Cursed Lycan's Scarred Mate
Chapter 114: An undeserved fate

Chapter 114: An undeserved fate

Recommended Listening: [Let me down slowly-Alec Benjamin]

Rowan was innocently tending to the singed flowerbeds in the garden, crouched beside them as he conjured blue threads of magical energy, which he used to nurture the flowers back to life.

"I wonder who always burns these flowers." Rowan muttered with a sorrowful expression on his face, his gentle finger gliding over a petal. "These flowers have done nothing wrong. Why must they be punished?"

He tended to each petal delicately, rewinding the time surrounding the flowerbeds and restoring the flowers to their former state.

The ability to manipulate time specifically around an object or being was thought to be a rare and dangerous talent; thus, Rowan was for the most part closely monitored by his fellow Wickans.

Now and then they would leave him to his own devices, trusting in his discretion to use his abilities for good.

And having finished his treatment of the flowerbeds, Rowan stood up and turned around. He nearly stumbled back, surprised by Soran’s sudden appearance.

The senior Wickan reached out and grabbed Rowan’s arm to steady him, pulling him forward before he fell into the flowerbeds.

"Master Soran!" Rowan exclaimed with relief, bringing a hand to his chest. "I did not even notice you were there. When did you arrive?" He flashed a heartwarming smile.

A smile that was warm enough to bring a flicker of guilt to Soran’s eyes before he quickly masked it again.

The senior Wickan clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

Rowan truly was far too naive and easily manipulatable.

Soran almost pitied him, but he reminded himself of Alaric’s grave threat.

If he was ever to accomplish his goals, then bonds and friendships would have to be sacrificed for a greater cause.

Soran stared intensely for a long period of time into Rowan’s soft, innocent ash mauve eyes. It was a rather rare and unusual colour, but being unique to Rowan, it was something that reflected his thoughts clearly.

Rowan was an open book.

One with no ill intentions.

Fondly, Soran reached out to tuck the golden brown strands of Rowan’s hair behind his ears and the younger Wickan smiled again.

"Is there something you needed, Master Soran? You are awfully quiet." Rowan tilted his head to the side, wondering at his master’s silence.

It was difficult for Soran to speak.

His hand dropped back down to his side, where he clenched it into a fist, cursing the choices he had to make.

Did Rowan truly deserve this?

Knowing Lady Morgana and how extreme she could be in the field of punishments, execution was certain, if not the decision of stripping Rowan of all his energy and sealing his magical reserves.

Was Rowan’s death truly worth it for his goals?

The lad had a bright future head.

There was still so much more to live for.

Soran closed his eyes that were full of pain beneath the deceit, taking a few minutes to reflect and find the courage to follow through with the cruel incrimination that was already in motion.

When he closed his eyes, he found Liliana’s image in his memories. Like the previous night, the illusion of her dead state was reflected in his mind.

The most treasured person in his life was already dead.

There was nothing more to lose.

"Lady Morgana wishes to see you immediately, Rowan," Soran finally spoke, forcefully abandoning any sense of sympathy he might have had for Rowan.

One always had to make sacrifices for the things they wanted.

Rowan would simply be used as a pawn to tie up a loose end.

"Milady herself? Then, of course, I must go right away," Rowan said, acknowledging the summons.

Once again, Rowan didn’t even question the nature of his summons.

He simply obeyed.

Soran glanced at the flowerbeds that he’d been burning the previous night. Judging by its fresh and pristine condition, it was undoubtedly the handiwork of Rowan.

He and the younger Wickan were polar opposites.

Where one sought the darkness and spread it to other living things, the other followed the light and healed those very things.

’May Morgana be merciful to you,’ Soran prayed for Rowan in his mind, hoping that Lady Morgana would not consider execution.

"Where do I need to go, Master Soran?" Rowan questioned, dusting off the dirt from his coat.

"Follow me," Soran said coldly, turning sharply on his heels and gesturing for Rowan to follow him.

It wasn’t long before they’d returned to the ritual chambers and Rowan gasped aloud upon the chaotic site. His first thought was to rush to Lady Morgana’s side, having seen her in a detrimental state.

"My Lady, what happened here?" Rowan enquired out of concern, dropping to his knees beside her. "Please, let me carry you to the infirmary."

Lady Morgana’s magenta eyes, which were known for their soft nature whenever it involved Rowan, turned cold and sharp.

She never imagined that the youngest Wickan, whom she practically raised herself, would betray her without a second thought.

And he had the audacity to display his feigned concern, knowing full well what he’d done.

"You thought I would not come to know of your actions?" Lady Morgana remarked bluntly, not withholding the anger in her tone. "Your actions could have cost lives, Rowan!"

Rowan, who was used to a gentle tone from Lady Morgana, flinched when she raised her voice. And not even knowing what he’d done or what his crime was, he immediately hung his head low in shame.

"What is it that I have done, milady?" Rowan asked, a painful lump constricting in his throat. Perhaps he was overly sensitive, but it troubled him to see Lady Morgana fuming at him. "Please forgive me for whatever it is. Please let me know about my crime so I may repent."

Orion’s gaze darkened.

Rowan didn’t deserve this.

The young coven master found it utterly disgusting, knowing that Soran prepared Rowan as his scapegoat but he had yet to gather concrete evidence.

How could someone be so cruel as to sacrifice another person’s life without a second thought?

Lord Eldric shared the same thoughts as Orion, yet it was not his place to intervene in a coven where he had no formal authority.

"You have the audacity to play ignorant," Lady Morgana bit back almost venomously, her hand balled tightly into a fist at her side to prevent herself from acting out impulsively. "Do not test my patience, Rowan. There is no point in trying to justify your way out of what you’ve done."

"You best show him the surveillance rather than beating around the bush with a game of ignorance," Ronan spoke, darting a glare in Rowan’s direction.

The lad would pay dearly for putting Vivian’s life in harm’s way.

And luckily for Rowan, the Lycan Alpha didn’t shift into his beastly form and tear him apart, skin from bone.

Ronan was barely hanging on by a thread.

It was a dark promise to himself that he would mete out the punishment to the perpetrator himself. He nearly lost Vivian for a third time and if Rowan proved to be such a dire threat, then Ronan needed to get rid of him at the earliest.

Rowan lifted his head in confusion, still unaware of his crimes. Why was he summoned in such a hostile manner? What had he done?

’What did I do?’ Rowan asked himself, his lips pressed together pensively. ’Did I do something during one of my blackouts again? I must have caused Lady Morgana a lot of trouble.’

What surveillance were they talking about? Was he involved in something bad?

Soran stood in silence. The usual cynical smile he wore was nowhere to be found and he didn’t involve himself in the conversation.

He remained deathly still like an iron wall, his eyes closed as he listened and waited for the final verdict from Lady Morgana.

Orion couldn’t do much other than gnash his teeth together and pray for Soran’s downfall.

Some way or the other, he had to save Rowan from a terrible fate. But when Lady Morgana was at the peak of her anger, she wouldn’t listen to reason from anyone.

An utterly stubborn woman.

Lady Morgana didn’t waste any more time. She controlled the surveillance jewels to levitate to Rowan, commanding them to reflect his actions of the previous night.

"You have exactly one opportunity to explain yourself, Rowan." Lady Morgana warned him, her gaze narrowing. "Your fate will be decided soon enough."