the blood of hades

Chapter 14: Cairo

To my surprise,

I woke up on the cold, hard ground of a dungeon cell, and I knew immediately it wasn't the dungeons of the Moonlight pack. Ryan would never let anyone put me in the dungeons, and I'd never seen these dungeons before. My head throbbed slightly, likely from hitting it when I fell unconscious. I felt weak, but at least my magic wasn't flickering—a good sign.

Hours had passed, and I noticed Alex and Victor watching over me from across the cell. They hadn't let Ryan or Lucas see me, claiming they were waiting for the king's orders. If only they knew he was my mate. They speculated about my fate, talking about execution or accusations of treason for not revealing what I was. I could only hope they were wrong, considering our bond. Sure, we'd only known each other for a few days, but we were mates. He hadn't rejected me yet, and I assumed he wouldn't if he hadn't already.

"He's probably going to execute her," Carl said, snickering as he glanced towards me. But my mind was occupied with other thoughts. What had I done? How did I bring someone back to life? I was more confused than the day I accidentally killed those wolves that had attacked us. I had no control over my body; it felt like I was literally breathing life into Ryan. I was happy he was alive, and I had no doubt he was probably in an infirmary bed somewhere getting checked up. It's not every day someone comes back from the dead. In fact, nobody does.

The cold, damp air of the dungeon clung to my skin, making every breath feel heavy and labored. I could feel the rough stone beneath me, its chill seeping into my bones. My thoughts were a chaotic whirlwind, the events of the past day replaying in my mind over and over. The sound of Carl's mocking words barely registered as I tried to make sense of what had happened.

How had I done it? How had I brought Ryan back to life? The questions gnawed at me, each one more pressing than the last. My powers had always been unpredictable, but this... this was something entirely new. Something that both terrified and intrigued me.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor, drawing my attention. I looked up to see Malachi approaching, his expression unreadable. Victor and Carl snapped to attention, their smirks fading as they awaited his orders.

Malachi stopped in front of my cell, his gaze fixed on me. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence was thick with tension, the air practically crackling with unspoken words.

Finally, Malachi spoke, his voice cold and authoritative. "Leave us," he commanded Victor and Carl. They exchanged glances but didn't dare to disobey. With a nod, they turned and left, leaving me alone with Malachi.

He stepped closer to the bars of my cell, his eyes never leaving mine. "What are you?" he asked, his tone low and controlled.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever came next. "I'm a hybrid," I began, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at me. "But I'm more than that. I'm... the child of three."

Malachi's expression didn't change, but I could see the wheels turning in his mind. "The child of three," he repeated, as if testing the words. "And what does that mean, exactly?"

"Exactly what I said," I replied, with a bit of a tone, seeing the look in his eyes—the same look he had when he first found out what I could do.

"You know what I mean, Cairo. How? And cut the damn attitude," he snapped back, his eyes flaring with anger slightly. I could see his wolf surfacing. I only smirked a little.

"Or what?" I tilted my head to the side.

"Or I'll fix that damn attitude." There was a double meaning behind that, and I knew it wasn't all pure or threatening. He meant it in a dirty sense as well. I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my heart.