Chapter 417: Alpha Liandria

Cassia;

She lunges without warning. Covering an unbelievable amount of space.

To my surprise, I realise she didn’t go for Bram, but the warlock.

The boy barely manages to avoid her. Rubble and dust explode where her claws strike, and the impact sends Bram stumbling backwards.

The magic around him flickers wildly as he turns to her.

I try to move. Try to interject in the fight. Liandria shouldn’t be facing this alone. I’m sure she’s wondering why I haven’t shifted, why I haven’t helped.

I push myself to my feet, but as I take the first step, the familiar emptiness inside me immediately reminds me.

I have nothing to defend us with. The witches took that from me.

And for perhaps the thousandth time, grief strikes me anew. Because all I can do is watch.

Liandria attacks again, and this time, the warlock finally stops laughing.

Dark magic bursts outward, and the entire atmosphere reverberates.

Liandria is thrown backwards, and my heart sinks as she slams heavily into the ground.

"Liandria!" I scream in horror, and Bram smirks as he turns to watch her struggle.

She rushes to her feet, and my vision blurs as the warlock sends magic at her. Hurting her and sending her to the ground again, and again...again.

"Stop that!" I scream like a pathetic weakling under the confused and expectant gaze of my people.

The warlock ignores me and tilts his head at Liandria.

"You’re stronger than I expected."

Liandria, despite her weak, trembling body, rises again and glares at the young boy head-on.

I know she’s been holding back because he’s only just a child...But at this point, if she doesn’t subdue him, he’ll kill her.

"Bram, stop this nonsense! What do you want!?" I scream, and finally, the despicable young man returns his attention to me.

As his gaze locks on me, all I see in them is so much hate, rage, and desperation.

He suddenly raises his hand, and the dark magic surrounding him grows brighter.

I barely finish the thought of leaping out of the way when the spell leaves his hands.

Fear swallows me mercilessly, and my eyes widen as the bolt of darkness—pure darkness comes at me.

The last time such magic hit me, I lost my beast. If this hits me now...I’ll die.

Liandria turns in that moment, and I watch her eyes widen in horror.

With the speed only her kind has, she moves.

The enormous wolf throws herself between Bram and me. The spell slams into her, and the sound that leaves her—

Light.

I will hear it for the rest of my life.

Blood sprays across the stone, and Liandria crashes into me.

We both hit the ground.

For a terrible moment, the entire world goes silent.

"LIANDRIA!" I scream in horror as I stare at her side, which has been torn–burst open by the spell.

I feel blood drain from my face at the appalling sight, but even at that, her beast struggles...Tries to stand.

Blood pours from her side, as the magic burns and eats further into her.

I glare up at Bram in rage, disbelief and an avalanche of other emotions that I can not currently process.

He looks horrified.

Because I do not think he meant to hit her.

The young warlock suddenly laughs from behind him, and I feel my throat go dry.

"Wow! Now that’s interesting!" He laughs.

I try to hold on to Liandria. To–to do something. Anything.

But Liandria forces herself to her feet once more. Slowly, and painfully.

Her eyes lock on me for a second. And my heart dies in my chest as I realise that withdrawal in her eyes.

With that, she turns. Toward the warlock. The warlock who’s busy laughing doesn’t realise the glint in Liandria’s eyes.

By the time he does, it’s too late.

She attacks without warning.

The warlock raises his magic, but Liandria tears through it.

Darkness erupts, but Liandria doesn’t drop. She pounces on the boy.

The scream that leaves him is blood-curdling, and as the magic clears, I see the boy’s neck in her jaw.

For the first time since I saw the arrogant boy, I see fear–true fear–in his eyes.

Liandria turns to Bram, and Bram lifts his hand, but the magic has faded from his finger.

Holding his gaze, Liandria’s beast chomps down on the boy’s neck, and my eyes widen as I watch blood splurt while the boy’s body goes limp.

She lets go, and the warlock’s body hits the ground.

Blood spreads from his neck, across the stone, and silence.

Complete silence.

Especially from Bram, who staggers in disbelief.

He probably wasn’t expecting such a powerful warlock to die like that, but Liandria saw an opening, and she took it.

Liandria sways as her wolf collapses, and my ears start ringing in alarm.

As the silver fur disappears, the naked woman who returns is covered in blood. Her blood.

Too much blood.

I move first. Racing towards her, and the guards follow. Apprehending Bram.

I quickly rip the outer layer of my dress and throw it over her naked body.

My eyes go dark to the injury at her side, and air gets knocked out of my lungs. It’s not a tear, or a cut. It’s absence. Absence of flesh that ought to be there over bone.

It’s—A missing chunk of her side. Like some horrid creature took a bite out of her side with the intention to kill her.

My heart starts pounding as dark, almost black blood starts pooling out of her body, onto the stone path beneath her.

I want to scream for a physician, but pause when I realise that I am a physician, and I have no idea how to salvage this!!

"No..." I whisper with my voice breaking, and Liandria looks at me.

Then she smiles. A weakening, shivering smile.

"L-Liandria..." I call in horror, as I stare at her.

Moonlight has settled on her face, and in this moment, all I see is a frightened mother... A tired woman.

Because Liandria’s hand suddenly grips my wrist, weakly, and fresh tears fill my eyes.

"Cassia." She struggles to call, and I gulp.

Tears blur my vision, as my bloody fingers wipe off the tears that are now sliding down her face.

"D-don’t talk, save your strength..." I plead, but she groans in disapproval.

"We–we can fix this. I’ll...I’ll send for Wilhelm. I’ll—" I begin in panic, but she smiles again.

She smiles. As though I am the one who needs comforting.

"Why did you do that?? We both know that attack was meant for me." I scold as guilt tightens its noose around my throat, but she ignores my words. Instead, she tries her best to tighten her hold on my wrist.

"You would have done the same." She whispers, and a sob escapes me.

The guards surround us. Someone kneels, and I know it’s another healer.

The young girl starts rummaging through her bag for tonics and herbs, but I am no fool.

There’s...there’s only one way this night can play out. And it’s—

"I wish he were here," Liandria whispers as she keeps her gaze on the sky above us, and I swallow.

"There isn’t much time." She whispers, and my grip on her hand tightens as my heart swells with sorrow.

"No."

The healer continues desperately searching for what can’t be found, and I just watch.

The darkness around the wound continues spreading.

The guards have gone silent, and Bram begins crying. Actually crying.

He stares at his hands. At the blood. At the woman dying because of him.

"It wasn’t meant—" His voice breaks. "I wasn’t meant to be her—"

"SHUT UP!" I scream at him, and his gaze returns to me in shock.

I have never hated someone this much. Not even the witches, or the warlocks.

I hate this boy so much because he stole this. He stole her chance. He stole Rhydian’s chance.

He stole everything!

"Cassia," Liandria calls with her grip slowly falling from my wrist.

I lean closer to her with my tears falling freely now.

"You don’t get to do this." I plead. Hoping somehow... some way for a miracle. Her smile grows slightly.

"I don’t think I have much choice." She says like it’s a joke, and my heart sinks further.

"No." My voice shakes violently.

"Rhydian will be back." She points out as her eyes soften, and I nod.

"I know. You said you wanted to talk to him." I reply, and another tear slips down her cheek.

Just one.

"I know." She replies, and I wipe off my tear switch the back of my hand.

"There is still so much to fix." I croak, and he smile weavers a bit.

"I know." She whispers back, and my vision blurs further.

"He needs his mother." I plead bitterly, and she reaches out weakly. She gently cradles my cheek, and I hold her beautiful, now weak gaze.

"He has you now." She groans, and my heart skips.

I stare at her. Unable to breathe or think.

"I spent so long competing with you. And all this time..." She croaks as her eyes close briefly, and I gulp.

"I should have simply thanked you." She adds, a nd I shake my head in negation. Unable to accept what I feel coming.

"Thank you for loving my son." She adds softly as she looks at me again.

The words stab directly into my chest... Because I understand. I understand exactly what she’s saying.

She—She’s leaving Rhydian with me.

And I don’t want it. I don’t want this goodbye.

Her eyes grow distant, and I can tell she can’t hold on for much longer.

"He was always enough." She mutters with a small nod.

"He was always enough, Cassia. Please tell him." Another tear slides down her face, and this time, I cannot speak.

Her breathing becomes weaker.

The healer has stopped the performance. She just sits there. Unable to look me in the face.

Because she knows. Everyone knows.

Liandria’s eyes drift upward.

Toward the stars. Toward the moon...Toward something I cannot see.

"I love Wilhelm." She says.

The confession surprises me. Perhaps because she says it like a young girl. A young, defeated girl who never got the love she craved in an entire lifetime.

"I know." I nod, and a weak smile settles onto her lips.

"I really did. He deserved better." She adds, and I fall silent.

Her voice barely exists now.

The guards look away. Some are crying.

Even Bram is crying.

Liandria looks at me again. Her eyes struggle to focus, and I can already feel the cold slipping into her fingers.

"Cassia."

"I’m here."

Another small smile graces her lips.

"Thank you."

This time, I break. Completely.

Because she sounds peaceful. And I don’t want peace.

I–I want her anger. I want another argument.

...I want one more chance. One more year, one more conversation.

...One more anything.

But life is cruel. And mothers die. And sometimes, children come home too late.

Liandria takes one final breath.

Slowly, and painfully.

After that, there’s...nothing.

The silence that follows is unbearable. I stare at her. Waiting...Waiting with everything inside me, but she does not breathe again.

Rhydian’s mother—Alpha Liandria—is gone.

I pull her against me.

The clothes I laid over her earlier are soaked with blood.

My hands shake, and my heart feels hollow as I think of the misery of the situation.

Somewhere beyond Gravemaw’s walls— Rhydian is headed toward Jaggered Valley.

Completely unaware that...his mother spent her final night speaking about him.

His mother finally learned how to love him. His mother wrote him a letter.

And now— She will never give it to him.

I lower my head against hers, and I can not help the wail the escaes me.

It rips through my heart and pierces through the night as it leaves me.

I only just got a sister. And now, she’s gone.