Chapter 43


    Chapter 43 Kids fight


    1.


    CA SSANDRA


    The next day in theb, I was hard at work when I realized Becky was staring at


    “What’s wrong?” I asked, and I smoothed my hair down. “Is my hair sticking straight up or something?


    Do I have something in my teeth?”


    “No, no,” Becky assured me, but her expression said otherwise. “Did you have some trouble sleeping


    last night?”


    “How did you know?” I wondered.


    “Your eyes are swollen,” my assistant pointed out gently. Heat spread to my cheeks, and I took my


    protective goggles off. I was hoping it wasn’t that noticeable, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.


    After I’d gotten Finnick to sleep, I’d gone to my own bed and cried into the early hours of the morning.


    Hearing about Marco and the way Asher had used him to mourn my loss had been such a heavy


    burden to learn about, and I wasn’t processing it well.


    But I couldn’t think of that now. There was too much work to be done.


    “Anyway,” I said slowly, and then I shifted the subject. “Becky, have you found anything more about


    Udosyn?”


    I likely knew the answer, but I couldn’t help but ask anyway. Becky and I had checked all of the medical


    books that the royal healers had ess to, but there was


    no mention of Udosyn.


    But surprisingly, Becky didn’t say no straight away.


    “Becky?” I prompted her again. “What is it?”


    1/5


    “Well…” she said, and she pushed her sses up the bridge of her nose. “It might be a mistake or a


    bad note-”


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    “That doesn’t matter,” I assured her. “Any bit of information helps.”


    “Well, I realizedst night that I’ve heard the name Udosyn before,” she revealed. “From a story


    anyway.”


    “A story?” I repeated back, and then I leaned back against the counter behind. me and crossed my


    arms. “What story?”


    “It’s one my mother told me when I was young,” Becky replied, and then she cleared her throat. “I was


    so little when I heard it that I had to make sure I wasn’t- imagining it. So, I went and spoke with my


    mother this morning. She told me that she couldn’t remember it clearly either, but after a while, she told


    me that she thinks Udosyn was actually the name of the poison?”


    “I’m lost,” I admitted.


    “Sorry,” Becky apologized, and she took a moment to collect herself. “It’s all a little hazy. But ording


    to the story, as my mom remembers it, Udosyn was created by an academy of sorcery known as


    Ewonmiams. They were infamous for creating different kinds of poisons and drugs. Apparently, Udosyn


    was their most sessful and dangerous one.”


    “Hmm,” I remarked, and my eyebrows knitted together. “How did your mother know about this?”


    “She used to be an assistant in the royal library,” my assistant answered, and she tucked a lock of dark


    red hair behind her ear. “I guess she read it in one of the books. But that was many years ago. She


    couldn’t remember the rest of the story.”


    I nodded my head as I thought about it. I didn’t know much of anything about sorcery. Not many people


    in Wega did either for that matter. All I could recall was mentions of it from historical books. See,


    sorcery had been wiped out of the continent centuries ago because people believed it to be evil and a


    vition of the Moon Goddess’s blessings.


    “Is there a way I could try to find the book your mother talked about?” I wondered, but Becky shook her


    head.


    “The royal library can only be essed by the royal family,” she replied with an apologetic nce.


    “You’d need permission from the Alpha King if you wanted to


    visit.”


    I nodded again. Of course. Things couldn’t be easy, especially here in Anemond. This ce was full of


    secrets.


    “Thank you for trying,” I said earnestly. “Seriously, Becky. I know it’s just a little information, but it might


    go a long way in helping us find the truth.”


    “Of course,” Becky replied, and she offered me a smile. For a moment, she reminded me of Marley. My


    heart ached. I missed my friend dearly.


    Just as I was about to put my goggles back on and turn back to my work, the doors of theboratory


    flew open, and in burst Erika. The maid’s normally kind eyes were frantic, and her hair was falling out of


    its perfect bun.


    “Miss Ca ssandra,” she managed through heavy breath, and she took a moment to collect herself. “I’m


    so sorry to rush in like this.”


    “Don’t apologize, Erika,” I assured her, and I rushed over to her side. “What’s going on? You seem


    stressed.”


    “Forgive me for saying it, but I am,” Erika said. “I’m in a hurry and you need to be as well.”


    “What do you mean?” I demanded. I hadn’t meant for my tone to be so harsh, but I was getting scared


    by the look on her face.


    “Finnick fought with Prince Marco,” the maid revealed, and panic flooded through me.


    No.


    No, no, no.


    I knew this would happen.


    “Let’s go,” I said. I quickly peeled my whiteb coat off and threw it to the closest counter, not caring


    much where itnded. Once it was off, I turned to Becky.


    “I need to go,” I informed her. “Please, continue working on the research. I’ll be


    back when I can.”


    “Of course,” Becky agreed, and then she gestured to the door. “I’ve got this. Get going, Cas sandra.”


    I nodded. “Right.”


    Without another word, I followed Erika out the door and into the hall.


    Theboratory was on the other side of the ssrooms where Prince Marco’s lessons were held, so


    the maid and I had to hasten our paces. The halls were full of various guards and se rvants, and I had


    to maneuver around a handful of them to keep from tripping over myself. I’d never been graceful, and


    my sudden speed wasn’t helping things at all.


    Meanwhile, I considered every possible scenario I could be walking into. I’d had a bad feeling about


    these lessons, and the idea of my boy getting into a fight with the Alpha King’s son filled me with utter


    dread.


    What if Finnick had broken a bone? Or what if Marco had seriously hurt Finnick? If the first was true,


    we were likely in a heap of trouble that neither of us was prepared for. Laying a hand on a member of


    the royal family was a crime worthy of severe punishment. Even if Finnick was a child, I couldn’t protect


    him from this.


    “Don’t panic,” I whispered to myself. “Breathe, Ca ss.”


    Finally, Erika and I reached the ssroom. When we burst through the doors, Adalyn was already


    there. The Alpha King’s wife had Prince Marco in her arms. The young boy was sobbing hysterically


    while Adalyn’s amber eyes were shooting daggers in Finnick’s direction. She looked as if she were


    prepared to spring at my son at any moment.


    “What’s going on?” I demanded. I rushed to Finnick’s side and swept him in my arms wordlessly.


    Finnick’s solemn gray eyes were filled to the brim with tears, but they didn’t spill onto his cheeks.


    “Mommy,” he whispered just loud enough for me to hear, and after he gave me a sad look, he turned to


    Adalyn. With how vicious the normally beautiful woman’s expression was, I half-expected Finnick to cry


    just as hard as Prince Marco, But my son was braver than the other boy. He managed to hold his head


    high and stare back at Adalyn as if he were older than his years.


    When I turned my attention toward Adalyn, she offered me an even fiercer expression. Her amber eyes


    shed and her lip curled into a snarl. Even from here, I could see her long nails had sharpened into


    ws.


    “Look at what your filthy peasant son has done,” she snarled, and she gestured at Prince Marco, who


    was still sobbing. “He’s going to pay forying a hand on my Marco.”