He was going to unleash all his hellish nightmares with it.
Questions flooded my mind, but Sabella rested her head against my shoulder, and I sensed how weak she was.
“Greyson, I have requested a meeting in a few hours with the other leaders. I would appreciate if you would also be there, as well a you, Kate.” They said they would, and I helped Sabella to her feet. “Come on, we’re getting you back to bed to rest.”
“I’m fine, really,” she protested, but her voice was quiet.
The walk back upstairs was slow-going, and I passed by her chamber door, deciding she would be more comfortable, and have less chance of being bothered, if she stayed in my room. I opened the door and walked her inside before she lifted her head.
“What are we doing here?” she asked.
“You are going to get some uninterrupted sleep, that’s what,” I ordered. “You’ve done more than enough for today.”
“Whatever you say, furball.”
I stopped moving, and she turned to face me, a curious glint in her eyes. My hands slipped to her waist, and she stepped closer to me, like we were drawn together. I lowered my head, and the second our lips met, I was lost all over again.
She drove me mad with worry and at the same time, I wasn’t content unless I was near her. So many others had come to try and say they were meant to be with me, but none of them had fit.
Not until Sabella.
“Tristan,” she whispered against my lips. “I don’t know what this is.”
“What do you mean?”
“This, us. It’s… is it too much? I keep worrying it’s too much too fast and I’ve never exactly been in this situation before,” she rambled.
I leaned back further, worried she was going to say she wasn’t ready to see what this connection between us was. “Sabella?”
She backed further away, shoving her hair behind her ears as she studied my face. There were so many emotions running through those eyes, and I knew exactly how she felt. This was new to me, too, whether or not she’d believe me. I was a wolf known for few words and nowhere near a romantic, but I found myself wanting to tell her exactly what she did to me.
“Before I even saw you, I had this need to be beside you,” I told her firmly, and her whole body went still as if she was holding her breath. “I know I didn’t trust you at first, but now, now I trust you more than I trust myself.”
“You should never trust the crazy girl,” she said with a nervous laugh.
“You might be crazy, but you seem perfectly sane to me.”
“It’s only because of you,” she whispered, and it was my turn to pause, unsure of what she meant. “All my life, all I ever knew were the voices inside my head. I saw things that weren’t real, and I didn’t even know what my own mind sounded like. I was lost, always lost, always just trying to find my way to the surface.”
Tentatively, she closed the distance between us again and flattened her hand to my chest. Instantly, a rush of warmth shot through me, and I laid my hand over hers.
“The second you found me, held my hand, I experienced clarity for the first time in my life. I knew what I was thinking and feeling, not what the voices told me.”
“And?” I asked, moving even closer, needing to be near her.
She stared up into my eyes and nothing else mattered except her. “And I don’t think I can go back to a life without you in it.” She smiled and started to laugh. “Wow, if that doesn’t sound horribly—”
I kissed her again, and she did the same.
I no longer cared what the others in my pack might think. Sabella was the daughter of Farrah. Either they would accept her, or they would have to deal with me. My hand moved and she grimaced the second I touched her injured back.
“Damn it,” I muttered as she grinned.
“It’s alright, I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You need some rest, and I have to go figure out a plan to stop Baladon.”
As I helped her toward the bed, wishing I could stay long enough until she fell asleep, she slowed her steps until we came to a complete stop. “You know, I think I could find a way to learn what he’s up to.”
Gut twisting in apprehension, I waited for her to go on.
“I’m a seer, right? And when I was in your room last, I got that vision of you in danger. So… if I connected to something that he had touched or was connected to… there’s a chance I could see what was coming.”
“How would you do that?”
She cringed but didn’t say another word.
I wracked my brain, trying to follow her train of thought when I suddenly realized where she was going. I growled loudly, but Sabella didn’t even flinch.
“No, absolutely not.”
“Oh, come on. It’ll be fine,” she assured, me.
I shook my head furiously. “Are you insane?”
“Well, technically—”
“No. You are not going to go down there to touch that demon.”
“What if it shows his next move?” she argued, walking with me as I tried to stomp away. “It might be our only chance to see what he’s up to.”
“You remember what happened the last time he saw you while in a vision, right?” I glared at her pointedly, knowing she was still in pain from the wounds on her back. “You want that to happen again? What if it’s worse, Sabella? What if he kills you this time?”
She shrugged one shoulder mumbling, “Maybe I can’t die that easily. Part god, remember?”
“So that gives you the right go throw yourself into the jaws of death,” I challenged.
“Alright, now you’re just being overdramatic.”
“Am I? Am I really? Last time I checked, he’s managed to hurt you twice in your visions. I will not stand by while it happens for a third time.”
Was this what Craig felt like, watching Kate fight? Watching her walk right into danger?
“You are not to go near that statue,” I ordered. “You are not to go to the dungeons. You are not to do anything that will put yourself in harm’s way.”
She crossed her arms defiantly. “Just because we’re… whatever the hell this is, does not mean you can boss me around. I’m not just going to hide out up here while there’s a possible war coming. I saw it, remember? I know what’s going to happen.”
“I don’t give a damn,” I snarled, moving so we were an inch apart. She never backed down, and despite my anger at her for not listening to me, I was proud of her for standing her ground against an alpha. “You are not to leave this room alone, and you are not to go see that demon. That is an order from a king.”
“That is an order from a king,” she mocked me. “Tristan, you’re being ridiculous.”
“Then I’m being ridiculous.” I needed to get downstairs, but leaving her with those parting words wasn’t good enough. Careful of her back, I wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her up to me for another fierce kiss before I set her back on her feet, stalked out of the room, and slammed the door behind me.
I waited, worried at first, but then her shout came through the door, and somehow, I knew we were alright.
“You bloody furball. You can’t kiss me like that and walk away.”
“I can when I’m the alpha.” I yelled back and found the first guard I could find. “Watch my doors please, and if Sabella leaves, you follow her. If she goes anywhere near the dungeons, I don’t care if you have to knock her out, do not let her down there. Understand?”
The young wolf bowed his head. “Yes, sire.”
“Good. And if she threatens you, just tell her I gave you permission to chain her back to the wall to keep her from doing something to get herself killed.”
“Sire?” he asked, eyes widening in alarm.
I patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, all bluff, but it might be enough to keep her from doing something stupid.”
The guard left to do his duty, and I took a few extra moments to collect my thoughts before I prepared for the meeting. S
he set my blood on fire and annoyed me as much as she made me want to forget about this approaching war and be with her instead.
“Sounds like quite the ruckus up there,” Forrest said when I turned a corner, making me jump and growl.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered as we walked together toward the meeting chamber.
He shrugged and kept his mouth shut, until we reached the door.
“What was it she wanted to do?”
“We’re not going to talk about it because it’s not going to happen.”
“What’s not going to happen?” Kate asked, breaking away from Craig’s embrace. He seemed reluctant to let her go, but remained where he was by the table.
“Sabella has some crazy idea, but we’re not going to talk about it because it’s not going to happen. And you three are here very early.”
“We’re anxious to get started,” Boris’ voice came from behind me.
He walked in followed by Hank, Danielle, Greyson, and Lucy. “I’ve sent envoys to Drake as well as the other members of the council. They should be here shortly by portal,” Greyson informed me.
“Thank you. We’ll get started as soon as they arrive.” My hands itched to hold Sabella again, but I was needed here. She would listen to me this time, at least that’s what I told myself.
“Until then, why don’t you tell us what Sabella wants to do,” Kate said with a smile.
“From what I overheard, it had something to do with the demon.”
I shot a glare at Forrest. “Were you standing outside my door?”
“No, but you forget, almost everyone here has excellent hearing, and you both were yelling quite loudly. So, care to share?”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you,” I stated.
Kate smiled wider.
“Fine, but it’s not happening, got it?” They all nodded in agreement. “She wants to see if she can pull a vision from the demon in the dungeon.”
Silence fell over the room like a thick blanket, and I saw the same look on all their faces.
Slamming my fist down on the table, I snarled. “No. It’s not going to happen, end of story, so forget it.”
“Does she think it’ll help?” Craig asked.
“Yes, but I won’t risk her, not like that. She’s still healing from her injuries and if she gets hurt again… I won’t lose the woman I’m meant to be with right when I’ve found her,” I added quietly.
Boris and Hank’s eyes widened in surprise, then were followed by smiles.
“About damned time,” Boris grunted.
“Seriously? I’m not that old.”
But even as he congratulated me, I saw the same worry I had reflected on his face. Not everyone in our pack would be excited by the news that their alpha chose a seer.
One problem at a time.
First, we had to figure out a way to figure out Baladon’s next move without using Sabella.
Then I would deal with whatever disagreements my pack had with me.
18
Sabella
I tried to get some sleep, I really did, but I was too worked up after what happened with Tristan. One minute, the wolf made me feel like I was falling head over heels for him and the next, I wanted to strangle him for being so over-protective. Was I still injured? Yeah, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t help. Right now, he was plotting with everyone else, and I was sitting up here like a damsel in distress.
I was far from a damned damsel. I might have believed I wasn’t a fighter, but Kate was right. I had a gift, and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to use it.
But the second I opened the door, a guard appeared and asked if I needed anything.
“Uh, no, nothing, I’m fine,” I said quickly. “Is King Tristan still in his meeting?”
“He is, and he has requested I accompany you wherever you need to go if you leave his room,” he stated firmly.
“Right, I’ll just go back to sleep then.” I started to close the door, cursing the furball even more, when an idea popped into my head. “You know, I am famished. Think we can go down to the kitchens and I can get some food?”
“I can have something brought to you.” He glanced around, but he was alone in the corridor.
“I don’t mind getting it myself.”
“Fine, but you are not to leave my sight. Otherwise King Tristan has threatened to return you to your original accommodations, if you understand my meaning.”
Original? My mouth dropped open as I muttered, “Arrogant bastard.”
The guard’s lips twitched in a smile, but he said nothing else and led the way toward the kitchens. If I remembered in my very brief exploring of the castle, the entrance to the dungeons was very close to the kitchens. All I needed was a proper distraction, and I could dart down there before he even noticed I was gone. I’d find the statue, see if I could get a vision, and if not, then I’d pop back upstairs, and Tristan would never have to know.
“Who all is here for the meeting?” I asked the guard as we walked, hoping I appeared innocent.
“Kings Forrest and Craig, of course, as well as Queen Katherine, the Vindicar. King Drake of the elves should be arriving shortly, but the other generals and council members from the remaining realms are already downstairs,” he informed me.
“Sounds like quite the gathering.”
“It is and for good reason. If there is a war coming, it is up to the council to respond as a whole.”
They had barely any information to go on because Tristan was too scared to let me do what needed to be done. He would risk everyone else, except me. Not that I wanted to see him thrown in the face of danger either, but I knew he would do it for his people and I’d never be able to stop him. Farrah was my mom, a goddess of these people, which meant they were my people, too. I might not understand everything I was or could do just yet, but I came here to help them. That was exactly what I was going to do.
Once in the kitchens, thankfully empty for the moment, I searched around for anything I could use to take the guard’s intense attention off me, but short of starting a fire, there was nothing. Several heavy cast iron skillets hung overhead, and I took one off, hating what I was about to do.
“Would you mind getting the stove going? I’m not good at building fires,” I asked politely.
The guard’s eyes narrowed, but then he moved to do as I asked.
Gripping the skillet in hand, I crept up behind him and just as he turned around, I whacked him upside the head. The skillet clanged against his skull, and he collapsed to the floor.
“Sorry, sorry,” I mumbled, checking to make sure he was breathing.
I’d overheard Lucy talking about how shifters’ wounds tended to heal faster because of their metabolism and knew in a few short moments, the gash on his forehead would disappear.
“Really sorry,” I said again then took off through the kitchens, toward the dungeon, and disappeared into the bowels of the castle.
The demon wasn’t hard to find. No cell was large enough to hold him, so the crystal cage was placed in the center of the domed ceiling room.
There, appearing as a harmless statue was Baladon’s guardian. And probably his spy. I had no doubt he’d sent it out of the in-between realm for a reason, hoping it would either wipe out more of his enemies or get captured and give him a chance to see what we were up to.
Those red eyes didn’t move, but it watched me as I circled around it, ensuring the cage was completely intact before I reached the front again.
“Can you see me, Baladon?” I asked quietly. “I bet you can. Too bad that explosion didn’t kill you and save us all a little trouble.”
The statue leered at me, and I flinched, then steeled my nerves and glared right back.
“Yeah, I know he’s watching, don’t worry, but I didn’t come here to chat. You are going to help me whether you like it or not.” I couldn’t let the statue out, and reaching in to touch it sounded like a horrible idea.
Running ou
t of time, I held my palms to the outside of the cage, closed my eyes, and waited for what happened in Tristan’s room to happen down here.
But there was nothing.
My mind was a complete blank, and I grunted in annoyance.
I shook out my hands and tried again. “You can do this, you can do this,” I repeated, feeling the start of power rising within me.
I’d just let out a breath of excitement when a stone hand grabbed my arm through the cage, and yanked it inside.
I stared into those red eyes, my scream dying in my throat, and a riptide of images consumed me, dragging me down deeper and deeper until I could no longer see the light.
19
Tristan
I stared out the window, watching another day pass into night, knowing we were no closer to having a plan than when we started.
Forrest and his council members argued hotly about where to move the army in case an attack came. One central location would be best instead of having us all spread out as was what happened when Cassius attacked, but we had no knowledge of where that attack might be. It was just going on and on, and my head throbbed from all their yelling.
Calling a break for ale and food might help and as I turned to do so, my hackles rose, and I snarled. “Sabella.”
“Tristan? Where are you going?” Boris yelled as I sprinted from the room, following my instincts and hating that each step drew me to the dungeons. Damn that stubborn woman. She was trying to drive me to an early grave, I swore it.
“Sire.”
I skidded to a stop as the guard I placed outside my chambers stumbled out of the kitchen, holding a hand to his bleeding head.
“What happened to you?”
“Sabella knocked me out, I don’t know where she is.”
“I do,” I growled and took off again. My chest tightened with anxiety; something was wrong, horribly wrong. If she survived whatever insane stunt she just pulled, I was going to kill her myself. I vaulted down the stone steps, sniffing the air and followed the trail of lilac… leading me right to the cage.
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