Defying the Lycan King (Kira and Derek) novel Chapter 112

Chapter 112: Liquid Fire

Snow Crest, Alistar and Flora’s Cottage.

The night was completely still over Snow Crest.

The sky above the little cottage was clear and dark, scattered with stars and illuminated by a crescent moon.

Flora had fallen asleep easily that evening, the deep sleep of an old woman who had spent the day on her feet, and she had expected to stay that way until morning.

Until she heard a sound.

She stirred in her bed, eyelids fluttering open at the sound of soft, broken sobbing coming from down the hall.

She lay still for a moment, heart already tightening, then pushed the covers aside and slipped her feet into her worn slippers.

The crying grew louder as she walked slowly toward Maya’s room.

When she reached the doorway, she pushed it open and saw her granddaughter, Maya, huddled in the centre of her bed.

The young girl’s small shoulders were shaking as she stared out the window.

Flora’s chest ached at the sight.

"Maya, sweetheart, what is it?" Flora whispered, rushing to the bedside.

She gathered the girl into her arms, pulling the small, trembling body against her chest. Maya was cold to the touch, despite the warmth of the room.

"It is alright. You had a nightmare, that is all. It was just a dream, my little bird."

"Shh, my love, it’s alright," Flora whispered, stroking Maya’s tangled hair. "It’s just a nightmare. It’s gone now. You’re safe."

But Maya shook her head frantically against Flora’s shoulder, her sobs growing sharper, and more desperate.

She pushed back a little, eyes wide and shining with fear that went far deeper than any dream.

Flora frowned, brushing tears from the girl’s cheeks with her thumbs. "What is it, sweetheart? Tell Nana what’s wrong."

Maya pointed to the tablet on the bedside table. Flora fetched it quickly and placed it in her granddaughter’s lap. The girl’s small fingers moved across the screen, trembling.

When Maya turned the tablet around, the message read:

I’m scared of the storm. Take me to the queen.

Flora glanced toward the window. The night was perfectly still. No clouds, no wind, just a calm star-filled sky. She looked back at Maya, confusion knotting her brow.

"There’s no storm, darling. Look, the sky is clear."

Maya only shook her head harder, fresh tears spilling over. Her small hand clutched Flora’s nightdress, gripping tight as if the storm she talked about was already here.

***

Inside the narrow confines of the bathroom stall at Aethelwulf Centralis University, Kira sat on the closed lid of the toilet, her phone glowing brightly on her lap.

She pressed her palms to her cheeks, forcing herself to breathe slowly, in and out, the way she had learned to do when the world felt too heavy.

After a while, she opened her message with Derek and typed:

Where are you?

The auction is starting. People are looking out for you.

Derek, please. You promised.

She hit send on all three messages, but the little status icons stayed grey, showing they weren’t delivered.

Kira stared at the messages until her eyes blurred. Just as she was about to tuck the phone away and try to pull herself together, the outer door of the bathroom swung open.

The click of heels echoed across the marble floor.

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