Alpha Leo and the Heart of Fire

111. A Forgotten Language

LEO.

“That’s the last one.” Li Sheng says tossing the deactivated device onto the ground. Four had gone off in total before we had managed to find the rest and disarm them. I had felt thirteen tethers snap, meaning we had lost thirteen lives. Eric and Emmet’s selfish plan had cost not only me but instead had cost the lives of many innocent people.

Those who had been trapped, and there had been many, had been accounted for and we had retrieved the bodies of our dead too.

They ranged from the ages of eleven to ninety-seven. 1

“Continue to comb the pack grounds until every area has been covered just in case there’s more detonators.” I say coldly.

I need to fucking go after them. I know there is a team out there, but I still need to do something too.

“Will do Alpha.” He replies, lowering his head before he runs off.

Alejandro and several others were now in one of my meeting rooms, gathered around a map, trying to find out where Azura and Corrado had vanished to, and the possible places they may have gone.

“There’s the forest there…” Elijah says, frowning deeply.

He, Damon, and several others are here too, but time is just moving too fucking slow. With each passing moment, who knows what she’s going through. I’m a fucking mess inside, but I’m fucking trying to keep my shit together. I can’t lose them, I need them.

I walk over to the table, and look down at the 3D hologram map that covers the entire table.

“I don’t know… isn’t that too close to your place? Maybe to the west, Dante’s gone to check that side out…” Alejandro mutters as I stare at the spot that the blimp of the tracker had last been, before it vanished.

“He’s misleading us.” I say quietly, feeling my anger rise. This is a fucking game to him … I want blood… I want to fucking kill.

“Meaning?” Alejandro asks.

“This is where Azura’s tracker went off radar … a place that’s got literally three dense forest areas around it… making it the ideal place for us to fucking search… I’m certain he went in the opposite fucking direction. Trust me, I know how fucking bastards work.” I say menacingly.

“Then where do you think they may be?” Liam asks. His anger is palpable, but I can see the worry for his sister in his eyes. 1

I look down at the map, zooming out and scrolling fifty miles in the opposite direction. “The caverns,” I say, tapping the map.

All eyes turn on me, and Alejandro cocks a brow. “Why do you think that?”

“It’s the last place he’d think we’d look… that place has magic that can cancel out a lot of shit. Azura’s tracker couldn’t have just blipped out unless she’s in a location that blocks the outside off…” I run my fingers through my hair, only for the strands of my hair to fall back in front of my forehead.

“How sure are you?” Damon asks, frowning.

“Pretty sure. Raihana wasn’t able to teleport to Azura either. She had something of hers and Judah doesn’t possess that kind of magic. So why the fuck did the teleportation not work? Unless ofcourse there is a power strong enough to counter it. Raihana is meant to be one of the strongest witches alive, so tell me what can fucking counter her? Trust me, this is the place to search.” I say confidently, turning away.

They seem to take a second to mull over my words before Alejandro slaps his hands together, rubbing them. “Right, let’s listen, he has the fucking brains.”

Yeah, I do.

“Remember, he’s fucking fast; from the footage, we can see that he seems to have a link with the shadows…” Elijah is saying.

I frown. Shadows… I suddenly remember an image from a certain book I had gone over. A book that contained drawings and symbols that no one was able to read because of the language.

I need to go over it again.

“So what’s the plan?” Ace asks and I’m brought out of my trance. My eyes flash as I frown deeply.

Oh, I fucking have a plan…

I turn back to the table, “We prepare to move out. I’ll fill everyone in as we prepare.

Gear up and move out. There’s something I need to check. I will catch up.” I command, turning away once more. I needed to check this…. “Delsanra, can you come with me for a moment?” I ask, turning to the white- haired woman.

She looks up and nods before hurrying over and we head towards my apartment.

That book may be gone in the fire, but I had scanned pretty much most of it onto the computer to look through them with ease. I had also tried to restore some that were pretty damaged.

all these books duplicated and saved. Who knows

something.” She states.

can’t get overly confident until I

cave. A place that remains untouched. Everyone else has gone ahead, but something told me I needed to know what we are up against to win. He had thwarted us a lot of times and I plan to

needed to find them. The longer I’m here, the longer they suffer in Judah’s

fuck, knowing they are out there is messing with me. Fear of what may happen to her is rising as I keep on making notes, and the

off,

I have up

struggles to read my messy scrawl and

ones at the

frowns before glancing at me.

“Shadows?” She asks.

work with. I was trying to check if it would work if I took

has it?”

the final sheet, which now contains full

down, frowning as she reads the

and although there are still parts of the passage that are too damaged to read, or simply not fully readable, it makes sense

she scans the page. “Shadow wraiths are subspecies of the wraith

sitting back and looking

as I stare at the image depicting a monster-like

we hadn’t paid it any attention when we had all

disguising themselves in the identity of their hosts. With incredible speed and strength, Shadow Wraiths are even stronger where there are shadows present. Wraiths cannot be killed unless their true names are found and taken, upon driving a weapon made

into their necks.” She turns to me. “Do you think

I have a sword

you even figure that out?” She

though.” I say

Delsanra says realisation dawning on her. “Wraiths sense beings with high levels of energy wanting to either simply linger by these beings or depending on the wraith’s

coldly. “Can you get those herbs?”

Right away, but… how will we find his

frown, I had an idea about that… “Leave that to me… Can you call

nods and I hold out my phone…

am now near the caverns. I had made one last stop before getting here.

smiling faintly at me. I can’t smell it, but

who is arguing with Skyla. She had shown up not long ago, and I’m not sure which one is angrier. Kiara had stayed at the Pack to heal those who had been injured in the explosions, but I think right

ask Dante. He glances back at them and

Dad won’t listen.”

goddamn child.”

fuck out of here.” Alejandro growls.

did a lot more than this.” Skyla shoots back, her eyes blazing

debate. Take her home.” Alejandro snarls to one of

is out there! You are so damn sexist.”

kinda is, since he only had an issue with his daughter

a scene is delaying things Skyla, get the hell home.” Alejandro’s command rolls off him, and

away from her and Skyla clenches her jaw before she looks

one last look at her dad, and I feel a little bad

After all, she is his daughter… but smothering her isn’t

a mile from here.” I say, “He will have backup and they are armed with the bullets we created. Do

hundred out

how about we go get this

back is ready… and

I will handle those.” Dante says, frowning

Raihana says, stepping forward, her

nod, as Alejandro walks

we ready?” He asks, as Dad and Rayhan

already told them where exactly we are

Five step up behind me, and our eyes

one who stays with me, and even when the rest shift – aside from me, he

I catch the extremely faint scent. Azura’s scent.

men bearing arms, surrounding even this entrance. It was meant to be a lesser-known one, but it is obvious