Chatper 203


    Chapter 203 Left you something


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    CA SSANDRA


    As the car drove past the borders of Wega and into those of Yurene, it was veryte into the night.


    Finnick was fast asleep on myp, and I ran my hands through his soft, dark brown hair. It was a ritual


    of ours, one that put the child at ease almost immediately. He’d been so nervous as the ride had


    continued, so I’d pulled him close and tried to get him to rx.


    Beside me, Erika had her elbow propped up against the window, and her eyes were closed. I didn’t


    know if she was asleep or simply resting, as we hadn’t spoken since we’d first gotten into the car, but I


    couldn’t me her if she weren’t asleep. How could we dream so easily when we were leaving the


    ce of our birth, not knowing if we would ever return?


    The car kept driving in the deep, dense forest before we reached the other side of the trees and came


    up on a town. The light was spar se and dim, but I could make out a sign that read “Gliolis” in the


    distance.


    What a strange name, I thought as the car drove down the winding road slowly. I supposed that


    everything in this foreignnd would seem strange, and a knot formed in my stomach. I knew I’d made


    the right decision, the only decision to be made at the time, but it didn’t mean that I was feeling


    particrly brave about it. I was putting on a face for Finnick, but inside… inside, I was terrified.


    Kaleb turned around from the passenger side and cleared his throat.


    “We’re going to rest in this town tonight,” the king of Yurene announced in a considerately quiet voice.


    “Then we’ll depart in the morning and continue on our way.”


    I didn’t say anything in response because I knew the foreign monarch wasn’t asking me but telling me.


    But his tone was surprisingly soft and gentle. I was surprised by the calmness, though I still didn’t trust


    him.


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    Chapter 203 Left you something


    The driver stopped the car just outside of an inn. I nced up at it through the window and was


    surprised by the sight. It was nothing much, just two stories, but I’d been prepared for something


    worse. I knew Kaleb wasn’t going to put us in shackles or anything, but we were prisoners of a sort, so


    I hadn’t expected us to go


    somewhere nice.


    As Kaleb exited the car, I took a moment to steady myself and then roused Finnick. He sat up slowly


    and then blinked hisrge gray eyes at me.


    “Mommy?” he asked as he nced around. “What’s going on?”


    “We’re stopping for the night, honey,” I exined, and then I offered him a small smile. “Come on,


    follow me. We’ll get you into a bed, okay?”


    Finnick nodded and then turned to Erika. The maid opened her eyes and then let out a soft sigh. She


    nced at me for a moment and offered me a small smile of her own. After I exchanged the gesture,


    we stepped out of the vehicle.


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    Kaleb led us inside but didn’t say a word. His guards and diplomats followed along, and we were stuck


    in the middle of the group.


    The receptionist was an old woman. She lolled against the counter, book in hand, but her dark eyes


    were half-closed. As our group approached the counter, she yawned and lifted her head in surprise.


    When she scanned the room, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She seemed taken aback by


    the number of potential guests and shed us a warm smile as we filtered into the lobby.


    “Good evening,” she greeted us. “Wee to my inn.”


    Kaleb and his diplomats looked utterly exhausted and didn’t speak. Instead, the guards did most of the


    talking and arranged rooms with the old woman. I half-expected the woman to recognize the king of the


    country, but she didn’t seem to notice him. Perhaps there were simply too many people present.


    We were ushered into a room on the second floor, and I was grateful that Kaleb allowed Erika, Finnick,


    and me to stay together. I’d been worried about us being split up, but the king of Yurene assured us


    that we would be in the same room tonight.


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    “Would you like a hot bath?” the old woman asked kindly once we stepped into the room. “If you need


    one, I will prepare it immediately, but you will have to wait an hour. I rarely have guests this season,


    and the boiler room isn’t functioning at the moment.”


    The North was much colder than Wega, and a hot shower would be nice, but when she led us to the


    bathroom and I saw the stained bathtub, I declined her offer.


    The room was far below Anemond’s standards, but than kfully, the sheets were clean. The room had


    two beds, a small bedside table, and a clock. Kaleb informed us that we only had a few hours to sleep


    and advised us to get into bed right away.


    After the olddy brought us some hot water and clean towels, we thanked her and then closed the


    door of the room. Erika and I didn’t speak much; just wished each other a good night’s sleep, and then


    we turned off the light and crawled into bed.


    Silence hung in the room, but there was nothing to say. We had yet to learn what awaited us tomorrow


    or what Yurene would be like. It seemed we were both too nervous to talk about it, so I snuggled


    Finnick close and soon drifted off.


    My dreams that night were strange.


    Emmett appeared to me, d in a ck robe. It was apparent that he was a sorcerer now, not the


    healer I’d grown to know. He was facing me, but his face was


    blurred.


    Had I already forgotten how he looked?


    Or maybe I had never seen his true face. Perhaps his actual appearance was different, just like his


    identity.


    He apologized at once./”I’m sorry for involving you in this, Ca ssandra.”


    “What do you mean?” I asked, and then a question appeared in my mind. “Was it you who took my wolf


    spirit, Emmett?”


    He nodded. “I had to do it.”


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    As anger swelled within me, I leaped forward and tried to grab him, but he moved backward at thest


    second. I tried drawing closer, but it was no use. I couldn’t touch him or kick him. Tears welled up in my


    eyes.


    “Why did you do this?” I asked as I cried. “Why did you take it from me?”


    “I had to,” he replied. “I hope you understand-”


    “Understand?” I repeated back, and then Iughed. How could I understand him when he’d taken away


    something so important? Not being able to shift into my animal form left me with only half of an identity.


    I wasn’t myself without my wolf.


    Was it also part of his n that he saved me from the burning house and sheltered me in Wild


    Crawler? Was it because he wanted to use me one day for his


    own hidden purposes?


    But I didn’t ask. I was too afraid to. After all, what was the point of asking in a


    dream? There was no way the answers could be real.


    But Emmett spoke again anyway. “You need to stop Kaleb, Ca ssandra. He’s a liar. He’s horrible and


    ruthless.”


    He took a step closer to me. “I left something for you, Ca ssandra, and you’re the only one who could


    use it. And the thing…”


    His voice suddenly trailed off, and another voice appeared in the distance. It was m uffled at first and


    then became clear.


    I woke up to find Erika crouching down beside me. The voice had belonged to her. The maid’s hand


    was on my forehead, and her kind eyes were wide with


    concern.


    “Ca ssandra?” she asked quietly. “Are you alright?”