57!

LIAM

The words that came out of my father’s mouth brought chills down my spine. I looked at Brianna and she was also looking at me, wondering what was going on. I certainly want to find out about that.

“Did you know about this?” Mason asked.

“How could i?” I asked him, “Does my father consult me before he makes any announcement?” I asked another question. My father got down the stairs from the little balcony he was talking from. I looked toward where Brianna was standing and she wasn’t there anymore.

“Go, we will cover for you,” Mason said and I nodded. I rushed out and searched for her. I had given up hope when I saw her about to get into a car.

“Brianna wait,” I said, using our mind link and she stopped. I ran towards the car panting. “Can you give us a minute, Akire,” I said. She nodded and walked away.

“Did you know about earlier?” she asked. I’m a bit hurt that she could ask that.

“I would have told you if I knew about it,” I said to her.

“I don’t know Liam,” she said, folding her hands. “Would you have. Or is this among the things i can’t know,” she said and it hit me. We haven’t talked about what happened in the room the day I interrogated the spy.

“We haven’t spoken in a while,” I said softly.

“Well, you have been avoiding me,” she said and I shook my head.

“I assure you that is not the case. I just didn’t know how to talk about the things you saw me do,"I walked towards her but she moved backward.

“Brianna don’t do this,” I pleaded. “We are going to be married soon and we need to trust each other,” I said to her.

“Oh, I trust you. That’s not an issue. The issue is I don't want to trust you but I can't help it,” she said. It must be our mate bond.

“Brianna…”

“I have to go, Ethan. Bringing back our soldiers is my priority right now, not whatever is going on between the both of us,”she said and got into the car. Akire walked past me but I stopped.

“Protect her with my life,” she said. “I will do just that, your highness,” she got into the car and they drove towards the airfield where we will all be taken into the battlefield.

‘Wow, my future sister-in-law looked pissed,” i didn’t need to see the face behind me to know who is talking,

“You need to piss off, Adrian,” I said, walking away but he held my arm’s tightly. I looked at his hands on me then looked at his face. We both stared at each other for a while then he released my arm.

“How dare you!” my voice came out like thunder.

“You need to keep that voice secure brother, you are going to need it in the battlefield,” he said with a bit of smugness in his voice.

“You need to get out of my face,” he walked past me bumping my shoulder.

“Not only your face bro, but this,” he pointed at his chest which meant my heart. I charged towards him but Mason and Ethan stopped me.

“He is not worth it. You need to keep all your focus and energy for the war in front of us,”Mason said and I tried to calm down.

“Move out!” Ethan commanded our men. My father, the King’s vehicle, was among the first and we all drove towards the airfield.

“You okay?” I asked Mason as we got into the airplane. He looks uncomfortable.

“Werewitches,” he said with spite. Myself and Ethan sighed.

“You do know we need them on the battlefield,”Ethan said to him.

“We don’t fully know the kind of arsenal Castilo’s men will have,” I said to him.

“I know and understand, Liam. I don't have to like it. I’m a soldier, I obey orders not like them,” he said. Ethan slammed him hard on the shoulder and the airplane took off.

We got to the battlefield we know Castillo will be. It’s the same battlefield my father won the last war on. Castillo chose this place because he thinks he can retake his glory by beating my father in the same place he lost to him.

“Where is my father?” I asked Beta Desmond who was with some of the high chiefs of our military.

“He is up the hill, he wants to be alone,” he said as I walked out of the tent. I walked towards the hill and spotted my father.

“Father!” I yelled and he turned/ he gestured for me to meet him up on the hill. It was a huge hill and walking will take me hours. I turned immediately and raced up the hill.

“Good idea,” my father said when I got to him. “That’s exactly what I did,” he said.

“What do you mean?” i asked “You haven’t turned in a while, i know that,” i said and he exhaled.

“We are in a war zone, Liam. "I'm bound to turn sooner than later,” he said and I nodded. The look on his face was distant. Something is bugging him.

“What’s going on father, what are you thinking of?” I asked him.

“A lot of good men died in this place Liam, we can’t put them to shame,” he said firmly.

“I know that father,” I said and he nodded.

“I smell death, pain and mystery,” he took a sharp breath. “But I also smell mischief,” he said and I looked at him confused.

“What do you mean by mischief?” I asked him.

“Castillo might want to beat me but he wants something else,” he said and my eyes narrowed.

“What does he possibly want that he doesn’t have already?” I asked him.

“Brianna,” he said and my breath became sharp.

“No, I will not let her become a pawn in your games again,” I said to him fiercely.

“I don’t expect you to, but there will come a time in this war that Brianna might be the one to save us,” he said and I exhaled.

“Why does Castillo want her?” I asked her.

“The same reason I keep her close,”he said, not looking at me. “Brianna has an extraordinary power that we haven’t seen in generations,” he said.

“Is that why you killed her parents?” I asked him. He was about to respond when I felt an arrow flying towards us. I caught it with my hands.

“What does it say?” my father asked as I opened the paper that was stuck in the arrow.
“Die or middle,” I said and he laughed.

“What does it mean, father?” I asked him.

“Castillo has asked for an audience,” he said and turned.