Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
AURELIA
My stomach twisted as I pulled up to the palace, half-expecting to be turned away. If Dalek had already turned his people against me, this visit would end before it ever began.
Instead, I was greeted at the guardhouse with a polite smile and directed where to park.
“Dr. Vincovich’s nurse will be waiting for you at the main doors,” the guard said. “Enjoy your visit.”
The warmth in his voice unsettled me more than hostility would have.
A young woman stood just beyond the palace entrance, her posture professional, her expression open and kind.
“Tanya?” I asked as I approached.
“Yes, Dr. Ruzika,” she replied. “I’m Dr. Vincovich’s nurse. I’ll escort you to the office. Everything is prepared for your examination.”
She opened the doors and gestured for me to enter. Once inside, I stepped aside to let her lead. I had no idea where I was going.
The palace corridor was quiet, almost reverent, until shouting shattered the calm.
Boots thundered against stone. Doors slammed. The sound ricocheted off the walls, making me jump.
Tanya reacted instantly, pulling me back against the wall just as two men rushed past us. A third followed close behind, his voice sharp with fury.
“You might wear the crown now, old man,” Dalek snarled, “but I’ll have it soon enough, if it’s the last thing I do.”
My heart slammed violently against my ribs. That voice—cold, venomous—was nothing like the man I remembered.
Alexsandar’s voice echoed down the corridor. “Do not test the laws of this kingdom, Nephew. You know the consequences.”
“They’re your laws,” Dalek shot back. “Not those of our forefathers. I intend to restore what we were meant to be.”
Alexsandar stepped into view, four guards protectively closing in around him. His expression hardened, his voice deepening with authority.
“The only thing I changed,” he said evenly, “was how we treat our people—with fairness and reward, as they deserve.”
“A weakness,” Dalek sneered. “One I plan to correct.”
“You saw what became of your mother,” Alexsandar said, a note of warning threading his words. “End this madness now, or you will be cast out of our land.”
Dalek spun on his heel. “Never, you glorified bastard!”
The guards tensed. Tanya tried to shield me, but the words slipped out before I could stop them.
“What the hell?”
Dalek turned slowly, his gaze locking on to mine. The warmth that once lived there was gone, replaced by something dark and hateful.
“What are you staring at?” he snapped. “Don’t you know you’re standing before the next king?”
The words struck like a blow. Why was he acting as if he didn’t know me?
For a moment, confusion flickered across his face. Then recognition twisted into disdain. “Oh. Aurelia,” he drawled. “The failed psychologist.”
My chest tightened.
“Why are you here?” he continued. “I assumed you’d taken the hint and left town. No one wants you around. I made sure of that.”
This wasn’t the man I loved. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stand my ground. “Do you remember what I whispered to you,” I asked quietly, “before you threw me out of your castle?”
He smirked. “You said a lot of things. Why should I remember any of them? You’re out of my life now. Good riddance.”
I stepped around Tanya, a mistake on my part as his guards moved toward their guns. “I’m unarmed, assholes. You can pat me down if you don’t believe me.”
“What do you expect to gain by confronting me?” he sneered. “Slut.”
The word was deliberate. Calculated. He knew it was the one insult I would never tolerate.
Ignoring the warning bells screaming in my head, I reached for him. The instant my fingers brushed his hand, he recoiled violently, then seized my wrist, his grip painfully tight.
“Don’t ever touch me,” he ordered.
There was nothing. No spark. No recognition. Only cold fury. “Fine,” I shot back. “You can’t tell me what I said because you don’t know.” If looks could kill, I would’ve dropped dead at his feet.
He released my wrist and stepped past me, stopping just short of the exit. Without fully turning, he spoke, his voice eerily calm. “You spoke of love,” he said. “Once, I mistook my desire for you as something meaningful. The control. The way your body responded to mine.”
My stomach churned.
“That taste of dominance left me wanting more,” he continued coolly. “But now, I crave something greater. Power. Authority.” He glanced back at me, his eyes empty. “I have a new addiction.”
Bile surged up my throat. My vision narrowed, the corridor tilting dangerously. The last thing I registered was falling, then strong arms caught me.
When I opened my eyes, I was cradled against the chest of one of the king’s guards.
Alexsandar rushed toward me, his expression softening with genuine concern.
“Tanya,” he said gently. “Fallon, please escort Dr. Ruzika to the physician. When you’re feeling stronger, join us for lunch.” His gaze held mine, steady and reassuring. “We have much to discuss.”
I managed a weak nod. “Agreed.”