ZEDKIEL.
âDid you find anything at all?â Chasyn asks me as I remove the nails and lift the Oracleâs body to the ground, looking around I yank the charred tablecloth off and cover her body.
âNot yet.â I say, staring down at the Oracleâs body, I sniff the air, letting the smell of b***d fill my nose.
There are two different smells mixed in⦠I lean down, sniffing the b***d. Itâs not Evangelineâs b***d.
Relief floods me, and I stand up.
I donât know why she thinks she killed her, but I plan to find out who it really belongs to, but this b***d is not Evangelineâs. Iâve tasted hers, smelt hers⦠this one is nowhere near hers.
âDonât touch anything in here.â I hear Chasyn command some of the men. I slowly walk through the room, trying to visualise what may have happened.
The runes and the burns are the Oracleâs doing, her magic draws from herself and that around her. I know that much. I frown as I crouch down looking at the marks on the floor.
There are no claw marks, no torn clothes⦠This isnât a werewolf or a witch⦠Iâve studied all kinds of species and magic, but this was a battle of a different kind of magicâ¦
I wipe a bit of the b***d and taste it, hearing Chasyn gr0an from the doorway.
âDonât do that.â He mutters, grossed out.
âDonât look then.â I reply coldly, frowning as I scan the floor slowly once more before walking back to the Oracle and looking at her hands, her entire body is covered in b***d⦠but I can smell some other b***d on her tog and I lift one of her hands, before examining it closer. Thereâs someone elseâs b***d on her hands and behind her nailsâ¦
Frowning, I pause. Itâs definitely not the same as the one on the floor.
I hear footsteps, and Chasyn enters, shutting the door behind him.
âWhat is it, Zed?â
âThereâs b***d from two different people here. As we already know, a scuffle took place. This is something that forensics can figure out.. I donât know h0w long it will take to get some answers but I can pinpoint that b***d if I smell it again.â I say, pointing at the Oracleâs neck that isnât covered by the tablecloth. âThe b***d on the ground is the Oracleâs.â
âDamnâ¦
Standing up, I walk over to the table, picking up one of the bloodstained iron nails. Taking a sniff, I pause, looking down at it.
Her opponent had bled very little⦠I burn the smell into my mind and turn to Chasyn.
âItâs not a werewolf.â
âYeah, no one thinks so.â He mutters, looking uncomfortable.
âOh yeah, Iâm the one everyone suspects, right?â
Chasyn looks up and although I keep my face emotionless, I cannot deny that it angers me. âItâs not like that Zedâ¦â
âLike I f*****g care. Anyone who did this would have been covered in b***d, or at least have some b***d stains on them. I havenât been anywhere long enough to shower or change.â I murmur, looking towards the window.
âIf thereâs magic used⦠there may not have been much b***d spread onto the killer, aside from when they nailed her into the wall.â Chasyn says grimly. Standing up he goes over to one of the shelves that contained vials and bottles of potions.
Most have been destroyed in the apparent struggle that took place here, or should I say duel. âHave you noticed there is also no scent here? Remember the potion that removes scent that we used to steal as a child?â
I look up sharply.
âYou mean the one you used to use?â I ask, going over to him as he crouches down and grabs part of a shattered bottle.
âWell, unlike you I didnât want to be caught, and she never complained about us asking for someâ¦â
Chasyn sighs gravely and Iâm about to wonder who knew exactly what the Oracle had here⦠Not everyone knew she kept a selection of spells and potions.
âThereâs a chance this bottle broke accidentally,â I say.
âPossible, but itâs safe to say we should be careful.
Besides, the rest of the bottles seem to have shattered from force, but this one⦠itâs broken like it just dropped a short distance, and itâs uncorked.â
He had a point, and I nod. He pauses, and I know heâs being mind linked,
âWhat is it?â I ask, irritated with this no mind link policy.
âDad wants to see us again, seems the other Alphas learned of whatâs happened so he has filled them in. I donât see the point for this to have been told to allâ He replies, massaging his temples.
F*****g hell. I didnât see the point either.
âHow did they even find out?â I ask icily, my eyes slowly scanning the walls, trying to see if there are any clues here that I may have missed.
âOne of the Lunas.â Chasyn replies.
âThis entire tournament has been nothing but f*****g bad luck and they say Iâm bad luck.â I sneer humourlessly.
âI agree.. Lunas were chosen in haste⦠the only one of these rushed marriages that even feels like a real marriage is yours and Evangelineâs.â
I look at him, wondering why he had that irritating smirk on his face.
âI claimed her before the tournament even began.â
âIndeed, and Lucia canât stop talking about her when I see her either.â He adds.
I frown, remembering that phone that Sinclair had given her on a shopping trip with Lucia. âYou still have an attachmnent to her, although youâre mated to Maryka. Correct? How is that even possible when your fated is with you?â
Chasyn shoves his hands into his pocket and fishes out his phone before he begins taking pictures of the room.
An Alpha has a duty to his people; our Lunas must be confident and powerful. And marking an Omega. Thatâs not going to make us stronger. Omegas are treasures for us to claim, gems to enjoy and to treat with love, but they are gentle by nature and far weaker than an Alpha or high-rank she-wolf.
No offence to Evangeline, she is, in my eyes, your greatest downfall to that crown.â
Tilting my head, I shake it. âIf thatâs the case an Alpha wouldnât ever be fated to an Omega, then why does that happen?â
âMy point exactly. Never in history has anyone had a fated Omega mate.â He reminds me, but Iâm mated to an Omega. âHence why I think you should have kept her as your Omega and taken a Luna of warrior b***d at the least. Itâs obvious you can control yourself if you want. Sheâs alive after all, you can still do that, an Omega can never be a Luna.â
Anger flares through me and I glare at him coldly.
Even if she is my fated mate or chosen, she would have still been my Luna. I try to stay calm, knowing I will unleash my wrath if I speak now.
I follow the trails and marks on the floor as I slowly circle the Oracleâs dead body.
âYouâre wrong, about her, about me, about this f*****g tournament. If we win, itâs because I have her. The thing is Chasyn, I never planned to make Evangeline my Luna, but my Queen. She may be an Omega, but she has the quality to become a true Queen. Mark my words.â I say icily, looking up at him as I slowly roll the Oracleâs dead body over.
His face changes into one of surprise before he smiles. âYou love her.â He says, he sounds more awed than anything, and I ignore him.
Love?
Does that even exist?
I donât plan to tell anyone that sheâs my fated mate, not whilst this tournament is ongoing. I didnât trust it and so ignore the fool.
All thoughts are wiped from my head when I stare at the Oracleâs back.
âWhat the..â
âWhat is it?â Chasyn asks, hurrying over.
I stare at her back that is embedded with a message. I can recognise the Oracleâs markings anywhere.. but itâs the message that makes my stomach twist.
âThrough time, the curse becomes stronger⦠destroy the curse of the Gemini and end the war within yourself. You are both each otherâs blessing and curse. Return to the place of your greatest fear, for he holds the key.
Itâs for me. I know it is.
âWhat are you looking at?â He asks, staring at her back in confusion.
He canât see it⦠That only strengthens the fact that that was a final message for me from her.
Did that mean whatever happened here is linked to us?
âLetâs head out of hereâ¦â I say, standing up. He nods, glancing back at the body in confusion before we both exit the roomâ¦
Ten minutes later, Iâm in the hall again as Dad paces nervously.
âDid you find anything?â Dad asks, looking at the images that Chasyn had taken.
âWasnât a werewolfâ I say coldly, knowing that wonât help my case.
âThis is a horror scene.â Dad murmurs tossing the phone down in agitation as Aeron steps over to him, frowning as he stares down at the phone, looking at the images that Chasyn had taken.
I donât miss the slight change in his heartbeat before he steps back.
âThatâsâ¦disturbing.â
If he didnât look around with that glimmer of nervousness in his eyes, I would have let it slide but⦠He knows somethingâ¦
I drown the others out, focusing on him.
âZedkiel.. if you saw this person somewhere else, would you recognise them?â
He means would I be able to pinpoint them by their b***d? I nod, but Iâm more distracted by the silence and unease that Aeron is emitting as the other Alphas all input their opinions. He keeps looking at the door and heâs restlessâ¦
What is he hiding?
âHow will he be able to? I think we need capable trackers or someone who excels in this skill, Supreme Alpha.â Jasper of the Wolf Arrow Pack is saying.
He doesnât know what I am after all.
I donât wait for Dadâs reply before heading to the entrance. My eyes meet Aeron and for a moment we simply stare at one another before I j3rk my head to the hallway, demanding he follows.
He gives a small nod, but I can see the nervousness in his eyes.
Stepping outside, I lean against a pillar waiting for him. He comes out after a few minutes and closes the door behind him.
âWhat was that about?â I ask.
âExcuse me?â He asks with an expression of concern.
I c0ck a brow.
âDonât play dumb. I mean the reaction when you saw those pictures. Almost as if you know something.â
He shakes his head, but I know Iâm onto something.
âSpeak or we go back in there. The choice is yours.â
He glances around and sighs when l refuse to drop it. âCan we at least talk somewhere else?â
I nod and walk to the nearest room. Opening it, I look around, making sure itâs empty before I step inside and he follows. Heâs nervous to be alone with me, but as long as he doesnât try something stupid, nothing will happen.
âSpill.âI say icily.
He sighs heavily. âBack when I found Evangeline.. the village that she was walking through⦠contained similar scenes⦠but it was all burned down so nothing was left to show but I still remember it⦠Maybe whatever did that back then is back, maybe itâs Evangeline that it wantsâ
His fear is strong, and I can see the concern he has for her, but Iâm unable to think straight. A different kind of fear is making me sick to the stomach.
Does this- does this mean she did somehow do this? That she was telling the truth?
I refuse to believe sheâs capable of this⦠but the more I learn, the harder itâs getting to hold on to that adamance.
Who exactly are you, Evangeline? What is our connection?