Chapter 19
Nineteen
KARL
ELLNESARI, PRESENT DAY
T here are many unpleasant aspects of walking the wind, but the worst by far is the need to get close to the person who has access to the magic.
The only Nightingales I trust in my personal space are Vivi and Rikkon.
My wolf rebels the moment Selor wraps his hand around my arm.
The need to shift becomes almost a compulsion.
But I fight it, because this is the only way I can hope to find Manu.
After a few trips in this manner, I come to the conclusion that the experience varies depending on who’s wielding the magic.
Selor’s power is erratic, and maybe it’s because we don’t know the destination, but I feel like a rag doll in a washing machine.
My body gets yanked in all directions every couple of seconds, making this a trip from hell.
Flashes of blue light pulse in the darkness, and paired with the constant motion, it’s almost impossible to concentrate on Manu’s scent.
“Have you found her trail yet?” Selor’s question pops into my head.
Fuck. I didn’t know he had telepathic powers. Since I can’t make my mouth work, I reply with a thought. “If you stop behaving like a damn roller coaster, I might have a chance.”
“The trip is choppy because I don’t know where we’re going. Find her scent before we’re torn apart!”
I clench my jaw and focus, but soon I realize it’ll be impossible to find Manu in my human form.
If I shift into a wolf, Selor’s hold on me will likely slip.
Son of a bitch. There’s only one thing I can do—attempt a partial shift.
But I’ve never done it quite as well as Cheryl.
Whenever I surrender to the wolf, it’s hard to stop halfway through.
Here goes nothing.
The muscles on my face shift, and my fangs elongate. Immediately, all sounds and smells around me become enhanced. But I have to concentrate to stop the shift from completing, and it fucking hurts. How can Cheryl do it like it’s a walk in the park?
On top of the pain, my senses become overloaded with too many new scents, and it’s hard to pick them apart. It takes me precious seconds to finally locate Manu’s signature woven in with all the other smells. The bond flares inside my chest, and the invisible tug pulls my body in her direction.
“I got it. What do I need to do?” I ask Selor.
“Nothing, wolf boy. I see it too. Hold tight.”
I don’t have a chance to ask him how he sees it. The shaking motion stops, and we zoom in Manu’s direction so fast, all my muscles tighten. I can guess this experience is similar to flying into space. A second later, it’s over, and I find myself on the ground, eating dirt.
I get on my knees, coughing out what got into my mouth. “Son of a bitch.”
“Shhhh,” Selor warns me.
The small hairs on the back of my neck rise.
Something is coming, and judging by the way my wolf is trying to come out, I can guess it’s not friendly.
We’re standing in front of a twenty-foot boulder covered with moss and vines, and behind us, the dense forest could be hiding all kinds of nasty creatures.
I’m about to shift when the vines move, parting down the middle and revealing the entrance of a dark cave.
A low growl comes from within, making the blood in my veins turn cold.
Selor assumes a defensive stance. “I think it’s time for your wolf to come out and play, boy.”
He doesn’t need to ask me twice.
I surrender to the shifter magic, but my body remains the same. “Something is wrong. I can’t shift.”
Selor curses under his breath. “Then you’d better be prepared to run.”
No sooner does he say that than he pivots and takes off. He doesn’t get far. Tree roots emerge from the ground and wrap around his legs, trapping him. The same thing happens to me. They twist around my legs and arms, and the more I struggle, the more they squeeze.
A Nightingale male emerges from within the darkness with two nightmarish beasts on either side.
They’re tall, reaching past the male’s waist, and gangly, with gray skin, red eyes, and razor-sharp teeth.
Those are the monsters that tore apart the soldiers of the Cygnus army.
The same aberrations that King Raphael fought when he was still a human.
The Nightingale male isn’t a stranger either. It’s King Ruel, Vivi and Rikkon’s father, looking calmly at me. “I’ve been expecting you, Karl Eriksson.”
“Where’s Manu?” I snarl.
“Impressive that you could track her to this location, but a pity that you missed her by a day. She’s gone.”
My heart sinks. “Gone where?”
He cocks his head to the side. “You can’t tell?”
Jesus H. Christ. What’s with these Nightingale assholes and their stupid games? “Just tell me, damn it!”
He shakes his head, making a tsking sound. “That’s disappointing. You see, she’s gone to a place that’s nearly impossible to escape unless she has a strong connection to the outside world. If you can’t find her, then I’m afraid she’ll be lost forever.”
“No!”
“You sent her to the Valley of Lost Souls,” Selor mutters.
King Ruel whips his face toward Selor, looking annoyed. “I thought you were dead, frozen by the princess of Cygnus Court.”
Selor’s eyebrows pinch together. “Did that truly happen? I have no recollection of it. How could that be possible? No one comes back from the eternal frost touch.”
The king waves a hand dismissively. “It matters not how you came back to life. What’s important is that I don’t sense the binding my wife put on your mind. She no longer has a hold on you.”
I have no idea what this asshole is taking about, but Selor’s eyes widen, and then relief seems to wash over his face. He closes his eyes and shudders. “I’m free at last.”
“Yes,” King Ruel replies, not hiding his glee. “Your mind is free, and now I have a use for you.”
Selor’s expression crumples. “Ah hell no. I’m not making another deal with your lot.”
The tree roots keeping Selor in place tighten even more, making the male scream in agony.
“What the hell!” I yell. “Stop it!”
My outburst must displease Vivi’s father, because he inflicts the same torture on me. If the roots keep tightening their grip, they’ll break all my bones. After a while, the pressure stops, and King Ruel moves closer to me. “You’re fortunate that I need you alive, pup.”
I glower at him. “I can’t believe Vivi and Rikkon came from you and that vile wife of yours.”
My mention of his children softens his gaze, but then his eyes harden again. “Don’t fool yourself. If Vryenn and Rikkon hadn’t spent millennia trapped in the human world, they would behave the same way I do. Living among humans made them soft… weak .”
“You see their empathy as a weakness when, in fact, it’s their greatest strength,” I grit out.
King Ruel laughs without humor. “We shall see. But let’s not worry about my children. You want your mate back, don’t you?”
My nostrils flare, and I don’t dignify him with a response.
“I will allow you to travel to the Valley of Lost Souls accompanied by Selor, but only if you both swear an oath to me.”
Fucking hell. All my instincts are telling me that making a bargain with King Ruel is a terrible idea, but I’m out of options. He won’t release me otherwise.
“Don’t do it, wolf boy,” Selor warns me with difficulty, barely getting the words out. Unlike me, the roots are still squeezing his body like a boa constrictor.
I shake my head. “I don’t have a choice.”
“Smart, pup.” King Ruel smiles.
“I won’t do it.” Selor shakes his head vehemently. “Kill me, torture me, do your worst. I won’t be bound to anyone ever again.”
I can’t blame him for his decision, but it doesn’t help me. Then I remember Selor is bound to me already. “You don’t need him to swear an oath to you. He’s already committed to guiding me through Ellnesari. If I make a deal with you, he’ll have no choice but to help.”
“No! Goddamnit, wolf boy. Don’t do this to me!” Selor pleads, but I have to ignore him and the guilt swirling in my chest.
I look away from him and stare into King Ruel’s eyes. “Let’s get this over with.”