The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 178: He Wants It To Be ()

"Zariah... please. I know all of this must be hard for you to accept, it is just as hard for me to."

"To stand against My King is an act of disloyalty, one I would never consider in any other situation. Do you not think I deserve a chance to be heard too?" Caedmon reasoned in a pained tone.

Zariah was at a loss on if to laugh out loud or hit Caedmon across the face so he knew well enough that she was not buying into his theatrics.

Looking at Caedmon now, the helpless look in his eyes and that broken tone, Zariah realized in this moment just how good of a performer Caedmon was.

He could play any part so well that one would find a hard time telling what was the truth and were the lies on every statement.

But this time, Zariah could see right through him. She could pick up the slightest signs, that ever so slight twitch of his lips that was surely an indication of amusement.

All the little signs everyone else could tell but her back then, Zariah could see it now, she could see how silly she had been to have fallen for his lying tongue and deceitful words.

Everything about Caedmon was completely fake, a picture painted to suit Zariah’s tastes and perhaps then, he might have been perfect enough to have achieved his goal, but this time was much different. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Caedmon...you dropped literally out of the sky, you do not expect me to understand it or drop everything and run into your arms like I have no life of my own." Zariah stated.

Zariah was not even sure why she was saying these words, indulging Caedmon even for a moment but if there was one thing Zariah knew she could not do, it was letting on that she already knew Caedmon’s bond was false.

Caedmon had come well prepared, just like he had before and Zariah was still in the dark on who the mastermind was or what exactly was the ultimate goal.

The only trump card she had was the fact that Caedmon and whoever else was behind him could still believe they would be able to deceive her.

Her knowledge of the future was the only advantage Zariah had at this time and she had to hold unto it, at any cost.

"Like you have said, it is hard on everyone at this time and so I believe it best to keep our distance." Zariah replied as she turned to take her leave.

"I will not give up on you Zariah! I will not give up on us!" Caedmon called after Zariah.

’Us?’ Zariah thought in disdain, she did not stop for even a moment or turn back till she was certain she had left Caedmon far behind.

_______________

Zariah sat at the table in the inn, quietly flipping through a book she had found somewhere on the bookshelf in the receiving room.

Zariah had realized Nile and Darren had booked the entire inn and so they were the only occupants of the large business, save for the workers and innkeeper.

Zariah was grateful they had done so, she was one who valued her privacy and peace and she did not think she could share a space with so many unfamiliar people.

When Zariah did need the company which had only happened once, she would take a walk out through the human settlement and there she would get her fill on the sounds and sights before returning to the peace and quiet of the inn.

The book Zariah had found was an old folklore that dated back to at least half a century, Zariah could tell from the manner of writing and even the age of the book itself that it had seen much better decades.

The words were also faded and if Zariah’s sight was not so advanced, she would not have been able to read it.

Zariah was not certain why she was even reading through a human folklore, she just found it quite entertaining and had been at it for over an hour already.

In truth, it was just because Zariah needed a distraction. After she returned from her walk, she had gone right back to bed but could not find a moment of sleep.

Her heart was ridden with anxiety and Zariah knew it would remain this way till she figured out what exactly she would do about Caedmon.

All Zariah knew was that she needed to get rid of him, what Zariah was yet to figure out was how exactly she would achieve that.

Zariah was still focused on her book when the doors to the inn came open and Nile walked in, accompanied by Darren and Kristen.

"Zari." Nile said, walking over to Zariah.

The three took a seat at the table Zariah sat and Zariah placed her book aside.

"How is it?" Zariah asked with a raised brow.

"There is still no word about King Askel." Darren revealed in a grim tone.

Zariah frowned slightly, she would have expected Askel would already have broken into the inn by now but he seemed to have chosen exactly this period to disappear.

It left Zariah feeling even more complicated about where exactly Askel stood and just what was going through his mind.

Had he disappeared because he was in on Caedmon’s plot? Or had something else gone wrong that Zariah was not aware of?

"And Lucas?" Zariah asked.

"So far, he has been in charge of all affairs of the Palace. He also expressed his understanding on your decision to stay away which is the best choice for the time being."

"However, when the topic of Askel is mentioned, it seems Lucas is keeping something from us." Nile reported.

Zariah brows furrowed slightly but she slowly nodded.

"Lucas is absolutely loyal to Askel, I can vouch for this myself. If Lucas is keeping Askel’s whereabouts concealed, it could only be because Askel himself wants it to be so." Zariah guessed.