Chapter 16
Wolfe
“What Remains Is Her”
Morning light filtered through the stained-glass windows of the meeting room, casting fractured patterns across the table where we were gathered.
Everyone was here already when I arrived. The silence, tense and thick as tar, had coiled through the air, refusing to shift.
I sat straighter in my chair, studying each face before me. Bastian's hardened features betrayed his concern. Alaric's sharp eyes reflected my own determination. Garrick's stoic presence remained a steady anchor. And Arielle's delicate form appeared more fragile today.
I'd woken hours before sunrise, mulling over ideas until I'd finally pieced together something resembling a plan.
“I’ve come up with a spell that should work. But it will require testing,” I announced.
“What is it?” Alaric asked with the same eagerness he’d displayed last night.
“A Veylteher spell. One that combines the strongest Galdrlore tracing spells with Fray magic. We’d need to use Elariya’s blood and mine to guide it, so the ring recognizes me.
” I drew in a slow breath, choosing my words carefully.
“I believe the structured magic and control of Galdrlore will temper the raw energy of the Fray, giving us the power we need to cross planes.
The Fray magic should also provide enough stability for Elariya's human side to withstand any side effects.”
On hearing my plan, their expressions shifted, becoming hopeful.
Bastian leaned forward, nodding with enthusiasm. “That idea could definitely work.”
Arielle's eyes brightened and she looked intrigued. “The balanced approach of both magic systems makes complete sense. I think it would work.”
“I’ll be using dragon scale parchment from Gaelthorne forge to ensure a seamless blend of magic.
” I explained further, making it clear I’d be sourcing only the best. “The piece I have in mind is from one of my young drake’s first shedding.
It’s been alchemically pressed and laced with binding glyphs to hold incantations. ”
“That sounds perfect, Wolfe,” Alaric agreed with an easy grin. “So, the parchment itself would respond to whatever spell you cast on it.”
“Exactly. Once our blood hits the parchment the spell will activate. Then it will map the ring’s path. Not just its location. The journey. It’ll show us where it is now… and what it’s passed through to get there.”
“Blessed Mother, like a living map,” Arielle muttered.
I nodded.
“That’s one hell of a plan, Wolfe.”
“I think so, too. I’ve thought of everything to reinforce it.
I also hope the bond Elariya and I share through the curse will amplify the spell.
” My curse might be different from Elariya’s, but it came from the same source.
Whether we liked it or not, we were bonded through the ring’s magic.
That bond would only grow stronger now that we were in each other’s lives.
“If we play this right, things could be resolved quite soon,” Alaric said.
“I hope so.” I could almost see myself taking back my kingdom and being free of the curse. It was a bittersweet desire. Only the Gods knew what awaited me on this journey and what I may have to go through to get what I wanted. But it would be worth it in the end.
“What will you do with Elariya once we take her to your home?” Arielle asked in a tentative voice. “I hope you don’t intend to lock her in the dungeon.”
I gave her a thin stare. Arielle was clearly testing me again. Testing the extent of my cold-bloodedness. She was right to do so. She didn’t want me to hurt Elariya.
How I killed the rebel Fae was no secret. Arielle knew I didn't care that I'd destroyed him in mere seconds. I was sure she also knew I’d enjoyed it.
All prisoners belonged in the dungeon. Elariya should be no different. Yet she was. No one had to know that though. Not yet. “I’ll make that decision once we dock.”
“Wolfe—”
“Arielle, I said I’ll decide when we dock.”
Disapproval filled her eyes. “Just remember things will be easier for you if she’s compliant. Some compassion couldn’t hurt.”
“I’ve already shown sufficient compassion. She has a room onboard this vessel and plenty of food to eat.” Another captor would have forced Elariya to her knees and shoved his cock down her pretty little throat.
“I’m not saying you have to give her a royal bed, but please don’t put her in a dungeon.”
My mind snagged at the mention of a bed and continued down the pasture of filthy thoughts. I imagined Elariya spread out in a royal bed.
My bed.
I’d lay her out like a sacrificial virgin with nothing on but fear robbing her skin of color and the scent of her arousal. The thought made my cock stir and the flow of hot blood tugged on my gut like chains.
I clenched my jaw and leaned in, trying to control my wandering mind. And my damn cock. That reaction had been happening to me a little too often for my liking. I needed to do better to control myself.
“When we return to Galaythia, I have specific tasks for all of you.” I schooled my mind, returning my focus to the present conversation and ignoring Arielle’s plea.
Of course, that infuriated her, and she looked like she wanted to burn me alive.
“Bastian, Alaric, you handle the rebels.
Keep them contained while we work on the spell.
We can't afford any distractions. I need as much time as I can get in case we need to test different options for the spell.”
“At your service.” Bastian smiled.
Alaric nodded his acceptance. “We'll double the patrols around the palace perimeter. After what happened at the festival, we’ll make sure we have all bases covered.”
“Good. We also need to keep up the appearance that we’re investigating. That will throw Dreynthor and his spies off our scent.” That fucking asshole was always watching me. And he knew that I knew.
“That may prove difficult eventually,” Bastian pointed out.
“I know, but until such time, we need to make sure they see what we need them to see. The moment I lose my leverage of keeping Elariya secret, things will get substantially harder. I need to be way ahead by then.” Or have the ring upon my finger.
“Leave the investigation to us. You do what you need to do,” Alaric said, his tone echoing the reminder that I didn’t have to do everything myself.
I dipped my head in gratitude, then turned to Garrick and Arielle. “You two will assist me with the spell. We're the most powerful practitioners here.”
Arielle’s visit to the ghost roads had come in more useful than I thought. I would need her help crossing the planes, and Garrick’s healing magic in case anything went wrong. They were both perfect to assist me. One was an expert in Galdrlore, the other in Fray magic.
I’d mastered countless forms of magic where I could manipulate shadows, silence a heartbeat with cold fire, and rip the soul out of a being, but I lacked the refinement of a true Galdrmester. As for the Fray, there was no better person to help me than a high-level mage.
Garrick was already nodding enthusiastically.
I looked at Arielle, noting she appeared more troubled than before.
“I need you to assist Elariya and help her restore her magic. Portaling has burned her out a lot longer than I’d hoped.
For the spell to be successful her magical connection has to be whole, or at the very least healing.
I think she’ll respond better to another mage. ”
Arielle shifted uncomfortably in her seat, uncertainty clouding her features. “I’m not so sure that me helping her will be a good idea. Especially if she’ll be in a dungeon.”
I clenched my jaw, hating that she was trying to coax me back into seeing things her way. “That’s not how things work.”
“Forgive me, my Lord, but you may need to do things differently in this situation.”
“Arielle,” Bastian cut in because she was stepping over that line again. “Tone it down.”
“No, Bastian. This is important. I must speak.” She looked back at me. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do with the spell, but I won’t sit outside a dungeon and watch Elariya hate me even more than she already does.”
The bite in her tone suggested I'd missed something between Arielle and Elariya.
“What makes you think she hates you?” I asked.
Arielle’s chest caved as she placed her palms against the table. “I tried to speak with Elariya earlier. She didn’t want to see me. She could barely even look at me. She thinks of me as a betrayer.”
Great. That was the last thing I needed. More hostility. “You didn’t betray her.”
“I did. She knows I reported everything to you. Besides that, I invaded her mind. That’s not a nice thing.
” She paused for a beat, glancing down at the swirling patterns the wood made on the table.
She looked back at me, her eyes heavy with shame.
“It was inappropriate. I saw everything. Things she didn’t show me.
I felt her pain, her fear, her desires, everything.
You only share that information with those you trust. She doesn’t even know me. ”
I understood her, but things like compassion would slow us down and maybe even ruin my plans. “You need to do this for me whether Elariya wants your company or not.”
“I’m not going to be much help if she sees me as an enemy. Her resistance could destabilize the entire spell.”
“Then you need to find a way to make her compliant.”
“Wolfe, I’m telling you that being around me while she’s locked up will only make things worse for you. Right now, she probably hates all of us. She's still refusing to eat and won’t even change her dress.”
Something dark and possessive stirred beneath my skin at her words. “She still hasn’t eaten?”
“I took her food earlier only to find that everything Sirril cooked her remained untouched, including the clothes.”
Of course, my little mage would choose defiance. A small part of me admired her spirit, but the darker, desperate part wanted to break her.
“I'll deal with her.”
“Wolfe—”