[Carys]I searched for the college Edith had graduated from. It showed—Morvill University, Wordswood.I ran my fingers through my hair, showing the search results to Kian.We exchanged a look of understanding while waiting outside the changing room of a mall.“Get yer dirty hands off meh, ye slimy fish!” Morana yelled from inside the changing room. “Not my braid! Don’t ye dare touch my lucky braid!” She yelled at the store manager who was helping her change her look that suited a high end gala.Nox had been rather self-conscious and flustered when he entered the mall. As if it was his first time entering a mall. He had quietly and stiffly walked into the changing room with the three piece suit and the male helper to assist him wear it.I wish Morana could be as mature as that kid.“I’ll feed ye to the dire octopus in the Drunken ocean! Get yer tentacles off me, ye squid of a lady!” Morana roared from her changing room and I let out an exasperated sigh.Verity let out an annoyed grunt

[Carys]Some guests looked as confused as Verity, Nox, and I. While some guests wore an air of cognisance around them like Kian and, quite unexpectedly, Morana. The hall was bathed in a soft, serene glow. The warm light from a thousand candles flickered in the hall. Chandeliers and candelabras added to the artistic light and dark ambience.Several archways branched out from the hall. The way darkness lurked beyond a few feet of those archways, I was curious to know where they led to. But my experience in this foreign land hadn’t been the best, so my curiosity could have a nap for the night.The hall was filled with subtle whispering and hushed conversations. Every word seemed to be echoing back, hitting the intricately designed walls as such that every inch of the wall had tiny marble statues telling a story. There were huge stained glass windows flanking the balcony and the staircase which led to it.Refreshment tables were arranged all around the hall filled with all kinds of cuisi

[Carys]Morana and I kept running through the endless dark corridors. Everywhere we went looked exactly the same. It seemed as if we were just moving in circles.Panting, both of us stopped at the junction where the corridors met.“I can’t do this. Go ahead,” I said. “I need to go back. I can’t leave him behind.”Morana ran her fingers through her hair, looking around at the corridors that branched from the junction.“Is there an exit at all?” she asked, panting as if she had never heard what I said. “I am sure even the unlocated locations have exits and entrances. If not physical, then magical. We just… need to find them. Although I am not sure what to expect beyond those corridors.”I peered at her.“You go ahead and get out of here. Illumi said capturing me was their priority. They won’t come after you until they have caught me. And now that I know they are after me, I will not be caught so easily. If you meet Nox, take him and leave. If the invitation works the way Kian said, Nox

[Carys]Our daggers clashed once again.With every strike, Ruin’s vampire side grew more dominant, his eyes blazing crimson like the fresh blood of a hunt.The way his enticing gaze fixated on me, like a predator, sent a rush of bloodlust coursing through my veins.Ever since Zara had turned silent, I hadn’t experienced such a primal surge. But it returned with every slash of my dagger. I yearned to drive my blade into his chest, carve out his heart, and then brand him, enslaving him forever at my command. I wanted him to know how it felt to be preyed upon and hunted.Revenge. My every attack landed on him with an intent of hurting him gravely. Pain. I wanted him to feel pain, a great deal of it, and suffer just as his victims had.Possess and capture his soul so that he could never again think of possessing Kian in reality or in the dream. Or defile the sacred memories that were closest to my heart.“The venom in your eyes is intoxicatingly sweet, belladonna.”We jumped apart, catch

[Kian]“Jax?” Dominic knit his brows, looking at Jax incredulously. Jax slowly got up from his seat. His face was a mix of anger and fear of being caught.“No, Alpha. He’s lying!” Jax flounced closer to Ash, but was held back by the guards. “Carys Elffire is forcing him to lie! Yes! That’s it! This is preposterous. I mean…” he chuckled as his voice cracked. “Just look at him! Ash isn’t in his right mind. How can you trust what he says? This is ridiculous!”Dominic looked at Ash, who was sitting with his eyes shut, holding his head with his shaking hands.“Who knows where he had been all this time? The condition he is in… God knows what he’s been through,” Jax said in a hurry. “Where did she even find him? How did she find him? Did someone see how she got to Ash? She could have kept him captive on the day of the attack when she sensed that someone was spying on her and… she brings him now after altering his memories. She had been in Xafran, right? She was even in contact with a wizard