Chapter 122: A Set-Up
Kieran’s POV
The sun was just beginning to rise over the academy grounds, but the tension boiling inside me was nowhere near dawn-like. Elise was barely clinging to life, and time was not on our side.
Varya walked beside me as we stalked through the thickening woods beyond the Lycan dorms, where wild herbs and hidden flora thrived. She had mentioned spotting some of the rarer plants used by her father, the royal Lycan physician, growing near the cliffs on the academy’s far east border.
"This is where the Thornroot grows," she said, kneeling near a patch of damp soil. Her red hair glinted in the sliver of morning light that bled through the branches. "But it’s poisonous if not balanced correctly. My father mixes it with Moonfern to neutralize the burn."
I crouched beside her, analyzing the dark, curling roots. The scent was sharp—bitter. Exactly as I remembered. "Good. We’ll need a full pouch of this. And the Moonfern?"
She stood, brushing her fingers down her thigh, letting her hand trail far longer than necessary.
"There’s a patch of it past the rocks near the waterfall," she said with a soft smile. "I’ll lead you there. It’s a bit of a hike.... you might need a break before we get to it."
I didn’t respond. I simply turned and started walking.
She followed, of course.
"You know," Varya said, her tone shifting, "it’s been a while since we were alone like this. You and I... we’ve always had chemistry, haven’t we?"
I stopped.
Dead in my tracks.