For ahead, right next to a broad-chested man, stood Amelia.
***
Amelia was walking back to her cell when a deep voice across the mahogany door startled her. The door ahead was isolated. It led to Borris's private chambers. However, it was not exactly the tone of the voice that had knocked all air out of Amelia’s chest. In fact, it was the name that so angrily uttered.
Instinctively, Amelia pressed her ear to the door; body crouched low to avoid any attention. There was a curtain hanging beside the doorframe, and Amelia lapped the dense cloth around her torso carefully.
Inside, a fierce conversation was taking place.
“We don’t have much time! I want your men to be tracking Marco day and night! The last I heard; he was already heading out of Antigo!”
“Lord Borris, you must understand it is the Wolf Mage we’re dealing with, surely we can be given more leverage-”
“Hunt, it would serve you better not to intercept my demands. I want his head by tonight. In case you fail to live up to my order, that big head won’t be a part of your body any longer.”
Amelia could imagine Hunt’s face flushing into silence, lips pursed, and eyes hooded.
“My Lord,” there was another strange voice addressing Borris now.
“Yes, General Toda?”
“That girl is Marco’s soul mate, then?”
“Hmm. Of course, she is. The scent gives it away.”
“Lord Borris,” Hunt spoke, his voice brisk and emotionless, “Can we be certain that Amelia is up for your grand task? There’s hardly anything peculiar about her – no powers, only a simple, plain girl.”
“Amelia Hunt,” he said, “She’s the granddaughter of the great mage Aisling Gowan. Werewolf’s blood flows in her veins, though, unyielding yet still pulsating with a dark power that only needs a feeble tap.”
The ground gave away beneath Amelia’s feet. Were they talking of Grandma Gowan…wolf mage? Amelia pressed her ear, even more, deeper into the door, mind only focused on their dialogue exchange.
“So-so she is a werewolf then?” Hunt’s voice was incredulous.
“Hmm…a dormant one.”
“My Lord, I still don’t understand how it connects her to the task at hand.”
Borris let out a slow, deep sigh.
“My magic is going to achieve a new phenomenal level, Hunt. With Marco's soul mate under my power, I'll exploit Marco's most desired object. Dig out his biggest weakness of love. And thwart him for good this time."
Instinctively, Amelia’s hand clapped her mouth, as a loud yelp escaped her lips. It was preposterous. Everything that she’d heard these past few minutes was way beyond her comprehension, way beyond anything normal. Wasn’t it already horrifying that Marco was a werewolf? Now had to be one too? And Grandma Gowan, who’d seemed too scholarly and sensible, was also a Wolf Mage? Amelia couldn’t believe her ears. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she crumpled to the ground, back stuck to the wall beside the doorframe and legs drawn up to her chest.
Suddenly, a hand clutched at her braid and pulled her from behind the curtain. Amelia felt a sharp pain shoot through her head.
“I found her!” The man shouted to someone inside. “She was spying on you.”
“Bring her in,” Borris’s voice was grim and stony. A piercing fear rippled through her body, as she was dragged forward as her body flung on to the carpet.
“Well, well, Amelia,” Borris sneered, “I believe we need to have an interesting chat.”
Amelia gulped. Borris gave a sideways look at the attendants, and everyone else standing still in the magnificent chamber, and said, tone dripping with authority, “Everyone out. Now.”
Men bustled out through the doors hastily. Amelia felt Hunt brush past her, his hand momentarily pressing her hand. He knew the consequences of her act all too well. The fact that it was going to be something so horrible as to scare big, hulky Hunt made Amelia sink even deeper into the ground.
Soon, everyone had filed out of the chamber. And the space between Amelia and Borris stood still and silent. Borris surveyed her curiously, and Amelia stared into those blasphemous eyes – eyes that breathed a color precisely like Marco’s, much to her shock.
“Why do all of you have gray eyes?” She blurted out, and caught a surprising emotion flutter across Borris’s face, his lips curving into a sly smirk, “Because we’re all family, dear.”
