Hundred and Eleven–1
I sat at the wooden café table, my fingers idly tapping the notebook in front of me as I read the lines of the riddle aloud.
“By the moonlit lake, reflections guide,
Symbols hidden in ripples, where secrets abide.”
I frowned. “A lake…?”
Isaiah leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, as he raised an eyebrow “A lake could mean anything. There are literally thousands of lakes in the world. How are we supposed to find the right one?”
I pursed my lips, glancing at Austin, who was flipping lazily through The Book of Lores in his lap. The old tome, filled with history, myths, and ancient prophecies, had proven useful so far. Hopefully, had something on this mysterious lake.
Alex, sitting across from me, shrugged. “Well, I doubt it means just any lake. The riddles we’ve been getting have all led us to places of historical or magical significance, right?”
“Yeah,” Austin muttered, still skimming the pages. “But it’s not like there’s a chapter titled ‘Magic Lakes of the World.“”
I sighed. I glanced out at the lively street around us. The café we’d chosen had outdoor seating, allowing us to soak in the atmosphere of the Idrija Lace Festival, which was in full swing. Colorful banners lined the streets, and people bustled about, browsing delicate lacework and enjoying the festivities.
But no amount of beautiful decorations could distract me from the riddle at hand.
I turned back to Austin. “Anything?”
He shook his head. “No lakes that match… wait.”
He paused, suddenly sitting up straighter. His expression shifted from casual disinterest to focused intensity.
Everyone leaned in.“There’s a story here,” Austin said, his voice slower now, more thoughtful. “A legend about a lake. It says it was formed from the tears of the Goddess after she learned of Lunaris’s betrayal.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Lunaris. The name of the shadow weaver.
“Wait isn’t that the shadow weaver’s name …” Isaiah muttered.
But before the shadow weaver became the force we were fighting against, he had been something else entirely.
I swallowed. “The Goddess… cried?”
Austin nodded. “According to this, she wasn’t always the distant celestial entity we think of today. Before the Great War, before the Shadow Weaver fell, she was deeply connected to the world. She felt things… deepty. And Lunaris wasn’t just any being. He was her most beloved creation. His betrayal… it broke her.”
I glanced at Alex, who was now listening intently, his easygoing demeanor replaced by curiosity.
“She wept for days,” Austin continued, “and where her tears fell, a lake was born. The legend says that the lake holds the last
remnants of her sorrow–and her wisdom.”
1/2
Hundred and Eleven–1
“The last remnants of her sorrow…” I echoed. “That has to be the lase from the riddle –
Isaiah leaned forward, frowning. “Does it say where this lake is?”
Austin turned to the final pages of the book and then tapped a section near the bottom. “No, it just says it’s hidden deep in the
wilderness.”
After taking a short break we were back in the hotel. The atmosphere in the twins‘ room was thick with focus, wo were all trying to pinpoint our next destination. As it turns out the book had ten more lores about magic lakes. The dim hotel lamp cast a warm glow over the bed where 1 sat, cross–legged, studying the inscriptions on
brittle page.
Austin leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple. “Okay, so we know the lake was formed from the goddess’s tears after Lunaris betrayed her. But that doesn’t tell us exactly where it is.”
Isaiah flipped through another book, his sharp eyes scanning the words. “It’s mentioned here,” he murmured, “but the location is vague. Something about being hidden beneath the ‘weeping stars.“”
Alex groaned and pushed back from the table. “This is going to take forever. We need snacks.”
I smirked. “Get me chocolate.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Alex said, standing up. “Anyone else?”
“Something salty,” Austin muttered.
Isaiah didn’t even glance up from the book. “Just bring back something that won’t kill us.”
Alex rolled his eyes and left.
I tried to refocus, but after a few minutes, I glanced at the clock. He was taking too long and I was getting hungry.
I stood up. “I’m going to check on him.”
Elijah didn’t look up. “He’s got distracted by something shiny.”
I scoffed but made my way downstairs.
The moment I stepped into the lobby, I stopped cold.
Alex was standing near the vending machine–but he wasn’t alone.
Chapter Comments
LIKE
POST COMMENT NOW
<SHARE
2/2
The Omega: Mated To The Four
Hundred and Eleven–2
A woman, dressed in a skimpy outfit, was pressed far too close to him, her body nearly flush with his. Ife was visibly uncomfortable, shifting backward against the vending machine, trying to put distance between them. But she kept stepping forward, her fingers ghosting over his arm as she whispered something to him.
My wolf snarled inside me. Jealousy and irritation flared in my chest
So I cleared my throat loudly.
Alex looked up immediately, relief flashing across his face. “There you are,” he said, pushing away from the vending machine and walking straight to me. He placed a hand on my waist and turned slightly to face the other woman. “This is my girlfriend.”
The woman smiled–but something about it was off.
Then she said something that made me freeze.
“Oh, I didn’t know,” the woman murmured. “You’re the mate of the Silver Wolf.”
My blood turned to ice.
Alex’s body went rigid beside me. “What did you just say?”
The woman grinned, and her form shifted–her tight dress melted into a tattered brown robe, her fingers turned black like talons, and a waist chain holding a wolf skull materialized around her hips. A hood slipped over her face, casting deep shadows over her features.
A witch.
“You’re one of the Children of the Eclipse,” I said coldly.
The witch’s grin widened. “I’ve been looking for you for you, you slayed my sister and now you have to pay.” Then she lunged.
Alex reacted instantly, shoving me back as the witch’s claws slashed through the air where my head had just been.
“Stormi, move!” Alex snapped.
Alex grabbed a chair and swung it at the witch. It slammed into her ribs, sending her skidding backward. But she barely flinched
I ducked another swing she took at us with a chain and aimed a kick at the witch’s stomach, sending her skidding back a few feet, But the moment she landed, she whispered something under her breath, and suddenly, the overhead lights flickered and shattered, plunging the lobby into semi–darkness.
A screa rang out as people scrambled for cover.
My instincts screamed danger–not because of the witch alone, but because I could feel something else coming.
And then, as if summoned by my thoughts, more figures materialized from the shadows. Two more witches, dressed in the same tattered brown robes, stepped out from the dark corners of the lobby, their hands crackling with dark energy.
“We need backup,” Alex muttered.
As if on cue, the rest of my mates arrived.
Elijah, Isaiah, and Austin burst into the room just as the first witch unged again. Isaiah reacted instantly, his ows lashing out
1/3
Hundred and Eleven–2
and forcing her back.
Austin flicked his wrist, summoning a flicker of blue flames. “I don’t care if there are people watching–we end this now,”
I couldn’t agree more.
Isaiah’s shadows lashed out, knocking over tables and sending chairs flying as they tried to ensnare one of the witches. Austin’s flames flared, lighting up the darkness and forcing them to retreat. Elijah, ever the strategist, used his speed to weave through the fight, striking whenever there was an opening.
I went straight for the first witch, the one who had approached Alex Nobody touches my man. The moment I dove at her, the witch tried to disappear in a swirl of shadows, but I was faster. She caught her by the wrist, twisting hard enough to hear the satisfying snap of bone.
The witch screamed. Then I shifted my paw pinning her in place as went for her throat.
The moment the my sharp teeth pierced into her, the witch’s body seized, and then she collapsed into nothing but black dust.
One down.
The other two witches hissed, realizing their mistake, and started to retreat–but Austin wasn’t letting them get away. With a flick of his hand, a wall of blue fire erupted in front of them, cutting off their escape.
Isaiah moved again, fast as a shadow, and before the second witch could react, his blade found her heart.
Two down.
The last witch, realizing she was outmatched, screeched in rage and disappeared into thin air.
The battle was over.
For a long moment, silence filled the room–except for the crackling of Austin’s fire as he slowly let it die out.
The hotel lobby was destroyed.
Shattered lights, overturned furniture, scorch marks on the walls. The receptionist, who had been hiding behind the front desk, peeked out, her hands trembling as she reached for the phone.
“She’s calling the police,” Elijah said sharply.
“We have to go,” I ordered.
“I’ll grab our stuff,” Isaiah said, disappearing into the shadows.
We ran for the exit.
By the time they reached the car, Isaiah was already there, appearing from the darkness with our bags slung over his shoulder.
“Let’s go!” he barked.
Alex didn’t hesitate–he jumped into the driver’s seat, quickly typing a random coordinate into the enchanted car’s system.
As they teleported, I caught a glimpse of flashing police lights pulling up in front of the hotel.
We were just in time.
