Chapter 131

Hannah

Henry left so suddenly, but it didn’t matter. I still couldn’t wrap my head around what I had just watched. I saw the madness taking over Sebastian completely and he plunged the dagger into Liam’s chest. I knew Sebastian; he wouldn’t have done that without at least speaking to me about it first. But maybe he’s been trying to mindlink me and he hasn’t been able to get a hold of me.

I know I haven’t been able to get a hold of him.

I knew what I saw though; my brother was definitely dead. I felt sick; like I might throw up. I curled up on the couch, pressing my knees to my chest, and buried my face into my lap as more tears escaped my eyes.

“There has to be an explanation,” Nora breathed. “He wouldn’t have just done that. Not like that.”

She was right and I knew she was right, but the imagery was too much for me to bare. I should have never left Sebastian alone. Wrenley began fussing beside me. I scooped her into my arms and cradled her. I knew she was probably getting hungry; she hasn’t eaten in hours. As I began breastfeeding her, Lila came back into the room with a sad smile.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” she said, sitting down beside me.

“How did you know that happened?” I asked; I kept my eyes on Wrenley as I spoke.

“I’ve been watching him for some time,” she told me. “He’s the key to opening the portal and I’ve been wanting to meet with him for a long time. I’ve been wanting to meet with both of you. When you showed up on my doorstep, I was more than happy to help you because I too have been wanting to open it.”

“You wanted the portal open?” I asked, raising my brows. “Why?”

“The vampire king has something of mine that I would like to get back,” she explained. “I won’t get into too many details, but just know that I want the portal open just as badly as you do. Stabbing the wolf king with the scepter is the only way to open the gates so we can enter.”

“And they won’t be able to escape?”

“There are two sides to the portal, their side and then our side. If our side is open, we can enter without them being able to escape. If their side is open, only those who haven’t been banished can escape. However, if both sides are open…”

“Those banished can escape,” I finished her sentence for her, and she nodded with a grave look in her eyes.

“I know stabbing him in the heart with the scepter by his true love will open the portal on our side. I have no idea what opens both sides though. That information has been closed by the moon goddess.”

“That makes no sense though,” I said, meeting her eyes. “The moon goddess would never make it so brutal like that. She’s supposed to represent love and life; this is too dark. There must be another way that doesn’t include stabbing my husband.”

She sighed and stood; she went over to a drawer across the room and rummaged through it for a moment. Soon, she uncovered a green crescent moon emblem. She brought it to me, and I held it in the palm of my hand, staring at it with dismay.

“That’s part of the key,” she told me. “It needs to be attached to the scepter before you stab him. Once it’s attached, you’ll be able to hold the scepter and…”

“I’m sorry but no,” I said, handing her back the emblem. “I’m not stabbing him.”

“There isn’t any other way,” Lila said, shoving the emblem back at me. “He won’t die. It’ll hurt at first, but his wolf will heal him quickly. The portal will open, and we will all be able to get what we want. He’ll be able to get his entire wolf back and be stronger than ever, not to mention cure his madness. And you’ll be able to get your bother back…”

“My brother is dead,” I said harshly; the words left a bitter taste on my tongue. “You showed me that yourself.”

“His body is dead, but he’s still trapped in the underworld.”

My heart plummeted to the ground at her words; that wasn’t how that was supposed to happen. He was supposed to be released from the underworld if he was stabbed with that dagger. That was the plan; that was the only reason why Sebastian did that.

“But Gemma said…”

“Gemma lied to you,” Lila said, grabbing onto my arm for comfort. “She isn’t a good person; she is working with the vampire king. She always has been since we were trapped in the underworld together. I don’t know what she’s after, but whatever it is, it isn’t in your favor. She lied to get what she wants…”

“No…” I breathed; my breathing grew harsh. Sebastian trusted her; he wouldn’t have made the mistake of trusting her if he didn’t genuinely know her. “I don’t understand…”

“Something happened to her in the underworld that made her turn on everyone she knew and loved. They tried to break me too, but they couldn’t. I was too strong-minded for them, but Gemma was weak. She gave in and she turned on everyone including me. She left me trapped there even after she was long gone. I suffered even longer because of her…”

“My brother is still being tortured? Even after we saw the darkness leaving his body. Even when he woke up once the dagger was plunged into his heart?”

“You saw the effects of the dagger at work, it was locking him into the underworld permanently. The darkness went right back into him and consumed the rest of him. He’s in the underworld as we speak being tormented all because of Gemma’s manipulation. The only way to get him back is to go into the underworld and retrieve him. And the only way to do that is to…”

“Stab Sebastian,” I said her words before she could.

She fell silent and nodded her head. I held Wren close to my chest. She had finished feeding and I tucked my breast back into my shirt. I felt my entire body trembling as I thought more about what Lila was saying.

Could Gemma really be betraying us? She seemed so nice, and Sebastian trusted her so deeply. I trusted Sebastian. I hardly even knew Lila and certainly didn’t trust Henry. Where was Henry anyway? He hasn’t returned yet.

Wren started to fall asleep in my arms; she needed her father around. I needed him around. I didn’t want to do anything without speaking to him.

“Do you have a phone?” I asked, looking over at Lila.

She frowned and shook her head.

“No, I prefer to be off the radar,” she said.

That was odd. She didn’t have a phone at all? Something in this house was blocking my mindlink from Sebastian. I was getting the feeling that she didn’t want me to speak with my husband or with anyone on the outside.

I stood up with Wren still cradled.

“Do you mind if I put her down in one of your bedrooms?” I asked. “She sleeps better in a bed.”

Lila nodded and brought me to one of the back rooms where the guest bedroom was located. I placed Wren on the bed and tucked some pillows on both sides of her in case she rolled over. I kissed her small head, feeling a fresh wave of warm tears wash over my features. The thought of anything happening to her was too painful to bare. I didn’t want anything to happen to her father either. The look on my brother’s face was also something that brought me a world of pain.

Lila was standing at the door, watching me curiously. I felt a sudden rage and my jaw tightened.

“Is there a reason you are keeping me from speaking to my husband?”