Chapter 112: Chapter 112

“I can't believe the Creator took interest in opening a way of escape!” Athena said between clenched teeth. Avril's eyes widened. The Creator...what had he done?

“What did he do?” Nana asked the words Avril couldn't speak aloud.

Athena whipped her a look, but Nana didn't show signs of suppression.

“Well, I suppose it's okay to let you all know why you're involved in this mess. The Creator brought him a helper, someone to break his curse and liberate him. Someone to give him the strength to fight against us. That someone is your little friend. Oh, how lucky she has been. She just doesn't die!

“Not when I had her kidnapped, or when I was going to let the man just kill her, and definitely not when I planned to drown her. Instead, everything I did led her right to him!”

“I still haven't forgiven you for that, Athena.”

Athena rolled her eyes.

“I know. Maybe we should have just let her be in her miserable village to starve after we took her parents.”

Avril's friends glanced at her as she just sat on the floor against the cage, listening to how her life had been torn apart by these two.

“Oh, let's not forget how the Creator also provided these worthless girls for her. Oh, worthless Chidi who wanted to escape Nigeria to Europe through Libya but ended up sold to human traffickers.”

Athena got up from Dojo's lap and walked to the girl's cage.

“What about you, Nana? You were sold by your own father who'd rather he had some thousands of Cedis than you. A poverty-stricken mad man he is. I love him.”

Nana glared daggers at her, but the witch only chuckled.

“Oh, sweet Xiao Wéi who ran off on the eve of her wedding to a man four times her age. I believe you said you couldn't bear his stinky feet? How were you kidnapped again? Oh yes! Your friend was going to take you to another province when that ship got you both before you could even understand what was happening.”

“That happened because we couldn't speak English and thought they were heading to the capital!” Xiao Wéi bit back. The mention of her dead friend had opened up a sour wound.

“Aww, sorry. My apologies that you were born in one of the poorest Chinese villages.”

Xiao Wéi scoffed at Athena, who rolled her eyes and walked to the middle of the throne room.

“Four worthless girls brought in to be friends to strengthen one another. I must commend you all. You have held on until the end.”

Avril got on her feet and walked to the front of the bars. She held it for support.

“What do you want? If it's me, fine. But let my friends go.”

“Go where?” Nana asked.

“We ain't leaving,” Xiao Wéi stated.

“We die here,” Chidi affirmed.

The three of them stood square, not backing down and giving Athena an equal dose of glares as she gave them.

Avril's weak knees gave way, and she almost fell, but she grabbed a bar with her injured hand. The pain shot up to her brain, and she screamed as she let go of the bar and fell.

Dojo jerked up from the throne.

“Avril!” he called, and his face contorted with worry. Athena gasped, and Dojo blinked. He frowned and glared at Avril.

“Let's get this done quick! I can't let him out,” he spat out.

Avril breathed a tiny relief. Prince Dakar was in there. She had to get him out. She was the key.

“Before we let you all go, I've got news.” Athena giggled and clapped like a little girl.

“Prince Dakar has a mate!”

Avril's heart rate spiked up. What?

“So we realized he was gifted a mate a few months ago. That's a double backup to his helper, which is you Avril. It means if you don't work out, his mate will complete the job. Setting him free. We do not know who exactly she is, but we've gathered all the ladies who showed features of the bestowment, and they're there with you in that cage.”

Avril looked at the girls and almost fainted. Prince Dakar's potential mate was amongst them. One of them was destined for him.

Dojo got up and walked to Athena.

“She will be the only one we would kill today. No mate is allowed. I was recessive the day he was bestowed, so I don't know who she might even be. But, we've conjured a way to detect her.”

He twirled his fingers, and the black smoke materialized into a short sword, encrusted with blood-like red beads at the hilt.

“His blood we got yesterday which is trapped in these beads will locate his mate and want to merge with her heart. Which means the sword will penetrate his mate and in the process, kill her.”

The unknown girls screamed and began to cry as the sword was positioned in the air, ready to dive towards them. Avril didn't know what to feel. Dakar's mate will be killed and out of her way of being with him. But an innocent life will be taken, and another opportunity for Dakar to be free will be lost.

The screaming from the girls increased as the knife began its dive. She whipped her head to look at it approaching their cage.

“No!” Dojo screamed, but it was Dakar's voice that came out. Before she could realize why he screamed, a deep pain hit her as she felt the penetration of a sharp object in her chest.

“No! Avril!” Dakar screamed again. Athena's eyes widened in shock.

Dakar sped to the cage and tore off the bars with one arm. Wisps and tendrils of smoke seeped out of his entire body.

“Avril,” he called and grabbed her. Blood had spurted out her mouth at the stab in her chest.

“I'm... I'm your mate?” she coughed.

“Yes,” he cried real tears.

“You became my mate that day you suddenly fainted while we were making out. They said I had only imprinted, but I could feel it was more than that. You're my mate, Avril,” he cried and hugged her. Avril's tears silently fell.

“I love you so much,” he said. A white, hazy fog began to envelop them, and when it was huge enough to cover the entire cage, he laid an already unconscious Avril down. The stab won't kill her under the fog, and thankfully he had slightly changed the course of the sword midway immediately he got control of himself back. The sword didn't stab her heart.

Prince Dakar stepped out of the fog and walked to her friends' cage. He ripped it open with one arm and tossed it away, almost hitting a still shocked Athena.

“Go in there and stay with her,” he commanded them. They ran into the fog immediately.

Now, it was just Dakar and Athena.

She shifted backwards in fear, and her eyes darted to the stairs.

“Looking for these?” Camper's voice floated from the entrance. Athena pivoted and gasped when she saw Camper standing there, menace plastered on his face and two crystal balls sitting in his palms.

“You really think I followed you to your garden to talk about my talent?” he asked with a smirk.

Athena began to shake visibly. The tables had turned.