Chapter 172 - 0172
Lorelei POV
"Vekhara."
It was the exact word Nala had chanted during her vision. I still hadn’t figured out what it meant since I knew nothing about their ancient language, and Nala had made it painfully clear that she wanted nothing to do with the subject. But maybe Kalu would be willing to tell me.
I glanced back at Raven and Skye. Raven was currently laughing at something Skye had said, and neither of them seemed to notice what was happening around them. They probably wouldn’t even realize I was gone if I slipped away for a few minutes.
"I’ll be right back," I murmured.
Before either of them could respond, I turned and hurried after Kalu, quickening my pace as I followed him toward the eastern gardens.
"Prince Kalu... Prince Kalu!" I called out into the quiet night, lifting the hem of my dress slightly as I tried to catch up with him.
Instead of stopping, he actually picked up his pace.
I scoffed under my breath, already getting annoyed by the fact that he was blatantly ignoring me. But I needed an answer to my question, so I wasn’t about to let him get away that easily. I quickened my pace as well, practically chasing after him.
If he wanted to outrun me, he would have to start running, and somehow, I couldn’t imagine Kalu willingly doing something that would make him look that ridiculous.
Eventually, he must have realized I wasn’t going to give up because he suddenly stopped with a frustrated sigh and turned around to face me. His golden eyes narrowed as he looked at me, clearly unimpressed.
"What is it?" he asked flatly.
I slowed to a stop in front of him, one hand pressed against my chest as I tried to catch my breath. "I’m... I’m sorry for bothering you," I managed to say between breaths.
Kalu immediately raised a dismissive hand. "I do not receive your apology."
He ran a hand through his thick white locs, pushing a few strands away from his face before looking around at the empty garden.
"You see me walking alone, yet you still follow after me. Is it not clear that I wished for my own company? The night is quiet, the air is good, and I had finally found peace for myself. Why have you come to disturb it?" His eyes narrowed at me. "Do not tell me you have come to place another favor upon my head."
I cleared my throat, shifting awkwardly on my feet. "Well... actually..."
Kalu let out a sharp, dramatic laugh and threw his head back.
"Ah! I knew it!" he exclaimed, crossing his arms over his broad, exposed chest. "Whenever you werewolves open your mouths before me, a favor is always waiting behind it." He shook his head.
"And now, unfortunately for you, I have no interest in hearing it."
With a dramatic flick of his robes, Kalu turned on his heel and started walking away.
Desperate to stop him before he disappeared into the shadows, I blurted out the one word that had been burning in my mind.
"Vekhara."
The moment the word left my lips, Kalu’s steps faltered instantly. He froze, his shoulders going rigid as he stood there with his back to me.
Seeing this, I quickly moved forward, taking advantage of the fact that I still had his attention. "What does that word mean?"
Slowly, he turned around to face me, and every trace of arrogance that had been on his face moments ago was gone, replaced by an expression I couldn’t quite understand.
His amber eyes narrowed as he stared at me. "From where did that word come to your tongue?"
He asked, and remembering how Nala had acted during her vision, I hesitated.
But I needed to know.
"That... that’s not important," I said, hoping he would let it go.
"Did my sister give that word to you?"
The sharpness in his voice made me tense.
I stared at him for a moment, my fists clenched at my sides until my knuckles turned white, before finally giving him a small nod.
Kalu didn’t say anything after that. He simply stared at me, his expression so serious that I immediately regretted asking. For a few seconds, neither of us spoke, and then he let out a quiet breath and turned away from me again.
Wait. Was he seriously going to leave without answering? But just as he took his first step, his voice carried through the cool night air.
"Death."
I frowned, completely confused. "What?"
"That is what Vekhara carries as its meaning."
My stomach dropped.
Kalu continued walking as though he hadn’t just dropped the most disturbing piece of information imaginable on me.
"Vekhara. Death is on its way."
I stood there, staring at his back as a cold shiver ran through me while my heart hammered wildly against my ribs.
Death?
I muttered the word under my breath, barely recognizing my own voice.
What the hell did that mean?
I swallowed hard, suddenly unable to shake the feeling that I had made a mistake by asking because it didn’t solve anything. If only, it made me more uneasy.
****
For the next two days, I didn’t see Kaelen even once.
For the next two days, I didn’t catch even a glimpse of Kaelen. It was almost as if he was deliberately going out of his way to make sure our paths never crossed.
It didn’t help that this was his second time pulling something like this, avoiding me and treating me like a ghost in his own estate.
Just thinking about it made my temper flare all over again. I gripped the dress in my hands until the fabric crumpled between my fingers before finally shoving it into my open suitcase.
Yes, I was packing.
We were actually leaving.
And somehow, instead of feeling excited about finally getting out of this place, I couldn’t stop thinking about Kaelen.
Unlike him, Darius had been around almost constantly over the last two days. He had taken care of our travel arrangements, made sure our belongings were packed, and basically handled everything that needed to be done before we left.
But every time I asked about Kaelen, I got the same answer.
He was busy with pack matters.
Of course he was.
Apparently, Kaelen had suddenly become the busiest man alive.
And because I refused to ask anything other than that, Darius never volunteered anything more, either.
A heavy knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.
Skye, who had been sitting beside the bed watching me angrily fold clothes into my suitcase, quickly got to her feet and went to open it.
I stayed where I was, continuing to pack as though I could somehow stuff all my frustration into the suitcase along with my clothes.
"Good afternoon, Beta Darius,"