Chapter 1 #2
A ghostly shriek carried down the hall, something sounding like “Find her, now!”
This was going to be great.
I wished Wyatt wasn’t dying so I could properly enjoy this.
I focused hard on not getting lost, since the halls were even more unrecognizable now that half the drywall was in chunks on the carpet. I kept my eyes on the artwork along the walls, looking for my mother’s favorites leading toward her personal apartments.
Just as I made it to the hall to her private residence, her second least-favorite Link, Julio, came scrambling into the hall.
“Look out, Rafe. She’s pissed.” He tore past me, muttering only in passing.
I blinked after him.
“Don’t have time for that,” I said to a few shadows that lingered down the hall. I’d kick his ass for that later. My mother needed me.
Or…her other Links needed me so they weren’t caught in the crossfire of her mood.
I strode into my mother’s bedchamber, surprised Raaz wasn’t here to stop me. Well, he’d never stopped me before, but–
The scene that greeted me was definitely out of an alternate universe.
There, in my mother’s bed, lay…Raaz. He appeared as if he were sleeping, his pretty curls fanned out on the silk pillowcase while he breathed peacefully. Besides an angry bruise on his temple, he looked fine.
My mother paced the room like a caged animal, not unlike my Key back at the farmhouse.
Hugo stood near a wall, watching my mother as she prowled.
Eduardo sat at Raaz’s bedside, giving me a look of alarm, and at his side was just who I needed to see.
Marion Holmes, sticking out like a ghostly apparition.
The old woman glanced at me with a tight expression.
“My Prince,” she greeted. She didn’t seem surprised to see me, and I narrowed my eyes at her.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked.
“Lena Iykos knocked him out,” Hugo said darkly. He ran a hand through his hair, looking older than he had the last time I’d seen him, which was so weird because we were talking about the guard.
“I’ll kill her,” my mother said viciously. “I’ll eat her fucking heart!”
Everyone except Marion stared at my mother with wide eyes.
She looked certifiably insane. Her gaze was wild, her hair disheveled. She wore a gown from the gala, though she clearly hadn’t made it. Her tiara looked seconds away from falling off her head. Hugo followed my gaze, then grabbed the tiara before setting it on the bedside table.
I didn’t have time for this. Raaz was fine, simply sleeping, like Aiden. But Wyatt was…I couldn’t even think the word. He would be fine. He would be fine, because I wasn’t leaving this room without Marion.
I turned to her. “I need you,” I said.
Marion nodded curtly, wobbling as she began to stand. Why my mother was comfortable having this ancient woman on her knees at the guard’s bedside was something I would ponder later.
“No!” My mom whirled around, pointing at me.
Marion shrunk back slightly, and I slipped in front of her. I’d take her by force if I had to. Wyatt was not going to die on my watch. I still owed him several sucker punches, plus a new one for this latest stunt.
“She’s here for me. Take another Healer,” my mom snarled.
“There are no other Healers!” I cried, frustration boiling over. “Where have you been, mother?!”
My mom narrowed her eyes at me. “I need her.”
“No, you don’t,” I snapped. “She’s coming with me.”
Marion stepped closer to me, unprompted, and she was definitely growing on me. I wasn’t sure what I did to deserve her loyalty to me over her loyalty to her almost-Queen, but I was grateful for it either way.
I’d never defied my mother this way, and certainly not in front of her Links and a Palace servant. Speaking of, why weren’t her Links reacting to my tone? I’d definitely have something to say if someone were speaking to Skye this way, even if it was only our child.
Eduardo only stared at Raaz, seemingly unaware of the confrontation happening around him. Hugo remained standing against the wall, his arms crossed and his jaw clenched. Julio wasn’t here, and who knew where my father could be. I’d bet he hadn’t even been in this room in years.
“He’s only sleeping, Your Grace,” Marion said gently to my mother.
“You will stay here until he is awake,” my mother spat. Her gaze somehow turned even more wild. “I am the Queen. You will do as I say.”
I tilted my head, ignoring how my mother had just named herself Queen, instead focusing on how her hands twitched.
It almost seemed like she was about to crack Marion’s mind open and force her to heal Raaz, even though there was nothing to heal.
But my mother’s dark eyes were trained on me, and her hands trembled as she fought with her own mind.
“Are you that far gone?” I demanded softly. “You’d hurt me?”
The air inside the room turned to ice as Hugo glared at me. He took a shaky step forward, torn between defending his Key’s honor and punishing me, something he’d never been allowed to do. My mother wasn’t in any real danger from me, but I could be from her.
A few shadows skittered around my feet, clearly sharing my confusion.
I loved my mother, but she wasn’t Wyatt.
“He’s just sleeping. Wyatt is bleeding out right now. Do you understand? One of the Prince’s Link-mates is going to die if you don’t get your shit together,” I snapped. Marion took another tiny step toward me, almost brushing against my arm, now.
My mother’s face turned even more furious. “I am the Queen!” She shrieked, then fisted her hair. “I will not have my Prince disobey me!”
“Then you’ll have to fight me,” I snarled, gently taking Marion’s arm and ignoring the insane fucking statement my mother had just made. “He’s sleeping. Wyatt is dying.”
“He’s only sleeping, my dear.” Eduardo’s quiet voice drew our attention, especially my mother’s. “Any Link in a Royal Chain is sacred. Do not hurt our son for protecting his Link-mates.”
My mother glared at him with a look that could’ve melted glass, but then she squeezed her eyes shut. She dropped her face to her hands, collapsing into Hugo’s chest.
He nodded to Marion. “Take her,” he said.
I sneered at him. “Do not think I’m acting with your permission. I was taking her regardless of how this played out.”
Marion didn’t react to the shadow-walking outside of a quick inhale.
We landed back in the dusty, salty farmhouse, the scene much quieter than the one we’d just left, but equally as intense. Zephyr was still at Wyatt’s side, his usually rich skin appearing ashen and flushed.
Skye whirled around to face us, her hand extended, ready to squish, and I jumped, holding my hands up placatingly as shadows obscured Marion behind me.
Skye dropped her hands as Marion peered over my arm. The old woman gasped, then ducked from around me, hurrying past Skye and clambering to the floor. Zephyr took one look at her and deflated with relief.
“You did well, besides nearly Exhausting.” Marion laid her hands on Wyatt’s chest, which was looking decidedly less caved-in than it had before I left.
“What took you so long?” Skye demanded.
Marion didn’t react to her ire, knowing it was aimed at me.
“Raaz is down. My mother was bordering on inconsolable.”
Skye covered her mouth with her hand, then shook her head.
“He was there,” she said. “He was with us when Lena put them out. I…I only caught Aiden.”
“Why’d she only put them out?” I wondered aloud.
“I think she tried to put me out after them, but it didn’t affect me.”
I pulled Skye to me, crushing her against my chest so suddenly, she squeaked in surprise.
My incredible Key, I whispered. So formidable.
Skye whimpered, and Zephyr glanced back at us for just a moment, checking in with her. His breathing was labored, his arms trembling slightly.
After several minutes of tense silence, Marion spoke.
“Royal Key, I need you.”
Skye and I stilled, and then Skye swallowed loudly before turning to face the Healer. I let her go reluctantly, and she dropped down beside her brother.