Chapter 127

Cold seeped into my bones as I blinked awake, my body trembling violently. The rain had soaked through my clothes, and the damp air clung to my skin like ice. My wrists ached where the rough ropes cut into them, binding my hands behind my back. It took me a moment to register my surroundings—a crude tent made of dark cloth, flickering lantern light casting eerie shadows against the fabric. My breath came in shallow gasps as I shifted, feeling the grit of dirt beneath me.

Wait a minute.

I remembered this place. I had only seen it once. When Kaelin had showed me way before I went on my mission inside the castle as a spy. 

A Braamin outpost. 

My stomach twisted as I realized where I was. The tent was small, but from the sounds outside—muffled voices, the clang of weapons, the distant rustle of fabric in the wind—I knew this was no ordinary camp. This was a spy camp, hidden just beneath the cliffs marking the border of Zaire. A secret place where Braam's spies plotted in the shadows, where assassins sharpened their blades and whispered treachery into the night.

This was how they were able to closely infiltrate the castle at will, to do whatever they want. 

I clenched my jaw, trying to move my numbed fingers, but my body was too exhausted to respond. Shivering, I closed my eyes, forcing my mind to push past the pain. 

The tent flap rustled, and I stiffened as a figure stepped inside. A woman—tall, with piercing dark eyes and silver-streaked hair pulled into a tight braid. There was a mark on her forehead. She was Otsayak. Like me. 

A healer possibly, like all Otsayak were. 

She knelt beside me and reached for my hand. "Stay still." Her voice was smooth, almost gentle.

I flinched at her touch, but she held firm, pressing her palm against mine. A soft glow radiated between our hands, warmth spreading through my veins. Because I didn’t grow up with my people, I never knew how to use my powers or fully grasp the extent of it. The only time I had used it unconsciously was to heal Rowan when he was a cripple and I didn’t even realise until I was in Braam that I was the one with the power to do that. I gasped at the relief flooding my body, the dull ache retreating slightly. She was healing me. 

"Why?" I rasped, my throat raw.

Her lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Because they want you alive."

She reached for a small clay cup and pressed it against my lips. A foul, bitter scent wafted up, making my stomach churn. 

"Drink."

I turned my head away. "No."

The woman sighed. "It will help speed your healing.” 

"I said no. I don't trust you."

She didn't argue. Instead, her grip tightened around my jaw, forcing my mouth open. The liquid burned my tongue as she tilted the cup, making me swallow. I gagged, coughing as the acrid taste coated my throat. My stomach lurched, but I managed to keep it down.

"There." She set the empty cup aside. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

I glared at her, my limbs feeling heavier by the second. I should have fought harder, I should have pushed her away. Whatever she had given me, it wasn't just medicine.

Before I could protest, rough hands grabbed my arms. I gasped as I was hauled to my feet, my legs barely supporting me. My head spun as I was dragged from the tent into the open air, the rain now reduced to a fine mist.

Two soldiers flanked me, their grips unyielding as they marched me toward a larger tent at the center of the camp. My pulse quickened when I saw the man waiting inside.

The General. 

I had heard of him and seen him a few times during my time in Braam, but I never had to report to him. If a whole general was at a Braam outpost so close to Zaire then the rumours must all be true. They were really preparing for war.

A hulking figure with deep scars across his face, his presence commanded immediate attention. And beside him—

Kaelin.

I wasn’t expecting she would betray me like this, but I should have prepared my mind for the worst. Kaelin was loyal to Braam, even more than I would ever be. She considered them family.  I should have known, but I had taken the risk anyways. 

My stomach clenched as I met her gaze. She stood tall, her expression unreadable, but there was something triumphant in her eyes. 

The General studied me for a long moment before turning to Kaelin. "Is this the spy who tried to sabotage our mission? The one we sent to Zaire but ended up marrying the Alpha King and foregoing the mission.” 

Kaelin nodded. "Yes."

My jaw tightened. "I didn’t try to sabotage your mission. I just got out of the way.” 

The General chuckled, folding his arms. "You expect me to believe that? After all you have done?” 

"I expect you to use your brain," I shot back. "If I really tried to sabotage your mission, Lilian the spy you planted in the castle right now would have been captured. And the whole kingdom would be on high alert.” 

Kaelin smirked. "Spoken like a true queen."

The General's eyes gleamed. "Queen of Zaire, am otsayak a queen? How did you manage to fool those wolves?!” 

I refused to answer, but Kaelin stepped forward. "She is. And she's worth more alive than dead. We can use her.” 

He tilted his head, intrigued. "Go on."

Kaelin smiled. "We can use her. Alpha King Rowan would do anything to keep her safe. If we make the right move, he'll surrender the throne without a fight. He will surrender everything without a fight.” 

No, I couldn’t let them do that.

I let out a sharp laugh. "You think Rowan will just hand over his kingdom for me?" I shook my head. "You're underestimating him. He won't bend to your silly threats. And he definitely won't back down from a fight. If you think you’re going to take Zaire easily, you’re in for a bumpy ride.” 

The General's expression darkened, but I wasn't finished.

"You Braamins are so allergic to war, always skulking in the shadows, using spies and assassins to do your dirty work." I tilted my chin up. "It is because you know you are weak. That's why you rely on underhanded tactics to steal kingdoms instead of winning them on the battlefield. Your tactics are not lost on many. When I was in Braam I saw a lot of things. I saw a mad emperor who made stupid decisions.” 

The General's fingers curled into a fist. 

“How dare you?!”

I continued either way. I was too valuable for them to kill me, but I knew all this talking back would make them angry enough to consider another course of action.

"You think tearing the inner court apart will make it easier to take Zaire? You are wrong. The wolves will fight as one. No matter the clan, no matter the politics—they will follow their alpha king."

The General exhaled through his nose, a slow, dangerous sound. Then he smirked. "Then maybe," he mused, "we should just kill the Alpha King."

“If we cannot fight them, it will certainly makes things easier won’t it? They’ll be too busy mourning the death of their alpha to even know what hit them.” 

My heart pounded as he turned to one of his men. "Send word to our spies in the capital. Tell them to infiltrate the castle."

He looked at me, his eyes cold. "Make sure they kill the king."

My blood turned to ice.