The Lycan King's Fate Calling (Shawn Gibson and Sylvia) novel Chapter 1084

Lucy's POV:

No sunshine ever reached the remote palace all year round. I tossed the wet clothes into the basket as I gazed out at Firman through the ivy covered banister of the porch. He had been fine this morning before he went to school, but he had been avoiding me since his return.

"Firman, come here," I couldn't help but wave him over.

He glanced at me briefly before ducking his head. He then trudged toward me as though his shoes were made of lead.

I reached out and touched his forehead. His temperature was normal, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with his face.

"What's the problem, Mom?" Firman muttered under his breath.

Noticing the way he was dodging my eyes, I grabbed his wrist and pulled up his sleeve.

He tried to struggle against me, but in the end, he simply turned away.

Just as I had expected, there were two large bruises marring his skin. I could tell from the color that whoever had done this had used a lot of force.

I was immediately upset, but my distress soon gave way to rage.

"Tell me, what happened?" I demanded. "Who hurt you?"

Firman was still unwilling to look at me. He stubbornly pursed his lips, and a familiar stubborn edge appeared in his eyes. It was very similar to his father.

Realizing that I must have frightened him with my harsh tone, I took a calming breath before speaking again.

"I'm sorry, Firman. I didn't mean to scold you. I was just worried." I got down on my haunches and gathered him in his arms.

At last, Firman relaxed and leaned into my embrace. He buried his face in the crook of my neck and sobbed.

As pained as I was on his behalf, I also hated to see him acting so weak.

"How?" Firman asked with a frown. "Those kids hit me any time they want. Will they ever respect me?" I smiled. "You will understand as you grow older. For now, the most important thing for you to do is to learn. Go back inside and study."

Firman padded into the house obediently, while I walked out of the hall and headed to a rusty door nestled alongside a shabby corridor. I took out a key, turned the lock, and pushed through the door.

Inside, a ripped up photo of Richard was hung on the wall, his face barely recognizable from the cuts. Although his face was practically out of the picture, I still grabbed the knife on the shelf and slashed at it over and over.

I didn't stop until my wrist felt numb.

I loathed the man with every fiber of my being. Because of him, Firman had to suffer in the imperial palace, all for the sake of his damned bloodline. It was also because of Richard's failure that Firman had to endure so much bullying.

It took me a few moments to calm down. When I did, I turned the vase on a nearby table, triggering a secret compartment on the wall to open. A delicate, wooden box sat inside, containing my most prized mementos, including Kyle's photo.

I caressed the picture with my fingers, letting my mind wander back to the happy days of the past. The memory of Kyle's handsome face was the only thing that kept me holding on to this wretched life I lived.

My reverie was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. I hurriedly deposited the photo back inside the box and turned the vase to restore the compartment in its hidden position.