Chapter 86: Chapter 86
DAHLIA:
A spirit stone – one of the most powerful and precious items in the world!
Since the extinction of the Shadow Rune pack, people from every clan – Werewolves, Fairies, Vampires, Dragons, Witches and Warlocks, to name a few – had all gone crazy in search of spirit stones, the runes that contain the essence of power and existence of a Shadow Rune wolf.
Spirit stones are used as core ingredients for different kinds of spells, and even the mere possession of it was said to give power beyond compare to its owner.
I could just imagine how Tristan and Livia, the last remaining Shadow Rune wolves, and no doubt both possessing spirit stones inside their bodies, would be in grave danger should anyone find out about their secret in Dalrus...
As magic advanced, detection devices that could give away the presence of spirit stones had also been made over the years, creating a never ending quest for the remains of Shadow wolves and the runes they possess…
I’m sure detection devices would be used in that auction since the buyers would naturally want to verify whether the spirit stones are authentic or not. In order to participate in the auction and get there safely therefore, Livia and Tristan would need someone who could probably act as their decoy and serve as their cover so that their true wolves’ scents could be masked.
Undoubtedly, the best candidate for a decoy would be me…
“And why would I help you,” I asked Livia dryly. “You said it yourself. You and your brother have deceived me. Why the hell must I risk my life and help you?”
The lady’s expression sank. “You have no cause to help us… I know how wretched you must feel because of what we’ve done… But my brother is planning to come there alone to obtain the stone… I cannot bear to see him go on a suicide mission!”
My heart throbbed. Tristan was planning to go alone? What nonsense was he up to?
If he was discovered as a Shadow Rune, the least they could do was to kill and torture him… Worse, they might enslave him or dissect him limb by limb and do horrible experiments on him…
“Don’t tell him I told you about this… He didn’t want to the news to reach you. He didn’t want to see you at all too before that because he said his resolve might soften.”
I did not speak, or rather, I could not speak… I was out of words to say.
There was an unexplainable pain in my chest.
Then if it wasn’t for the sudden rogue attack today, I may have never seen Tristan again, right?...
Damn that blasted wolf! After all those lies and deceit, why was my heart still affected by him like this?!
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TRISTAN:
I glanced at my Dahlly from a far after Livia had sent me away… She must have been shocked to see Livia use her powers, and she must have been shocked to see me here too…
When I heard from Lina that Dahlia had volunteered here today, I couldn’t stay put. I must see her. Even from afar, I just needed to see her!
Ever since she moved to the university dormitory, my heart started to ache. It felt as if I was having a long, drawn-out heart attack just by thinking that she had already left me.
Almost immediately, I found myself drinking day and night. Bloody hell, I didn’t even know how many days and nights those were if Livia didn’t come to scold me one day.
“What happened to you? Did Lady Hurst discover the truth,” Livia said, appearing in front of me while I was busy savoring one of the many glasses of wines I had poured myself.
“Ah, sister… My cute, little sister!” In my mind, I was speaking straight, so who was that who was spewing nonsense in a slurred and slow speech?
“Stop this, Tristan! What were you thinking disappearing for three days? Have you been drinking all along here?”
“Wow! It’s that long,” I said in astonishment. Again, who could that annoying person who mimicked my voice in a slow speech be?
“Tell me what happened. Where’s your wife?”
At the mere mention of the word ‘wife,’ I started to sob uncontrollably.
“Livia… She has left me… S-She discovered our secret, and then she left me…”
That was all I could say before my little sister started hugging me.
“Tell me properly. How did she know?”
I recounted what had happened. I didn’t know if it made sense at all. I just told her everything I knew in the best way I could.
When I finished, the darkness had already settled in the horizon. Gosh, was I ever this talkative?
I watched as the day was swallowed by the darkness, an immense darkness, just like the one resting on my soul.
I wished I would just die if I cannot live without my Dahlia!
“Brother, don’t be like this… Did you not promise me we would find out what happened to our mother? Would you rather die before knowing all of that?”
Did I just say my thoughts out loud?... I must really be drunk…
“I will… In fact, I will find it out in the auction.”
I haven’t told her about that part regarding the spirit stone yet, but judging on how Livia did not say anything, she, must have already learned about it from Samalah.
“Alright then, let’s prepare well for it.”
“Yeah… I mean no… I will be the only one to go. I will prepare well, don’t worry…”
I reached out my hands towards my sister’s face.
“Dahlly… Would you see me one last time before I die,” I blurted out.
If I go alone to that auction, who knows what could happen? If I really did end up dying, maybe it’ll be enough to move Dahlly’s tears and to forgive me…
Perhaps when I die, I could erase her from my memory too, just like how my mark on her got erased…
Now, I looked from afar to my Dahlly before I trudged back with Sir Casior towards the city proper of Payn.
This might be that one final look I could steal away, the closest moment I could spend with my mate before I leave her forever…
‘Good bye, Dahlia…’
I half-wished she could still do mind-link with me so that she could hear it, but I knew that was next to impossible. She hated me to the core now, but there’s no one in the world who could hate myself more than I do.
If I could buy more time, I would have wanted to spend it all with no one else but my only beloved Dahlia…