Chapter 9

Today was the moon festival. I had waited a few painful days for this moment. One of the objects might be in the temple. If it's not there, I will have to search the Alpha house next. I really wish I didn't need to go that far.

Compass, pearl, and blood, I repeated to myself as I slipped through the temple front doors.

The compass should be in the Aphrodite temple, according to the "conversation" I had with Darius. However, Faith and I were going to Selene's temple. So, I didn't have any hope of finding it here. Even more unnerving, there is no temple celebrating goddess Aphrodite as far as Faith knew.

As for the pearl, it was a mystery like the rest of the damned objects. Darius mentioned being from the Lethe River. But isn't Lethe River in the underworld? Does it mean I have to die to find it?

The only thing at hand would be the blood of the daemon. That is, if that jerk even comes back.

There must be millions of pearls and compasses lying around. How the fuck will I find the right one?

If I couldn't find the objects, I could at least get my hands on some of the potions to protect myself. I didn't want another Daphne or Asher situation happening any time soon.

I had visited to the black market, but the prices of bidding object started at an astronomical price. Later that day I came to realization, even if Faith's budget was enough, I didn't want the illegal items to lead back to us.

The trip was not completely useless. While at the illegal market, I overheard a woman bragging about paying a teen priest to get her hand on the black dahlia potion to keep her husband in "love" with her. She complained about the temple running out of it, and tried to sell her a fake one. Calling them "crooks and terrible" It was a bit rich coming from her while she was controlling her husband. Gross.

I noted down the useful ones after checking with Faith. She was an expert herbologist in her final year at the academy. Her holidays were almost over, and if we didn't find a solution soon, I would have no choice but to join in her stead.

After walking a good chunk of the way, I saw people going into different prayer rooms. I found myself in the far east of the temple. It was beyond beautiful; it was breathtaking. The inside of the section was like a recreation of Mont Olympus. There are no other words to describe it.

The noise was coming from every direction, as happiness glowed on every face. From what I heard from Faith, people celebrate all night. It was the perfect night to search the temple for the items for the portal. I haven't seen Darius and Xenos since the day they announced their departure. And I definitely do not miss them.

As nervous as I was, I followed a young priest in a  white robe and golden colored hat. I was used to following people on Marco's orders, so it wasn't hard. Even then I couldn't help feeling someone was again watching me.

What will happen if I get caught? I lied to Faith saying we should go to pay respect to Selene while we survey the place for the objects, without breaking the rules.

Only then Faith gave in. I didn't believe in Selene so using her belief to my advantage wasn't out of bounds for me.

What other choice did I have? I didn't want another confrontation with her. Besides, she knows far more than me. Even if I look through 100 books, I can never get the knowledge of a person who has lived here all their life.

Holding my chest, I waited and went down the old wooden staircase as silently as possible before finally reaching the shabby basement floor. It looks out of place compared to the rest of the holy place. I could spot mold, and the place looked on the verge of collapsing. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was a dungeon.

"Leanne come back!!" yelled Faith trying to stop me. The boy had his face in a big box which gave me the time to hide in the dark corner behind another box.

"Theodore! How long are you going to keep Alpha Breccan waiting." Yelled someone with a rough voice from the top.

"And what is that smell?" said a rough voice.

My heart drops faster than a ride at the amusement park. How could I have forgotten I was dealing with wolves? I put my hands on my mouth to stifle any noise. Hoping against hope, they won't search.

"Did you bring your lover here again, Theodore?" growled the older man.

I can see the young man's freckled face boy shake his head while going red. He couldn't have been older than sixteen. He hurried and left as if his ass was on fire. I heard a click and silence.

I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when I heard the door shut. Faith sank to the floor with her hands on her chest.

"Well, at least we didn't get caught", I whispered to her. Faith shot me the filthiest glare before  moving away.

We spend the next half an hour looking through the box and shelves. In her panic of leaving as soon as possible rom here , she checked almost everything in the short span of time.

My eyes caught the fluoresced colored rows of liquid put in glass bottles of different sizes. I took a smaller stool and put it in front of one of them.

I picked up a glowy pink frosty bottle, curiosity getting the best of me. "It's pretty," I muttered, turning it over in my hand. A small card attached to the bottle read: Frothbloom. Exactly what I was looking for.

Frothbloom: Paralyzes someone's body within 10 minutes for up to three days.

"Please stop touching everything! We came to search for the objects," she said with a stern whisper, glancing around nervously.

"Chill, it's just a bottle. Beside we are already here. Might as well take the free stuff" I responded to her.

"It's not free! We have to get out of here. If we are caught trying to steal from the temple, we will be cursed by the goddess," she yelled hysterically.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed at her constant worrying. "Always the rule-follower..."

"Sir Darius and Xenos are looking for the objects. We should just go back home. Coming here was a terrible idea," she cut me off.

"It's been a week since we have seen them, and we have no idea what happened. For all we know, they could be dead, or they dipped," I said, shrugging.

"They wouldn't! They promised," said Faith, trying to convince herself more than me. I couldn't help but give a bark-like laugh.

"Promise don't mean shit", I retorted. The number of promises I made and not kept was infinite.

"Besides, for all we know, they're the reason we're stuck here in the first place," I said after a long pause.

"That makes no sense!" snapped back Faith. "You are telling me they put us in this situation just to turn around and help us? What's the point of doing that?"

 It was the first time I heard her talk back like that without hesitation and doubt in her voice.

I sighed, annoyed at her constant worrying. "Always the rule-follower. We're fine. No one's going to catch us."

As I grabbed a blue potion reading Misroot, a thought crossed my mind. I froze midway before grabbing a clear liquid: wolfbane.

Wolfsbane: A deadly poisonous substance to werewolves.

Something clicked in my brain. Something I should have asked way before today and maybe in a different situation.

"Stop stealing things. You are going to get cursed by the goddess. We are only to look for the objects."

Ignoring her comment, I asked instead: "How did you get the book of hell?"

"From Aria, I asked her to grab a few books from the academy library" she asked with her eyebrow. "You cannot possibly suspect..." said Faith , her eyes going wider.

I went throught the next row of shelved when I saw something round and shiny glow in the dark corner of the nasty basement.

"It is not Aria," she said straight.

"How would you know?" I asked while walking toward it.

"She would never do that; she is loyal," she said, following me. I let out a scoff.

"Like Daphne?" I let slip before asking her another question:

"Then explain to me how she got that book?" If you can get executed for having that book, how were you able to borrow it from an academy?"

"How is something like this at an academy in the first place?" I asked.

She bit her lips, her eyes flickering. Something she does when she hides something.

"Well?" I asked, knowing the answer would probably piss me off.

"I went to the black market; someone sold it to me" she tumble the words as if she said it faster it would be less painful.

"You mean someone approached you?" I asked suspiciously. My hand was reaching out to a pearl sitting on a black cushion.

At that moment, something from above crashed like thunder and shook the ceiling, while a bell-clinking sound disrupted the peace. Grabbing the glowing palm-sized pearl, I shoved it in my small bag as Faith, and I climbed the stairs two by two, only to find the door locked. We were so fucked. I heard people yelling and running.

My mind raced in a million different ways to catch up to my pounding heart as I pressed my ears against the oak door. I waited a couple of minutes for the noise to die down. There was less noise, as if the people had just vanished into thin air.

Faith was ready to walk through the door. However, without a warning, the door breaks open as I collide with a hard chest.

Dread sank into the deepest pit of my stomach as I slowly looked up to be met with burning, furious eyes – Asher Faith's scum of a fiancé.

His face was angry as he tried to grab me. It was the same face my drunk father had before he got violent. I tried to step away from him, but he pulled me by the hair and yelled:

" How long are you going to humiliate me, Faith?"

"As long as it gets into your thick head that you don't own me", I spat back. My scalp was burning, and I could feel the roots almost coming out. I glanced toward Faith, who had been quiet the whole time. Her eyes are vacant, and her head is down casted.

A rush of people pushed past us toward the closest exit, and I stumbled as I got pushed, falling hard on my backside. My bag hit the floor, and the pearl rolled out. Thankfully, the rest of the objects stayed inside. Hopefully, it's not broken.

"You steal now?" He asked, astonished, with a tint of fury in his questioning tone. As if I revealed I just killed his whole family.

"Alpha heir, have you catch the thief " said a old man with light bow as Asher quickly let go of me. The old man was wearing a white robe with gold decoration with a golden hat just like the freckled boy in the basement next to him.

" I found the door open, the thief ran leaving the pearl in the chaos," said Asher dryly.

How did they find someone was stealing? Was the bell sound a warning sign?

The head priest eyed me suspiciously but said nothing. "Thank you, Alpha Heir, for retrieving it."

"Boy, weren't you the last person in there?"

The boy shook like a leaf as he kneeled. "I wouldn't, Head Priest! I wouldn't dare! Please believe me."

"No mistake is to be tolerated. You'll take your punishment for leaving the door unlocked."

The boy's face flushed with relief as he sniffled and bowed low. "Thank you, sir. Thank you."

The snot dripped from his nose as relief washed over his face and he scrambled out of the corridor. As soon as the boy left, the head priest with his people dealt with the crowd, pacifying them.

"I have been forgiving of your behaviour, but it will end now," he said.

***

By the time we reached the mansion, night had fallen completely, and the festivities for the moon were dying down.

He woke up everyone from the mansion and gathered them all like sheep in the same hall where I punished Daphne. His finger still gripping and dragging me to the top of the staircase, and growled out :

"From now on, she will only be fed bread once every two days, and she will be locked in her room", he announced. From the corner of my eyes, Daphne was smiling broadly without hiding her glee.

The other servants shuffled nervously before bowing their heads toward the scum as proof of their obedience.

"Do not fucking order me around", I spat, shoving him with all my might but failing as his hold on my hair was iron-like and cruel. Rage I never felt before, coursed through my veins like lava, like poison.

"For a month", added her fiancé, tightening his grip while pulling me back to my room and throwing me inside.

I clenched my fists as my stomach stirred up at the thought of starving for a month. I am not sure how well Faith's body is built, but no matter what happens, I will never beg this scum for anything. 

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Thank you for reading my story. There will be more chapters in the coming weeks. Let me know what you think in the comment section! I love reading your comments <3 Don't forget to vote if you loved it.

Ps: Next Chapter will be Darius POV  ;)