Chapter 98
Chapter 98
AGAPE’S POV
Agape sat near the fire, but not for its warmth. The flames were a reminder, a signal to himself that he needed to hold on to the same fire inside, to not lose hope no matter how desperate things became.
The fight earlier had drained them all. His body ached, his breathing was still uneven, and his thoughts were heavier than he wanted to admit.
Without His Excellency Cas and the woman he called his wife, they would not have survived the beast tide.
They were now inside a cave, its stone walls blocking out the biting wind. Cas had led them there after the battle, moving through the narrow paths with the confidence of someone who knew the terrain well. He hadn’t faltered once, as if he had crossed the same route many times before. Finding this safe shelter was proof enough that he and his wife were familiar with this part of the north.
“Can we trust them?” Laylani asked, breaking Agape’s thoughts.
“Do we have a choice?” Agape replied. “Even if we tried to fight, none of us could stand against him.” Their strength was already drained from hunger and from constantly running from predators.
“But we have to hurry,” Laylani said. “If they catch us here p>
“The night is upon us, Laylani, walking at this time of the day would be akin to killing ourselves,” Eron said.
Everyone knew that the north would become deadlier at night during the red
moon.
“Our plans had been delayed for too long,” Laylani said. “We need to reach the northern outpost as soon as we can to meet the Northern Lord p>
“You talk as if you’re the only one who wants to leave this place,” Kae muttered. “The fight earlier already delayed us, and we’ve been battling nonstop since we crossed the border. If we keep pushing forward without rest, it won’t be the fangs of those filthy creatures that kill us, it will be exhaustion p>
Agape said nothing. Instead, he turned towards where His Excellency Cas and his wife Tasha were staying.
Unlike them, the two were eating without hesitation. His Excellency Cas and the woman named Tasha sat near their fire, calmly consuming the meat he had carved earlier as if it were
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Chapter 98
no different from venison or boar.
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Agape’s jaw tightened. If they had not been forced to flee, if they had been able to prepare properly, they would have carried enough food for the journey. But preparation had not been an option. Someone wanted them dead, and only by escaping into the northern lord’s territory did they stand a chance of surviving. Sadly, he had underestimated the red moon. They had known it would be dangerous, but none of them expected the beasts near the borders to be this strong. To get this far, they had already been forced to sacrifice several of their own and leave a few of their things behind.
He turned his gaze toward Kae or Prince Kaelith. The boy sat stiffly, but Agape caught the way his eyes lingered on the meat roasting over Cassian’s fire. Agape didn’t need to ask. Hunger was plain enough. The prince had gone nearly two days without food, and even the strongest willpower had its limits.
As if sensing Agape’s thoughts, Kae finally spoke. “They are eating the meat of the beast p>
Eron grunted, watching the pair. “And it looks like they’re enjoying it p>
“How could someone enjoy those filthy things?” Kae asked.
“People who survive in this part of the world don’t care about what kind of food they eat,” Agape explained. If his guess was correct, both Cas and Tasha had lived here long enough that their bodies had already adapted to the poison. That would explain why they could consume the meat without issue and why they were able to fight the beasts without faltering.
“I would never consume those lowly creatures,” Laylani said without hiding the disgust in her
voice.
Agape exhaled. “It has been almost two days since any of us last ate. Eating this meat would not be an offense to our God p>
“I would rather die than taint my blood with the flesh of beasts,” Laylani shot back.
Kae lifted his chin, echoing her words. “I will never consume one either p>
Agape only sighed. He had heard stubbornness before, but it weighed more heavily when paired with hunger and exhaustion.
From the edge of the group, Zeryn finally spoke. The boy had been quiet the entire time, his sharp eyes taking in everything. “Agape… what do you think they are p>
Agape turned his head. Among the younger generation, Zeryn’s observations were often the
most accurate.
“I can sense a wolf,” Agape said slowly. “But the other has none p>
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Chapter 98
39
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Eron leaned closer. “But her body reacted to the stone. Doesn’t that mean she’s one of them p>
“She seemed unaware,” Laylani added.
Agape gave a single nod. “Yes, that much is clear.” He exhaled heavily. “No one stays in this
of the world unless they have no other choice. Each of us came here out of desperation, and I suspect her reason is no different from ours p>
part
“Do you think… they’re hunting her too?” Zeryn asked. “I haven’t heard of any mention of a woman. I thought they were only after Kae. And the other tribes p>
“It’s better if we stop thinking about it,” Agape interrupted. “Forget what happened earlier. His Excellency saved us, and she stopped him from harming me. The least we can do is avoid asking questions that don’t concern us p>
Agape wasn’t concerned about them overhearing their conversation. He had activated a fae stone earlier, one that muffled sound within their circle. As far as he knew, neither Cas nor the woman could hear a word.
“Tomorrow,” Agape said, lowering his voice. “We will reach the northern outpost. Save your strength. Rest now while you can p>
Kae frowned. “What about food p>
Agape’s eyes went to the half-burned corpses of the slain beasts still littering the snow outside the cave. “In this part of the north, the only thing we can eat is them p>
The words left the group in silence. None of them spoke again. Pride and disgust
kept their mouths shut.
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