For an entire week, Ryleigh had tried to forget about the altered recollection she had stumbled upon when she'd restored her memories. She was afraid to find out what she had tried to hide. She couldn't imagine what it might be. What reason did she have to alter her memory of the battle? She knew what had happened, and it was the truth, because the other Shadow Walkers had lived through the same thing, and their witness accounts overlapped. So whatever she had changed, it could never be much. Could it?
Had the memory originated at any other time, she would've unlocked it already, but it dated back fourteen years ago, and if there was one thing she didn't want to remember, it was the battle. She didn't want to dive back into that part of her past. It would be too confronting, too difficult. She already thought of it all the time – less since Jade had lifted Corbin's manipulation, but still too often to ever forget. But they were fleeting thoughts. Tiny fragments. Flashes of memories. If she unlocked the original memory, she would be forced to relive every second of it. It would throw her right back into the dark hole she was trying to crawl out from. But what choice did she have? Information was power and if she didn't unlock the memory, she lacked information and therefore rendered herself weaker than she had to be. What if it was something significant? She wouldn't have locked it up if it wasn't important.
She had walked outside, linking everyone not to disturb her. They had moved once again after Paige's betrayal. Ryleigh was starting to lose count. This time, the place Parker had taken them wasn't a mansion but rather a series of wooden shacks located closely together. There were six of them scattered throughout the area, and Ryleigh rather liked this new set-up. It meant they weren't in each other's faces all the time.
After some searching, Ryleigh found a spot that would do. Their hiding place this time was located near the ocean, and at one side of the territory there was a series of high cliffs which led straight down to the raging sea underneath. It was one of those cliffs that she went to, and she set herself down in front of a tree, leaning her back against the bark. The dewy grass soaked her backside within seconds, spreading an aching cold through her body.
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air and trying to exhale her doubts. If the truth was too hard to bear, she'd lock it back up safely, and no one would ever have to know. Another deep breath, and then she dove in.
The Shadow Walkers were lining up in the pack's clearing. Some were in their wolf forms, but most were still human. It was easier to work magic with hands. The Shadow Walkers did have warriors trained especially for battle, but in truth they were all warriors. Almost the entire pack was standing there, even the children who were old enough to fight. Ryleigh was the perfect example of that – eleven years old, yet she pushed through the crowd with the confidence of a wintered soldier. She was ready.
Not all the children were there. Some were too young to fight. Running wasn't an option. Patrol had reported soldiers coming from every direction. In the houses, parents were hiding their offspring to the best of their abilities. It didn't matter much. Thousands of soldiers were coming. No one was going to make it out alive.
Ryleigh spotted her father at the front line and moved towards him. Jade would make it out alive, she told herself. Jade would survive. Be it the last thing Ryleigh did, she was going to make sure Jade saw another sunrise.
The treetops swayed. The birds had fled already, searching for safer surroundings. The ground trembled underneath Ryleigh's feet. The moon shone bright, illuminating the rows and rows of Shadow Walker warriors. Ryleigh set herself by her father's side, right on the front line. He looked at her, his features tight and grim.
"Where is Jade?"
"I hid her." Ryleigh planted her feet on the ground, letting the vibrations of the Royal Army's pounding feet travel up to her soul. It wouldn't be long before the soldiers would appear from the forest. "Where is Mother?"
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
Destined for Greatness ✔️
वेरवुल्फ़*Book 3 of the Destined Series* Without her sister, her mate, and her friends, Ryleigh has nowhere to turn to but home. Whether she wants to join her father's cause again and wage a war against King Alder no longer matters. Vengeance is all she has...
