Chapter124

Deborah's POV

Chad kept his promise. Every day, no matter how busy he was, he found time to teach me how to pilot a flyer. Even if it was only for a short while, his patience and dedication never wavered.

Learning to fly was completely new to me. In my previous life, I had never even thought about it. As a child, my parents arranged everything perfectly—drivers, servants, and caretakers surrounded me. As I grew older, Chad entered my life and quickly became my constant companion.Explanation: " Anytime I wanted to leave the house, he was there, piloting the flyer with ease. It felt natural to rely on him, as though he was my personal pilot, always ready to take me wherever I wished to go.

This life, however, was different.

Chad took his role as my instructor seriously. He broke down every detail with meticulous care, starting with the basics and guiding me through each step until I could handle the controls myself. At first, I struggled, fumbling with the switches and misjudging the flyer's movements. But under his guidance, I gradually improved, and eventually, I managed to pilot the flyer on my own.

Even after mastering the mechanics of flight, Hybrasil was still out of reach.

My movements were too closely monitored. Here in the Sky Cities, I had no real allies and no legitimate reason to justify trips to Hybrasil. Lugh's watchful eyes followed my every step, making it impossible to act without arousing suspicion. His control over my life in the Sky Cities was suffocating, and I knew that any deviation from routine would immediately draw his attention.

Still, Chad kept me informed. Nearly every day, he brought updates—news about the Sky Cities Coalition Forces and the progress of the werewolves and Birdfolk stationed in Hybrasil. He was careful with his words, never oversharing, but the information he provided was invaluable.

One day, during one of our practice flights, Chad spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled in the cockpit.

"I have some good news," he said, his voice calm but carrying a hint of excitement.

"What is it?" I asked, keeping my focus on the control panel.

"They've discovered a massive weapons cache beneath Hybrasil's central square," he said. "It's well-hidden—packed with battle flyers and other advanced equipment."

I froze, momentarily losing control of the flyer's trajectory. "A weapons cache? Beneath the square?"

"Exactly," Chad replied, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It turns out Hybrasil is far better armed than anyone ever imagined. Who knew?"

I stared at him, struggling to process what he'd just said. The revelation left me reeling.

I was born and raised in Hybrasil. I thought I knew every inch of it, every secret the city held. But I had never once heard of a hidden weapons cache beneath the square. All these years, I had assumed the weapons stored in the estate's basement were the full extent of Hybrasil's arsenal.

"How did they find it?" I asked, my voice sharp with urgency. "Who discovered it? And how?"

Chad shrugged, his expression as enigmatic as ever. "Why don't you ask Matthew or the others? I'm sure they'd be happy to tell you."

My thoughts swirled in confusion, questions piling on top of each other. At the same time, I felt a wave of relief. Lugh hadn't known about this cache—if he had, Hybrasil's arsenal would already be in his hands. Its discovery gave Hybrasil a fighting chance, a hidden strength that could stand against the other Sky Cities.

But Chad's involvement with the werewolves continued to worry me.

After his last mission to Tirfothuinn, where he had been gravely injured, I couldn't shake the unease that came with his dual identity. To the werewolves, he was an outsider—a half-wolf from the Sky Cities. To the Sky Cities, he was a threat waiting to be discovered. He didn't belong fully to either side, and that left him perilously vulnerable.

"Are things… going well with the werewolves?" I asked hesitantly, attempting to sound casual.

He glanced at me, one eyebrow arching in amusement. "Are you worried about me?"

I hesitated, unsure how to respond.

"You're worried about me." He smirked, shaking his head. "I'm surprised, really. But you don't have to be. I'm not that easy to kill. They need me to relay information. They're not stupid enough to waste that."

"Maybe," I murmured, "but when all this is over… you might be able to return to the wolves."

His smirk faltered, replaced by a look of quiet contemplation.

"Maybe," he said softly. "I hope so."

I hadn't expected his answer to carry such genuine longing. It caught me off guard. I had assumed Chad would never fully embrace his werewolf side, that he'd remain distant from his heritage. But in that moment, I saw something different—a glimpse of a man who wanted to belong.

Before I could dwell on it further, Chad straightened in his seat.

"Let's head back to Ablach," he said. "You've picked this up quickly. You don't need me as your instructor anymore."

I tightened my grip on the controls, staring straight ahead.

"Not needing me is a good thing," he said seriously. "You've got to learn how to protect yourself."

His words lingered in the air long after we landed.

Chad was right. I had to be prepared for what was coming. But as I watched him walk away, I couldn't help but feel a pang of unease.

Would I ever really be ready?