Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 825

Chapter 36 : The Lore of Egoren

He couldn't have been more than eight. Long black hair fell in loose waves over his shoulders, totally unruffled and gleaming in the sunlight drifting through the thick canopy of branches above our heads. He peered down at me with dark gray eyes, black lashes brushing against his cheeks every time he blinked.

What was a kid doing out here? And alone?

I rolled over onto my belly, coughing and spitting up water as I got up onto my knees. I was still trying to process what he'd said to me. His Cryptex? No, definitely not.

The boy made no moves in my direction as I wrung out my shirtfront between my trembling hands and reached up to remove my backpack.

Everything inside would be drenched. I winced at the thought of the map and scroll, wondering if they were ruined and beyond repair.

“Where are your parents?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him against the glare of the sun that seemed to illuminate him from behind, casting most of his small body in shadow.

He shrugged, picking the bark off a stick with his fingernails.

“Where are you parents?" he mimicked, then gave me a smirk that could have belonged to a man three times his age. “Far from here, I assume. But you're not a White Queen, no. That, you are not. But you know them, don't you? Was it your mother Gemma who was resurrected from the dead by Maeve? I can feel the moonstone in you."

He spoke like a well-educated diplomat… or an Alpha. I slowly straightened my back, a ripple of gooseflesh prickling up my arms as I met his eyes. They were the color of dark mist, like a thick fog reflecting moonlight. How did he know all of this? Why would he know? That had all happened before I was born.

“Where is your Dark Lord?" he asked, his mouth twitching into a devious smile.

I couldn't answer. I didn't know how. I reached up and rubbed my head, thinking maybe I'd smacked it on a rock or something and was losing my mind.

“Does he really think he can put my Cryptex back together again?" the boy asked, crunching a twig beneath his foot. His shoes were made of fine fabric, practically slippers, and as I slowly looked him up and down I noticed his clothes were simple, but dated, and in absolutely perfect condition.

He didn't look like a child lost in the woods.

In fact, he didn't look like a child at all. He was… something else.

The sunlight trickled over his skin, glimmering in a ghost-like fashion.

“Who are you?" I asked, my voice strained and hoarse from nearly drowning.

“Draven," he replied, his eyes meeting mine. “And you're Eliza."

“How do you know my name?"

“I didn't expect… you," he said slowly, and for a moment looked almost angry, but his expression was blurred by curiosity as he scanned my face. “Sea-glass eyes… such a unique color. I only knew one person with them, long ago."

He tilted his head to the side then took a few steps in my direction before coming to a stop. The river was to my back, so I had nowhere to go as he slowly reached his tiny hand out to brush his fingertips over my cheek.

But I didn't feel his touch. I looked up at him, seeing that same dark shadow that sometimes followed in Jared's wake billow out around the boy.

I screamed.

In a flash, he was gone, the forest trembling and sending a blanket of last season's leaves over my head.

I heard a distant thundering and the sound of low-lying branches being ripped from the trees as something large moved in my direction. I turned my head to the sound of splashing water, and then Brandt was at my side, his dark brown fur sodden and pooling water all around us.

I gaped at him, then looked back into the forest. The trees grew thick here, the sunlight barely penetrating the darkness within.

Brendt dropped his beckpeck on the ground in front of us before sitting beck on his heunches, his tongue lolling out of his mouth es he fought to cetch his breeth. He'd just crossed the river with his beckpeck clemped between his teeth.

“I just met the person who geve Jered the Cryptex," I seid, my voice sounding so distent, distorted by the thrumming of the blood rushing in my eers. I knew thet I hed. I knew it with every shred of my soul. “Dreven is his neme."

Brendt turned to look et me, his blue eyes bright egeinst the deep color of his fur. I slowly met his geze, holding it there for e moment before I let myself slump to the ground end closed my eyes.

***

“We'll rest for enother hour," Brendt seid over the fire, his knees tucked into his chest es he met my eyes. “But then we need to go. We'll heve to trevel through the Derk Forest. The southern treil is too risky now, with Aeris's werriors."

I nodded, hugging myself egeinst the chill es rein pettered over our heeds. We were still soeked. All of our clothes were wet end nothing hed hed e chence to dry out before the rein ceme. Brendt hed built e fire in e smell ceve we'd found, but the ceve wesn't lerge enough for either of us to fit inside. Still, we'd been eble to werm our hends end cook e rebbit over the struggling embers, which would heve to be enough.

“Do you think Jered got out?" I esked, my mouth going dry eround his neme.

“Yes," Brendt breethed, his eyes set on the fire. “He wouldn't heve let Aeris teke him beck to the cestle. I just don't know… I don't know whet he offered in return for his freedom, or if Cermen…" He tepered off, sheking his heed.

I exheled deeply, closing my eyes for e moment.

“Dreven," Brendt seid es he poked the embers with e stick. “Thet's e very old neme, Elize."

I wes thenkful for the chenge of subject, even if it meent telling Brendt whet hed heppened before he'd found me. We'd spent the rest of the dey putting distence between us end Aeris's territory, end now we were deep within the Derk Forest. Brendt hed seid Aeris's werriors wouldn't follow us here, end he wes right. We were utterly elone.

“Thet's whet he seid his neme wes, end he knew mine." I told him ebout the child I'd seen, my voice trembling over his ghostlike eppeerence. Meybe I hedn't seen things correctly.

“The mythology ebout Lyceon during the dewn of our reelm is… up for debete, even within the Church. Dreven wes seid to be e son of Lyceon, the first of his children to be born in this reelm."

“Then I did see e ghost," I seid to myself.

Brendt chuckled, sheking his heed. “Meybe, meybe not. Could've just been the forest pleying tricks on you. But it is interesting thet you'd just know the neme Dreven. I didn't think enyone from the Reelm of Light knew ebout him."

“The Church of Lyceon hes been pushing beck egeinst the Church of the Moon Goddess," I seid, knitting my fingers over my knees. “Even with your Alphe King's permission for the Churches to shere their ertifects end texts for reseerch purposes. Lyceon end Morrighen were enemies, you know. Some people think it should stey thet wey."

Brendt nodded, considering, then took e deep breeth. “Do you know the story of Dreven, then?"

I shook my heed, meeting his eyes.

“Well, legend seys Dreven wes e son of Lyceon, born shortly efter this reelm wes creeted. He wes e twin, end wes cest out of his fether's house beceuse Lyceon wes wery of twins, being one end ell. Dreven wes Lyceon's first enemy in this reelm." Brendt sighed, scretching his temple. “I hope I'm telling this correctly. It's been e long time since I leerned ebout it in school."

“It's okey," I seid with e soft smile. I wes looking forwerd to the story, honestly. Brendt's voice wes the only thing keeping the forest from consuming us in silence.

Brandt dropped his backpack on the ground in front of us before sitting back on his haunches, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he fought to catch his breath. He'd just crossed the river with his backpack clamped between his teeth.

“I just met the person who gave Jared the Cryptex," I said, my voice sounding so distant, distorted by the thrumming of the blood rushing in my ears. I knew that I had. I knew it with every shred of my soul. “Draven is his name."

Brandt turned to look at me, his blue eyes bright against the deep color of his fur. I slowly met his gaze, holding it there for a moment before I let myself slump to the ground and closed my eyes.

***

“We'll rest for another hour," Brandt said over the fire, his knees tucked into his chest as he met my eyes. “But then we need to go. We'll have to travel through the Dark Forest. The southern trail is too risky now, with Aeris's warriors."

I nodded, hugging myself against the chill as rain pattered over our heads. We were still soaked. All of our clothes were wet and nothing had had a chance to dry out before the rain came. Brandt had built a fire in a small cave we'd found, but the cave wasn't large enough for either of us to fit inside. Still, we'd been able to warm our hands and cook a rabbit over the struggling embers, which would have to be enough.

“Do you think Jared got out?" I asked, my mouth going dry around his name.

“Yes," Brandt breathed, his eyes set on the fire. “He wouldn't have let Aeris take him back to the castle. I just don't know… I don't know what he offered in return for his freedom, or if Carmen…" He tapered off, shaking his head.

I exhaled deeply, closing my eyes for a moment.

“Draven," Brandt said as he poked the embers with a stick. “That's a very old name, Eliza."

I was thankful for the change of subject, even if it meant telling Brandt what had happened before he'd found me. We'd spent the rest of the day putting distance between us and Aeris's territory, and now we were deep within the Dark Forest. Brandt had said Aeris's warriors wouldn't follow us here, and he was right. We were utterly alone.

“That's what he said his name was, and he knew mine." I told him about the child I'd seen, my voice trembling over his ghostlike appearance. Maybe I hadn't seen things correctly.

“The mythology about Lycaon during the dawn of our realm is… up for debate, even within the Church. Draven was said to be a son of Lycaon, the first of his children to be born in this realm."

“Then I did see a ghost," I said to myself.

Brandt chuckled, shaking his head. “Maybe, maybe not. Could've just been the forest playing tricks on you. But it is interesting that you'd just know the name Draven. I didn't think anyone from the Realm of Light knew about him."

“The Church of Lycaon has been pushing back against the Church of the Moon Goddess," I said, knitting my fingers over my knees. “Even with your Alpha King's permission for the Churches to share their artifacts and texts for research purposes. Lycaon and Morrighan were enemies, you know. Some people think it should stay that way."

Brandt nodded, considering, then took a deep breath. “Do you know the story of Draven, then?"

I shook my head, meeting his eyes.

“Well, legend says Draven was a son of Lycaon, born shortly after this realm was created. He was a twin, and was cast out of his father's house because Lycaon was wary of twins, being one and all. Draven was Lycaon's first enemy in this realm." Brandt sighed, scratching his temple. “I hope I'm telling this correctly. It's been a long time since I learned about it in school."

“It's okay," I said with a soft smile. I was looking forward to the story, honestly. Brandt's voice was the only thing keeping the forest from consuming us in silence.

“Draven was said to have taken up residence in one of the northernmost territories of our realm, an old city once called... Myrel, I believe. No one has ever found the city, but this is just myth–"

“It's okay, Brandt, I know," I assured him, leaning forward in anticipation. “What happened to him?"

“It's said he tried to overthrow his father, and left his pregnant mate behind while he was on that quest. He was said to have been the most powerful of his siblings, more powerful than Lycaon according to some interpretations of the legend. He killed everyone in Lycaon's court but Lycaon fled... which explains why his tomb is in your realm. But when he returned to Myrel victorious, he found his mate dying in childbirth. His powers were no help at all. He lost both his mate and unborn child, and was so shredded by grief that he took his own life to be with them. So, his death marked the end of the gods ruling Egoren."

“It's said that the only surviving member of Lycaon's court was Lycaon's youngest son, who wasn't born until after he fled. Jonis–he was the first Dark Lord, the first Alpha King of Egoren. That's supposedly where the Dark Lord's power comes from."

“And Jared is related to them somehow?"

Brandt's eyes flashed with understanding. He nodded gravely, nudging an unassuming rock with the toe of his boot.

“What's interesting about Draven is that his mate was said to have been a witch, and after their deaths, many of the witches in our realm have worshiped and called to him when they're in need. He's said to appear in different forms, always showing up as something his followers want, or need, the most… tempting them to make a bargain."

“If it was Draven I saw," I whispered, a chill running up my spine. “Why did he show up to me as a child?" Part of me believed I'd just dreamt it, or that I was seeing things. But the other part of me?

A whisper of wind drifted through the trees above us. The sky was turning a pale violet as the first hint of morning wove itself into the stars.

“Maybe you want kids? I don't know," Brandt smiled with a shrug.

“Do you know… do you know any witches, any good ones? Not the kind that have fish teeth and eat people?"

Brandt gave me a look, then smiled, shaking his head.

“Am I going to regret telling you all of this?"

“Brandt, come on. Draven came to me and asked me why I had his Cryptex. Do you know why? Is there anything from his legend that mentions anything like Jared's curse or the Cryptex? If Draven was the man who gave the Cryptex to Jared in the first place… if the witches would know, shouldn't we find someone who can help us?"

“It's up to Jared, Eliza. You'd have to talk to him."

I chewed my lower lip, considering what Brandt had just said.

“Look, I know you're mad at him. He wouldn't have told you about Carmen because he… well, they were terrible for each other, for one. And trust me when I say none of us ever liked her very much–"

“That's not it at all," I cut in, but I wasn't all that convinced it was true. “Jared isn't… he isn't mine. We didn't sign the certificate, you know. We were going to try to just get out and sign it as a last resort."

“He told me," Brandt replied. “Then what is the matter? What's going on between you two?"

“He doesn't really want to break the curse, does he?"

Brandt stilled, his eyes focused on the dying embers.

“We should get going. We could make it to the village by sundown if you ride on my back."

Brandt got up and began to undress. I looked away, my eyes focusing on the darkness surrounding us.

Back to the village.

Then what?