The Silver Crescent Prince

After she had called Irene, Maya called her father's secretary. She had to set step two of her plan. If everything came together, Daryn would get so pressurized that he would be forced to marry her. "Where is Father?" she asked. 

"Ms. Maya, he will be free in another hour. I will ask him to call you," the secretary replied. 

"Okay," she said and cut the call. "Dawn, let's see who wins Daryn. You are nothing in front of me. I will crush you to paste like an ant." 

---

Daryn wasn't able to leave the meeting. After the meeting with Caleb got over, he was sucked into another one. By the time he was free, it was already 9PM. However, hoping against hope to find Dawn, he went to the office but there was no one. The office was empty. He sauntered to her cubicle and sat down in her chair. A smile appeared on his face as he gently caressed the computer she had left on. A screen saver of a cute cat was fading in and out. He took his phone out and stared at the screen. He wanted to text her something, anything. But he couldn't coin the words. What should he text? Suddenly an idea came to him. He remembered the project and sent the message:

[The next part of the project would be to know how awesome I am. And for that you need to take my detailed interview tomorrow in the office.]

He chuckled and then left for home. 

When Dawn was driving back home, she thought that she would tell Azura that she would not get the information. How could she do that after what she felt for Daryn? Even though he was about to get married to someone else, she couldn't do the job. When she reached home, she found that Azura was waiting for her. Cole was sitting opposite him and picking his fingernails. She noticed that Azura was bouncing his knees. The two of them looked at her and with a jerk Azura got up from his place. She frowned. "What is it with you two?" she asked as she walked towards the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. 

Azura spoke with urgency in his voice. "Dawn, have you done the work?" 

She lowered her head and shook it. "No," she croaked. 

"Why?" he almost shouted. 

Dawn looked at Cole and said, "I would like to talk to Azura in private." 

Cole left reluctantly with so much worry that a muscle in his face ticked. 

When he left, she said, "I can't. I find it to be so wrong that my brain doesn't allow me." 

"Really? This is wrong," he said clenching his fists. "No, this isn't wrong. Do you know how many neotides have been killed in the past few hours?" 

Dawn was mentally paralyzed for a moment. She went completely still and stood in front of him with slumped shoulders. "Killed?" she rasped. She sat down on the chair in front of him and blinked slowly. 

"No, this can't be," said Dawn as she sat limp on her chair. "I don't understand," she voiced her confusion. "Why would he do that?" There was a knot in her stomach. He kissed her in the morning. He kissed a neotide in the morning and then he gave orders to kill her kind. What kind of signal was that? 

"What is it that you don't understand? If you haven't got the information, forget it. You need to get out of that building as soon as possible. I am scared for you and I don't care," Azura said. 

Dawn's brain stopped working for a few minutes. She held her head in her hands and felt like crying but even her tears didn't come out. She was emotionally numbed. There was absolutely no future with him but she realized that she became apathetic towards her future. 

Azura held her shoulders and called her out, "Dawn?" 

She looked up at him. Her eyes were red. 

"We are going to get out of this place. They attacked you once and I am afraid that they might attack you again. I am already running around the forest to find the killers. Tonight you mustn't stay in your house. Come to my place along with Cole. Once the threat is over, you can move out," Azura said very clearly. "And you aren't going to the office from tomorrow." 

Dawn let out a low shallow laughter. She took in a deep breath and said, "I will go for one last time tomorrow and get the information." 

"No!" Azura shouted.

"I won't change my decision Azura."

"But it is risky. This is like going inside to get murdered."

"No, I don't think I would get murdered. I will go," she said. 

Azura bit his lower lip. "At least come and stay at my place tonight." 

"Okay," she whispered. She had to think of her brother's safety too. 

In the next fifteen minutes, the siblings packed and were on their way to Azura's place. Azura's house was beautiful. It was a large house right next to the Ensmoire Forest, which she realized was a necessity for all the werewolves. Mountains could be seen in distance. She called her dragon, Quetz. 

I can listen to you. Are you in pain? He asked. 

No, I am fine. Just changed the place temporarily. 

Take care Dawn. He replied with concern. 

I will. 

Azura had already prepared the guest room for the siblings. He bolted all the doors properly. There were five men on the outside patrolling around his house. Werewolves. 

"Let me know whatever you need," he said before leaving her. "Dinner will be ready at 9PM."

"Thanks Azura," she replied. 

"If possible just don't go to your office. I will erase all the data from there." 

She scoffed, "I need to pay my debt back." 

Azura exhaled heavily and left to change. He was happy and satisfied that she was with him. 

At night while having dinner, Dawn received the message from Daryn.

--- 

Maya's father called her back an hour later. "What is it now Maya? You are disturbing me a lot." 

"Father, I need your help."

"In what way?" he asked. "I will send more money if you want, but don't call again and again," he said in an irritated tone. 

"I want you to send some of your men to kill a few neotides and make it look like that it was the Silvers who did it." Her voice was as cold as ice. 

"What? Are you mad? Why would I do that? If Daryn comes to know about these senseless killings, he would take two minutes to break his engagement with you. As such he is not on good terms with you" her father shouted at her. 

"He is already going to break it," she replied. 

There was a pause on the other side. "Why?" her father asked. 

Maya went on to tell him what all happened in the past three days. "If we do this, it would create a lot of confusion amongst the neotides. Tell your men to find Dawn and kill her. Kill a few more. If it comes to you, you just say that it was a routine cleanup and you were only favoring the Silvers."