Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband novel Chapter 157

Chapter 157: Into the Eternal Twilight

The interior of the Shadow Carriage was bigger than Primrose’s entire first apartment back on Earth.

It was upholstered in crushed black velvet, smelled faintly of ozone and old books, and—most importantly—it was soundproof. Which was a blessing, because Vali had been asking Are we there yet? every four minutes for the last two hours.

"No," Vesper (the Crow-kin butler) rasped from his perch near the door. He was sitting perfectly still, like a gargoyle, with his eyes closed.

"What about now?" Vali asked, pressing his nose against the dark glass.

"No."

"How about now?"

Vesper’s eye twitched. "If you ask again, little wolf, I will turn this carriage around."

"You can’t," Jasper pointed out, looking up from a book he had stolen from Lucien’s side table. "We are refugees fleeing a tactical bombardment. Turning around would be strategically unsound."

Vesper opened one black eye and stared at the snake boy. "I see why My Lord likes you. You are equally exhausting."

Primrose sat near the window, watching the world outside change. They had left the rolling hills of the Capital hours ago. Now, the terrain was becoming jagged. The trees were getting taller, their bark turning from brown to a bruised purple-black. The sky was disappearing behind a canopy so thick it choked out the sun.

Caspian was dozing next to her, his arms crossed. Even asleep, he looked regal. Primrose reached out and smoothed a wrinkle in his velvet coat.

"You are worrying," Lucien said softly.

Primrose looked across the carriage. The Panther Duke was awake. His violet eyes were glowing in the dim light of the cabin.

"I’m not worrying," Primrose lied. "I’m just... processing. My wedding cake exploded, my house is a target, and I’m currently traveling in a gothic uber to a place called the Obsidian Jungle. It’s a lot for a Tuesday."

Lucien’s lips quirked in a faint, rare smile.

"It is Wednesday, actually."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"You are safe here, Primrose. My territory is not... warm. It is not kind. But it respects power. And you," he glanced at her tails, "have plenty of that."

Suddenly, the carriage dipped.

"Brace yourselves," Vesper announced. "We are crossing the Veil."

The air pressure inside the cabin dropped. Clover squeaked and covered her long rabbit ears. Orion yawned, his ears popping.

Outside the window, the sunlight vanished completely.

It wasn’t like nightfall. It was like driving into the mouth of a cave. The trees became colossal—ancient redwoods made of black stone and iron-hard wood. The leaves were so dense that the world below was plunged into a permanent state of twilight.

But it wasn’t pitch black.

Bioluminescence took over. Massive mushrooms glowing neon blue grew on the tree trunks. Ferns that shimmered with silver light covered the forest floor. Strange, pale moths the size of dinner plates fluttered through the air.

"Whoa," Vali breathed, his nose squashed against the glass. "It glows!"

"The Nightshade Territory," Lucien said, a hint of pride in his voice. "The sun burns the flora here. We live by the light of the earth and the moon."

Silas wasn’t looking at the pretty lights.

The little panther was sitting between Arjun and Jasper. As the carriage descended deeper into the dark, Silas began to shake.

It was a small vibration at first. Then, he curled in on himself. He pulled his knees up. He covered his head with his arms.

He was five years old. And the last time he had seen these trees, his mother was screaming.

Primrose moved to get up, but Arjun was faster.

The Tiger Cub didn’t say anything. He just reached into his pocket (which was miraculously still full of snacks despite the explosion) and pulled out a piece of dried mango.

He shoved it into Silas’s hand.

"Eat," Arjun ordered gently. "Tactical rations."

Silas didn’t move.

Vali looked away from the window. He saw Silas shaking. The wolf puppy didn’t understand trauma, but he understood fear.

"Dog pile!" Vali announced quietly.

He flopped over, draping his upper body across Silas’s legs like a heavy, warm blanket.

"Get off," Jasper hissed, though he didn’t push Vali away. Instead, Jasper shifted closer, pressing his shoulder firmly against Silas’s side. "Your body heat is unregulated, Vali. You are sweating on me."

"I’m guarding him," Vali grunted.

Clover hopped off her seat and squeezed in on Silas’s other side, holding up her carrot plushie. "Mr. Carrot will watch the shadows, Si-Si. He has good eyes."

Buried under a pile of tiger, wolf, snake, and rabbit, Silas stopped shaking. He lowered his arms just enough to peek out. He wasn’t alone in the dark anymore. He had a pack.

Primrose sat back, her heart swelling so much it hurt.

"They’re good kids," Jax whispered from the corner, where he was polishing his sword for the tenth time.

"The best," Primrose agreed.

The carriage slowed. The dense forest opened up into a massive clearing.

And there it was.

The Crepusci Estate.

It didn’t look like a home. It looked like a fortress carved out of a single mountain of obsidian. Spires twisted toward the non-existent sky like black needles. Gargoyles perched on every ledge. A moat of dark, still water surrounded the main keep.

It was beautiful, intimidating, and absolutely terrifying.

The carriage landed in the courtyard with a heavy thud. The skeletal horses snorted blue fire.

Vesper opened the door. "We have arrived. Mind the step. And the moss. The moss is carnivorous."

"What?" Leonora asked, freezing with one foot out the door.

"A joke, Lady Leonora," Vesper rasped deadpan. "Mostly."

The group spilled out into the courtyard. The air was cold and smelled of damp earth and crushed mint.

Caspian stepped out and immediately frowned. "It is dry. The air lacks moisture." He waved a hand, and a small personal cloud formed over Orion’s head, misting the little fish prince with water.

"Better," Orion sighed.

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