Cora was overwhelmed with emotion. She wished her grandmother was still here she had so many questions that needed answers. Had she known the Blood King was in her study the whole time? Did her parents know? What was she saying about Thessionia being overrun by darkness? Why did the King of Shadows want revenge on the Blood King? Did they know each other personally? Shouldn't everyone that knew him be dead by now?
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She sat in the nearest chair.
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Prince Lyon placed a hand on her shoulder. "You seem preoccupied. Should we talk another time."
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Cora shut the book. "No, I just got distracted for a moment."
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"Unfortunately I'm all out of tea."
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Cora felt a small twinge of disappointment but she understood. "Don't worry about it, you've had a rough couple of days."
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"Maybe this will make up for it," he placed a small opened box in front of her. Inside was a silver bracelet covered in diamonds in the center there was flower that appeared to be made completely out of sapphires.
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"It's beautiful! I can't accept this. I mean you're the prince. I shouldn't even be allowed to talk to someone like you." She was rambling again.
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"I am no more important than anyone else especially you."
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Technically that was false but, Cora understood what he was trying to say. She slipped it on. "Thank you."
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You're most welcome."
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Cora gazed into his eyes expecting to feel bubbly inside like she always did around him. Nothing. She felt nothing. She used to dream about falling in love with a handsome prince and here she was and she felt nothing.
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She glanced at the clock on the back wall. She had to leave soon. "I need to go," she whispered refusing to meetups gaze.
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"Go ahead then."
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She checked out the book then left for the den. She and her friends were going to stop the Tibicenas once and for all.
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She trudged through knee deep snow until she was deep into the woods. She had no clue how people could live in this climate.
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The den was a huge cave made entirely out of ice. It was so dark Cora couldn't tell exactly how large it was. The longest icicles she had ever seen clung to the ceiling. They were sharp enough to impale someone upon contact. She heard the faint sound of howling. She was unsure if it was the wind or something else. Val, Scarlet and Ray were standing outside of the mouth of the cave. Zyler seemed to be captivated by something in the distance.
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Ray ran up to her the moment he saw her. All Cora wanted to do was jump into his arms and she didn't care who was watching. After her last encounter with Prince Lyon she knew for certain she had feelings for Ray.
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Once he was only a few steps away she tackled him to the ground. They both landed in a pile of fresh snow. Cora had landed on top of him their lips were only a few centimeters apart. She felt his warm breath on her face.
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"My apologies," he tucked a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear. "Lily never did anything like this and I'm not sure how to react."
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"Just be yourself,"
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Their fingers tightly intertwined.
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Val loudly cleared her throat. Her cheeks blushed slightly pink. She was clearly uncomfortable.
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Scarlet on the other hand seemed to be enjoying the spectacle.
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The pair quickly got up and shook the snow off their clothes.
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Val opened her notebook and began skimming the pages. "I put together a strategy to help us inject all of the Tibicenas with the antidote. Can someone go get Zyler so I can explain the plan to everyone?"
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Cora regained her composure. "I'll go get him."
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Zyler sat on a rocky ledge on the side of the mountain watching the sun rise.
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Cora sat beside him but he refused to look away.
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The view was truly breathtaking. The entire sky was painted painted vibrant shades of pink and orange. There were stretches of snow covered trees for as far as the eye could see.
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Zyler was the first to break the silence. "You know they say that the sunrises on Mt. Nevado are some of the most beautiful in the world? I never thought I'd see one with my own eyes though."
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Cora wasn't used to Zyler being so serious. "Why not?"
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"I grew up in a crowded orphanage in western Thessionia. I had nothing not even a name. There wasn't enough food to go around. I was sure I was going to die there. One day a family decided to adopt me. Neither of them made it into the Prestige Program so they didn't have much money, but it was riches compared to what I was used to. They treated me like I was their own son. I made I promise that I would help them out in anyway I can. I worked days and nights in a factory so we could keep our home. My mom has always wanted to watch the sunrise on Mt. Nevado to see if it was really as beautiful as people say it is. I want to remember everything about this sunrise so I can tell her all about it."
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"It's breathtaking." Cora replied.
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Zyler nodded. "Maybe, if the mission goes according to plan I'll be able to take her myself with the reward money."
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She had almost forgotten about the mission. "Val wants explain the plan to us."
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The duo returned to the rest of the group where Scarlet was grilling Ray with questions.
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"How long have you and Cora been together?"
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"We met about a week ago and we've hardly been apart since then."
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"I can't believe Cora has a boyfriend and a cute one too!"
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"It's not that surprising." Cora grumbled. She had gone on a few dates in high school but never a serious relationship. Warrior training always came first. Ray wasn't even technically her boyfriend.
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"You shouldn't be surprised. Coraline is a lovely lady. Anyone would be lucky to have someone like her." Ray said.
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Cora's heart fluttered upon hearing his complement.
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"Now that everyone is here I'll explain our plan. Zyler made us flashlights so we'll be able to see inside the cave. Scarlet has created an antidote.They won't hurt her, it's our job to hold them off long enough for her to inject them. Zyler and I created these stub collars they will immobilize the Tibicenas without harming them. We have no idea what's waiting for us inside so it's important to proceed with extreme caution," Val said.
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Zyler handed out the flashlights and collars.
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The group stared into the darkness. Each person to afraid to take the first step.
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Scarlet ended up being the first one to enter the cave. She motioned for the rest of the group to follow her.
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They walked through the icy caverns. It was dead silent.
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Ray tightly squeezed Cora's hand.
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A several pairs of eyes gazed at them trough the blackness.
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They let out a loud growl which made Cora's heart nearly burst with fear. She didn't hesitate to jump in front of her friends ready to defend them.
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There in front of her stood the most frightening creature she'd ever seen. It towered over her. It had black fur that blended into the darkness and two eyes the color of fresh blood. It's fangs were sharper than her sword. This was the Alpha.
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It mauled at her chest but she sliced open
it's neck with her sword.
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The Alpha grabbed her by her injured shoulder with its teeth. She tried to fight back. It threw her head first into the ice wall.
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Her mouth filled up with blood and she could feel her consciousness fading away.
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