▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎

▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎¤▪︎

The stupidest thing could lead you to some most valuable information.

The boring book about shadows I'd been reading yesterday turned out to be the source of just that valuable information.

Apparently, shadow creatures are hard to find and impossible to kill. But the way to capture them is usually known among their own kind. So that means we had to find a shadow creature and bribe them into telling us how to capture one of their own.

Sounds easy? Hell no!

But one could always try. And after hunting the archives yesterday whole night while trying my best to avoid the fact that I almost seduced devil incarnate, we found out that the closest to shadow creatures we'll find is in a wolf-shaped mountain in Lycor.

And that brings us to the present.

"Remind me why we're here again." Zander mumbles beside me as we stand staring at the white marbled walls of the castle of Lycor, the lycan kingdom.

Derek is back in Helvon looking after the kingdom in Zander's absence. I wanted Avyanna to actually chill out for a few and not feel duty-bound so I asked her to stay back in Helvon and maybe have a tour around the kingdom although there didn't seem much to enjoy. Derek assured he'd take her around so I'm counting on him for that.

Focusing back on the current, I roll my eyes and pass devil incarnate a deadpanned look, "Have you lost your non-existent brain cells? How many times do I tell you."

Zander just groans in reply, "Dude, I don't think we're gonna find shit here."

"But the book in your mother's archives mentioned we would." I huff, "Besides, the thing is in the wolf mountain. Not here. And I need a roof to stay under while we wait for the day to end and the creatures show themselves out. Also, Anthony knows the exact location of the mountain better than us. It's his kingdom afterall and we need his help to reach there. If you still have a problem, you can go hibernate in a cave. I'll stay here."

With that, I saunter towards the entrance. Shortly, I hear hasty footsteps follow me up the front stairs and then Zander is stalking behind me again.

The guards stationed at the door look surprised by our presence. I couldn't blame them. We'd shown up unannounced. But they nod in respect nonetheless.

Passing them a charming smile, I walk into the castle like a storm.

"Kid!" I yell out for Anthony once I'm in the main hall.

The guards look up stunned but remain quite. One doesn't object a royalty afterall. And I'm a queen, darlings. Zander mumbles something under his breath as I scream like a banshee.

"Carla!" I call out for the queen because knowing the lazy lycan king, he'd take hours to get his ass down here.

None of them show up even after a second time yelling. Huffing, I'm almost ready to storm upto their room and disturb when a small voice greets me with too much enthusiasm.

"MARILLA!" A tiny body collides with my lower half.

I look down to find seven-years-old Cassian, Anthony and Carla's adopted son, clinging to my legs.

His wide googly gold eyes stare up at me and a cheeky adorable smile adorns his lips. My gaze automatically diverts to the pointy tips of his ears, the part that shows just who or what he is—a fae.

The only fae I'd ever seen in my life.

No supernatural had ever seen a fae. Fae never left their realm and supernaturals never went there. Not that the fae would allow any other kind to enter their realm.

Although knowing each other's existence is one thing. Seeing them is another. Beacuse fae are powerful and a mystery to us. How Cassian ended up in the supermarket realm, you might ask. Well, that's a story for another day.

Shaking my head against the reverie, I pick the little boy up into my arms with a laugh, "You've become so heavy. I can hardly carry you, you little mouse."

Cassian scratches his dark dusty hair coyly and brings his gold eyes on me, "Dad did say I'm growing like a ball. Mom said it was fine tho."

"Your dad is a kid. Your mom's right, mouse." I pass him a thumbs up, "You're all good."

He gives me a toothy smile, "Thank you! Why are you here though?"

I feign a hurt expression at his words, "You didn't want to see me? I'm so deeply offended, Cas."

His eyes go round as saucers and he looks constipated, "I did not say that. I just...I'm sorry...I did no-"

"Stop harassing my son, mermaid."

A deep voice speaks in a bored tone and not seconds later, the lycan king's tall form is in front of me. Anthony's brown hair looks disheveled and he literally seems as if he just came from middle of-

"Dad!" Cassian gets down from my arms and rushes to his father.

Anthony picks up the little boy and props Cassian on his shoulder who clings to his father's neck like a chihuahua.

"Oh, hi Marilla!" A squeaky voice speaks next and I see Carla, Anthony's wife, walk up next to her husband.

Carla's state looks as much disheveled as Anthony's—her blonde hair ruffled, her cheeks flushed and her clothes a bit crumpled—and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what the both have been upto.

I'm about to greet her back equally merrily when Zander rushes past me and goes to hug Carla.

"Carla, my love! I missed you!"

I blink at the speed he moves in and Anthony almost seems like he's about to pass out from worrying as Zander hugs Carla tightly not caring about her baby bump.

Carla and Zander have been best friends since as long as I've met both of them. I think they had kind of like a fling before too. It wasn't anything serious according to Carla who'd told me how she was just trying to forget Anthony then because of something that had happened.

But then Carla had always loved Anthony. And she married him in the end after they cleared out all their differences. I mean, they deserved it after what happened. Anthony had lost himself when Carla had died....

"Will you let her go now?!" Anthony's shriek snaps me out of my head. I see the lycan king trying to ward Zander away from his wife.

I almost laugh at the raw jealousy in his gaze that drilled at Zander's head. Cassian remains clinging to his father's neck scratching his head, seeming utterly confused.

"Uncle Zander, my sisters will be hurt if you hug mom so tight." The little boy says almost possessively, looking past his father's shoulder.

Zander finally decides to let go of Carla who gazes at her husband and son with an incredulous look.

"You two are unbelievable." She shakes her head but there's a smile on her face.

Anthony just shrugs and Cassian copies his father's action.

"By the way, what brings you both here? Not that you aren't welcome here whenever you want. Just curious. Since it's the both of you. Together. Which is new." Carla diverts her attention to me and Zander with a teasing look.

I roll my eyes but pass her a bright smile, "Finally someone notices my presence."

"One could never not notice you, Marilla." She laughs.

"Ofcourse. I'm so wonderful that people are bound to notice." I flip my hair for dramatic effect.

Carla agrees with a laugh, "Yes, you are. But now, for real. Is there something you're here for? I heard you both are on a mission." Her blue eyes switch between me and Zander.

Zander gets back beside me, "Yeah, actually we're here for something."

I glance around me for any signs of someone eavesdropping, "Can we speak somewhere else?"

All the trails of frankness goes from Anthony's face as he nods, "Sure."

"Kid, you go play. We'll be there in a few." Anthony plops down Cassian back on his footing and ruffles his hair.

The little boy nods without any questions. With a 'Bubye. See you.' to all of us, he saunters away hastily.

Anthony and Carla's attention shift back to us, "The study?" They ask together.

I and Zander glance at each other before nodding simultaneously.

* * *

"So you're saying this shadow stuff is in the wolf mountain and we never knew?" Anthony's voice is as perplexed as Carla's expression as they both stare at me.

Their faces glow under the golden-ish light coming from the faraway furnace of the white and gold confines of the study.

"I told her we wouldn't find shit. But she just won't get it." Zander shrugs from where he's seated beside me on the leather chair.

Pulling on a forced smile, I pass devil incarnate an icy glare, "It was written in the book your mother's archives had."

"I know. But that doesn't mean everything in there is true. Some are just facts. Also, what do you think the shadow creatures would be doing in Lycor? If they had to choose a place, they'd first go for Helvon. The underworld is dark and shady like them. Lycor is a fuckin' ray of sunshine."

"And apparently they wanna wander in the fuckin' ray of sunshine, you dimwit! I'm not conjuring this up. I read it!" I fume, jabbing my index finger at his sculpted face.

Zander all but leans back in his seat lazily, "Seems like you've read stuff for the first time and can't get over it."

"Huh? What is that even supposed to mean? You make no sense!"

"Does my beauty make sense to you?" The signature smirk pulls on his lips, "No, right? Same way my intelligence wouldn't do either. You gotta live with it."

"Ugh. You're so full of yourself." I raise my arms in annoyance.

A clearing of throat has me looking back at our spectators. Anthony has a mischievous look on his face while Carla just stares with amusement mumbling something about 'they're like Gio and Anne.'

Anne is Anthony's half-sister and Gio her husband. They used to fight a lot but then they turned out to be second-chance mates and now they're married and almost about to have a child. Although I don't get what's similar between us here.

"What?" I ask when they still keep staring.

The King and queen of Lycor just shake their heads and share a private look that makes no sense to me. When I keep giving them a suspicious look, Carla shrugs and Anthony breaks the ice changing the topic,

"The wolf mountain isn't particularly a ray of sunshine, as you say. It's a shady place. No one really goes there. Many people don't even know the mountain exists." Anthony then leans down to open a drawer of his desk and pulls out a paper scroll.

Unscrolling the thing, he lays down a picture of a map on the table. I crane my neck to look at the carvings on it. It's the map of Lycor.

Anthony points to the south-west corner of the map where the mountain we're to head is situated, "That's the wolf mountain. It's called Moonriff Mountain because it looks as if touching the moon at night."

"The mountain actually is shaped like a wolf." I hear Zander's voice mumble deathly close to my ear as he stands up and leans in behind me to take a peek of the map over my shoulder.

His body almost shrouds mine from behind like a cage as he flattens both of his hands on either sides of me on the table. His chin almost rests on my shoulder and if it weren't for his attention being glued on the map, it'd have felt like a back embrace or something. I feel my entire form go still at the realization on how close he's standing.

Get your shit together, Marilla!

Concealing the sudden awareness that spreads through my being, I manage to let out a begrudged 'Yeah'.

Zander glances my way at the grunt of an answer but focuses back his attention on the map again.

"You both want to head their at night?" Anthony asks, his eyes flickering between us.

I nod dumbly, too bothered by why devil incarnate's proximity is making me edgy.

"I see." Anthony glances back at the map, "But you should know there's a rumor about the mountain."

My brain suddenly clicks in place. Taking the distraction as an opportunity to get back to my sweet sanity, "I remember!" I almost jump out of my seat, "The mountain, it shows you illusions."

Carla nods beside Anthony, "We don't know whether it's exactly the mountain or the creatures there. Though sometimes those illusions could be disturbing. It's said it metamorphs visions of things you desire or fear the most and uses it to lure you to stay there forever. It's just a rumor but better stay alert. We never knows what's true. And that's one of the reasons no one lugs around the mountains."

"Do you think it's the shadow creature's doings?" I ask casting my eyes between the pair of husband and wide.

"Could be." Anthony mumbles, "But if you're heading there, be careful about it. Don't let the illusion shown to you affect you. You could go insane or never want to leave the place."

"That's some assurance you're giving, man." Zander deadpans.

Carla chuckles at it, "He's just warning you." She then turns to her husband and pats his cheek, "Anthony's a caring man."

The supposed man snorts but pulls his wife closer nonetheless with a found smile. His eyes flickers down to her bump and the smile widens.

Despite the cheesiness of it, I feel my own lips pulling into wide smile, "So when are the next set of Verakov twinsies coming."

Carla's eyes turn surprised but her smile is instant, "Very soon. Any day now and they'd be out."

"Ah, kinda freaks me out when you say it like that." Anthony grumbles under his breath and all we do is laugh.

But then as the couple fawn over their to-be baby, I feel a presence inch closer to me.

"Fish," Zander whispers so low its barely audible.

"What?" I ask in a flat tone ignoring his body heat against mine.

"Are you sure you want to go to the mountain? I can go alone if you're uncomfortable."

Something about the consideration has me turning my face to him in confusion. Not that I'm a pretty princess who'd just sit around and watch but the fact that he thought to give me the option to go or not was actually kinda considerate and....sweet of him.

So I gaze up into his grey eyes, "I'm coming along. We agreed to do the mission together. I won't let you take all the credit alone."

A slow smirk pulls onto his lips, "Then good luck to us. We're gonna hunt down few shady secrets, fish."