The Replacement's Revenge - Chapter 5: Chapter 5
You are reading The Replacement's Revenge, Chapter 5: Chapter 5. Read more chapters of The Replacement's Revenge.
Angus stood frozen in the blood-drenched basement, his eyes locked on the horrific scene surrounding him. His body refused to obey him, his mind went blank. How could anyone survive a single night in this hellhole? The chances seemed nonexistent.
The crimson pool beneath his feet seeped into the cold stone, staining it a nauseating shade of red. His heartbeat thundered in his ears - a relentless, suffocating drumbeat. Something precious had slipped through his fingers this time, something he'd never get back.
His vision swam as his knees buckled. Only a firm grip on his arm kept him from collapsing.
Then - a sharp inhale - reality came crashing back.
[Find Alrose Traverse. $1,000,000 reward for information.]
I'd taken refuge in a remote Astrait border town. My spirit fairy kin had found me just in time - another minute later and I would've bled out in that dungeon. My body was wrecked - crisscrossed with whip marks so deep they might as well have reached bone, flesh torn open, blood barely clotted.
When news reached me about Angus desperately searching, I could only laugh bitterly. Wasn't this exactly what he wanted? Me gone? So why the sudden change of heart?
I'd lingered too long in the mortal world, contaminated by its petty dramas. Now that I'd finally cut those ties, I just had to endure fifteen more days before returning home.
For three straight days, I watched from my attic window as Angus patrolled the streets below. He carried a sketch of my face, stopping pedestrians every few steps. "Have you seen this woman?" His bloodshot eyes burned with desperation. He combed the town tirelessly only to leave empty-handed each evening.
The thought crossed my mind - had Hallie screwed up again? Did he need his convenient scapegoat once more? The idea made me snort in disgust.
But the first to find me wasn't Angus. It was Milo - the Newman Family heir. Or rather, that was just his cover story. As he stood before me, the truth became clear - he was one of us. A spirit fairy. And that face... now I remembered. He was my actual betrothed from the clan.
Before I could speak, Milo sat beside me and took my hand. His touch was warm. Certain. "The chief said this was your penance," he explained. "I wasn't permitted to interfere - only to take human form and watch over you, Rose. But now that you're free of mortal ties..." His grip tightened slightly. "I don't have to hold back anymore."
Suddenly everything made sense - why his presence had always felt so familiar.
In this Astrait backwater, it was Milo who'd cared for me - ensuring I ate, dressing my wounds, keeping vigil. I'd refused to acknowledge him before. Now, with my mortal connections severed...
Milo wasn't human. He was family. And that changed everything.
When Angus finally tracked me down, he found Milo spoon-feeding me corn soup with tender care.
The crimson pool beneath his feet seeped into the cold stone, staining it a nauseating shade of red. His heartbeat thundered in his ears - a relentless, suffocating drumbeat. Something precious had slipped through his fingers this time, something he'd never get back.
His vision swam as his knees buckled. Only a firm grip on his arm kept him from collapsing.
Then - a sharp inhale - reality came crashing back.
[Find Alrose Traverse. $1,000,000 reward for information.]
I'd taken refuge in a remote Astrait border town. My spirit fairy kin had found me just in time - another minute later and I would've bled out in that dungeon. My body was wrecked - crisscrossed with whip marks so deep they might as well have reached bone, flesh torn open, blood barely clotted.
When news reached me about Angus desperately searching, I could only laugh bitterly. Wasn't this exactly what he wanted? Me gone? So why the sudden change of heart?
I'd lingered too long in the mortal world, contaminated by its petty dramas. Now that I'd finally cut those ties, I just had to endure fifteen more days before returning home.
For three straight days, I watched from my attic window as Angus patrolled the streets below. He carried a sketch of my face, stopping pedestrians every few steps. "Have you seen this woman?" His bloodshot eyes burned with desperation. He combed the town tirelessly only to leave empty-handed each evening.
The thought crossed my mind - had Hallie screwed up again? Did he need his convenient scapegoat once more? The idea made me snort in disgust.
But the first to find me wasn't Angus. It was Milo - the Newman Family heir. Or rather, that was just his cover story. As he stood before me, the truth became clear - he was one of us. A spirit fairy. And that face... now I remembered. He was my actual betrothed from the clan.
Before I could speak, Milo sat beside me and took my hand. His touch was warm. Certain. "The chief said this was your penance," he explained. "I wasn't permitted to interfere - only to take human form and watch over you, Rose. But now that you're free of mortal ties..." His grip tightened slightly. "I don't have to hold back anymore."
Suddenly everything made sense - why his presence had always felt so familiar.
In this Astrait backwater, it was Milo who'd cared for me - ensuring I ate, dressing my wounds, keeping vigil. I'd refused to acknowledge him before. Now, with my mortal connections severed...
Milo wasn't human. He was family. And that changed everything.
When Angus finally tracked me down, he found Milo spoon-feeding me corn soup with tender care.
End of The Replacement's Revenge Chapter 5. Continue reading Chapter 6 or return to The Replacement's Revenge book page.