CHAPTER 31
997 Words
Chapter 31: Shadows in Ink
Aria’s POV
By daybreak, the fire had been out, but its charred scar still stood as a menacing reminder of how near catastrophe we had been. Killian had escaped unharmed, but his office had been wrecked. Although it was a relief, the assault caused a lot of anxiety.
The rogue’s words plagued me: Starting with you.
I kept getting the impression that this wasn't a random occurrence. Someone wanted me gone, and they were prepared to destroy the pack in order to achieve that goal. I needed to know why.
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I ended myself searching through the burned remnants of Killian's office later that morning. As I cautiously made my way across the rubble, ash stuck to my boots and the air still smelled of burning.
“Are you sure about this?” With a tone full of worry, Killian's voice broke the stillness.
He was resting against the doorway with his arms folded when I looked over my shoulder. He seemed worn out, the previous night's events weighing down his normally powerful appearance.
I brushed soot off a half-burned book and muttered, "I need answers."
"Aria," he murmured, taking a step forward. "Whoever planned this was after you. Examining debris won't make that difference.
“It might,” I shot back, getting to my feet to confront him. "Whoever is responsible for this is connected to Veyron. And if I can uncover anything that links the dots…”
With a groan, Killian combed through his hair. "Take caution. Later, I'll have Lucas check up on you.
I nodded, waited for him to go, and then looked back at the mess. My heart pounded with a mixture of fear and resolve. This seemed too intentional, too intimate, for some reason.
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I searched amid the wreckage for hours. The most of the papers had been reduced to ash, but I saw something among the debris.
It was a little, undamaged, burned metal lockbox. My breath caught as I used the edge of my knife to pry it open and discovered a leather-bound journal with charred edges but no other damage.
As I lifted it, my hands shook. The cover was engraved with the initials A. V.
Veyron.
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With the journal weighing heavily on my lap, I took a seat on a neighboring bench. The first few pages were broken, the writing muddy and unintelligible, but as I flicked farther, the text grew clearer.
The entries first seemed unremarkable—allegiance plans, pack politics notes, etc. However, I came to a page that chilled me to the bone.
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"The girl poses a risk." She is unaware of the power she has, and her presence jeopardizes all I have worked so hard to achieve. She will have to be taken out if she refuses to comply.
As I read the lines, my chest constricted. Veyron was planning killings in addition to controlling others. I had even owned one of them.
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The subsequent entries depicted a terrifying scene. Veyron had used his power to create strife in my former pack, turning friends into foes and making sure I was alone when the rogues struck.
"The others will learn a lesson from her death. They must realize the price of disobedience.
I was ill. It had not been an accident that I had died. It had been calculated, planned.
However, why?
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A hint was given by the following entry:
She is descended from the ancients. Everything will fall apart if she learns about her real ancestry. She has power that might ruin me.
As the words took hold, my heart began to accelerate. My ancestry. My strength. What did he mean?
Desperate for additional information, I turned the pages till a stray piece of paper fell out. Deep in the Shadowridge Forest, the map has a red X on it.
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As the jigsaw pieces snapped into place, the room whirled. Fear, not control or power, was the driving force behind Veyron's infatuation with me. He feared what I would discover and what I may become into.
I put the map in my pocket after folding it. I was going to locate whatever Veyron had hidden in the Shadowridge Forest.
But the smell of smoke reached me once more before I could get away.
With a sinking heart, I glanced up to see flames licking at the doorway's edges.
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"Aria!" From the hall came the yell of Killian's voice. "Leave that place!"
I sprung to my feet and sprinted for the doorway, holding the journal close to my breast. Quickly spreading, the flames blocked my way.
I felt a wave of panic as I looked for another exit. The walls were already collapsing, and the windows were too high.
"Aria!" Now, Killian's voice sounded closer and more desperate.
"I'm present!" As smoke filled my lungs, I coughed and yelled.
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Killian emerged from the fire a moment later, his eyes blazing with resolve. He took hold of my arm and dragged me over to the closest window.
"Jump!" he commanded, pushing me forward.
I looked back to the journal I was holding and paused. All the answers would be lost if I lost it now.
"Aria!" Killian's words cut through my hesitancy and he snapped.
The chilly air contrasted sharply with the fire's heat as I clambered onto the ledge and leaped.
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A second later, Killian came thumping down next to me. Even though his breathing was labored and he was coated in soot, his eyes met mine right away.
He gripped my shoulders and said, "Are you okay?"
I continued to hold the journal while I nodded. "I discovered something."
"What is it?"
A howl cut through the air before I could respond.
The boom reverberated through the woods, and we both turned, our wolves on full alert.
It was not a cry for assistance. It served as a warning.
And it was approaching from the Shadowridge Forest's direction.
- Writer
