Ivan's POV
"Yes, here," Yula said, pointing at the tiny letters of the book. We read in unison, "Reincarnation of the slain beast in human form." We paused, our eyes locked on each other. Then Yula went on.
"He will return and live in the body of the chosen. He will bear the mark of the reincarnated (the giant beast). But he must bond and connect with the beast, unless he is consumed!"
My heart stopped for a second and resumed in a louder beat. Round sweat formed on my pores, and my body shivered under the coziness of the room. My face turned pale. "Am I in some sort of trouble?" My trembling lips parted slightly as the words jumped out of my mouth. Yula didn't respond immediately. She was trying to process what she had just read in her head. "L…like, am I the chosen? Who's the reincarnated?"
"You are the chosen of the reincarnated beast that once lived among us in human form but was slain and has returned through you." She spoke like Yelena.
Confusion spread across my face. My expression tightened. "What do we do about this, Yula?"
She flipped the pages again and stopped somewhere. She read, "Find your missing rib before the seventh 22nd-century full moon."
"I don't get it, Yula. What's the book saying? I am sure your grandfather must have taught you a lot about the book before he passed away, so don't feel reluctant to tell me. Remember, we are in this together," I said in a hoarse voice.
She drew a map out of the corner of the shelf, beside the heap of books, running her fingers across the map. "The seventh 22nd-century full moon is the coming full moon. The one Yelena spoke about."
My brows furrowed. "Valeria?"
"Yes!" Yula snapped, hitting her palm on the table in front of us. "We have to get her out of Varkos' territory. Remember Yelena said Varkos plans to kill her in the next full moon for more powers, just so no one rises to his level. That he remains the most powerful on earth. But he must be a joker!"
I grabbed my shirt that I had taken off in my nervous state and put it back on as we dashed out with our already planned operation for tonight.
I lay flat on a far rooftop, watching the space where wolves sat together near a fire and fed on a roasted animal that they had killed in the nearby forest. It seemed like they were having a small party or something that looked like one. Yula was disguised, dressed like one of Nara's slaves. She was in the building. We communicated through the mind link.
"I have just sighted her. She's doing a pedicure on Nara's toenails."
Nara is Varkos' dearest daughter. The only heir to his throne. Like Yula said, he'd always brag about her everywhere he went.
"Keep an eye on her and watch her every move closely," I said, and there was a sudden disconnection. That was odd.
Yula's POV
"What are you standing there staring at?" Nara asked. I didn't respond, I only bowed and attempted to leave, but she called me back. "I'm not done, you slave! Come here now." I walked closer like the slave I was, my face to the ground, both palms clinging to each other, resting on my lap. I bowed again. She sniffed around me. Then she noticed I was different. She gently stood up. Valeria moved away. Other maids stood beside her; two among them were fanning her with a large, thick leaf. She was now standing in front of me. "Where did you get that pendant from?" I looked at the pendant on my neck. It was the pendant my grandfather had given me when he was saying his last goodbye to this world. Did it look familiar to her? Why was she interested in my pendant? If I replied now, I would stammer. But I wasn't a stammerer. I opened my mouth. Nothing came out—no words, just the escape of some bad breath.
"Urrgghhh," she made that sound like my breath was poisonous, spitting on my foot. "Filthy rag!" she snapped as she returned to continue her pedicure. I shamefully joined the other maids who stood by her side like bodyguards.
"You! Come here," she said, pointing at me again. "Set the table for our guest." I bowed my head as I walked gently past her.
"What's going on there, Yula?" Ivan mind-linked.
"My goodness! She almost caught me," I said, letting out a huge sigh.
"What! How?"
"Not now, Ivan. Valeria is taking care of her toenails. I think they are having a guest tonight," I said as I arranged glass cups on the table and empty plates beside them. "But I will get Valeria out of here in no time." I wasn't done talking when a small group of men passed. The one leading them made my breath catch. Something about him—it was too familiar. My eyes narrowed, locking onto his face as I stared harder, a ripple of recognition creeping through me but I wasn't quite sure.
His eyes locked onto mine, and he froze. The others also stopped behind him.
"Who is she?" he asked. Varkos' guards who escorted them behind replied,
"Our Lady's maid. One of them," he replied sharply, bowing his head to show respect.
"Your name?" the familiar man asked, and my heart raced.
"Cora," I replied, my voice hushed.
"Cora?" one of the men behind said. "Wasn't she among the maids who were asked to escort the condemned slaves to their death zone?" The two guards behind them looked at each other as if just realizing that it was true.
"Call Lyna. She has to confirm this," their leader ordered with a grim expression. My mind blanked! I was about to be caught. My pulse pounded; I tried to mind-link Ivan, but it wasn't working, perhaps because I was too afraid and tense. I watched one of the guards hurry off to call Lyna, Nara's personal maid and head of the other maids. My feet started shaking when I saw her approach us.