Chapter 126 Make It Yours
Chapter 126 Make It Yours
ARDEN
Everything was soft and heavy at the same time. My chest didn’t burn anymore. My throat didn’t ache. There was no pressure on my lungs.
Was this it? Was this what it felt like to die?
Somewhere, distantly, the world still spun on. I heard the war–the clash of metal, the shouts, the snarls the sounds of chaos. But it was all so far away, like I was drifting at the bottom of a lake while the world raged on above me.
Then, a voice pierced through.
“No, please let me go! I have the antidote!”
It echoed in my head, bouncing against the stillness.
“Let her go,” Cade said, sounding desperate.
I wanted to reach out to him and tell him I was still here, but I couldn’t lift a finger. I was sinking again. back into the velvet dark.
But then something else tugged me back.
“This is the antidote, Alpha,” a soft voice said, shaking and breathless, “I… I cannot do it I cannot hide this anymore.
I saw her through the haze.
Cecily stood above us.
“Why should I trust you?” Cade asked.
“Because…” Her voice wavered. “Because I was the one who curated the poison.”
Even in my dazed state, I felt the shock through the air.
She had always been smart, and she was one of the top students in terms of academics, which was why she was in the Silver Quill
But the point system must have twisted everything. I didn’t blame her. This place turned all of us into people we didn’t recognize.
“Give it to her,” Bethany begged. “This might be our last chance.”
I tried to open my mouth because even though I had accepted this all, I still wanted to live.
I want to live.
There was still a lot I wanted to do.
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Chapter 126 Make It Yours
I felt the tip of the bottle on my lips, but again, I couldn’t move them.
Just then, I felt Cade’s lips press against mine, trembling and urgent. Then, cool liquid flowed past them down my throat.
I coughed weakly. The pain roared back for one terrifying second, like my body was waking up all at once. Then real, sweet air filled my lungs
I sucked in another breath, and another, the tightness easing by the second. The weight on my chest lifted My heart thudded wildly like it was making up for lost time.
It worked.
The antidote worked
My eyes fluttered open, and color returned to the world. The sky. The smoke. The red–soaked earth. Bethany was crying beside me, crumpled on the ground, shoulders shaking as she sobbed into her palms. Cecily was already walking toward the Eastern guards with her head bowed, surrendering.
She didn’t even look back.
I would never understand her completely. But right now, all I knew was that I was alive.
And I was in Cade’s arms.
He held me with everything he had, burying his face into my shoulder like he couldn’t believe I was real. I raised my hand slowly and curled it into the front of his shirt.
His chest heaved. His tears soaked my skin.
“You’re okay,” he choked out. “You’re okay. You’re breathing.”
I gave a soft nod. “Breathing.” I whispered.
He pulled back, just enough to see my face. His lips quivered, and I’d never seen his eyes so red.
I looked around, heart stuttering again. “Tessa–where’s Tessa?”
Cade cupped my face, gently. “She’s being given the antidote by Rowan. Don’t worry. She’s safe.”
I closed my eyes, and relief bloomed in my chest.
“Thank goodness,” I breathed.
Was it really over?
“I thought I lost you,” Cade said, his voice breaking all over again. “I thought–Arden, I thought I was going to lose you forever.”
I reached up, brushing away one of the tears trailing down his face. “I’m right here.”
He kissed my palm.
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Chapter 126 Make It Yours
“Don’t ever do that again,” he said, a broken laugh escaping through the sob in his throat. “Don’t ever try to be the hero alone. Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever say goodbye again. I can’t-
His voice cracked,
“I can’t live in a world without you in it.”
I smiled, tired but safe in his arms.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I whispered.
“I’m here,” I whispered.
Cade’s arms tightened around me, his entire body trembling as he held me.
My head tilted slightly, my eyes scanning through the fading battlefield until my eyes landed on my mother.
Her hands were clasped over her chest, her mouth quivering with a smile that reached her eyes. She looked lighter, and younger somehow, as though the burden she’d been carrying for so long had finally fallen off her shoulders.
I’d never seen her look like that before.
And in that moment, I realized-
She was happy.
So was L
The thought of her illness tugged at my chest, whispering that none of this would last. That time was borrowed. That every second I spent with her could be the last.
But I shook it off.
Because for once, we had time.
Just then, a shout shattered the peace.
“Winters has escaped!” someone cried.
“What?” Elias‘ voice
ne out from somewhere behind me.
Chaos flickered to life again.
But none of it registered.
I only saw a shadow moving fast right behind Cade.
The light of the sunrise caught the blade in his hand–along silver knife.
Time stopped.
My heartbeat clutched in my throat.
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“Cade,” I whispered, eyes wide..
I couldn’t move fast enough or scream loud enough, I couldn’t move him in time.
But someone did.
Bethany.
She moved before any of us could blink.
She pushed Cade aside with all her strength–and the knife found her instead.
I heard the sickening sound of metal tearing flesh.
Bethany’s body arched, then collapsed to her knees. The knife jutted from her side, coated in red, her hands fluttering weakly around it.
“No!”
I screamed, everything inside me collapsing at once.
Cade caught her before she hit the ground, eyes wild with disbelief.
Guards seized Winters within seconds, slamming him face–first into the dirt, bloodied and snarling–but I didn’t care.
I didn’t even look.
All I could see was her.
Bethany
My mother.
“My sweet girl, she murmured, barely able to lift her hand to brush my cheek. “Don’t cry.” “No–no, no, no, no,” I sobbed, dropping beside her, grasping her cold fingers between mine. “Mom, please. You can’t. Not now. You can’t-”
This is how it should be,” she whispered, eyes fluttering. “It should’ve been me, not you.”
Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head. “No… no, we had time. You said we had time.”
“My time on this land.” She took a shallow breath. “It’s not as long as yours. Make it yours, Arden. Make it… yours.”
“You still have time, I begged, my voice cracking. “Just when I found you, please, please, not like this..
She gave me a final, soft smile. The kind I always wanted from a mother. The kind I’d waited my whole life
for.
And then, her body went limp.
Chapter 126 Make It Yours
Gade.” I whispered, eyes wide.
I couldn’t move fast enough or scream loud enough. I couldn’t move him in time.
But someone did.
Bethany.
She moved before any of us could blink.
She pushed Cade aside with all her strength–and the knife found her instead..
I heard the sickening sound of metal tearing llesli.
Bethany’s body arched, then collapsed to her knees. The knife jutted from her side, coated in red, her hands fluttering weakly around it.
“No!”
I screamed, everything inside me collapsing at once.
Cade caught her before she hit the ground, eyes wild with disbelief.
Guards seized Winters within seconds, slamming him face–first into the dirt, bloodied and snarling–but I didn’t care.
I didn’t even look.
All I could see was her.
Bethany.
My mother.
“My sweet girl,” she murmured, barely able to lift her hand to brush my cheek. “Don’t cry.”
“No–no, no, no, no, I sobbed, dropping beside her, grasping her cold fingers between mine. “Mom, please. You can’t. Not now. You can’t-
“This is how it should be,” she whispered, eyes fluttering. “It should’ve been me, not you.”
Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head. “No, no, we had time. You said we had time.”
“My time on this land…” She took a shallow breath. “It’s not as long as yours. Make it yours, Arden. Make it yours
“You still have time.” I begged, my voice cracking. “Just when I found you, please, please, not like this…”
She gave me
for.
a final, soft smile. The kind I always wanted from a mother. The kind I’d waited my whole life
And then, her body went limp.
