26 25
2:23 PM
Chapter 13:
After days at sea, I finally saw it–a stretch of land so green and bright, it looked like something from the bedtime tales of my childhood when Lilith hadn’t turned the Alpha and Luna’s mind against me. My heart jumped, and I leaned over the side of the ship. staring at it as if it might disappear if I blinked.
“We’re here,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.X
Behind me, the wolf sailor chuckled. “Told you we’d make it.”
I turned to him, narrowing my eyes. “How do I even know this place is real? Jareth’s invisible. Maybe the land is, too.”
He grinned, showing sharp teeth. “You doubt me? After I’ve kept us alive all this time?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re lucky I haven’t thrown you overboard, Invisible.”
“Who is invisible? Me? is that my name?“:
He laughed louder, his deep voice echoing across the deck. “Invisible, huh? You’ve been calling me that since we met.”
“Well, it fits!” I shot back, crossing my arms. “You won’t even tell me your real name.”))
For the first time I let my guards down. I wasn’t indifferent, I actually cared about this sailor Jareth had sent with me.X
“If I told you, I’d have to make you forget,” he teased, wagging a clawed finger at me.X
“Well it me
Jareth and you are hiding something and it’s not my business
“Everyone’s hiding something, my lady”
I turned back to the land. It felt alive. The trees seemed to sway without wind, their leaves glowing faintly. The air was cool, like sunlight through a diamond.
“Are we really going there?” I whispered.
He shrugged. “Why not? You wanted answers. This is where they’ll be “X
“You strike a deal with Jareth to vanish…so here goes nothing.”
“But what if the stories are true? What if no one ever comes back?”
“Then you’ll make new stories all over” he said easily.
“Well, I do,” I admitted. “What if—”
“My lady,” he cut me off, his tone suddenly soft. “You’ve already come this far. Don’t stop now
“Whatever made you leave your past and run should never make you return. No matter the voice calling you home. Remember home is a place where you feel complete not complicated“!
His words hit me harder than I expected. I swallowed, nodding slowly. “Okay“).
‘Forget we had this dialogue. Once we get to the land…you can return, I will find my way around here.
“Good.” He patted my shoulder, his claws gently brushing against my skin. “Now let’s go before you talk yourself out of it.”
The ship gilded closer to the shore, though I couldn’t see how it moved. That was part of its magic, I supposed. It was like the ship was alive, carrying us without sails or cars.
As we neared, I could make out more details. The trees were taller than I’d ever seen, their trunks as wide as houses. The ground sparkled like it was covered in tiny stars.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.8)
The wolf sailor snorted. “It’s dangerous.
I glanced at him. “You think everything’s dangerous. Besides, I love something dangerous now.”
“Yes, even your potential is dangerous. No she wolf that’s muted leaves everything and vanishes.”
The ship stopped, hovering just above the shore, I hesitated, my feel frozen!
“Well?” he asked, tilting his head. “Are you going to stand there all day?
“What if I step on the ground and.. something happens?”
“Something will happen,” he said, his voice teasing again. That’s the point. You are in a land of no return… where wolves decide their
fate”
I glared at him. “Do your job and spare me those lectures “X
“I’m not trying to.“%
I sighed, stepping off the ship. The ground was soft, like stepping on a cloud. Nothing exploded. Nothing grabbed me.
“See? Not so bad after all… The legends might have exaggerated it,” he said, following me.8
I took a deep breath, looking around. The air smelled sweet, like flowers and honey. But something about it felt… strange.!!
“Do you feel that?” I asked.
“The air. It’s watching us.”
He laughed. “Air doesn’t watch, Lyria.”
“You know what I mean
“You have been in the water for days…you were in your feelings as you saw where you left behind through the screen, so it’s only normal to feel that something rd watching because you are also watching them“!
17.01
Sitting down under the nearby tree shade, I heard familiar voices that belonged to mother and Lilith. I ease my breath, so that the connection could be clear for me to hear better.
I changed position, sitting far away from the first position, staring at the waves, but their voices e was strong, even from here.
“Stop it, Lilith,” Mother said. Her voice shook “Don’t burn her things.”
“She’s gone, Mother!” Lilith snapped. “Why keep any of it? She’s not coming back.”
My wolf wanted to jump out after hearing that.
“Stop it, Lilith,” Mother said. “You’ve taken enough from her.”
echoed in my head. The mind link
“Me? I took from her? Don’t start blaming me now,” Lilith spat. “You let her fend for herself because you couldn’t be bothered to care You and father let her cry not me.“X
There was a long pause, the silence ringing inside my ears.”
“I was wrong.” Mother finally admitted, her voice softer. “I was blind to everything. To you. To her pain, I failed her
Lilith scoffed. “You’re only saying that because she’s gone. You didn’t care when it mattered.”
“I didn’t” Mother whispered. “And I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.
“I care now because I see the truth,” Mother said. “1 let you take everything from her. I never stopped you. I didn’t protect her.”
“She was weak!” Lilith shouted. “A stray. Always in the way.
Mother’s voice turned strong. “She wasn’t weak. She was kind. She loved us, even when we didn’t deserve it.”
“Then why didn’t she stay?” Lilith said, her voice full of anger.
Why did she leave Damon and embarrassed a warrior like him publicly” she added.
“Because we broke her, Mother whispered.
“Regret won’t bring her back,” Lilith snapped. “Just let it go.”
“I can’t,” Mother said firmly. “Not after this.”
“What now?” Lilith asked impatiently.
- ds. She wrot
wrote them when she was a pup 2
“Do you see this? Mother’s voice grew louder, she couldn’t contain her anger “These words.
“What words?” Lilith’s imitation could not go unnoticed through the link.
“She carved them into a stone Mother said, her voice shaking Lyria wuz here. Luvs mama.”
Lilith groaned. “She was a child. Why does it matter?”
“It matters because she loved me,” Mother said, tears filling her voice. “Even after I abandoned her. Even after I let you take everything from her.
“She was weak, mother, Lilith muttered
“Not very useful to the pack too. I was always at the front line. Always carrying this pack on my shoulders”
“No! Mother’s voice was sharp, louder now. “She was stronger than both of us. She endured everything, and I tumed my back on her.”
“So what? Are you going to sit here and cry over a pile of junk?” Lilith mocked.
“I won’t let you burn this,” Mother said, her voice like steel.
“Fine! Keep it” Lilith snapped. “It won’t change anything. She’s gone. Get over it.”2
“You’ve never understood, have you?” Mother’s voice dropped, filled with somow. “You’ve always hated her. And I let it happen.”
TII fix this,” Mother said softly, almost to herself. “I don’t know how, but I’ll make it right.“!!
Lilith scoffed again, her thoughts fading from the link
Mother stayed, her guilt and sadness so loud in the connection that it made me want to rush to her.
“I’m sorry, Lyna,” she whispered into the link. “I hope you can forgive me someday.”
I smiled.” Maybe, maybe mother”
Her guilt was real. But forgiveness? That wasn’t so simple.
“Mother…stop this already” Lilith’s voice came again!
“Enough!” Mother shouted, I felt her standing up suddenly. “I don’t want to hear another word from you!”
“Why do you hate her so much, Lilith?” Mother questioned. For the first time I want to see this day myself. I have always waited for the day everyone would find out about Lilith.
Lilith flinched. “I don’t hate her!” she shouted. Even Lilith couldn’t believe her words.
“Yes, you do. You’ve hated her since the day you realized she was better than you.”
“That’s not true!” Lilith’s voice cracked
“Then why did you lie to us? Why did you make us think she wasn’t ours?”
Lilith sounded desperate now “I didn’t.. I didn’t mean to. I was just ”
“You were jealous,” Mother finished for her.
Lilith didn’t answer
Then I heard it–a loud slap. It echoed through the mind link, making me flinch.X
“This is bad…very bad! You are full of poison” Mother’s voice was trembling with rage. “you were a snake, you even went after Damon. Laid with him. Couldn’t even hide the traces. You felt nothing could happen!”
Even my wolf froze at the sound. Could this really be Mother??
“You hit me?” Lilith’s voice was low, shocked. &
“For Lyria, yes,” Mother said firmly. “You’ve hated her since she was a pup. I let you get away with it. No more. “Mother?”
“If you call my name again, I will rip you off”
