Chapter 35
Thirty-Five
RONAN
ELLNESARI, PRESENT DAY
O utside Lord Valkor’s manor, we find a small army of soldiers wearing silver armor and indigo blue capes.
Their skin tones are all different shades of blue, and they all possess striking hair and eye colors.
My guess is most are from the Lynx Kingdom.
But some aren’t from Lynx, and they stick out like chickens in the North Pole.
I easily spot Ronwen with his flaming red hair and freckled face.
Until now, I had been certain he’d betrayed us, but in his gaze, I see nothing but relief.
He takes a step forward, but a stern look from the blond soldier near him sends him back in line with his gaze down.
The blond looks familiar—it takes me a few seconds to place him.
He’s the captain of the Aquila army, which doesn’t make any sense.
Why is he here? Fuck. Maybe Ronwen did betray us after all.
From the fire into the frying pan.
Ollie shudders in my arms, and I clutch her tighter against my chest. The youngster has stopped crying, but she won’t release the hold her tiny hands have around my shirt.
The fright hasn’t left her body yet. She reminds me of myself, and it pains me that her young life has been marked by violence and death already.
It took months for me to feel truly safe after King Raphael saved me.
I move closer to Cheryl, who carries Rio in her arms. If I weren’t holding Ollie, I’d use my body to shield her.
The newborn was wailing a moment ago—hungry is my guess.
But unlike human babies who need milk, vampire babies need blood.
Cheryl didn’t waste a second before she cut her palm and started nursing him.
The sight of her feeding Rio mended my heart even more, as if a piece that was missing had locked into place.
In turn, Cheryl’s gaze softened when she saw me take care of Ollie.
There’s no time to unpack any of that. I don’t even know where we stand in our relationship. We need to find out what Castiel plans to do with us. I’m about to ask him again how he found us, but a commotion to my left makes the words die in my throat.
Two Lynx soldiers walk up dragging Lord Indigo, who looks worse for wear.
His robes are in tatters, and he has several scratches on his face.
A pack of shadowbeasts follows them, and even though they seem nonthreatening, a ripple of uneasiness goes through me.
The soldiers before us also seem uncomfortable.
They can’t see the shadowbeasts, but they can sense their evil presence.
Ollie whimpers in my arms, hiding her face against my chest. I pat her head. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re safe.”
The soldiers bring Lord Indigo to Castiel and force him onto his knees. Castiel looks at his brother with contempt. “So… this is what you’ve been up to—kidnapping and breeding vampires with the likes of Lord Valkor. Pathetic.”
Lord Indigo glowers. “Who are you to talk? You made your bed with the Aquila scum.”
Castiel’s lips twist into a sardonic grin. “My alliance with King Ruel was sanctioned by the crown. Your actions, on the other hand, were not.”
Lord Indigo laughs without humor. “What did you expect me to do after you convinced Father to exile me? Confess, brother. You wanted me out of your way, just like you got rid of Dedrik.”
Murmurs of surprise ripple through the Lynx soldiers.
Castiel’s reaction is different, though.
His eyes flash with fury just before he grabs his brother by the hair and yanks his head back hard enough to inflict pain.
“How dare you insinuate I had anything to do with Dedrik’s passing?
He wasn’t only our brother; he was my best friend. ”
Lord Indigo laughs. “Your best friend is King Ruel’s son, or should I say, was . He finally found out about your duplicity and?—”
Tendrils of black smoke emerge from Castiel’s wrists and wrap around Lord Indigo’s throat, then choke him. I had no idea the Lynx prince could control shadows. Lord Indigo’s eyes bug out as he fights to draw in air. Does Castiel mean to end his brother in front of everyone?
“You’re killing him!” Cheryl starts.
Castiel turns to her. “And? Don’t tell me you pity the male responsible for your imprisonment and the kidnapping of who knows how many vampires.”
Cheryl’s eyes become rounder. “He was responsible for it all? What about Lord Valkor?”
“A pawn my brother used to open the portals. Why do you think Lord Valkor looked like a corpse?” Castiel responds, but a moment later, he releases his brother, who falls onto his hands, gasping for air.
“But killing Indigo isn’t in my purview.
He’ll be brought back to the Lynx court and receive his punishment in front of the entire kingdom. ”
“No,” Lord Indigo whimpers. “Please, be done with me now.”
I glance at Cheryl, and she seems as surprised as I am. What kind of punishment could possibly await Lord Indigo in his own court?
“What about us?” I ask.
Castiel stares at us, then glances at the blond captain from Aquila. They share a loaded glance, and then finally Castiel answers, “You’ll come to Lynx.”
“And then what? Are we your prisoners now?” Cheryl’s voice rises in pitch.
With a tilt of his head and an arch of his brows, Castiel replies, “Prisoners? Of course not. You’re coming to the Lynx court as my guests.”
Narrowing my eyes, I ask, “What if we don’t want to visit your court? Are we free to go, then?”
Guilt seems to flash in his eyes before he shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s the wisest decision for you.”
Right. Guests my ass .
“This isn’t a leisure visit to Ellnesari,” Cheryl grits out. “We’re looking for?—”
“You’re looking for Manu and Karl.”
Every fiber in my body turns as rigid as a rock. “What do you know about them?”
“I know where they are, and before you ask, no, you can’t go to them. You’ll have to wait until they return.”
“That’s a load of crap!” Cheryl cries out, startling Rio, who begins to cry in earnest. Her face falls, and guilt emanates from her. Rocking him, she whispers, “Shhh… I’m so sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Castiel stares at her. “This isn’t a trick. Besides, if you go after your brother and his mate, who will care for your new charges?” He looks pointedly at Rio and then at Ollie in my arms.
Shit. He’s realized Cheryl and I have become attached to these children. He might have been Rikkon’s friend in a distant past, but I wouldn’t put it past him to use the knowledge against us. For now, I’ll have to pretend that I trust him.
“Very well. We’ll go to Lynx with you and wait for Karl and Manu there.”
Through my connection with Cheryl, I sense her displeasure. When we lock gazes, I read rebellion loud and clear in her turbulent green eyes. But she doesn’t utter her objections out loud, and my guess is that’s because of the baby in her arms.
Needing to reassure her and be near her, I step closer and kiss her forehead. “It’ll be okay, Cher. Trust me.”
The connection works both ways, but I hope she doesn’t sense the seed of doubt in my heart. Even though Castiel seems friendly, Nightingales can’t be trusted, and he has an agenda. I’m just not sure yet what role we’ll play in his plans.