Her grandmother turned furious, “How dare you, insolent child!” but those were the last words from the woman.
Madeline didn’t know if the werewolf heard her or if it acted upon its own instinct that it pounced straight on her grandmother before starting to rip her limb by limb. She didn’t look at the gore of blood continuing to drip down on the ground, turning the leaves around them red where the werewolf and her grandmother was. But she did hear the sound of tearing and the snarls.
When Madeline heard wings flapping up in the sky, she saw it was Calhoun who quickly swooped down. At the same time, the werewolf that was busy dismantling her grandmother dropped her body and turned to look at her for long seconds. James, thought Madeline to herself as he stared at her and she noticed his eyes had changed its colour from yellow to brown. Turning back, the werewolf pranced away from the spot.
“Madeline!” Calhoun’s wings disappeared from his back, and he looked at the blood on the ground before looking at the shadow of the werewolf disappear in the thicket of the forest.
“Don’t go!” Madeline placed her hand on his arm when she noticed Calhoun was ready to hunt James down.
Calhoun turned to see Madeline shake her head. He was displeased that something like this happened, but he was glad to see she was safe, “What happened here?” he inquired, looking at the torn flesh.
“My grandmother,” stated Madeline to hear Calhoun sigh, “She did something to James. While trying to break out, he broke her cage…”
Madeline had no idea what ability her grandmother possessed. The woman did have some ability that she had been hiding, just like she had hidden information from them. Her grandmother had been consumed with the need to kill her, holding onto old beliefs.
“Would you like me to arrange someone to put her to her grave?” asked Calhoun, and Madeline nodded, her chest turning heavy.
“It is okay if you want to cry,” Calhoun placed his hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly.
Madeline’s eyes had turned slightly hollow as she stared at the path where the werewolf had escaped, “She said there’s a cure for James.”
“We’ll find it then,” he offered to help her, “Let me take you back to the castle. Your sister is awake.” Hearing this, Madeline’s line of thoughts snapped, and she looked at Calhoun.
Apprehensively, she asked, “How is she?” Calhoun’s wings appeared from his back, spreading wide and he carried her in his arms.
“You will see,” was the only thing Calhoun said before they left the forest.
Returning to the castle, Madeline had to school her expression to hide what took place back in the forest. Quietly she went to the guestroom where Beth was in and she frowned when she saw her sister packing her trunk.
“Where are you going, Beth?” asked Madeline.
“I am going back home,” whispered Beth, not meeting Madeline’s eyes as she continued to walk back and forth between the trunk that was on the bed to the closet.
“Did you speak to mama and papa about it?” questioned Madeline, “There are only a few more days left for the wedding.”
Beth threw the dress into her trunk before turning around to meet Madeline’s eyes. Her green eyes were filled with hate with a hint of sadness in there, “You are the one who is getting married, not I. The person I was supposed to get married, he was beheaded, and his family was thrown out of this castle never to return. I feel humiliated to stay here anymore.”
Looking around, Madeline saw Raphael was not here with Beth. Her sister was behaving as if she was already married to the Wilmot’s family. “Do you know what Markus and his family did? They created treason against the King, something they have been working for years.”
“Markus never killed anyone!” Beth was so consumed by anger and hate right now. She failed to see what Madeline was trying to tell her, “He was innocent, and you know that!”
“You forget that it was he who called the High House and tried framing the King. He created treason, something that warrants an immediate execution-“
“And you did nothing even after I said how much I love him!” Beth’s voice turned loud and cold.
Madeline who was trying to hold back her words finally said, “The man who was manipulating you? Or the man who destroyed the shop which was given to our father.”
“You have no proof! It is all made up lies, and the King is only feeding you with lies,” Beth’s voice turned low, “Did the sight of money and jewels around you finally change how you view your life? Or did he fuck you that you-“
SLAP!
Beth’s face had turned to her left side, feeling the burn on her cheek while holding a shocked expression on her face.
“The King knows you tried to poison him so don’t call Markus or yourself to be innocent,” Madeline reprimanded Beth, feeling her own palm burn because of the slap she delivered to her sister. On hearing her words, Beth’s eyes widened, “You should be grateful that he isn’t sending you or our parents to be executed for your mistake. You should also know that out of the two of us who gets influenced by the sight of materialistic things.”
All these years, Madeline had stayed quiet. And now she knew it wasn’t entirely Beth’s fault and her grandparents had a hand in the way Beth was brought up. Madeline took it upon herself to have Beth return to the way she was when they were young girls.
“Markus was not the man he posed to be in front of you or any of us. It would be better for you to get it through your head than scheme and put yourself into trouble where I might not be able to help you,” said Madeline to Beth.
“You are still my sister, Beth. And I hope you turn back to the person you once were. Unless you want to rot in prison and be beheaded.”
