Word Count: 1713

~Millicent

I keep the book close to me.

My plan is to read through it entirely, to understand every inch of it. The question is, is it predicting my life like it sounds? I slept on what I read, dreaming about it. My mind can't help wandering back to Sinful, and what he would think about it. I'm not sure whether I should share this with him or not, since it seems so personal to just me. At least I now know how Kyser knows seemingly everything about me.

Waking is more difficult this morning, than usual. Fluttering my eyes open, I realise my curtains are closed and the lights are off. Sitting up, I breathe in for the smell of rose water, to find nothing. My usual morning has been disrupted, and it only takes me a moment to realise why.

Lucy isn't here.

Sitting up, I quickly step out of bed. Lucy has been gone since last night, but at the back of my head I assumed she was dealing with business elsewhere, pretending to be me in my absence. Not to mention, I was distracted last night by the book that was given to me by Kyser. All to keep low...

Pulling a gown over my shoulders, I wander around my room and throughout all the space given to me. My slippers scuff against the floor, as I run without guards around, looking for Lucy. I don't just rely on her, I care about her. She is my best friend, almost like a daughter to me. Did Moon do something to her? Is she being held captive-

I catch sight of her. She's walking toward my quarters, head down, looking at her feet.

"Lucy! Are you okay?" I call out, running up to catch up with her.

She turns to look at me, colour drawn out of her face, eyes rimmed red. It causes a hitch in my step, a weight settling on my shoulders. Quickly, I grab her, embracing her. Here I was thinking the Moon had taken her in, waiting till I returned to take her from me, to take her life. Despite her job, I still see her like a friend over someone who works for me.

"You're back," she comments, tone flat but she smiles at me. I hold her shoulders, looking her up and down. Aside from the shadows under her eyes and redness from crying, she doesn't have a mark on her. Kyser actually kept his end of the deal with Sinful, but that doesn't mean I trust him anymore. We all have our reasons and motivations. His, I feel, are sinister.

"Where were you?" I question, looking around to where she came from. There is no guards around with her, but she clearly came from the prisoner area. From my experience with prison visits, she never enjoyed them, and the people there scared her deeply.

She shrugs, following my gaze over her shoulders. "I was nearby. Everything okay?"

"I just thought something had happened to you," I admit.

"We should get you back to your room to dress. There are too many people around here that could see you indecent," she tells me, clasping my hand tightly. I nod, following her back to my room. I'm suspicious of why she care from the prisoner, and what business she had over there, but right now, I'm just grateful the Moon has taken one more thing from me.

***

I find myself wandering.

At this exact time, I have a space where I can wander around and escape my room. I'm hoping I can sneak to the library and see if there is any other books about me or the Moon, or maybe even Kyser that I can bring back for Sinful and I to pour over. Maybe once I won't be bothered or interrupted.

However, thinking I'm alone, I skip over toward the library casually, looking around in case a guard appears and tells me to go back to my room. Now that I've returned, it will be right back to my usual routine. Guards will be on my back, the Moon will surely be watching, and hopefully Kyser will be out of my way, like he was all the years before.

At least I think that, until I notice a figure at the doorway of the library, looking downward. Immediately I'm aware of who this is, although I can't quite believe it.

"Micah?" I call out.

He flinched, glancing over his shoulder at me. There's no doubting who this is. His features have always been so sharp and striking, completely otherworldly. From the strength and prominence of each feature, such as his cheekbones and jawline, to the oddity that is his hair and eyes. The Moon always had an interest in dressing his Sins and Virtues up in creative physical attire. I've never quite understood the obsession to make them so perfect.

"Hey, Micah. What are you doing here?" I question, walking over to him, but skeptically. There's no sound reason for him to be here, in my area. He has his own, elsewhere; a magical barrier keeping us separated at all times. The Moon was always threatened of the power we could hold together.

Accept we are nothing in common. We get along just fine, but he is the Virtue Humility, always being good and honest while serving the Moon with no complaint at all. I don't understand why he doesn't want to be in the immortal realm with his family. I just don't understand him.

"I'm sorry, this must be a mistake," he comments at the sight of me, backing up a few steps.

His eyes are wide, that piercing glacial blue. His hair is silver, glinting off the light above him, entwined with the slightest hint of mint green. I'm used to him wearing a hat of some kind, to hide his physical infliction that brings so much attention to him.

"Stop. Does anyone know that you're over this side? Does he know?" I ask, looking around as if the eye of the Moon could be at all seem to us. Maybe this is a trick, to bring us together and give the Moon a reason to punish me. He knows I left. He knows Sinful has been here. He knows I'm working Kyser. He knows everything...

"No one important knows. Don't worry, this doesn't mean anything will happen to you or Lucy." He mutters, although he still looks stressed out that he is standing in front of me. I'm used to Micah being open and warm to me, like we are friends.

"Okay, come back to my room so we can talk." I offer.

Micah visibly flinches. "That's not a good idea."

He's frightened. Something isn't right about this. I know Micah, and this isn't how he would typically act. However it's apart of his entire intrinsic belief not to lie to anyone, even if he's under the manipulation of someone with a lot more power than he has. Maybe he knows this isn't a good idea being out here, and me being here could get him in even more trouble.

"Why not?" I ask, reaching out to grab his hand, but he quickly pulls it away from me. I narrow my eyes on him, letting him know that I'm suspicious of him. "look, we need to talk."

"You know us being near each other is dangerous, even if the Moon can't currently be aware. What would Kyser say?" He tells me.

Everything suddenly makes sense.

Kyser, that rat. He can't be trusted, and just like I should have expected, he has gotten his way into someone else's life, and given them a deal that sounds too good to pass up. I wonder what Kyser has on Micah that has brought him here. They way he clenches his jaw and eyes me worriedly suggests he won't spill on why he's here until I get him somewhere private.

"You know Kyser?" I say slowly. I pause, assuming the milky eyed man with a bright smile to suddenly appear out of nowhere, but he doesn't. Either he's not around, or this conversation is a plan of his that we have fallen right into.

Micah rubs the back of his neck. "I didn't meet him willingly, trust me. But he works for the Moon, so I immediately owe him my respect."

"Still loyal to the Moon then, I assume?" I mutter.

Micah's obsession with remaining good and true to the Moon has always been the worst part of our relationship. At one point, I thought I might be able to confide in my plan, to escape the Moon's powers once and for all. However, he's shown me time and time again that he can't be trusted not to share my plan, or go out of his way to ruin it.

Ignoring his words, I motion for him to come with me, knowing now is not the time to convince Micah to go against the Moon he both hates and adores. "Come back with me, Micah."

"What would your mate think?" he questions, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Micah. You know me," I tell him firmly.

He looks reluctant, but finally agrees. I wouldn't relent, otherwise. As I lead him back towards my quarters, I withhold all my questions. The moment we are behind closed doors, he will have to be completely honest with me. If I can get anymore information on Kyser, I will have a leg up on him.

Lucy lets us in, not even questioning Micah's presence. Despite this being a bad idea, she knows not to get in the way with whatever I'm doing. However, as I walk into my room, the last thing I expected was to see someone lounging in my bed.

Sinful. What the hell is he doing here? And standing by my dresser, is Kyser.

Something really isn't right.

💜••💜

If you're liking the story, head over to Radish, where this book is ten chapters ahead (:

👾••👾

If you guys love Alpha Kaden, it's now on Galetea (an app you can download for free on any App Store). It's been recreated with different writers, so if that interests you, check it out!

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~Midika 💜🐼