Chapter 18

Zezi didn't need to pull any stunts to have George and Mira over. They were always brought to her twice in a week, like a drug prescription. It didn't take Zezi long to figure out that this must have been due to a mental health, something that the Doctor had prescribed and started how mandatory it was.

During their visits, George would spend time with her, then leave her and Mira to disappear into Moon Goddess knows where.

She knew he was trying to find a way for them to escape and many times she had been scared that he would get hurt, but the Moon Goddess must really be on their side, because he always returned safely to her.

She hadn't seen the King after that day though. It was like as if he was deliberately avoiding her. Zezi had no problem with that anyway. After that forced closeness they had shared in a room, she was determined to stay far away from him.

Not now when things were starting to look up for her. Not after she now had hope of finally leaving this dreaded place.

Doctor Bruce had firmly warned her to stay away from strenuous activities while he took care of her, so she wouldn't crash once again. This meant no training for her. So left with no other choice, she decided to explore the library.

The library was a huge one with good lighting and nice ventilation. It had long rows of high shelves and although they weren't colourful, they weren't dusty either. This meant that they took good care of their books.

She passed by an empty seat on her way in, a seat she persumed the Liberian should be seated in.

Zezi strolled into the Book Alley, her fingers brushing lightly against hardcover after hardcover. Picking some and flipping through, then putting them back on the shelves in their right placea, but not before taking in a sniff.

They smelt like old books that survived the test of time.

Wonderful.

Zezi was no writer but she loved to read, something that she had stopped doing for a long time now because being a War General was highly time consuming. Not to talk of being one of the Capital of all Packs.

She continued her search for a book that could steal away her attention, and finally she found one.

Her eyes roamed the library, checking for a good window seat to aid her imagination.

"Time of Darkness, excellent choice."

She had a calm voice say from behind her and she almost jumped in her skin. She should have been used to this by now. They moved really quickly and their steps were usually silent.

The intruder was right in front of her in an instant.

Delice.

Something twinkled in her eyes as her they roamed the book cover.

"They were dark times indeed."

Zezi looked at the cover, it was just a black hardcover with 'Time of Darkness' written in a large zig-zag red font.

"What is the book about?"

"History." Delice shrugged while she picked a book off the shelves, putting another in its place.

Wasn't that like, going to mess up the order of the books?

She had bigger things to worry about right now though.

"How long ago? A hundred years? Two years? A thousand?"

"10 years ago was the end of the datk times. It lasted more than that though."

With a book in her hand, she started swaying to an empty seat by the window side.

Filled with curiousity, Zezi followed.

"What had happened?" She asked, pulling back a chair to sit on, while Delice gracefully settled into the seat opposite her, a small table in-between them.

"We once had a King before His present Majesty. It was his Father and he ruled," her eyes stared on blankly like as if she was remembering something unpleasant. Her book was tight in her grip, her features was overshadowed by something that seemed like fear.

It was too faint though, Zezi couldn't really tell.

Delice remained calm though, her voice even.

"With power. Dark power. He would attack different beings. Ones from the Underworld, ones that roamed the Earth, ones that flew above. Anything to have acquire more power, anything to control."

Then her voice became more quiet.

"He wanted so much power for himself, that he was willing to sacrifice his own."

Zezi leaned further towards the table and she asked quietly, "kill his kind? The vampires?"

Delice titled her head from one side to another.

"Yes but I meant his very own."

Zezi's eyes grew wide in realization and she leaned back into her seat.

His son.

Reading the mood, Delice went on.

"During his time, there was so much chaos. Your kind must have suffered too. His last attack on your kind was on a large Pack in the North." Delice placed her book gently on the table, then she looked up at her once again, her lifeless and sympathetic eyes holding Zezi's gaze. "Ganov, was it?"

Zezi's head rang bells.

That was her home, somewhere far away from Teeland or here and that was ten years ago.

"After that attack, His Majesty faced his own father and killed him. It was a blessing upon us, a freedom."

A light smile of relief crossed Delice's face at that.

As for Zezi, too many thoughts were running in the head.

"So you mean the King is... good?"

Delice frowned lightly, looking ahead yet not looking at her.

"Not good." She shook her head slightly, then smiled faintly.

"To kill the kind of Monster that his father was, on one could be good."

Then she leaned over the table, towards Zezi slowly, like she didn't want to scare her.

"Gwen told me about what you saw."

Zezi's heart raced.

This must be about the hallway, about the King.

"For your sake and hers," cold hands curled around Zezi's that was on the table, flinching her away from her thoughts. "please do not wander so far again."

Zezi frowned, standing her ground.

"I have questions."

"You don't want their answers."