Adrianna placed her spoon down onto the plate and looked at Cora. "I am not interested in what problems you and Dmitri have, so don't drag me into this. I have my own problems to solve."

"Stop accusing Adri. It was my informants who gave me this news."

​​

"In that case, your informants are wrong." Cora threw her napkin down onto the table and stormed out of the dining room. Dmitri watched her as she left.

Dmitri frowned as he saw his mother vehemently denying it. If she was telling the truth, then did his informants really receive the wrong message? Or there was something else going on that he didn't know about?

Adrianna left and Dmitri followed her. They went to the gardens to take a stroll.

"Dmitri, I have to tell you something about Liam," said Adrianna, lowering her head and looking at the grass below.

"What is it?" he asked, walking with his hands clasped behind him.

Adrianna narrated the incident, sparing no details. She was worried that Dmitri would lash out at her.

"Is he fine now?" he asked.

"Yes…"

"It's okay Adri. He is there for your protection and he has to face these incidents. I am glad that he is alive…" He paused and then stopped. He looked at Adrianna and said, "If you feel that he is more of a burden than any help, you can send him back here. Liam's presence is missed when we are fighting."

Adrianna smiled. She was relieved that Dmitri took it positively. "He is not a burden Dmitri. I like having him around me. He reminds me of who I am – a werewolf. However, having him there would only be dangerous for him because now all the wizards and witches know that he is an easy target. It may be best if he comes back."

"Okay…" said Dmitri. He paused a little and added, "We have caught your father… I warned him before fighting, but he didn't agree… Your brothers have run away and we haven't been able to find them so far. Unfortunately, the moment I find them, I will have to send them to the guillotines."

Adrianna felt a pang of heartache. Her skin lined up with goosebumps. She looked at Dmitri. He could see the emotional pain that seeped out from her eyes. She was suffering from painful memories, angst, and bitterness. He could sense what it was inside her that troubled her so much. He held her close to his heart as she was no longer able to hold in her tears. "Adri, fight on. There is a bright horizon that awaits you. One day, we both will be free of all this. One day, the two of us will have the choice to be free from all this…"

Adrianna knew in her heart that Dmitri wouldn't spare them and even she agreed with his actions. Her father had been revolting for too long; he wasn't able to concede to anyone ruling above him. Kuro had never learned to see further than his own selfish purposes. His thoughts were only filled with his own desires and he was drunk on the power he held over his own pack. Even knowing that his end was nearing, she couldn't come to hate him. With him, she felt shattered every single day and was constantly consumed with bitterness, but today, she wanted to see him again – perhaps for the last time.

"Do you really think seeing him would be right?" he asked.

Adrianna couldn't help pondering over her fate. In the wizard kingdom, she had seen Kayla who was hardly living, and here, her father was about to be sentenced to death…

"I want to meet him just once. I want to ask him questions about my mother. There are too many unanswered questions and I want answers. He can't die without talking to me," she said, looking up at him.

Dmitri looked down at her beautiful face. He wiped her tears and kissed her cheeks. "Okay. Let's go now."

"I have to meet him alone."

"Okay… we will be taking him to the guillotines at dawn tomorrow. You can meet him tonight."

Adrianna closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest. "Let's go..." she whispered.

Dmitri took her to the prison where Kuro was being held. He waited outside while she went inside.

Adrianna walked inside while being escorted by a guard. The guard left her in front of her father's cell. The air inside the prison was stale and the lighting was as gloomy as the dusk. Through the iron bars, she could see that he had been chained and drugged. The prison cell was barely six feet by five feet. The walls were made of damp white and grey stones. It was very quiet at that time of night.

"Father…" she called out to him.

Kuro opened his eyes. He was heavily drugged. He saw her through his half closed eyes. He looked so disheveled and pitiful that Adrianna closed her mouth.

"Oh, there you are Adri," he said with a smirk as though mocking her.