by Anna Santos
As much as I was enjoying the new clothes, I poured a bath and decided to wash myself while Dorian was entertaining the queen. I didn’t want to think about it. Right now, I couldn’t be selfish to the point of not letting him use this to our advantage. He was the only weapon we had to enter the palace and save my father. Soaking in hot water relaxed me.
The sound of the door opening made me sit up and cover my breasts.
“Snow?” Dorian’s voice chased away the tension in my shoulders.
“In the bathroom,” I announced.
My husband entered the room.
“What’s wrong? You’re sweating.” I made the move to leave the water but halted when he signaled for me not to worry.
“I’m just feeling a little hot,” he whispered, opening the buttons of his white shirt. He wasn’t wearing his black jacket. I assumed he had removed it when he entered the bedroom.
Dorian rushed to the sink and opened the water tap. He splashed water on his face and brushed his hair with his wet fingers.
I grabbed the linen towel on the chair next to the bathtub and got up to wrap it around my body. Holding my hair above my head, I tied an elastic band around it. I hadn’t washed my hair as drying it would waste too much time.
Dorian had his hands on the borders of the sink and was breathing in and out as if he was out of breath or stilling his heartbeat. I’d never seen him like that.
“Are you sure nothing is wrong?” I rested my hand on his back and leaned closer to see his face. “Did something bad happened?”
“I’m just feeling strange. I’ll be better soon. Don’t worry.”
I swallowed, unsure what to reply with. Of course, I would worry. “I thought you’d take longer. I know you didn’t want to do this … Did something happen that made you … You know?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Did she try to kiss you?”
“No. She acted colder than usual, but I’ll have another opportunity tonight. She’s throwing a feast to celebrate my arrival.”
“A feast? My funeral was two days ago, and the king is sick. That’s not appropriate.”
“Marlena doesn’t seem worried about what others might think. Maybe she believes that her plan won’t fail.”
I looked at the floor. Water was pooling around me, and I realized that I should dry myself and put some clothes on. “Let’s hope that Luke and Drake bring good news.”
Dorian’s fingers rested under my chin, and he guided my face to look at him. “Have I told you today that you’re beautiful and that I love you?”
I batted my eyelashes. “Are you feeling better?”
“A lot better now that I’ve seen your face.”
“Your eyes look red.” I raised my hand and touched his face.
A shiver ran up my spine and tickled my shoulders. It always happened when I thought of how beautiful he was. Could he be any more perfect? Was he this perfect because I was madly in love? Probably. The more I loved him, the more I found him to be flawless. There wasn’t a single thing I would change about him. Not even his red eyes when he looked tired.
I brushed the hair away from his cheek and placed it behind his ear. My hand ran down his tangled hair, undoing the knots, and wrapped behind his neck.
“What are you thinking?” Dorian questioned.
“My mind doesn’t say a lot when we’re facing each other.”
He grinned. “Your heartrate increased. Are you in love with me, wife?”
I chuckled and teased him. “No. Of course not. Why would I love a pale creature like yourself?”
“Vicious creature.”
I laughed.
His arm surrounded my waist, and he pulled me closer. “Once this is over, we are going on a long trip. My family owns an advanced post in a quiet place that is perfect for staying away from conflict and court drama. I’ve always thought about moving there with my wife. I know it may be cold and there’s not much to do, but we are also sheltered from the evil of this world.”
I covered his lips with my fingertips. “Once my father is fully recovered, we can go wherever you want.”
His smile melted me from within. I closed the distance between our mouths and kissed him. My arms laced around his neck, our bodies grinding together.
The knock on our bedroom door stole us from our perfect, timeless little world.
He spoke closer to my mouth. “Stay here and put some clothes on.”
I nodded.
Dorian left the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
Quickly, I grabbed another towel and padded to my clean clothes on the bench near the bathtub.
Voices reached my ears. Luke was back and was talking to Dorian. I didn’t have a keen sense of hearing like the vampires, so I wasn’t sure what they were talking about. I put on some pants, shoved a shirt over my head and slipped my arms into the long brocade vest, buttoning it up. After styling my hair into a fishtail, I entered the bedroom.
Luke was seated in the armchair near the window, and Dorian was on the poster bed, arms crossed, and expression thoughtful.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, looking from Dorian to Luke.
Luke reported to me, “I believe I know where the queen’s secret room is. I was in the kitchen, gathering information, and she came in to instruct the cooks about the banquet for tonight. I then followed her around the palace and saw her climbing the stairs of the main tower. The problem is that there are guards posted at the bottom of the stairs, and I can’t go up without disposing of them, which will reveal that we are up to something. She also hasn’t come down, so we have to wait until the party starts to put our plan into motion.”
“Where’s Drake?” I asked.
Luke shrugged. “I have no idea. There is still time before he must come here to report.”
“What about my father?”
“Two guards guard his bedroom door. We can easily get rid of them when the party starts,” Luke said.
I walked barefoot to the bed and sat beside Dorian. “I guess we need to wait.”
Dorian held my hand and entwined his fingers with mine. “Our men know what to do, and Drake is smart and cunning.”
“As long as we can control the witch, disposing of the guards and taking control of the palace will be easy,” Luke assured. “Dorian needs to grab the key around her neck.” He relaxed further into the armchair and yawned before closing his eyes. “No pressure.”
“We should rest while Drake isn’t here,” Dorian suggested, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “It’s going to be a long night.”
I noticed that his cheeks were red. “Are you hot?”
“It’s strange, but yes. I’m also feeling tired.”
I got up and went to get him a glass of water. “Drink and lie down. Luke is right. We need to rest.”
Once he drank the water, he dropped his head on a pillow and closed his eyes. “Just don’t open the door if someone knocks. Let us do that. I don’t want them to see you.”
“Don’t worry.” I caressed his forehead. “I’ll hide in the bathroom.”
Drake’s POV
Fifteen men were patrolling the gardens, three stationed at the gatehouse, twenty inside the guardhouses, and ten more inside the palace. One less patrolling the palace once I knocked him out and tied him up to steal his clothes and use his sword and dagger. Not that I was planning to kill anyone. From the Hunters Elite Squad, only the captain was around. He was more interested in playing cards and drinking with the guards than dealing with the nobles who were arriving for the feast.
With the helmet covering my face, it was easy to explore the palace, stealing keys to open the dungeons and the cells and sharing information with Luke to coordinate the attack.
“We need to make sure that the room is there,” Luke said, pointing at the entrance to the central tower guarded by two men. “The queen is at the party, and Dorian will entertain her. This is our chance to confirm my suspicion.”
&n
bsp; “All of the nobles have arrived. Food and drink have been served in the ballroom. Two vampires were sent to neutralize the guards at the gatehouse. Another two are knocking out and tying up the guards patrolling the gardens,” I reassured him. “These two are easy to deal with. Once we confirm the room is here, I can get Snow, and you can deal with the guards in front of the king’s room.”
“What about the backup at the guardhouses?”
“After eating and drinking our cider, they will be out soon. The vampires there will lock the doors and join us once that’s dealt with.”
Luke smirked. “I like when a plan works.”
“Let’s proceed,” I said, fixing my coat and helmet before walking in the direction of the two guards.
One of the guards stepped forward and raised a hand. “Stop. What are you doing here? No one but us is allowed to be on this floor.”
“The captain has sent me to relieve one of you to join the others in the guardhouse. We’re having a party, too.” I smiled at them.
Frowning, the guy looked back at the other guard. “Do you know anything about this?”
“My shift ends at midnight,” the other replied.
He looked at me. “Like I said, no one but us is allowed to be here. Our mistress won’t be pleased if we abandon our post.”
“As you wish,” I said, pulling my arm back and bouncing my fist against his face. His nose cracked at the impact, and he fell back. I ran to the other one and slammed his head against the rocky wall before the other guy’s body tumbled to the floor.
The second guard wasn’t as easy to knock out as the first. He grabbed my fist and pushed me back. Going for his sword, he gave me the time I needed to connect my knee with his groin. He bounced forward, holding on to his privates. Taking this opportunity, I propelled my elbow downward, hitting his spine. He spat blood, and I moved to the right to let him fall and hit his face against the ground.
Luke sauntered into the hallway, clapping his hands with an amused grin. “I would have taken less time than you. Still, you got the job done.”
Raising a brow, I caught the guard’s arm and dragged him away from the entry. “You can deal with the ones in front of the king’s bedroom door if that makes you feel better.”
Luke sped inside the tower after saying, “See you upstairs.”
I growled but ran up the narrowed stairs.
“Nothing here,” Luke said with his back against the wall. He looked at the view out of the arched window at the top of the tower. “Only one window with the view of the village.”
“Did you use the compass?” I asked him, pointing at his chest.
“It isn’t moving. It did nothing since we arrived here. Maybe it’s broken,” Luke said.
I reached into the pocket of my burgundy tailcoat—the guards in the Meadows Kingdom dressed fancily inside the palace—and pulled out a handful of fairy dust. Turning my hand up and opening it, I slowly blew the gold dust against the walls. I was about to run out of magical powder when a blue glow flickered, and a black iron door appeared in front of me.
I smiled and straightened up. “It’s here. We’ve found it.”
Luke walked to me and patted my back. “Good job. Now, we need to take care of the guards around the king. I’ll race you there.”
“Wai—” It was no use. Luke was gone. “We need to get Snow first,” I muttered under my breath.
Breathing deeply, I made my way down the stairs and checked to see if the guards remained unconscious. The cocky vampire could deal with the king’s guards if he was that eager to show off his skills.
I sprinted to Dorian’s room and escorted Snow to the royal family’s living quarters. Luke was waiting for us with the guards tied up and gagged. They tried to ask for help when they saw me. Their mutters stopped when they recognized their princess.
“You’ll be released once we determine if you’re loyal to my father or my stepmother,” Snow told them.
I opened the door for the princess to enter but stepped back and covered my mouth and nose when the vile smell reached my nostrils.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“The stench,” I mumbled.
Luke peered inside. “Yes, it smells awful. Are you sure the king is still alive?”
Snow glared at him, and he stumbled back and shrugged. “I’ll guard the door.”
Snow got hold of my arm. “I feel dizzy.”
“There’s something burning inside this bedroom. Stay outside while I see what’s going on.”
Entering the bedroom, I saw the stick of incense burning next to the bed. The king had his eyes closed, covered in blankets. The scent made me gag, and my eyes stung. I had to get rid of that incense stick.
I marched to the window with the half-burned stick in hand, opened it, and threw the incense away. Then, I pulled the curtains apart to let the dying sunlight in. The breeze rushed through the bedroom and helped clear the air.
“May I come in?” Snow asked.
“Yes, it’s safe now.”
The princess entered cautiously. When she saw her father, she rushed to his side, grabbed his hands, and cried. “Oh, Daddy, what did she do to you? You look so old! Can you hear me? I’m here now. I didn’t die. She tried to kill me, but I didn’t die.”
I walked to her side and loomed over her. “I’m not an expert, but I believe that the incense was keeping him asleep. Make him drink the potion you brought. It should clean his system from whatever poison Marlena has been feeding him.”
Snow wiped at her tears. “Thank you, Drake. I wouldn’t be here without your help.”
I rested a hand on her shoulder. “Take care of your father. I’m going to make sure the guards are all taken care of and guide my men into the palace, so we can protect you from the queen. I hope Dorian can acquire the key. If not, we’ll need to fight her.”
Snow bobbed her head. “I understand.”
“Lives will be lost if that happens.”
“I know.”
“Luke will bring you back to your room once you give the medicine to the king.”
“Why can’t I stay?” Snow asked, gripping her father’s hand.
“It’ll take a while for the medicine to work. You’ll be safer in Dorian’s room, where the queen wouldn’t think of searching for you if something goes wrong. She believes you are dead. It’s best if she doesn’t see you.”
Snow’s eyes lingered on her father’s figure but, eventually, she nodded.
“I have to go. I need to make sure there are no guards roaming around to alert the queen of our presence.” I walked away before the princess could say anything else. “Take the princess to her room in ten minutes and then meet me in front of the guardhouse.”
Luke inclined his head. “Will do.”
Chapter TWENTY-SIX
Dorian’s POV
When the evening came, I smiled throughout the feast as I noticed the concerned faces and heard the shocked murmurs of the attending nobles.
One thing was certain, everybody seemed afraid of the queen, and the majority hoped for the king’s recovery. That gave me hope that once the king was back and the queen’s power diminished, the kingdom would turn against her. All I had to do was keep distracting the queen until I could grab the key to her magical room. Only by entering that room, could I liberate the fae trapped inside the mirror and put the magical cuffs on the queen to prevent her from using her powers on the ones helping me in this quest.
When Luke entered the room and nodded at me, I relaxed in my seat. His appearance meant that everything went according to plan, and they had found the secret room. It was my time to act.
My eyes focused on her cleavage, where the golden chain was stuck between her breasts. The key was there. I had to find a way to get it.
“My plans are coming along so well,” the queen rejoiced.
Frowning, I looked at the queen. “How so?”
Marlena grinned and leaned closer. “Do you see them judging us? I’m sure they are
asking why you are here with me. They are also surprised that I threw a party when the king is sick, and the princess is dead. The nobles are just hypocrites. They pretend to be sad, to be rightful while they judge and talk behind my back. No one truly accepted me as their queen when I married Quinton. They had to tolerate me. The men believe that I’m a beautiful trophy and don’t have the brains to rule.” She waved at the nobles at the other tables and spoke lower. “Meanwhile, the women are afraid that I’ll steal their worthless husbands away because I’m the fairest of them all.” The queen laughed, throwing her head back.
“You’re truly the fairest of them all, my queen,” I said, filling her cup with more wine. “Don’t worry about what they think. You’re their queen. There’s nothing they can do about it.”
“Of course, they can’t.” She smirked and drank more wine. “After tonight, they’ll stop judging.” Slamming the metal cup against the table, she laughed again. With one glance my way, she grabbed my cup and raised it to my lips. “Drink. I don’t like drinking alone. Things will be fun in a bit.”
“Are we expecting performers to entertain the guests?” I asked, taking small sips of the wine. “This wine tastes delicious.”
“I made it myself,” she bragged, curling a strand of hair around her finger. “You’re truly handsome.” She giggled, and her finger traced a path from my check to my neck. “Do you find me pretty?”
“Of course. You’re the fairest of them all.”
“Prettier than Snow?”
I faked a smile. “Without a doubt. She’s was a child. You’re a woman.”
She leaned closer, and I could smell the scent of alcohol on her breath. “You have no idea of the things I want to do to you. Once—” She grinned and drew back, peering at the crowd. “They seem to be enjoying the wine.”
“The party was a great idea. It was a long trip back and forth. I was injured. I really need to have a good time.”
She caught me by the arm. “I’m going to show you a good time, Prince. You’ll have plenty of time to relax with me here.” Her eyes roamed the length of my figure, devouring me. “So much fun. Do you feel hot? Is it getting hot in here?”