her my core, but I can't do that without her consent and how will I when she hates me? I want to keep my brother alive, Gadmyne, you must do something. My core… my life force, the very thing keeping me and my brother alive, is almost gone!"" Hasiy voice was now desperate.
"Just give her today, she'll calm down." Gadmyne said her eyes lowered.
Hasiy noticed that Gadmyne mood was off and asked,
"I have asked you this countless times, why are you doing this?"
Gadmyne raised her eyes and gave the same answer she had given in the last twenty years, "For Jacqueline."
"For Jacqueline? Don't fool me Gadmyne. You can find him through the connections of my and his core, coupled with your magic, but you are doing this? If you are doing this for Jacqueline you would have found him and saved him but you've been waiting for twenty years. Tell me, you brought Nystrix here because of it right?"
"Hasiy, you don't understand."
"Make me." Hasiy was determined.
"Hasiy," Gadmyne growled and Hasiy surely felt a chill in her neck.
She stood up and without a word walked out.
Gadmyne eyes became red after she had left.
"I'm sorry, Jacqueline, I'm sorry Slagus, I'm sorry Nystrix."
~~~~~~~~~
Nystrix sat on the bed in her room with pursed lips.
She had been thinking about Gadmyne reaction and whether to trust Hasiy or not when a soft knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts.
She stood up and went to the door and met a cute little boy, whe smiled at her.
"Are you Nystrix?"
"Yes."
This boy is so cute.
"Um..." The boy scratched his head– a sign that he had forgotten what he was sent to say. "Aah!, You presence is requested for by the council."
Nystrix face darkened a little, when she heard him, bit not wanting to scare the boy she gave a little smile.
"Can you lead me to them?"
Sure. You know I'm a smart wolf" The boy's eyes flickered amber for a second before his body rippled, bones shifting. In a heartbeat, a sleek black wolf stood where the boy had been, tail swishing proudly.
Nystrix gave a small smile and began tonwalk behind the wolf.
A sure smart wolf.
Those shape-shifting bastards, are gonna get it. I swear to make them regret betraying my father.