The Heartless Hybrid Queen

Chapter 7 - Aurora's POV

We're arriving today. The last three days have dragged by slowly. A few hours after leaving the Eternal Flame territory we entered into the country of Dema Mortem, and we've been travelling through it ever since. It is my first time ever leaving the Emberi Empire – its widespread cities and quaint little towns have been all I've ever known.

If I hadn't spent the last year rotting away in a cell, I would have found this journey to be extremely boring. On the contrary, I've been quite enjoying myself. My front seat allows me to watch the scenery outside; a simple joy I didn't realize how much I missed.

Although, so far, all I've seen of Dema Mortem is vast forests. We've been following the same small, winding road for days now. Early yesterday the lush greenery turned to a frozen winter wonderland, and the wagons slowed ever so slightly as the horses had to cut a path through deep snow drifts.

The sun is high in the sky and the air is pleasantly cool, which, considering how far north we are, probably means we're fast approaching the hottest day of the summer, which also happens to be my birthday.

I wish I knew the date so I could know for certain. It's been on the tip of my tongue to ask Adrian and Dimitri, but something keeps holding me back; my basic instinct to not trust anyone, probably.

Fuck it. I only have a few hours of this journey left, might as well ask while I can. "What's the date?" I blurt out after days of silence. The prisoners look at me like I'm crazy. Maybe I am. Dimitri turns his bright eyes on me but doesn't answer.

"It's Sunday," replies Adrian without looking back.

This motherfucker. Did I ask for the day of the week? I huff, "No, like, day of the season?" I clarify, hoping I don't sound too anxious.

Trying to avoid Dimitri's gaze is impossible, I can't ignore the scrutinizing glare he sends my way. When I meet his eyes, he finally says, "Do you have somewhere to be, princess?" His grin is almost gloating. It's like he knows I've been battling over asking them something and now that I have, I lost. No. I'm reading way too much into this. He's just a dick.

"I mean, there's a lot of places I'd rather be, but this beats the dungeons." I say, trying to sound uncaring, but I think he sees right through it.

"Right," he says, but still doesn't fucking answer me.

It's Adrian who answers again, "Today should be the sixty-fourth day of summer."

I immediately work on keeping my face clear of any reaction, but I think Dimitri notices the slight dilation of my pupils. His eyes roam down to my chest, my breathing hasn't changed, but my heart has picked up its rhythm. I think he can hear it.

I mutter a quiet thanks to Adrian and slump back in my chair, taking slow breaths in an attempt to calm my racing heart. Eventually, Dimitri releases me from his constant glare and faces the front again.

Two days.

Goddess, how am I going to come up with an escape plan in two days? I begin to stress, but then excitement blooms in my chest. Two days! The spells placed on me will be broken in two days. I'll meet my wolf! Having another consciousness in my head, after all these years alone, will probably be a bit uncomfortable. But I know she has been chosen for me by the Moon Goddess, Selene. So, hopefully she is not a pain in the head.

I'll also finally have access to what should have been mine since I was thirteen years old. My magic: my mother bound it to my wolf. She made it so I couldn't have one without the other, and werewolves have to be eighteen before their wolves can come forward.

She didn't stop there though. No, she insisted that in order to "blend in", certain aspects of my appearance had to be concealed; the things I loved most about myself – my identity – she changed them.