Greymoor Academy: I Accidentally Bonded With Four Lycan Royals! novel Chapter 268

Chapter 268: 268. A Selfless Bargain II

Maisie

Sacrifice, I thought as I stared into the jagged tear in the sky and the truth of what I had done.

I could see them writhing in the dark beyond, hundreds of those screeching, starving things, crawling over each other, just waiting to spill through. And beyond it were even more. I thought I saw another dragon.

I had been so stupid, so cocky, thinking I had the power in my hands to unmake things.

Elara Thorne had given the lives of her mates to ensure this world stayed safe. And I hadn’t even thought about that before I singlehandedly ruined it all. Twice. Acting on pure, selfish desperation, bypassing the rules I didn’t even respect or think about, all because I wanted a clean slate.

And now, I was the sacrifice.

Perhaps, I deserved it, I thought as I watched the rift grow wider, felt my life force drain from me.

I closed my eyes. Would it be quick? Would it be slow? When was the moment Maisie Adams ceased to be? I started to close my eyes and just let it be, when I heard Mercer say, "Don’t you fucking dare, Adams."

Though I didn’t want to, I glanced down. I saw my mates, my friends, the terrified students. They looked confused, didn’t understand what the hell was happening, didn’t understand they were about to be slaughtered by the monsters already here, and the thousands more I was about to let in.

Was I the bad guy?

The thought tasted like ash in my mouth. I just wanted to be happy for once. But in my rush to escape my own misery, I had done something infinitely worse. I had doomed everyone I loved.

No.

I gritted my teeth. Maybe I couldn’t undo the past. I couldn’t save myself. But I could shut this door. I could send every single one of those monsters back to hell with me.

I pushed past the agonizing pull of the ruby and I reached for the crown on my brow and took it off. My palm dug into the sharp end of the circlet and my blood dripped down the ruby.

And I closed my eyes and prayed.

Please. Just this once. Just one time, let me get one thing right.

Didn’t know who I was talking to. Didn’t care who answered back, as long as someone did.

A voice came. It was soft. No. Not soft. Muffled. Muffled by the noise in my head. By the noise in the world, by the roaring rift and the beats of the dragon’s wings as it flew higher and higher.

I closed my eyes and listened to it.

It felt warm, like the touch of the sun on a cold night, but it sound ancient and wizened and thoroughly displeased. It asked, "Who are you?"

The answer slipped out of me as a thought. "Maisie Adams."

A pause. And I felt the air of hostility leave. "There is a cost for what you want, child. You cannot bear it alone and yet, the price must be paid."

"No," I answered.

My body was weakening, but I didn’t cower. I was done cowering. I was done being everyone’s stupid victim. "I already paid the price. Twice that amount. I won’t give you anymore."

The presence paused.

My face etched into a snarl. "You owe me."

For a heartbeat, I heard nothing, and I thought I might have angered her. But then, the crushing weight inside my chest shifted, and I heard an irritated sigh.

"Very well."

Maisie’s Lycan

"Focus," the Moon Mother hissed at me.

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