Chapter 18
Eighteen
MANU
ELLNESARI, PRESENT DAY
I can’t say the experience improves the more times you walk the wind. When we land in the middle of nowhere, I’m sick to my stomach. I let go of Castiel’s arm and step away from him, holding my middle. I’m also lightheaded on top of it. I hate this.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“No. I’d puke if I had eaten today.”
“The nausea will pass soon.”
A second later, Telar materializes. He takes one look at me and arches a brow. “Did you throw up, savage?”
I hiss, baring my fangs. “Keep calling me that and I’ll show you savage.”
He scoffs. “I’m trembling in my boots.”
Castiel shakes his head. “Tell me, Telar. Were you born an asshole, or was your delightful personality honed through the years?”
“Bite me,” Telar retorts.
Castiel clears his throat, reminding Telar that he’s a prince. His arms are crossed, but the upturn of his lips tells me he’s more amused than offended by Telar’s lack of respect. The blond soldier misses that detail, though, because in a low whisper, he adds, “Your Highness.”
When Telar turns toward a boulder covered in vines, Castiel’s gaze drops to his ass.
And the plot thickens . It seems their animosity is caused, in part, by unresolved or unrequited feelings.
I can’t tell if Telar bats for the other team, but Castiel definitely does, a fact confirmed when he catches me staring and seems embarrassed.
The freckles on his face brighten, and he quickly turns away.
I’m guessing that’s his version of blushing.
Telar raises one arm, palm facing forward, while his brow furrows in concentration. When he whispers words I don’t understand, the vines part, revealing the entrance of a cave. I could have sworn nothing but solid rock hid underneath those vines.
It’s pitch-black inside, as if darkness has swallowed all the light. My stomach coils tightly while dread licks the back of my neck. It’s not fear of the dark that’s making me leery—it’s a horrible feeling that something evil hides deep inside the cave.
“What is this place?” I ask.
Telar doesn’t bother replying. He looks over his shoulder with a haughty expression aimed at me; then he glances at Castiel, and a muscle in his jaw tics.
I’m not sure what to make of his reaction toward the prince of Lynx, but I’m too concerned about my own fate to worry about the dynamics between my captors.
Telar disappears into the gaping hole, and it’s like he’s completely gone. I don’t sense him anymore.
“You’ll see soon enough,” Castiel replies, then motions with his hand. “Ladies first.”
I snort. “Right. Don’t you mean ‘captive first’?”
“I’d prefer to use the word guest .”
“I don’t think you know the distinction between those two,” I grumble.
There’s nothing for it but to follow Telar into the cave. Magic ripples through my body as I enter, and then the darkness vanishes. I’m standing in the middle of a well-lit tunnel. The light comes from blue fire lamps attached to stone walls that have been polished to perfect symmetry.
Telar is waiting for us, sporting his usual scowl.
“Careful, buddy. Your face might end up frozen like that forever,” I tease. “Then how are you going to get laid?”
His eyes widen. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, you don’t have a lot going on in terms of personality, and if you lose your looks…” I tsk. “Tough luck.”
Castiel chuckles, earning an annoyed glance from Telar. “Can you please tell your guest to shut her piehole?”
I’m sure it costs Telar a lot to play nice with Castiel. But he’s a prince, and Telar is only a soldier.
“Nah, I’m enjoying this too much. Now let’s move. Your refusal to walk the wind has put us behind schedule.”
Telar grumbles and strides forward. But he gets his wish, for I have no desire to keep taunting him. The feeling of dread increases with each step I take. I glance at Castiel, and he seems completely at ease. If he senses the doom that hangs in the air like a thick blanket, it doesn’t bother him.
We walk in silence, and the only noise echoing around us is from our steps rasping against the ground. The tunnel seems to go on for an eternity, and I lose track of time. Normally, I’d ask how much farther, but I have no desire to arrive at our destination.
We do, eventually, reach the end, a set of simple double doors made of a strange material. It isn’t wood or metal, but it emits some type of wave, and the surface shimmers. Curious, I lift my hand, but Castiel holds my arm.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Why not?”
“Because you will fry if you touch it,” Telar responds.
Fucking great. An electrified set of doors.
They open inward, leading to a grand silver room with a high, domed ceiling.
Here, instead of illumination being provided by flames, there’s a huge crystal chandelier hanging from above, and the light seems to come from inside the crystals, which are of varied sizes, the smallest one being the length of my arm.
I gawk as I try to take everything in. Then I hear a familiar and awful noise capable of rendering the bravest warrior paralyzed with fear.
Shadowbeasts. I whirl around, ready to defend myself.
My nails have turned into claws, and my fangs are now twice as long.
In the far wall of the room, I spot several cells, and inside each, a shadowbeast prances, restless. They’re trapped inside by glass doors, allowing me to see the monsters clearly.
“What madness is this?” I ask more to myself than anyone else.
“Ah, the guest of honor has finally arrived,” a male says from behind me. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
I pivot, and King Ruel walks over. He’s a tall male, with shoulder-length strawberry blond hair and cold blue eyes.
Vivi and Rikkon’s father. Queen Maewe’s husband.
From what I witnessed yesterday, there’s no lost love between him and his cunt of a wife, but I’m tense just the same.
I don’t trust any of those motherfuckers.
“What’s this place?” I ask.
He waves his hand. “My secret spot away from court. Everyone needs their own haven, don’t you think?”
“You call this a haven?” I point at the shadowbeasts.
“Yes.” He walks toward one of the cages with his hands clasped behind his back. “In their bestiality, they have given me piece of mind.”
The shadowbeast approaches the glass submissively. No wonder King Ruel is so blasé about these monsters. They’re acting like harmless bunnies in his presence.
I narrow my eyes. “Because you’ve found a way to control them.”
He looks over his shoulder, smiling in a chilling way. Then he approaches me. “No, dear, you have it all wrong. I didn’t find a way to control them. I’ve recreated them, and thus they answer to me, their master.”
Castiel fidgets next to me. His eyes are narrowed to slits as he stares at King Ruel. What part of the king’s speech does he have a problem with?
King Ruel doesn’t seem to notice the prince’s reaction, for he keeps his attention on me. “In a way, it’s similar to the relationship between a vampire sire and their creation.”
How dare he make that comparison? I bristle, but one look at Castiel and his subtle headshake makes me swallow my retort. I have to be careful here. King Ruel can end my life with a snap of his fingers.
“Why am I here?” I grit out.
He starts to pace in front of me, his hands behind his back once more. “You’re here because you didn’t cross through the portal.”
“And you sent your lackey to fetch me.” I glance at Telar.
“Would you rather have been captured by a soldier loyal to my wife? I’m sure she’d love to have fun with you considering how she adores your family.” The jackass smirks.
Anger rises in my throat, but I bite the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from blurting out something stupid. A suspicion nags at me. “You knew I planned to stay, didn’t you?”
His smile broadens. “Yes, my dear. You must know by now that the gift of foretelling runs strong in the Gael line. Rikkon has it.”
“Yes, but I thought that power came from your wife.”
In an instant, his gaze darkens. “No, that’s what she wants everyone to believe. I’m the one gifted with foresight, but because she’s the ruler of Aquila, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her consort to have such a mighty gift.”
Boy, this dude isn’t bitter at all. He doesn’t like playing second fiddle to his wife, and he’s not even trying to hide it.
“So you let her pretend she was the one having all those visions. That must have sucked.”
He arches a brow. “I don’t think I’m familiar with that term, but if you meant to say it wasn’t pleasant, then you are correct.”
“You had a vision that I was going to stay behind, and you asked Mr. Congeniality to drag me here. What you haven’t yet clarified is why.”
“I’ll tell you the reason if you answer one question. Why did you stay in Ellnesari?”
Shit. I know he doesn’t care for his wife, but I’m not going to tell him I plan to kill her.
“What? You haven’t seen it in one of your visions?”
“I don’t need to have a vision to know what’s in your heart. You’re desperate. Your uncle is losing his mind, the vampire population is weakening, and your heart has been broken into so many pieces, it’s a miracle it still beats in your chest. You wish to kill my wife.”
I ball my hands into fists. “If you knew already, then why did you ask?”
“You think that if Maewe dies, it’ll break the curse she cast on you, don’t you? Let me tell you a secret, my dear. It won’t.”
My chest becomes so tight, it feels like there’s a boulder sitting on it, caving it in. Tears prickle my eyes, but I fight them. “So that’s it? The curse is unbreakable?”
“I didn’t say it was unbreakable. Maewe could lift the curse, but we know she’ll never do that.”
My shoulders sag. I really believed that Karl and I would be free if I ended the life of that miserable bitch.
“But if the ruling powers of Aquila shifted to someone else,” King Ruel continues, “they could lift the curse.”
I blink fast as I process his words. “What do you mean?”
“The curse Maewe cast used powers from the very core of Aquila. They come from the land itself. She’s the only one who can access that magic because, as you know, only females can inherit that power.”
My mind begins to spiral. “Are you saying that if the powers of Aquila shifted to Vivi, she could lift the curse?”
He nods. “Precisely.”
“So killing Queen Maewe would help me break the curse because Vivi would inherit the power once her mother died.”
King Ruel glances at Castiel, who steps forward.
“It isn’t that simple. The power of the land has to be transferred through a ritual.
Most rulers step down when they’re tired of the politics.
If a ruler dies before the ritual can be performed, the new ruler must earn the power through a series of trials that can take thousands of years. ”
“We can’t wait thousands of years,” I blurt out.
“No, and as you know, we’re on the verge of war,” Castiel continues. “The Aquila ruler must have access to their full powers or the kingdom will surely lose.”
I pull my hair back. “There’s no hope, then.”
“I wouldn’t have brought you here if there were none,” King Ruel chimes in.
“If there’s a way I can lift this damn curse, then stop beating around the bush and tell me how!”
“Watch your tone, savage. You’re speaking to the king of Aquila,” Telar barks.
I glower in his direction. I might not be able to beat King Ruel in a fight, but I bet I can scratch his minion’s pretty face before anyone can stop me.
“An ancient object exists that can transfer the power of the land from one ruler to the next without a need for a ritual. It’s called the Magna Vis,” the king answers calmly.
“However, it’s hidden in a place no Nightingale can escape from.
But you, my dear, are not a Nightingale. You can retrieve it for me.”
Alarm bells sound in my head. I glance at Castiel, and for the first time, I read discomfort in his expression.
“If it was only a matter of using a non-Nightingale person to find this object, you would have done it already. Why now, and most importantly, why me?”
“Because the Magna Vis is hidden in the Valley of Lost Souls. One must have a very strong tether to the outside world to find their way back,” Castiel replies.
Understanding dawns on me, and my blood seems to freeze in my veins. “Karl. I have Karl.”