Alpha King’s Lost Luna

CASSANDRA

Though Lila couldn’t read my mind, it wasn’t difficult for me to prove that her abilities were real.

At Finnick’s request, | met with the girl when Ms. Benn had dropped her off for a playdate. We waited until the head housekeeper was gone, and once we were certain the coast was clear, we sat down at the table and began an assessment.

Lila seemed hesitant at first, as if she were worried that | wouldn't believe her but after some light coaxing, she managed to relax and agreed to display her powers to me.

She wasn’t able to read my mind at will, but she still displayed some form of clairvoyance. For example, she predicted quietly that Erika was going to go to the counter and turn on the kettle to boil some water. She could even specifically assess which cup she’d use, what tea she'd collect, and the very mannerisms she would display as she prepared the hot drinks.

| stood there in complete shock as all of her predictions were proven correct. It took all of my effort to keep my jaw from dropping. Though | had seen Raven and Ronald perform some impressive acts themselves, | still wasn’t used to displays of magical ability. Sorcery was still such a foreign concept, yet | supposed | would have to get used to it.

Lila quietly explained that she didn’t need to see the person in order to read their minds. She could do it as long as her intended subject was within twenty feet of her. She told me with a small smirk that she used it often to predict when her mother was coming home early and utilized it to ensure she wouldn’t get caught reading books or papers she wasn’t meant to read. Unfortunately, there were also some deficiencies in her abilities.

First of all, she couldn’t multi-task. If there were two or more people within her twenty- foot radius, she couldn’t read their minds at the same time and if there were too many people in a small space, she could barely use it at all.

Second of all, her ability depended largely on the clarity of people’s ideas. She explained that what she could read was not the idea itself, but a picture- a visualized idea. That meant if the idea hadn't been visualized properly, Lila couldn’t pick up on it clearly. That was why she couldn’t always determine what Ms. Benn was thinking about. She often read some fragments of pictures that didn’t form a cohesive thought and couldn’t compose the meanings.

It made complete sense to me. After all, Lila was still such a young girl. Her mind-

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reading ability likely hadn't fully blossomed yet. | theorized that given more time and practice, she could really be a formidable force.

Lila told me that she had been careful enough not to let Ms. Benn notice what her ability truly was. Ms. Benn had always known that she was capable of something, but she wasn’t certain what it was.

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However, lately, she began to put things together and questioned if Lila was clairvoyant.

“That’s why | have to escape,” she whispered to me with a stressed expression on her little face. “I have to get away from her.” | could sense that her relationship with Ms. Benn was complicated. At certain times, she seemed quite spiteful and expressed hatred toward her. Lila called her an evil woman who must have stolen her from her parents in order to manipulate her for some benefit. Yet at other points... she seemed upset. The poor girl seemed greatly attached to Ms. Benn, who despite everything, had raised her for all of these years and was her mother.

However, Lila’s determination to escape never wavered.

“| know you're planning to escape,” she said boldly, and she lifted her chin slightly. “Finnic told me that you’ve been studying some sort of map every night.”

| was a little taken aback by her statement. | hadn’t known that Finnick had noticed the map at all and was surprised he had even spoken to Lila about it. But at the same time, it was true what they said about adults underestimating their children. Kids noticed everything and Finnick was a smart boy.

Before | could come up with a response, Lila leaned forward in her seat and spoke again, much softer than earlier.

“| won't tell anyone,” she assured me gently. “If you agree to take me with you.”

| offered her a regretful expression. “I’m sorry, honey. | can’t do that. Besides, the escape isn’t for me.”

Lila pouted for a moment and then studied my face, as if she were trying to figure out if | was lying or not. Then, her lips parted. “| see,” she remarked, and then her face brightened. “I know the truth now! Is it Lady Helene who wants to escape?”

| felt heat spread to my cheeks, but I did all | could to maintain composure.

“What makes you say that?” | uttered as | felt my palms grow sweaty. | tucked my hands beneath me and tried to stay calm. 64%

Lila smirked proudly. “If | wanted, Miss Cassandra, | could know everything. I’ve read my mother’s mind and saw her speaking with you. I’ve also seen her sneaking around Lord Ronald’s residence. | know something is going on.”

The little girl was indeed quite smart.

| knew that given Lila’s clairvoyance, | couldn’t deny it.

“Ultimately, it doesn’t matter,” | lamented. “Since | can’t meet with Lady Helene anymore, there’s nothing | can do now. Any plans we may have made... | can’t follow through on them with her. Things have grown complicated. I’m sorry, Lila.”

Lila frowned and then her expression brightened again.

“| could use my ability to help you find out what happened to Lady Helene,” she suggested. “But only if you talk with her and ask her to take me with her.”

“How would you be able to help?” | wondered as | tried to understand.

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She considered this for a moment and then spoke up. “I could let my mother take me near Lord Ronald’s residence. I'll find an excuse to get over there. If I’m close enough, | might be able to find out what’s going on. I’m smarter than my mom, so you won't need to worry-”

| shook my head. “Lila, that’s too dangerous. You can’t get involved in this-”

Before | could finish my sentence, there was a knock at the door, and Lila and | stiffened up. We fell silent, and when Erika answered the door, Ms. Benn walked into the room.

Lila rose from her seat and ran over to her mother obediently. Ms. Benn patted her head and then asked her daughter to leave the room. Lila did so without hesitation, and once the girl was gone, the housekeeper approached me.

“| have the guest list, Miss Cassandra,” Ms. Benn revealed quietly, and then she reached into her pocket and retrieved a bit of paper. After she passed to over to me, she glanced at the door. “Did Lila cause any problems for you?”

| shook my head and smiled. “Of course not. She was polite as usual.”

Ms. Benn nodded.

“Thank you for this,” | said as | gestured at the paper.

She nodded again, and then silently left the room. Once the door was closed, | opened the piece of paper and scanned it.

It was a long list with various Pack names, most of which I’d never heard of. However, |

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recognized a few Packs from Wegalla. | was hoping to find Wild Crawler or some of the other Packs I'd visited with my father when | was a child, but | had no such luck. The only one that stood out was Sky Pride, and it wasn’t for good reasons.

All | could remember about Sky Pride was their arrogant Alpha, who had received my father rather poorly when he went there for inspection. Apparently, the whole Pack had been quite standoffish.

Nevertheless, | made sure to memorize and note the Wegallan Packs. Perhaps one of them would be of use to me when they arrived at the castle.