Page 50 of Beyond the Treaty

The words sent a shiver down my spine.

Azrael stepped closer, tightening his grip on the sword.

“Then enlighten us.”

The messenger’s glowing eyes flickered with something

unreadable. “Your friend, the one you seek, is lost.”

A sharp, bitter taste filled my mouth. “No,” I said immedi-

ately. “He’s still in there. Isawhim.”

“You sawa memory.” The man tilted his head. “That does

not mean he remains.”

I clenched my fists, determined not to let doubt creep in. “If

the council believes he can still be controlled, he’s not gone.” The messenger’s smile was sharp and knowing. “And what will you do if you find him?” He stepped forward slowly. “Do you think he will remember you? Do you think he will wish

to be saved?”

There was something in his tone that made my stomach

churn.

Azrael shifted slightly, positioning himself more resolutely

between me and the stranger. “What do you know?”

The man exhaled, almost in disappointment. “That you are

stepping into something far beyond your comprehension.” Darius scoffed, although there was no humour in it. “Yes,

well, we worked that bit out ourselves.”

The messenger ignored him, his gaze locking onto mine.

“Kaelen is not the same as he was many years ago,” he said. “His soul has been weakening for years, and with every fracture, the Council has reached into his mind. Twisting what little remains of the man you know.”

I felt a slow, creeping horror settle over me.

“You’re saying the Council has been... breaking him?” My voice came out quieter than I intended. Was the Council lyingabout me having to marry him for the safety of the land? Was it all a facade?

The messenger nods. “Piece by piece. Until nothing is left but the beast.”

I shook my head. “No. If even a part of him is still in there, we can reach him.”

His expression darkened. “If you find him before they do, perhaps.” His gaze flickered towards the horizon, his voice dropping. “But if you wait too long... You may only encounter a monster.”

The words sent a chill through me, but the ground trembled once more before I could respond. The crimson tome flared violently, its pages flickering open by themselves. The runes burned brightly, and I felt the magic tugging at me again, demanding something I could not yet comprehend.

The messenger’s expression shifted slightly, almost... amused. “It appears the book has decided for you.”

Intense and unnatural, a sudden wind picked up, whipping my hair about my face. The tome’s pages settled, revealing new scripts that had not been present.

Azrael tensed. “What does it mean?”

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