8. Chapter Eight - Wilder
“Leigh!”
I tear through Rowan Palace, my shout echoing off the walls.
Darkness engulfs me, thick and oppressive, broken only by the occasional flicker of the flames I’ve conjured to light my way.
The silence is deafening compared to the palace’s usual bustle.
My heart booms in my ears—each beat a reminder of the precious seconds ticking by.
She must be here.
The scent of burning plastic and chemicals drifts in through an open window, serving as a grim reminder of the pandemonium outside.
Adrenaline surges through my veins, causing my vision to blur.
I blink rapidly to clear it.
Leigh hasn’t been answering my calls.
Was the blackout a distraction to get to her?
Fear threatens to crush me.
“Leigh!” I holler again.
The silence that follows is like a closed book.
I check my phone for the hundredth time.
The screen’s harsh glow reveals three missed calls from Soter, two messages from Jaxson, and one voicemail from Isolde.
The city I’ve sworn to protect is falling apart, and I can’t stop it.
I think of my mom at the hospital, of Desiree in the Nest—are they safe?
My dad’s voice echoes in my head, disapproving and cold: “If I were in your position, I would never have allowed this to happen.”
I grit my teeth.
I channel the lessons I learned from Commander Eddo during my year in Aurora.
“Don’t panic,” I mutter, forcing deep breaths into my lungs.
“Assess the direst situation first, then start from there.” Leigh is the queen.
Finding her is the priority.
Though I admit she would be my priority even if she weren’t queen.
I redial Leigh’s number, but the call goes straight to voicemail.
Cursing, I dial Gianna’s number but get the same result.
“Where the hell is everyone?” I yell into the darkness.
Distant sirens pierce the night, accompanied by breaking glass and angry shouts.
Uncertainty gnaws at me, threatening to unravel my fragile composure.
I stare at Leigh’s last text.
She’d sent it hours ago, before her Council meeting.
My heart constricts painfully.
If anything happened to her .
.
.
“Wilder, are you okay?” Leigh’s voice cuts through the silence like a blade.
Relief showers me so intensely that I must clutch the railing to keep from falling.
I am so dizzy.
She appears at the top of the grand staircase.
I take the stairs two at a time, scanning her for any sign of injury.
I can’t speak—can’t move.
The fear and panic of the past hour crashes over me, leaving me breathless.
“Say something; you’re scaring me,” she mutters.
Leigh tucks a strand of hair behind her ear—a nervous gesture I’ve learned.
And suddenly, I’m laughing.
It bubbles up from deep in my chest, bordering on hysterical.
Leigh takes a step back.
“I’m scaring you ?” I manage between gasps of laughter.
“Yes.” She stares at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
And maybe I have.
As quickly as it came, my laughter dies.
I close the distance between us with three quick strides, my earlier fear morphing into something darker—more primal.
Leigh swallows hard, and I watch the delicate movement of her throat.
It would be so easy for someone to hurt her.
“When you didn’t answer your phone, I panicked,” I tell her.
Leigh blinks.
“I—I’m sorry. I left my phone in the car. But I’ve been here. I’m trying to pinpoint who could be feeding Stellan his information. Who has the motive?”
I shake my head, crowding her until her back hits the wall.
One of her ancestor’s portraits glares down at me disapprovingly, but I couldn’t care less.
This is between us.
“You lost your phone in the middle of an emergency?”
“Y-yes.” Her breath hitches.
I shake my head.
“Leigh, what am I supposed to do with you?”
She holds up her hands in surrender.
“I’m sorry.”
“I was worried out of my skull,” I admit, a bit harsher than intended.
How could she be so careless?
“Awe, poor baby,” she coos, gliding her hands up my chest.
The touch sends sparks through my body, and I curse her hold on me.
My life would be much easier if she weren’t such a distraction.
“What if your enemies find out the Blade Commander scares so easily?”
I groan, pressing my forehead to hers.
The contact grounds me.
Inhaling, I let Leigh’s familiar violet scent wash over me.
“I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks. You are what matters, which is why I am here when I should be out there?—”
Leigh kisses me, soft and sweet, but pulls away before I can react.
Gods.
I want her.
All the fucking time.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers again.
“Thank you for checking on me, but I am fine and safe. I sent some of my guards to get Gianna, and the others are inspecting the perimeter.”
“You drive me so goddamn crazy,” I murmur.
Leigh’s eyes widen slightly, and a mix of emotions flashes across her face.
Say it, I urge her.
I want to hear her say it.
I’m not going anywhere.
She can rely on me if she can’t rely on anyone else.
“I’m sorry.” This time, there’s a hint of a smile playing on her face.
“I’ll try to be more careful.”
I sigh, tearing a hand through my hair.
“You better.”
She nods, her expression softening.
“I promise.”
Good.
“How bad is it out there?” Leigh asks, worry creasing her brow.
“Bad,” I admit.
The streets remind me of a dystopian novel.
People are fighting, looting, and scared for their lives.
Leigh rolls her bottom lip between her teeth.
“What caused the blackout?”
“I don’t know yet, but I have Soter looking into it.”
“Well, while he’s at it, he should look for Janus Dyer.”
“What do you mean? Where is the president?” I ask.
Leigh snorts.
“Your guess is as good as mine. She no-showed to our Council meeting.” Her gaze darkens.
“She did it on purpose.”
“Woah.” I steady her with my hands on her shoulders.
“Slow down. What do you mean?”
“I can’t present changes?—”
“No, sorry, what do you mean she no-showed?”
“She called and said she wasn’t coming, and then the power outage happened.”
My attention drifts out the window facing the city, and unease tightens my shoulders.
If Janus is out there and in trouble, we need to find her.
Without another word, I release Leigh and take out my phone, bringing it to my ear.
“Who are you calling?” Leigh asks, touching her face.
“Soter.”
“Why?”
“To tell him about Janus.”
Leigh’s brow wrinkles.
“Do you think she’s in trouble?”
“It’s possible.” Considering how I overreacted about Leigh, I don’t want to jump to any conclusions about Janus.
But we can’t be too careful until we know what’s going on.
“Oh, gods.” Leigh starts to pace.
“What if something happened to her?”
“It’s going to be—Soter!”
“It’s about fucking time,” Soter replies.
“Did you find her?”
“Yes,” I grumble.
Soter laughs, but there’s no humor in it.
“I told you so.”
“When you are done preening, we have a new situation on our hands.”
Soter stops laughing.
“What sort of situation?”
“Janus Dyer called out of the Council meeting before the blackout. I want to know why,” I explain, and Soter curses under his breath.
“Find her and ensure her safety. But don’t alert the media. We don’t need the whole city searching for her in this circus.”
“What do you want me to do?” he asks.
“Go to her house?”
“Where are you now?”
“Poseidon’s Wharf,” Soter replies, and I scratch my head.
He’s too far.
Janus and her wife live in Broomwood.
Leigh watches me with vast, worried eyes.
“Jaxson’s closer,” I reply.
“I’ll have him go.”
Leigh says something.
I cover my phone’s mouthpiece and lower it.
“What?”
“The vampires,” Leigh says, her hands clench at her sides.
“They didn’t show up either.”
That’s suspicious.
Dread settles over me like an icy cloak.
“WILDER!” Soter screams into my phone.
I cringe and raise it.
“What?” I snap.
“I know what caused the blackout,” Soter says darkly.
“What is it now?” Leigh’s eyes search mine.
I put my phone on speaker.
“Soter, you’re on speakerphone with Leigh.”
“Hi, Leigh,” Soter purrs, but there’s an edge to his voice.
“What’s going on?” Leigh asks, all business.
Gone is my girlfriend, and in her place is my queen, her spine straight, her gaze fierce.
Soter clears his throat.
“Wilder, check your messages. I just sent you Stellan Navis’s latest article. You will want to read this.”
Leigh peers at my phone as I open the attachment.
The Queen’s Failures Laid Bare
By Stellan Navis
AS darkness engulfs half the nation due to the Bersa Power Station workers’ strike, demanding higher wages from Epsilon Plant owner Michael Bersa, who refused to increase pay following the War Letters revelation, one thing is crystal clear: Queen Leigh’s leadership is severely lacking.
Plant workers left their posts this afternoon, leaving the plant undermanned.
This caused a fire, which darkened parts of Aurora and several other cities, including the capital.
These cities share the Bersa Station grid.
Countless citizens are left without power, and lives are in disarray.
Where is our queen during this crisis?
Instead of demanding a solution or retribution for the Nebula people, she spent the evening swapping stories with the Council.
She is too self-absorbed to realize that the Nebula people her ancestors betrayed are crying out for her.
She has tunnel vision, prioritizing her pet projects over the needs of the masses.
We need better leadership.
I plan to provide that leadership.
Consider this article my official bid for Mayor of Aurora.
I am kicking off my campaign now and will see that Aurora and the Nebula people are cared for.
We will no longer be ignored or left in the dark.
It’s time for a change, and I am ready to lead us into a brighter —
“That bastard,” Leigh screeches.
“I was going to propose dismantling the Labor Laws as well as the Lunar Witch centers, but his articles riled up the damn Council too much for them to listen to me!”
I stop reading.
My fist clenches around my phone.
Leigh is seething, her face flushed.
“Soter, I am going to have to call you back,” I say.
“Someone on the Council is Stellan’s source.” Leigh’s voice shakes with rage.
I glance between my phone and Leigh.
“That’s what he claims, but you can’t know for su?—”
“No. I believe it. Most of what he says is too personal.” Leigh paces before me again, her footsteps heavy on the floor.
“What about your grandmother?” I ask, and Leigh shoots me a death glare.
But then she pauses.
I can practically see the wheels turning in her head.
Don betrayed her, so why wouldn’t Jorina?
“Hmm,” Leigh muses, her brow furrowed.
“My grandmother knows about my intentions with the Lunar Witches. But why betray me? She has nothing to gain.” She goes silent.
But then adds, “Janus wasn’t at the meeting tonight . . .”
The hair on the back of my neck lifts.
“Leigh, you should talk to Jorina and Janus before you drive yourself mad with conspiracy theories,” I say.
“They might’ve advised you to pause on your Lunar Witch endeavors, but assisting Stellan seems brash.”
“True, but what should I think, given the circumstances? Someone is betraying me and the Council, and until we learn who, the Council will be at odds. It’s what Stellan wants.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Leigh.”
“The president is purposely being vague, Borealis is in shambles, and Stellan Navis, who is intent on sowing division, has declared that he’s running for mayor. What am I supposed to do, Wilder? I can’t deal with everything happening here and what’s happening there. But someone has to stop him. Another article, and I am afraid he’ll push us all over the edge.”
I nod.
Leigh’s right.
Someone needs to deal with Stellan and see to the power outage issues, but she can’t be in two places at once.
I don’t want to go, but Leigh needs someone she trusts to align Aurora with Borealis.
I fear that if Stellan continues to post his rhetoric, he may achieve the support of all Nebula there and here, at the cost of angering a lot of influential Epsilon.
They won’t stay quiet for long.
And when they retaliate, it won’t be pretty.
“I’ll do it.” Leigh’s eyes widen at my words.
“I’ll go to Aurora, tend to the power outages, and find Stellan.”
“And get him to shut down his paper?” she asks, a hopeful note in her voice.
“Technically, he hasn’t done anything wrong,” I tell her.
Leigh groans, rubbing her temples.
“Stellan is turning all the Nebula people against me.” My heart aches for her.
“He is running for mayor, building his platform by taking me down.”
“Let me talk to him. I used to live in Aurora. I have friends there. They will help me find him, and when I do, I can convince him that if he keeps publishing those articles, he will have a civil war on his hands.”
Leigh isn’t looking at me anymore.
Her equerry is walking up the stairs.
“Yes?” she asks the tall, decorated woman, her voice hard.
“There’s someone here to see you,” the equerry says.
Leigh and I exchange wary glances.
“Now?” My hand instinctively reaches for my weapon.
Leigh notices and rolls her eyes.
“Who?”
“A representative from Lua.”
My eyes narrow at the equerry’s reply.
“Lua? The wolves?” Leigh purses her lips.
“But why now?” I ask.
Of course, they show up when the city is at its most vulnerable.
They could mean her harm, but Leigh is already heading down the stairs.
“Leigh! Wait,” I protest, but my phone rings.
It’s Soter.
Goddammit.
It could be about Janus.
“Fuck.” I point at the equerry.
“Alert the guards if you haven’t already. Stay with her.”
“It’s my job to keep her safe. I suggest you do yours,” the equerry says, then she hastens after Leigh.
With Janus missing in action, Stellan’s rising influence, and now the wolves at our door, I fear we’re in for a rough ride and not the enjoyable kind.