I lift my head to Michae standing outside my cell, fiddling with a metal key he jabs into the hole. Finally, the door swings open. I run out and throw myself at my guard, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
He stumbles and laughs quietly, almost nervously.
“We have no time,” he reminds me.
Breaking from him, I nod. “You’re right. We have a wedding to stop.”
His face blanches. “Umm, that’s not what I had in mind. I was thinking of getting away before Jasion can find us, not being incarcerated for challenging royalty.”
“You just have to take me to Luther and Deimos, and they will do the rest.”
“Yes, miss. Now move quickly and quietly so we can get out of here before the mage returns.” He takes the lead, and I stay close behind. Fear bubbles over me with the expectation that any moment now Jasion will curl around the corner of the stairwell. And I worry that Michae alone can’t stop him.
Once out of the dungeon, we rush upstairs, my heart banging in my chest. By the time we reach the main door to exit the staircase, I’m breathing heavily.
Michae opens the door, peers out, then waves for me to follow him. I exhale loudly before swinging right to dart down the corridor decorated with animal statues. I’ve spent so much time in the mansion that I now recognize where we are going… right for the palace.
Abruptly, Michae turns toward me, snatches my arm, and shoves me with him into a room right next to us.
My pulse drums in my veins, and I catch the fear on his face. With the door shut, we both stay silent.
Male voices come from out in the hallway, and when a laugh comes, fire flares over me. It’s Jasion.
I inhale softly while I look around the empty room in an attempt to calm myself. I never thought I’d hate someone as much as I do him. Just hearing his voice has my skin crawling. I want to strangle him, except my priority is getting to Ahren. And that means not getting caught by letting anger take me over.
When Michae clicks open the door, I freeze in place as he pops his head out and checks the hallway.
“All clear,” he assures me.
I slip out, and we rush forward just as Luther bursts through the door that leads to the bridge between the two buildings.
I don’t know who’s more shocked—me, who flinches, or Luther, whose eyes practically bulge out of his head.
For a second, we all remain frozen, stunned. Then I push past Michae and run right at Luther. Throwing my arms around his chest, I press my cheek over his heart and don’t let go.
His hands are on my shoulders, and he forces me to look at him. “Little wolf, where the hell have you been? We’ve been searching everywhere, and I couldn’t reach you with my mind.”
I meet his gorgeous but worried amber eyes. “Down in the dungeon. Jasion kidnapped me.”
His body tenses, his upper lip curling. “I’m going to fucking murder him.”
Chapter 16
Luther
“We don’t have time,” Guendolyn cuts me off. “I have to stop Ahren’s wedding before it’s too late.”
I stare at her, unsure if this is a result of her not accepting Ahren’s decision, or if something else is going on. “You know it’s the only way he can claim the throne, little wolf.” My heart tightens, as I know this is killing her. “You will always have Deimos and me, baby.” I draw her closer by her shoulders, but she brushes me away, anger twisting her lips.
“I know that!” she blurts. “You don’t understand. There’s so much I have to tell you, and fast. You need to be open-minded, alright?” She looks up and down the hallway as if to ensure we’re the only ones around. Michae stands several feet away, but we’re otherwise alone.
Leaning in closer, she whispers, “My real father was King Tibout. Eighteen years ago, he had an affair with the queen of Ash Court. I am their child. This is why those in power who know the truth want me dead. Because I’m the rightful heir to both kingdoms.”
What the fuck?! My head is spinning. This is nothing like what I expected her to tell me. I was thinking along the lines of her sorrow and deciding she can't live here any longer.
I turn to her. "Where is this coming from?"
She grabs my arm, and I feel her shaking. "When we were at Ash Court to get the cure for Deimos, the king's mother told me about my father, and I should have told you and your brothers right then, but I didn't want to take away from Ahren claiming the throne. He deserves it. That's not what I want..." She pauses, breathing heavily, while my mind reels. “The most important thing here is that if I can show that I am the rightful heir to the throne, Ahren doesn't have to marry someone else."
Except she’s wrong. The most important thing here is that she is claiming to be the heir to the throne. But how? “Are you sure?” I ask. “How can you be certain? Did the king say something to you when you spoke to him?” Hundreds of questions barrage my mind.
She blinks at me, confused by my questions, and that’s when it occurs to me—if she is the rightful heir to the throne, it won’t be Ahren, Deimos, or me in line anymore.
I sit with those thoughts for a while. Since moving to Shadow Court, being a prince has been driven into us and we are reminded of it daily. Told that we would hold great power and positioning one day. And suddenly, we’re not.
I’m not sure how to react, but my thoughts are scrambling to make sense of it all. It would explain why she was cursed, why Ash Court wanted her dead, why the rumors and prophecies about her spread so fast in our realm.
