The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 214: Questions ()

"How is it?" Darren asked Nile worriedly.

Zariah sat on her bed, leaning against the headboard. Her thoughts were far away and she only returned her attention to the present moment at Darren’s voice.

Nile stood beside her, inspecting the wound left behind by Askel’s bite and Zariah just sat there immobile.

Zariah had not said a word since they returned to the inn, not even when Allen and Nile attempted to apologize for setting Zariah up to meet Askel.

Zariah knew her lack of response added to their guilt and left them feeling more responsible. It was not that she was angry at her subordinates or wanted to make things difficult for them, it was only that she could not muster a word without her heart constricting in pain.

Zariah feared if she spoke, she would break into a sob and cry her eyes out at the helplessness of her situation and anger at her own self for the words she had said to Askel,

And Zariah did not wish to break down at this moment, or appear like she had made a wrong decision and so she simply chose to remain silent.

"Thankfully, it is only a superficial puncture. Toxins were yet to be released and so the mark did not take effect, it was just a wound...you both arrived in time." Nile relayed to Darren.

Darren breathed a sigh of relief before he ran his hand through his hair.

"I loathe his choice of action but I cannot even be angry with him... and you two even got involved in this, this is so frustrating." Darren grumbled as he began pacing around the room.

"I did not think Askel would be unable to contain his rage and do something like that, he has always appeared to be level headed. If I had known, I would never have taken Zariah within range of him... this is due to my misjudgement, it is entirely my fault." Allen said in a tone thick with guilt.

Darren passed a look over to Zariah and saw the blank expression still remained intact on her face.

Darren groaned in frustration, shaking his head at the situation they were in.

"Now what? If word of this spreads, not only will it confirm the rumors told of King Askel, it will also affect Zariah’s reputation and reveal her current vulnerable state...if the rogue attack did not already do a good job of that." Darren worried.

"I cannot even fathom how word of that spread to the entire domain in just a few days." Nile said with a shake of his head.

Zariah still said nothing but she knew well enough who exactly had spread news of her being so easily injured in a rogue attack...there could only be Caedmon Grey.

Zariah had thought about it and perhaps the rogue attack in itself had been a test of Zariah’s strength and the level of her recovery.

But for what purpose? What could the mastermind have planned that he needed to confirm that Zariah would not be an obstacle? Zariah could not place a finger on it.

"The Ethereal alphas have been gathering suspiciously in recent times and we are but a few Crimson wolves present here. If aggressions begin between the Ethereal royals and the Ethereal alphas, we might be caught in between and the peace accord will be threatened."

"They may only be treading cautiously in fear of the crimson flame... and rumors of Askel are already on every lips. What happened today might just tip it all right over the edge." Darren said with a shake of his head.

"How were you even able to tell that King Askel was..." Nile trailed off, glancing over at Zariah warily.

"It is strange. I was not even within range but this..." Allen said, pulling out a familiar item.

"Is that... the item Lord Imain of the Sea Dome entrusted to Zariah before his death?" Nile asked in surprise.

"It is indeed." Allen confirmed.

"I have carried it on my person ever since as it seems to be of some significance."

"Darren conducted much research on it but we still do not understand clearly the significance of the item. However it reacted strangely when I was out in the forest waiting on Zariah... following the trail, we walked in on that... scene." Allen revealed.

Zariah glanced over at Allen, she raised a brow, stretching a hand out to Allen.

Allen walked over to Zariah and handed the item over to her. Zariah examined it slightly, she had almost completely forgotten about it.

"Who was it reacting to?" Zariah asked Allen after a short while of quietly examining it.

"Askel...it reacted to Askel." Allen relayed to Zariah.

Zariah’s brows furrowed slightly at that and she nodded.

"I get it now...that look in Askel’s eyes and the aura he exuded when he began acting differently, I found that aura familiar... I recall it now."

"I sensed that aura from this item the moment I touched it when Lord Imain entrusted it to me." Zariah thought back.

"The aura was extremely strong and potent and at that moment, my senses were at their finest... I can no longer sense it properly now but I remember it clearly."

"Askel had the same aura as this item did..." Zariah trailed off, thinking back to Lord Imain’s warning to her.

"He said to ’keep it away from him’...away from him?" Zariah murmured.

"Who in the Creator’s name is ’him’, the person behind the forsaken attack in the Sea Kingdom?...Our sources are yet to find a trail." Nile said in a serious tone.

"How could they?" Zariah asked aloud, her thumb grazed over the item slowly, her mind reeling with thoughts.

"What is the connection between this item and Askel? Why would it react to him after being dormant since the Sea Dome?" Zariah asked quietly.

’And if ’him’ is the mastermind, is it the item I am to keep away from him, or Askel whom it reacts to?’ Zariah thought to herself.