58!

LIAM

“Stand watch, stand watch!” my father and i yelled as we raced towards the camp, immediately all the soldiers on watch took defensive positions. My father walked into the tent where the high chiefs and his beta were in and I walked towards mine. Ethan and Mason were putting on their uniform and I joined them.

“What’s going on?” Ethan asked.

“Castillo has sent word. He wants to meet,"I said and both of them looked surprised.

“How did he get the message to the king?” Mason asked as helped me with my armor.

“He sent an arrow with a note saying, die or middle,” I said, “I don't know what they both meant,” I said to both of them.

Ethan stood in front of me and helped me with the collar. “Die or middle,” Ethan repeated what I had just said.

“That’s exactly what I just said,” I said looking straight at him. “Do you know what it means?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said, “Die means, Castillo expected the arrow to kill someone and Middle means the place for meeting,” Ethan explained and I nodded.

“So he expected us to find the arrow in the body of one of our soldiers?” Mason asked and Ethan nodded.

“Let’s go,” I said, heading out of my tent. The whole place was busy with each squad captain giving our orders and instructions. As we got to my father’s tent we could hear him argue with his beta’s.

“This is a bad idea, Damon,” Beta Chris said as I entered the tent. I haven’t heard anyone use my father’s name since my mom passed away.

“What’s going on father?” I asked him as I entered fully into the tent.

“My beta’s think it is a bad idea for me to attend this meet by Castillo,” he said.

“I agree with them, father. Castillo called the meet, he picked this battlefield. We might have knowledge of it but he is still a step ahead of us,” I said to him.

“Besides there is no guarantee he will bring her to the meet,” Beta Desmond said and I raised an eyebrow.
“Quiet!” my father commanded immediately.

“Who is she, Father?” I asked, he wiped the sweat on his forehead. We might be in the desert but it’s not that sweaty. There is only one reason my Dad doesn’t listen to his beta’s and sometimes I do the same when it relates to Brianna. And now Beta Chris is calling him by his name. A name that hasn’t been sounded for a very long time.

“You knew she had been alive all this time,” I said, moving closer to him.

“Who is she that you both are talking about?” he laughed, trying to deflate.

“Mom,” I said sharply. The colors of his eyes changed. “I know she is alive, father. So you can cut the bull.”

“I’m not leaving this battlefield without her,” he said with all seriousness.

“What?” I scoffed. “You tried to steal her daughter, Lalyla’s powers along with her friend's daughter, Brianna and Trish. What makes you think she will want to get back together with you?" I asked him.

“I didn’t kill Brianna and Trish’s parents Castillo did and also,” he inhaled sharply. “Laylas isn’t just your Mother’s daughter. She is my daughter as well,” he said. I took a deep breath, trying to process what I just heard.

“If Castillo killed Brianna and Trish’s parents, why do they think you did?” I asked him.

“When Brianna’s Mom found out about the prophecy about the girls we did everything we could to protect them but it wasn’t enough. Castillo already had knowledge of the girl's power and how to track them, even worse we had a traitor in our midst,” he said.

“The second highest priest,” I heard Layla’s voice behind me. I looked at her as she walked towards father. He planted a kiss on her hair.

“If he was a traitor why did you have him take care of Layla and what about the story Duke Mikeal told us?” I asked.

“I had the priest take care of Layla as a punishment especially since we thought Brianna and Trish were dead. He had to train Layla by any means necessary,” my father said, putting on his armor. Beta Chris and Desmond walked towards him with a frown on their faces to help him with the armor.

“As for Duke Mikael, he was part of the team that helped me track down the team that came after your Mom and Layla along with Brianna and Trish’s parents. When we couldn’t save them he helped me with the idea58 of the whole creature world to think I killed them including putting my name in the journal of the girl's mother instead of Castillo.”

“But why father?” I asked him.

“I couldn’t let people think i was weak. That was Castilo first attempt at infiltration into our kingdom and he almost succeeded and right now, he is here with a bigger army. I have to face him,” he said, sharply.

“Fine but we are bringing Brianna, Layla and Trish with us,” I said to him.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Beta Chris asked with hesitation.

“Yes, I am sure. If Castillo is going to make any move. They are the best weapon we got,"I said and walked towards Layla.

“Cover your faces, they should only see your eyes,” I said to her. “Three of you should meet us in the next five minutes,” she held my hands and looked deeply into my eyes before leaving.

“I found out Layla has been saying some uncanny words about your mother’s rescue,” my father said as soon as Layla left.

“Dead or alive,” I said to him and he nodded. “Mom saved me before Thane’s arrow could pierce through my neck. We have to believe that she is still on our side,"I said to him. He nodded, I saluted him and walked out of the tent.

I met Brianna outside, struggling to keep herself covered because of the wind. “This is to protect you from Castillo,” I said, helping her with the scarf.

“How does it protect me?” she asked.

“It shields your face. He won’t know who you are until the very moment,"I said and she nodded. The scarf finally stayed on her face and I could see just her eyes.

“They are beautiful,” I heard myself, Ethan and Mason say at the same time. I placed my hands beside her cheeks. She sighed and rested on my palms. We both felt at peace and like we were the only ones in that very moment.

“There are a lot I want to say to you,” I said to her. She took my hands off her cheeks.

“Not right now,” she said and left.

“Let’s move out!”