Sixty one

JASON

The church of Cassandra lay in the heart of Wentworth. It was a place where darkness overshadowed the light and where creatures that went bump in the night could be themselves. In simpler words, a place where the individuals the mundane had tagged as monsters would be on their best and worst behavior without fearing the consequences of their action. It reeked of alcohol and blood as I drove towards the only building in this part of town that didn't look like it was a cheap motel harboring blood lovers and the high fae of the lower court. As we passed through a set of blanketed trees, a towering building came into view. The stench of drugs, blood, and sinners also slowly went extinct. Until all that was left in sight was the serene church of Cassandra the all-seeing. I pulled over at the gate. An old woman was waiting at the other side. She was dressed in all black and she smiled the second our eyes met.

"Good morning Alpha Jason. The eye of Cassandra has been awaiting your presence." The woman said. She then proceeded to open the gates and escort us inside. The inside of the church was a splendid sight. The windows were stained glasses depicting the stories of the wonderful works the eyes of the past had done. On the benches were loyal members of the church of Cassandra singing her praises. They had white blindfolds put over their eyes to block out their sight and as proof of their devotion to Cassandra. As we strode up the nave to the altar where another woman sat, I noticed the giant statue behind her. The mass of gold depicted the imagery of the goddess Cassandra. She had blindfolds on as she held on to a near translucent spherical ball.

"She's beautiful, Is she?" The woman seated on the altar mused.

"It is made of gold," I replied, looking beside me momentarily to see if Olamide felt safe. To be fair, she was too intrigued by the sights in front of her to be bothered about blinded seers and whatnot. I looked back at the seer, the infamous eye of Cassandra and bringer of misfortune. Her eyes were pale white implying that she was blind to the natural world but she stared into my eyes like she could see them and their secrets.

"Why are you here Alpha Jason?" The eye of Cassandra asked.

"I think you already know. What blasphemous rumors is the church spreading this time?"

"Do you mean the birth of the tyrant king?" The eye of Cassandra giggled. "There are no lies in the sight Cassandra shows to me. Only truth. Alpha Jason, are you afraid of the truth?"

"What does she mean by the birth of the tyrant king?" Olamide chipped in causing the eye to turn in her direction.

"I do understand your fears, Alpha Jason. Losing your parents to the actions of that vile Blossom witch and having to build your pack from scratch must have been tough and possibly only achievable when you have a heart of steel and the doggedness of a goat shifter. What would losing a loved one do to you?" My wolf snapped and I went for her throat. It was madness but my hand stopped before they could reach her throat. The pain that shot through my claws was unimaginable. It was as if there was a force field of glass waiting for me to do something stupid. I broke a finger and that sent the message across. No one could touch the eye of Cassandra. Unfazed by what I did, the eye continued to speak as if directed by a higher purpose. "But you do know the prophecy doesn't specify which loved one the tyrant king will lose. Who says it's a mate when it can be a cherished brother?"

"So the prophecy is about me then?" I queried, bottling the intense anger that flared out of me as my wolf tried to escape once again.

"Now Cassandra didn't say it was about you. I do know a crow brother will become the tyrant king but it is all the all-knowing mother wants me to divulge."

The comment of the eye made me realize that coming here was a mistake. I had come for answers but all I had ended up with was more questions and intense rage. "Well, tell your all-seeing mother she can shove her predictions of my pack's future up her conceited ass. My brother and I have survived her evil twin prophesy and I am sure we can do it again." My clap ack made the congregation at the back stand up and hiss in disagreement. "Fuck this," I muttered, taking Olamide's hand. "We are leaving." As we walked down the altar, the ye grabbed Olamide by the hand and screeched. Several windows splintered and a gust of wind filled the room causing the eye of Cassandra's hair to flow upwards while her eyes bled crimson. Finally, the eye spoke, "How many shall suffer for your happiness? Even with the preordained thread of life and death seeping through your blood, you remain unfortunate. Your bloodline vanquished. Your life stolen. When will your story end?"