Cursed Lycan's Scarred Mate
Chapter 112: Tension and Suspicions

Chapter 112: Tension and Suspicions

While Orion readily wanted to expose Soran’s shady dealings around the Triune Circle the previous night, he wasn’t quite certain that the lower-ranking Wickan wouldn’t tie up all the loose ends.

The ritual chambers were monitored under the surveillance of magical jewels, which meant they could manipulate its energy to rewind whatever scenes it had captured thus far.

Did Soran not think of that possibility?

Surely, he should have considered that if he was accused, then Lady Morgana would immediately discover his actions through the surveillance jewels.

"Out with it, lad," Lord Eldric urged Orion to speak, his patience wearing thin due to his internal pain and the young coven master’s delay in information. "Who was it that did this? And why didn’t you inform us before?"

Lady Morgana agreed with Lord Eldric’s questions, nodding as she looked at Orion questioningly.

"Who was it?" She pressed, grimacing now and then whenever she felt sharp jolts of pain in her abdomen, ensuring that she didn’t make her pain known to the others. "We need to know. Even if they are just a suspect."

Orion also considered the fact that while Lady Morgana never outwardly showed her fondness for Soran, she cared for him more deeply than she cared to admit.

Behind his back, she was rather protective.

Accusing Soran would mean challenging Lady Morgana and Orion knew very well that it wouldn’t bode well for him.

His attention was drawn to Ronan and Vivian, observing pensively at how the Lycan Alpha clutched his mate’s body with fear and relief in his arms.

It was rare for a Lycan to display their emotions publicly.

Orion didn’t want Vivian to suffer anymore than she did. He might have only known her for a short period of time, but witnessing the bond blossom between Ronan and her had kindled the start of fondness for them from the young coven master.

"I suspect Soran," Orion finally confessed, inhaling a deep breath and he then watched how fast the colour changed on Lady Morgana’s face. Her magenta eyes seemed to flash with disapproval. "Within good reason," he completed, taking note of Lady Morgana clenching her fist.

Lord Eldric, still in Orion’s arms, attempted to sit upright by himself but the young coven master denied him the right to do so, insisting that he needed to relax for the moment.

"For what reasons do you suspect Soran?" Lord Eldric queried, ceasing any attempts to move his body again. Movement only brought him pain and unneeded strain.

Orion proceeded to explain the events of the previous day and the conversation that ensued between himself and Soran. He voiced his suspicions according to Soran’s shady actions, but Lady Morgana was only half-convinced of the entire affair.

"You are blaming him on the grounds that he was near the Triune Circle?" Lady Morgana’s tone was accusatory, not withholding the venom in her words. "Soran knows how meticulous and thorough I am when it involves rituals like this so it is only natural that he was tending to the formation."

She didn’t want to doubt Soran, especially considering the kind of background they both shared and came from.

And Lord Eldric, who didn’t want to be on the accusing end, couldn’t help but notice the defensiveness in Lady Morgana’s words. It was almost as if she did believe the claims but shame was too great to bear and she subconciously started making excuses for Soran.

However, she reminded herself that she couldn’t be biassed towards her own Coven members.

Even if it was Soran.

"I will ask for him to be summoned here," Lady Morgana said through gritted teeth, finally conceding and deciding to contain her anger.

She flicked out her arm, summoning the last traces of her energy to conjure a messenger crow born purely from magic, its body made up of a small mass of energy. It cawed upon its birth, talons perched on her shoulder.

"Bring Soran to me," she instructed the messenger crow and the bird flapped its wings once, taking flight to complete its task.

Orion looked at Lady Morgana apologetically and Lord Eldric outstretched his hand to touch the young coven master’s face.

"You have good reason to have made that claim, didn’t you?" The Ashenhold Coven Master asked rhetorically and Orion unexpectedly leaned into his touch.

The young coven master simply nodded.

Why was Lord Eldric being so gentle towards him?

Orion still couldn’t shake the guilt and responsibility he felt because Lord Eldric used his own body as a shield to save him.

How could he ever forgive himself for that?

Whoever sabotaged the Triune Circle, whether it was Soran or an accomplice, Orion pledged to himself that they would pay dearly.

They would pay a price in blood.

On the other hand, at the opposite end of the ritual chambers, Ronan cradled Vivian’s limp body in his arms. He wanted to storm to the three coven masters’ side and demand answers, to unleash a piece of his mind at them but Vivian was his highest priority.

He didn’t want to leave her side, nor did he want to move her body around carelessly.

She needed time to regain some strength before he could carry her to the infirmary to be treated.

"The binding failed." Vivian murmured under strain, her pretty emerald eyes losing their glow of hope. She was giving up, abandoning whatever little possibilities were left and it pained Ronan to witness it.

He couldn’t let her give up on herself.

And Lady Morgana, listening in to their conversation, felt regretful.

"It’s still there," she said, her voice low and apologetic. "The binding failed... and we couldn’t neutralise the Umbrafyre Curse."

Lady Morgana awaited any form of backlash from Ronan. She hung her head low, resigning herself to the fact that she was entirely responsible for the carelessness of the Triune Circle’s security. She remained silent; any moment now, Ronan would argue with her and hurl accusations.

She waited patiently, but his sharp remarks and accusations never came.

Ronan was more focused on his mate than anything else.

He held Vivian closer, although his chest tightened with anger and the same feeling of lost hope as Vivian, but he didn’t want her to be so weak-willed when it came to herself.

"Then we will find another way," Ronan said fiercely, his eyes holding a strong promise that told Vivian he would never break it. "I will not let this curse consume you, Vivi."

Vivian looked deeply into his piercing amber eyes and saw that their was no lie.

She trusted him, just as she had trusted him thus far to take care of her.

He was her Alpha.

He would always take care of her.

It wasn’t long before Soran arrived, immediately bringing himself into character so that he reacted in the way the scene required him to.

He rushed to Lady Morgana’s side, his face running pale with worry as he dropped down to his knees beside her.

"My lady!" Soran exclaimed, his hand gently landing on her shoulder. "Are you hurt? What happened here? Did the ritual succeed?" He glanced around the chambers, hopefully, but his eyes softened when they landed on Lord Eldric and Vivian.

Lady Morgana shook her head, briefly explaining to him the outcome of the ritual, which didn’t end in their favour.

Soran’s eyes widened in surprise, refusing to believe that the three strongest coven masters within the current Era had failed to perform the binding.

"The Triune Circle was sabotaged by someone," Orion remarked bluntly, unafraid to show his suspicions openly.

Soran resisted glaring at him, knowing very well that the young coven master would undoubtedly accuse him of sabotaging the ritual.

Thus, he had prepared a plan in advance.

"Orion has reason to believe that you might have been involved in the sabotage of this ritual," Lady Morgana declared, choosing her words lightly rather than directly accusing Soran. "While we do not doubt your intentions, we need to have a look through the surveillance jewels."

"Correction, you don’t doubt his intentions," Orion interrupted with a sharp tone, which was unusual compared to his light-hearted attitude.

That was a sign of just how much anger was brewing within him.

Lady Morgana silenced him with a warning glare, not approving of his tone and approach.

"I have nothing to hide, your Graces," Soran said respectfully as he bowed his head and placed a hand over the region of his heart. "However, you must know that I was not the last one to step foot into these chambers yesterday."