Hey guys, sorry if this chappy seems choppy and kinda bad. I'll go back over it later on with the rest of the book!

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-&-

Chapter 24

       "Wake up."

       My eyes shot open and my breathing hitched in my throat. The first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the large bedchamber through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but my mind seemed to suddenly pound in my skull.

       The King made a strange noise beside me, and my gaze flickered over to his handsome face. He was still sleeping, but had moved since the night before. His large arm was now wrapped around me, his warm torso acting as the perfect pillow. A blush began to stain my cheeks.

       This was the closest we had ever been. The most intimate.

       I hadn't meant to spend the night with him. I was fully planning on only staying until he fell asleep, and then go back to my own room, but I had been too tired to keep my eyes open. And this felt nice- being so close to him. I didn't want it to ever end.

       "Take a walk."

       But I wanted to take a walk. I had been pressed against his large side for the entire night and needed to stretch my cramped legs. He didn't wake as I slowly eased away from his still shirt-covered chest, and maneuvered slowly out of his strong arms.

       My flats remained on the floor where I had left them the night before, and I slipped easily back into the comfortable shoes. Just a quick walk, and then I could go back to sleep-

       No, I couldn't. Now that I wasn't lying beside him anymore I knew it would be wrong to sneak back into the bed beside him. His invitation was only a one-time thing.

       I paused half-way across the room when he made a sudden odd noise, his large body twisting before settling back down. Perhaps if he woke up it wouldn't be too bad. He could go on the walk with me-

       "Don't wake the King."

       Then again, he did need his sleep. He wasn't healed all the way. He needed as much rest as possible. Where would I walk to though? Outside maybe? It must be a beautiful morning-

       "Go to the library."

       I could use a good book to read, especially when the King would leave for hours on end and I got bored of losing at chess to Aeyron. I knew where the library was, I spent a lot of time there when the King had left for the islands. It was a beautiful room lined with marble statues and tall wooden pillars.

       It didn't take long to walk to the extravagant room from the King's wing, and I was leafing through a few interesting books before I knew it.

       "This library was the first finished room in the entire castle."

       I jumped at the familiar voice echoing around the large, empty, circular room- the book I had been glancing at falling heavily from my hands. My eyes widened as I whirled around to glare at the intruder.

       Liberius shot me a wide, sickening smile- as if the incident from the other day had never happened. As if he hadn't run away terrified of the emptiness behind me. I gripped for a heavy book resting on the shelves- gripped at any kind of weapon to hold between the two of us.

       "Forgive me, my lady." His smile widened, his yellow eyes glowing in the faint light of the torches lit high above our heads. "I did not mean to startle you."

       "I highly doubt that." I tried to keep my voice calm and controlled, but it still came out as a startled snap.

       "There is no reason to be wary, dear. I will not harm you."

       "What are you doing here?" I asked instead of answering that obvious lie.

       He would very much hurt me if it benefited him in anyway. Why had I left the King's room in the first place? Left his arms? I wanted nothing more than to be back there, with him. Where he said I belonged.

       "I spend much time here when I am not with the King. I have to be well versed in knowledge if I am to remain his advisor."

       If he doesn't kill you.

       The though flashed into my mind as fast as it left, and I was shocked at the dark statement. I had never really been one to wish harm upon anyone, yet I knew the phrase to be true. The King would kill him if he no longer needed him.

       Then he paused, his yellow eyes glowing in the dim light before he took a step back. "I am actually glad you are here. I want to show you something."

       "I don't think so."

       "Oh no, my lady. It is nothing bad. I found an article of history I think you would very much find interesting."

       Everything inside of me was screaming not to trust him, so I didn't. I gripped tighter onto the book behind me, and clenched my jaw. I wasn't going anywhere with him.

       "I'm good, thanks."

       Serpent-man's eyes darkened, and a brief flash of red seemed to rise on his pale neck in anger. "Wouldn't you like to know a few answers to all those questions you have bubbling around inside your head? To know what the King is trying to keep from you?"

       I was so close to throwing the book at his pale face and running for the library doors, but his words made me pause. He's been around the King for who knew how long, despite his unfavorable reputation. I'm sure he knew things about him no one else did, and I'm sure he could answer the questions constantly turning in my brain.

       But was that temptation really enough to make me go with him?

       "I only want to talk, here in the library." He added when my hesitation didn't seem to fade. I licked my lips nervously and slowly let go of the book behind me.

       "Five minutes, and then you tell me what I want to know."

       Yellow eyes flashed in amusement. "I will tell you what I can."

       Trusting him would be a huge mistake, I knew that. But Aeyron and Terif refused to tell me anything, and the King made it quite clear it wasn't the 'time'. When would it be then? Liberius was suddenly looking like the only answer to all my questions. I would just keep my distance.

       "Very well."

       "Excellent, follow me." He turned without another word, his long dark robes swishing behind him before walking back into the main area of the lobby. I slowly followed after him, and made sure to keep at least four feet between us.

       He led me to a small table towards the back of the large library, a couple books and long documents scattered across it surface. The tension in my shoulders slowly eased. It seemed harmless enough.

       "You said you can answer my questions." I started after he walked around the table and started leafing through the large opened book on the desk.

       "I can only tell you what I know. I assume he has told you about the origins of his kind?"

       "Yes, he told me the story."

       "It is more than just a story, my dear." His pale, yellow eyes glanced up from the book in front of him briefly before down again. My brows furrowed into a frown.

       "A myth, I know. I don't understand how any of this matters-"

       "It is more than just a story or myth. I had my doubts too, but those all subsided the day we conversed on the stairwell."

       Well, I wouldn't say conversed.

       "What do you mean?" I asked with a frown as he put most of his attention on the book in front of him.

       "Let me start from the beginning." He muttered as his slender pale hands continued to flip pages.

       "It is said that Adranus travels the mountain in an endless, tormented, journey to find his love. I tried to look into the spirit realm to see if that were true, but even my gifts aren't strong enough to find a god who does not want to be found."

       "What in the world are you talking about?"

       "Spiritual gain, my lady. And power. That is what makes the world-go-round." He stopped leafing through the pages when he found what he was looking for, and pointed at the section with a sickening smile.

       "Come, look at this."

       I hesitated from the other side of the table, the safe side of the table. The one he wasn't looming over. But I had to admit, I was curious.

       "I noticed the King had been acting differently long before the castle found out about you." He started slowly as I walked around the table just enough to glance down at the picture his pale finger was lingering on in the book.

       It was a picture of a wolf, a large, dark wolf, howling up to a full moon glowing in an other-wise dark sky. There were no stars in sight. I frowned. Well that seemed too generic to make a big deal over.

       "Being curious, for North's well-being of course, I looked into the spirits to find the cause of his unrest. The part of Adranus's soul that had been passed down his line, was stirring."

       He was flipping the page now to one filled with incoherent and illegible words. There was another picture also, one of what looked like hundreds of falling stars. His pale finger lingered over one's glowing tail.

       "No King, prior to North, had ever had a mate. Not one. They married females who would uphold the royal title with dignity. You are the first true mate of any wolf-borne king descended from Adranus."

       Oh my...

       That was definitely news to me, but... but I guess it made sense. North had been alive for a long time, and I never bothered asking him about his family or those who came before him. It was a conversation I would have to bring up soon. I knew he gave up on finding his mate, but I didn't know that his entire line had either.

       "It is only logical that the part of Adranus's soul that is inside of the King would be drawn to you."

       "Why?" My fear of the creepy man was slowly starting to diminish, and replaced with a deep curiosity. My questions weren't necessarily being answered, but I did find what he was saying fascinating nonetheless.

       "The God of the Moon lost his mate, a very, very long time ago. It would appear that the line he created would suffer that absence as well- until now. But what female could ever hold enough significance to be the mate of one of Eirik's decedents?"

       His yellow eyes flashed, and his smile turned into that of a sick, twisted, excited little boy. It caused some of my previous fear to boil back to the surface. "This, lady Emrie. Is your significance. This is you. A reincarnation of Adranus's star."

       My eyes lingered over the picture, over his pale finger just barely touching the delicate tail of the falling light.

       I frowned.

       "A star. You think I'm a star?"

       This man was more delusional than I thought.

       "I wasn't sure at first. I figured the Heavens just decided it was time for the King to have a true mate. But when I saw your power I knew something was different about you. And when we conversed on the stairwell the other day, my suspicions were confirmed."

       "What are you talking about?" This man was crazy, no wonder the King and the others wanted nothing to do with him. I took an uneasy step away from him. I didn't care about answers to my questions as much anymore. I just wanted to get away from him and his insane notions.

       "Adranus is awakening, both inside of the King and in the spirit realm. Your panic during our conversation called to him, his apparition appeared behind you."

       My heart seemed to stutter in my chest. That was why he seemed so scared that day, why he ran off. He saw something behind me- someone. Or, he thought he saw them at least.

       "This is crazy... You're insane."

       "On the contrary, I'm probably the only one with half-a-brain in this entire castle. But, if you don't believe me," He said on a sneer, his yellow eyes flashing almost a pale green in the light of the library. "Ask the King about Emerense."

       My eyes snapped up to his as my heart skipped in my chest. Emerense... That name the King had called for on his death bed, the one he claimed was his star. I could feel the air slowly seep from my lungs.

       "Emerense? Why? What is so special about that name?"

       His thin lips pulled into a sly smile at the corner, and the irises of his pupils almost seemed to slant- as if the serpent he so eagerly portrayed was trying to seep out.

       "It is who you are, Emrie. It is Adranus' star."

       I took another unsettled step away from him and the table. I could feel a headache begin to form behind my eyes. This was all so surreal. I wasn't sure if I believed him at all.

       Then again, I would have thought it impossible for the King to have a part of a god's soul until he should me. And I always thought it was impossible for me to have a mate, but he was here in the castle. Sleeping the morning away.

       "Why are you telling me this?" I asked on a shaky sigh as I lifted my hand to rub across my forehead. I needed to get away from him as soon as possible.

       "I need your help to find him- to find Adranus. You are his star, your connection to him is far greater than that of the King's."

       Uneasy butterflies shot through my stomach like a stampede, and the look in his pale eyes didn't help matters at all.

       "My help? What could I possibly do?"

       His fingers tapped against the wood of the table as his other hand closed the large book in front of him, the one labeled in a language far too foreign to me. "He will come to you, when you need him."

       "But why? Why do you want to find him so badly?" I doubted it was to help the immortal being find his mate again- to find his star. A star that the insane lunatic thought was me.

       "For his power, my lady." 

-&-

       "I was hoping you would still be by my side when I woke, Emrie."

       I drew my gaze from the bowl of fruit in front of me to the large wolf-borne walking into the dining hall, a small smile pulling at his lips. My stomach flipped uneasily.

       "I wanted to take a walk this morning." My response was automatic, my eyes dropping back down to my breakfast.

       "I would have gone with you." He spoke softly as he sat in the chair at my side, his large body looming over mine.

       I didn't answer him, my mind was still reeling too much from what Liberius had said. The insane man thought I was the reincarnation of a star.

       "Emrie, what is the matter?" North asked after a few seconds of tense silence between us. I was just flicking the various strawberry's and grapes around my bowl as he picked at the toast on his.

       My gaze slanted towards him, towards his large, tan hands pulling apart the bread and the muscles straining in his arms. He looked better than the night before, was acting better. Perhaps a goodnight sleep was really what he needed.

       "Why do you not tell me anything?" I asked softly after quiet consideration, the words slipping from my mouth on a rather depressed air.

       He tensed beside me for a moment, his fingers stilling at tearing apart his toast before his large body leaned slowly towards mine.

       "What is the anything you are referring to?"

       "Anything, Eirik. Everything. What happened with Leikos? Why was he so upset about me being here? What is going on with Liberius and why aren't you handling the situation-"

       "Emrie-" He said on a sigh, his blue eyes closing in patience as I turned to face him, but I wasn't done.

       "And why did you lie to me about Emerense?"

       His eyes snapped open the minute that name passed my lips, and his jaw clenched as his gaze flickered to mine. But I didn't waver. Not now. He wanted us to grow closer, like we should have been from the beginning. But if that were to happen, he needed to be honest with me. He needed to tell me the things he was so set on keeping a secret.

       He still paused, the bright blue of his gaze searching for some look in mine. Then he glanced away. "I did not lie."

       "That name belongs to the star Adranus fell in love with, the one you told me about. And you said you didn't remember its name-"

       "Because names have power. Especially old ones. The true name of a star, especially the one who owns a god's heart is not one to speak of lightly."

       There was a hard bite to his tone, one that made me lean away from him. A flicker of anger, and slight pain shot through me. There was no reason for him to sound harsh.

       "That was all you had to say."

       I pushed my untouched bowl of fruit away and stood to my feet. We were both getting a little aggravated, and if I learned anything from living with Mae and her brother it was to never discuss anything when you were mad. It only turned into an argument both sides would regret later.

       "Emrie, wait."

       His large, warm, calloused hand was suddenly wrapping around my wrist as I turned from the table, his touch gentle as he tried to ease back towards him. I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to.

       "Do not be upset over this. Adranus and his star are just a story. Regardless of the power in their names."

       I gritted my teeth before turning back to him, but his blue eyes drew me in like always. I stood awkwardly at the side of his chair, mine resting just a few inches away.

       "Liberius believes it to be more than a story."

       His gaze flashed and his grip on my wrist tightened as his large, muscled body tensed beside me. "And when did he tell you this?" I could sense the cold, steely, anger underlying his tone. It was quiet, but there, and it made my stomach flutter- but it wasn't in a completely unpleasant way either.

       I felt heat rise to my cheeks in embarrassment. I knew he didn't want me anywhere near the seer after our run-in on the staircase, and I honestly had no genuine reason for speaking to him besides curiosity. I understood why he was mad.

       "T-This morning, in the library. He said he wanted to speak to me about the story, that he could answer the questions you never seem to want to. But all he told me was that I am some reincarnation of Adranus's star." I scoffed and rolled my eyes. I should have known better than to believe anything that mad promised.

       I watched as his jaw clenched shot, as his hand around my wrist tightened until it almost hurt- and then he glanced away. "He is a ridiculous being. Do not believe a word he says, Emrie. He only wishes to irritate me."

       His words made me frown, but I didn't say anything as he let go of my wrist and stood to his feet.

       "So, you don't believe him?" I asked softly as he walked towards the large window at the side of the room. He leaned against the wall beside it, his thick arms crossing over his strong chest as he gazed out at the snow littering the ground.

       "I believe many things- believe in many things. The seer has held his position so long for being successfully able to read the spirits on the other side- but speaking to you out of term and purposefully when I was not around, is not acceptable."

       "He wanted me to help find him- to find Adranus."

       His blue eyes snapped over to mine, the electric light in the them flashing against the darkness of the room. "Did he say why?"

       "He wants his power, Eirik. He wants to control him."

       "Hm." He murmured almost thoughtfully before glancing back out the window. "He is growing arrogant- tricking you into speaking with him. That is far from acceptable."

       "Should we be worried about what he plans?"

       "You do not need to worry about anything, my little Emrie. If Adranus is truly out there, I will deal with it. The seer will not get to him- or you again for that matter." He paused and licked his lips, the muscles in his arm straining as he leaned against the wall.

       "It is time I dealt with him. Permanently."

-&-

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