Chapter 11 #2
The way he spoke killed the little bit of smirk I had remaining, and I think Voss felt the same way about it.
“Yes, My Lord. It would be a shame,” he said, his jaw visibly clenched.
If Keres noticed Voss’s dismay or rising anger, he didn’t react to it. In fact, he was still staring down at his glass. The glass he hadn’t touched once.
“It almost makes you wonder…” Keres said quietly.
“Wonder what, My Lord?” Rusor finally spoke up, his question sounding genuinely curious. The sound of his voice seemed to break Keres from whatever train of thought he was riding.
“I thought it was obvious.” He looked around the table, all the eyes staring back at him clearly clueless.
It was starting to dawn on me what he found so curious, and I felt my heart sink.
“Whatever he is hiding must be quite important. I can’t wait to find out what it is.
Anyway, Voss, I want you back in the Court of Wolves tomorrow. Your sister will be fine.”
I heard the scoff from the opposite side of the table, and I knew it came from one of Voss’s lieutenants.
My breath stopped as I watched Keres’s foot slide slowly across the floor until it hit my knee.
I felt my eyes close and my magic release like I’d done a hundred times before, although what happened next wasn’t exactly what I had expected or intended.
Frost seeped into the table that sat right at eye height for me, spreading like a spider's web across the wood until it met the man in question.
My gaze snapped up, the movement beyond my control, as his entire body froze solid.
My breath came out in an audible whoosh as the ice slowly stopped around the feet of his chair, mere moments from spreading towards the floor.
My gaze dropped back to the ground as everyone except Keres and Lovel were standing around, their chairs knocked over in their haste to escape the frost they thought would come for them next.
I tried to slow my breathing, calm my racing heartbeat, my eyes darting back and forth along the stone floor beneath my legs.
I’d been cold before with Keres’s speculation into Cedar and his value, but now I felt as if my blood was on fire from within my veins.
I wanted to jump to my feet and flee the room, but I stayed rooted in silence as the moments passed by slowly.
Keres started talking to the others, but my mind wasn’t here, my mind was buried in the past, wishing to be anywhere else.
His grip was digging into my arm as he dragged me down the long golden hallway. “Master, what is bothering you?” I whimpered as my feet tried to keep up with his pace.
“Not now, Cora. Come along.” He sounded angry, and it was clear he was in a hurry, so I bit my tongue and tried to keep up.
We rounded the corner into the main hall where we normally had our weekly entertainment with Keres.
The massive ice statue of him would need to be touched up soon, and I made a mental note to ensure I did so—hopefully before he could notice it lacking.
He aggressively grabbed my other arm and pushed me back against the wall, but my gaze stayed towards the floor. I could hear his heavy breathing and I wanted to comfort him, do something to ease his suffering. As his breathing slowed, I fought the urge to glance up at him.
“Little dove…” His voice trailed off as he let out another slower breath. “Little dove, look at me.”
My gaze slowly rose to meet his and I bit my lower lip in an attempt to rein in my emotions. He hated when any of the females were emotional—especially me. So I buried it like I always did for him.
“Are you sure she doesn’t remember?” he asked slowly. I watched as his eyes took in the entirety of my face and I found myself confused and conflicted. What was he… Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.
I felt my heart speeding up and my palms felt damp. The tingling in my stomach tried to rise but I threw up the dark mental obsidian wall around my magic, willing it to remain calm. Not now. Not here.
I felt my head shaking up and down in a ‘yes’ manner.
“She better fucking not, Cora,” he growled, his voice harsh once again. “Stay here. Do not be seen, but ensure you can see me. If I suggest a meal? You kill them all. Am I clear?” He was whispering, but his voice hadn’t sounded this stern since I got Silv out of this castle he tried to kill her in.
I nodded my head slowly. I still wasn’t even sure what was happening, but what else was I supposed to do? Tell him no? That was never an option. It happened once, and no. Not again.
I pressed myself back against the wall as he stormed away and down the hall across from me.
I tried to focus on my breathing, and calming my magic before he came back, but I didn’t move from where he put me.
I stood there, still and breathing, until I heard voices coming from back down the hall.
I quickly turned around and moved down the hall he’d pulled me from and hid in the shadows, ensuring I could see Keres.
He was seated at the base of his ice sculpture, but he was the only one I could see. I tried to focus on the voices with him. I could hear their heartbeats, so I knew them to be vampires as well. However, I couldn’t see anyone from where I was standing.
“You removed the pillows,” a soft feminine voice said.
A voice I’d know anywhere. A voice that only visited in my dreams now.
My breathing stuttered to a stop and I stared at Keres, waiting for some sort of reaction.
Anything. I couldn’t—no, I wouldn’t do what he told me to.
I refused. Everything I’d done, every lie I’d told myself, every single time I’d bent and shaped myself into something he’d want just so he’d let her live. Let her be free.
I pushed out a breath as I tried to focus on the conversation again.
“Have either of you spoken to Oren?” Keres asked the others.
I slowly edged myself around the corner of the wall so I could see better. I could make out a tall male with no hair and a long beard who appeared to be more giant than male. “He’s been unreachable as of late,” the male stated.
“Well, we’ve all heard what trouble his court has been facing lately.
Maybe it was his doing?” Keres said. His voice had an air of confidence that threw me off balance when I compared it to the male who dragged me down the hall only moments ago.
“Either way, I’m not sure I can help you.
I haven’t had any issues in my court that have been brought to my attention, but then again, I run a tight ship here, so I can’t say I’m surprised. ”
I wasn’t sure who the male was, but he didn’t appear to believe Keres at all.
Not that I blamed him. I’d learned during Keres’s meetings that Oren was the ruler of the Court of Wolves.
He was here as a guest before, but he was in the dungeons right now.
He threatened Keres and I hadn’t seen him since, aside from the kitchen staff whispering about him.
I didn’t dare wander down below the castle in fear that Keres would put me back down there. I wasn’t sure I could handle it again.
I took in the rest of the group, and it only took me a brief moment before my eyes landed on her.
I couldn’t see more than her back, her long icy white hair was tied back in a long plait over her shoulder and there was a raven on her opposite shoulder.
She had her arms crossed over her chest and she was wearing black tights and boots.
She seemed so… different than she did before, but I felt as if I was too.
Just in a different sort of way. She looked different; I felt different.
It had been almost a hundred and thirteen years to the day since I’d helped my big sister through the snow and prayed to all three of the Fates that she would survive and be happy with her freedom—away from here.
My eyes moved to the tall male beside her. He had long onyx hair and he was standing close to Silv. I knew, somehow I just knew, this was her mate. As if my magic whispered it to me, I could feel the threads that connected them. It was powerful and unbreakable magic.
She took a small step closer to him as thick black shadows started seeping from his body. It took me a moment to realize what I was seeing as the black tendrils roamed across the floor and wrapped around another body.
A male I’d seen many times over my lifetime since being brought here.
Viktor.
I gasped as my sister's mate wrapped Viktor in shadows completely for the smallest of moments before the black billows of smoke flowed back to his body, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ash in his wake. My stomach soured and I covered my mouth with my hand to contain my gasp.
Viktor was not only a dear friend to Keres, but one of his most trusted inner circle. They’d been together for years, and I couldn’t understand why Keres was just… watching. He said and did nothing. It didn’t make any sense…
“Well, now that that nasty business is taken care of, let’s have a meal. Shall we?” Keres asked, his voice chipper and at ease. Not at all what I would expect after watching Viktor meet his true end. “Might as well have a bit of fun since you came all this way for no reason.”
Let’s have a meal… No, I was wrong. He was angry, and he wanted me too… I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
I heard footsteps approaching me and I pressed myself farther back against the wall.
I didn’t have to wait long before his hand was around my throat and he was growling into my ear.
“If you speak a word out of turn to them, I will make you watch as I kill them all. Slowly. Then you’ll be next, Cora. So choose wisely.”
He released me and walked down the hall towards the dining room and my fingers grazed along my throat. It wasn’t the first time he’d done such a thing. I knew I’d pay for my refusal later, but I couldn’t… no. I wouldn’t think on it another moment.
I let out a deep breath and pushed any and all feelings into the box behind the wall in my mind.
I could feel the tension draining from my body and I stood up straight, walking out into the great hall.
I did my best not to make eye contact with anyone—I didn’t need to see the look in her eye if she remembered me or not.
I looked up as the solid midnight black raven circled above me before flying back to Silv. I fought against the urge to call him back towards me as if he belonged to me and not her.
“Keres will see you in the dining room now, and then I will show you to your rooms,” I found myself saying. I couldn’t help but glance around the room at the males, and my eyes stopped on her for a moment before I could force my body to turn and walk back towards the hall.
“Cora?” I heard her voice say, almost a whisper. I wanted to turn and run into her arms. I wanted to hug her and hear all about her mate. About where she’d been and what she’d done and how she’d been. Things that normal sisters took for granted.
But I didn’t. I couldn’t. She’d die and I couldn’t allow it. I’d already done so much.
“Come along please,” I stated, trying to ensure my voice showed not even a hint of any emotion. I started walking, not turning to see if they followed. I couldn’t look her in the eyes again or I’d break.
A rough hand encircling my arm brought me back to the present.
“You may rise, little dove,” Keres said.
“I’m proud of you.” His tone was gentle, but it made my skin crawl.
I glanced across the table at Lovel. He was the only one around the table aside from Keres that didn’t look the least bit confused.
In fact, as he stared at me, I swore I saw a small smirk along his lips.
I did as Keres asked. I climbed to my feet, ignoring how tight all my muscles felt from being seated so long and pushed the memories back where they belonged—buried.
That night had changed everything for me, Keres just didn’t know it yet.