Chapter 2
Two
RONAN
A roar reverberates through the stone walls of the castle so loudly that, for a moment, I believe dragons have breached the fortress. Then the howling of wolves echoes, and I know the source of the noise. Karl and Cheryl are making a ruckus.
I stayed up all day, running the events of the previous evening through my head.
I fucked up royally. When I finally made progress with Cheryl, the confrontation between Karl and the king happened.
I couldn’t let her hurt Manu. It wasn’t only my sense of duty that made me stop her, or the fact that Manu is my friend.
If Cheryl had seriously hurt Manu, her life would have been forfeit.
I was protecting her as much as I was protecting Manu.
The loathing glance I received from Cheryl wounded me more than I thought it would. I don’t need to read her mind to know she believes I betrayed her, and now it seems I won’t get a chance to make amends. By the sound of it, things have escalated again.
I race out of my quarters like a bat out of hell. I expect to hear a commotion of guards running toward the noise, but the hallway is empty, which doesn’t bode well. Where the fuck is everyone?
I hear paws hitting the stone floor before I get a visual of Karl in wolf form. He’s coming for me, Cheryl not far behind him. Damn it. I don’t have a sword. I don’t want to hurt him, but I also don’t want his teeth anywhere near my neck.
I grab the nearest torch from the wall and use it as a makeshift weapon. “Stay back, Karl. I don’t want to hurt you.”
He doesn’t slow down. Instead, when he’s a few feet away, he pounces, leaving me no choice but to use what I’ve got.
I hit the side of his head, not hard enough to kill, but with sufficient force to knock him off his trajectory.
He hits the wall but lands on his paws and shakes his head to extinguish the small fire licking at his fur.
I expect Cheryl to attack me next, but she runs to her brother instead.
When he tries to sidestep her to attack me again, she blocks him. They snarl at each other.
Manu, Lucca, Solomon, King Raphael, and the High Witch appear at the end of the hallway.
That gets Karl’s and Cheryl’s attention.
She whirls around, forgetting him to focus her animosity on Manu, who looks worse than the last time I saw her.
She’s been crying, and judging by the way she looks at her mate with the deepest sorrow in her eyes, I can guess she’s about to start again.
“What’s the meaning of this?” King Raphael asks.
“I don’t know. I heard a noise outside my quarters, and I came to investigate, my king,” I reply.
His gaze narrows. “Did the wolves attack you?”
The last thing I want is to get Cheryl and Karl into more trouble with the king, but lying when the truth is painfully obvious would be stupid.
“Karl did. I’m not sure why.”
I glance at them, expecting another attack, but they’re both calmer now. It doesn’t make any sense until I feel the hint of magic in the air. The High Witch must have done something to them.
The king walks over until he’s standing in front of Karl and Cheryl. “You defied me, then proceeded to attack a member of my inner circle at the first opportunity. I ought to kill you both for treason.”
Manu gasps, clutching her throat.
“My king, I don’t think they’re acting rationally. Something else is afoot,” I intervene. I can’t allow the king to punish them in such a final manner.
He cuts me a look that says I should keep my mouth shut or I’ll be facing punishment as well. I grind my jaw until my teeth hurt.
“But for better or for worse, you’re my niece’s mate, and ending your life means forcing her to live a half-existence.
I won’t do that to her. It’s for that reason that, instead of sentencing you to death, I’m banishing you and your sister from my court.
If you’re ever caught trespassing on my lands, you will be executed. ”
Pain flares in my stomach as if I was punched in the gut. I look at Lucca, pleading with my eyes for him to intervene. All he does is shake his head. He has never disappointed me until tonight.
The king turns to Solomon, the first familiar. “They’re your problem now.”
He nods. “Yes, my king.”
The High Witch recites a spell that puts Karl and Cheryl in a magically induced sleep. I’m about to volunteer to bring them to Solomon’s hut when the king asks to speak to Lucca and me in private.
I spare another glance at Cheryl, wondering if I’ll ever see her again.
My chest has never felt this heavy. Even if she could forgive me for what I’ve done to her and her brother, what hope is there for us?
She’s banished from King Raphael’s court, and I’ll never desert him.
I’ve sworn to protect the king and his family, and I won’t break my vow.
With hunched shoulders, I follow King Raphael to his personal chambers. Lucca’s posture is as dejected as mine. No sooner are we alone with the king than Lucca speaks his mind. “Do you think banishing them will work to keep Karl away from Manu?”
“Solomon will make sure of it.” The king approaches the fireplace and watches the flames dance.
“By using his peculiar type of magic,” Lucca continues.
“Karl was intent on killing me tonight, and I can’t fathom why he’d be so vicious. Does his behavior have anything to do Queen Maewe’s curse?” I ask.
“No,” Lucca replies. “I’m at a loss as well for Karl’s behavior. And how he managed to escape his prison cell.”
The king turns and faces us. “I set Karl free.”
Lucca’s eyebrows arch. “Why?”
“Manu begged me to. She also made another request, and that’s why I asked to speak with you alone.”
Lucca and I trade worried glances.
“She doesn’t want anyone to remind her that Karl is her mate. You aren’t to talk, hint, or answer questions about their romantic relationship. He’s only her familiar.”
I open my mouth to swear on it, but then I feel the compulsion to follow the king’s orders. He’s using his power on us, binding us to his will. I’ve never felt more powerless in my life. Lucca’s eyes are wide as he stares at his uncle in surprise.
It takes a few seconds until the knowledge of what Karl is to Manu evaporates from my mind like an early-morning mist. I shake my head, trying to hold on to the memory, but I’m left with nothing but the annoyance of not remembering something important.