“So be it. You may stand. Do you know why you are here?”
“Cole brought me here?” she tried. Alexander's English was slightly better than Nicholas's, although not as good as Cole's. She couldn't tear her eyes from the human woman sitting on the throne beside him.
“Yes,” Alexander said, accepting that. “But Cole forfeited his rights when he left here. My father's wish was that he be tried for his crimes.”
She knew what he had done, and if she didn't, she could guess. He had alluded so many times to being so terrifying, to killing, and to maiming.
And yet, somehow, that didn't change who he was. She simply saw him as a sweet, misunderstood creature–one she was in love with.
“This does not surprise you?” Alexander asked, and she stood her ground.
“This is your world,” she said. “But there is perhaps a side of Cole that you don't know.”
“Tell me,” Alexander shifted in his seat. “What do you know about my brother that I may have over looked?”
“That he's kind,” she said. “And considerate. He may seem like he has a tough exterior and that he's focused on power. But I can't tell you the amount of times that he's held my hair while I've thrown up, or made sure that I was alright. The day we left, he went to get my luggage, my things, and even got me breakfast. He put aside his plans for world domination when I had a raging fever, and wouldn't leave my side. He held my hand, he got me water, and he made me feel as good as he could get me with his limited magic. He's soft, he's gentle–”
“And you're in love with him,” Alexander said, dryly.
“Yes,” she said, in shock, her eyes darting to the redhead. “Surely, you can understand that.”
The two of them exchanged looks, and the redhead smirked, but said nothing. Enya was now even more confused than before, but she knew better than to ask.
“Can I see him?” she asked Alexander.
Alexander looked behind her. “Nicholas, can you take her to the prison? Cole is not restricted on visitors. Let her have as long as she needs.”
“What will happen to him?” she asked, a sudden feeling of dread filling her.
“We have yet to decide,” Alexander replied. “That will be all.”
“What do you mean, you have yet to decide?” Enya asked, but Alexander waved his hand, and it was clear the conversation was over.
Nicholas took her gently by the elbow, and she jumped.
“If you'll follow me,” he said, and Enya froze up.
“What will happen to him?” she repeated, but Nicholas pulled her out of the throne room.
“A word of advice,” he said. “You do not question the word of the King. If Alexander asked you to stand on your head, then you do it.”
“Is that...,” Enya tried to put the pieces together. “That is the Queen? His Queen? His wife?”
“Ariel?” Nicholas raised an eyebrow. “Sort of.”
“What do you mean, ‘sort of?’” she asked. “Are they engaged to be married?”
“Ariel has been with my brother for the last 15 years, but it's complicated.”
“Because she is human?” Enya asked.
“She is stronger than a human,” Nicholas replied. “She is a carapace. A breed of human that can block magic.”
“Why would you want to block magic?” Enya asked, confused.
“Some dragons and other creatures enjoy being in their human forms and not feeling any sort of pull. Alexander is one of those people.”
“Oh,” she replied. “But isn't being around someone like that dangerous?”
“Yes,” Nicholas said. “But we don't choose what attracts us. However, don't make the mistake of assuming they are in love, because they are not, or so they claim. Neither of them believe in love, but they do believe in using each other for power. And they are happy with it.”
“Do you believe in love?” Enya asked, but Nicholas' face turned dark as they rounded the corner.
She found herself at the front of a huge, steel door. With one wave, magic flew from Nicholas’s hand causing the door to swing open.
Inside, there were several rows of what she considered to be cells. One door was open, and the bars were revealed.
Inside, sitting against the wall, was Cole.
“Enya!” He scrambled to his feet, his arm out to touch her. She ran towards him, and their hands met. He put a hand to her face, and they hugged each other as best they could.
“Are you hurt? Are you alright?”
“I'm fine. I'm fine,” she said. “Are you alright?”
“Can you leave us?” Cole looked up to Nicholas who sighed.
“I guess there's not too much trouble you can get into where you are,” he said. “Just be careful.”
When they were finally alone, Cole kissed her fully on the lips.
“I missed you,” he said. “Oh God, I missed you so much.”
“Cole,” she said. “I think they cured me.”
He put a hand to her face, closing his eyes. She could feel the familiar warmth of magic in her cheeks, and the way it sent shivered down her spine.
“You're much better,” he said. “But they didn't cure you. However, there's more magic in you than I can give right now, so it's a start.”
“They didn't cure me?” she asked, in confusion. “I thought that they could.”
“It may be that they don't want to do it just yet,” he said. “Perhaps to use it against me.”
“Oh,” she replied. “That makes sense.”
“Enya, don't worry,” he buried his hands in her hair, pulling her close. “Everything is going to be alright. I'm going to make sure that everything is alright.”
“I know,” she said. “I know that you'll take care of me. No matter what.”
He kissed her again, inhaling her scent and closing her eyes.
He knew that she trusted him utterly and completely. He didn't want to scare her, but from inside the bars, he wasn't sure he could take care of her at all. He had to trust his brothers to do so. He had to trust that they weren't so mad that they would use an innocent life to get revenge.
Chapter 12
“What do you mean, they won't give you a trial?” Enya asked, confused. She was sitting outside of Cole's cell, their hands linked. He was sitting on the floor as well, and they were as close as they could possibly be with bars in between them.
“If they gave me a trial,” Cole explained, “then there is no way in hell I can't be found guilty. I lashed out. I did terrible things, Enya. Things that I shouldn't have done. And I know they were wrong, but in the moment...”
“We've all made mistakes,” she tried to reassure him. “We've all had moments we wish we could take back. But what's done is done. However, they can't keep you in here forever.”
“Nor can they keep you here forever, either,” he said. “If they won't cure you, they need to let me out of here. It's hindering my magic, and it’s probably on purpose. If we were free and clear, I could cure you, and we could live happily ever after.”
She turned to him in surprise.
“What?” she asked, in shock. They had never spoken about their future, at least not like this. But in this moment, Cole smiled at her.
“That is, if you still want me, after all of this. And honestly, my love, I'd understand if you don't.”
“Of course, I want you!” she cried. She wished desperately that the bars weren't there so she could embrace him. “Why would you think that I wouldn't?”
He chuckled.
“Look around, love. We aren't exactly in an ideal situation here.”
“Oh, Cole,” she shook her head. “I've never been in an ideal situation. Honestly, this is the most stable my life has been in a long time.”
He smirked. “Trust you to put a happy spin on it,” he replied. “Although I don't know when we will move on to the next stage.”
“Maybe there's an angle I can work with your brothers,” she said, leaning her back against the wall beside his cell.
“I heard about your appeal to Alexander about love,” he replied. “Alexander and Ariel are the most complicated, most ridiculous couple I've ever met, and yet the simplest. Nicholas told you how long they've been together, but they claim to not be in love and to not believe in love. They have mutual benefits in being with each other, and they get along very well. She doesn't judge him, and he loves how simple and easy being with her is. But heaven forbid they label it love.”
“What about Nicholas?” she asked. “Maybe there's some secret love story there.”
Cole furrowed his brow.
“I don't know about Nicholas. He sneaks off a lot and comes back smelling pretty each time, so I suspect there is someone. But whoever it is, there's some sort of epic devotion and protection, because it's been the same way his entire life.”
“But if there is someone, why wouldn't he tell you?”
“Because Nicholas is dangerous,” Cole said. “And people around him more than anyone else, tend to die.”
Enya didn't say anything to that, squeezing his hand. She knew that life around them could be dangerous, but he had never had it laid out in such plain terms.
“And people around you?” she asked.
He laughed. “They tend to live,” he replied. “Because I'm better at everything. But also, because I've always connected with witches due to my increased magic. They love me, so they add an extra layer of protection.”
“Well, good to know,” she said, and he laughed.
“That's my Enya,” he replied. “But don't try to work on the boys too hard. To be honest, it's best to let them work it out themselves.”
“I know,” she said. “But you underestimate me.”
“Enya,” he said, as she got up. “What do you have in mind?”
“Trust me,” she said, with a devilish smile. “You know, the same way you are always asking me to trust you.”
“I do trust you,” he squeezed her hand. “But my brothers are crazy.”
“Please,” she replied. “I've met you. They aren't worse. I'll be back soon, I promise.”
She didn't want to leave him; she didn't ever want to leave. But ideas turned in her head as she headed down the grand hall towards the throne room.
She wasn't exactly sure what her place in this grand palace was. She wasn't a servant, she wasn't a prisoner, and she wasn't nobility. She could come and go as she pleased. After the first few days, no one paid much attention to her. She had access to everything that she needed, and she felt better than she had in months. If she wasn't cured, she was sure they had done some permanent improvements, because she felt amazing. She was eating better than she ever had, and there was no stress. Aside from the fact that her boyfriend was in jail, she was having the time of her life.
The door to the throne room opened just as she was about to knock. When they were normally in session for whatever reason, there were guards at the door, and there was a flag outside. Today, though, there were no guards, and Ariel was exiting just as she reached for the door.
“Oh,” Enya said. “Sorry.”
“It's alright,” Ariel said. “They aren't doing anything important, anyway. They are so boring sometimes.”
“Boring?” Enya raised an eyebrow. “I don't find any of this boring.”
“You will, if you do it long enough,” she replied.
“Nicholas told me you've been living here for quite a while.”
“I don't live here,” Ariel quirked an eyebrow. “What does he think I am, a live-in wife or something?”
“Oh,” Enya replied. “Sorry, I misunderstood.”
“Nicholas likes to pretend I live here because I'm nice to him,” Ariel smirked. “But I don't spend all my time here. I have a life on Earth, and I'm there half the time.”
“What is it that you do?” Enya asked.
“I'm a dancer,” Ariel replied. “Mostly ballet.”
“Oh, that makes sense. You look like a dancer.”
“Right,” Ariel replied. “I feel like you want to ask me something.”
“Just about you and Alexander. How did you meet?”
“How did we meet? He came to my show, and he was mesmerized,” Ariel replied. “Most men are.”
“And then you started a relationship?” Enya asked. Ariel shook her head.
“And then we slept together multiple times. Sometimes multiple times a day, until we decided we should probably stay in touch,” Ariel shrugged. “This really isn't a complicated story. The throne is a nice perk, I like being a Queen, but it's only one half of my life.”
“So, it's possible to go back and forth?”
“Yes,” Ariel replied. “And it's difficult for me, because I block their magic if I'm too close to them. Magic can affect me, but only a very powerful amount. Which is, luckily, what the boys have. It won't be forever though.”
“What do you mean?” Enya asked, and Ariel shrugged.
“People like me get more powerful the older we get. So eventually, I will have to choose whether to stay forever on Earth, or forever here.”
“And which one will you choose?” Enya asked.
Ariel smirked.
“Well, I can't be young and pretty and a dancer forever. But eventually, I'll get bored of that fame, and probably end up here if Alexander doesn't get bored with me.”
“Oh,” it made her head spin. It was such a different lifestyle and perspective from what she had in mind. “Wow.”
“You and Cole are serious?” Ariel asked. “You think you're in love and the whole shebang?”
“Perhaps.” Enya replied. “We’ve been through a lot.”
“But you aren't the first girl he's had, if you are thinking that,” Ariel said. “I don't know if you think he's been innocent.”
“I don't think that,” Enya replied. “But I bet I'm the first Earth girl he's brought back.”
“Yes,” Ariel admitted. “Dragon-human relationships are a bit rare. Dragon-witch, dragon-werewolf, dragon-lion–all of those things are much more common than dragons going to Earth and finding some weak human.”
“Except for you and I,” Enya replied. She smirked.
“Well, I'm not weak,” she said. “I've been alone since I was a child. My parents ditched me, I ended up in foster care, went to Russia to train in ballet, met Alexander, and boom.”
“I've been through some stuff, too, you know,” Enya replied. “Although to be honest, my biggest fear right now is my parents freaking out.”
“You can call them,” Ariel said. “It's not that complicated.”
“I can call them?” Enya asked. “From up here?”
“Sure. The boys can change anyone's memories, so the people that you care about accept that you're off somewhere and you're fine. It's easier than being a missing person half the time.”
“Oh,” Enya replied. “This seems ridiculously easy. “
“It's not,” Ariel said. “But it is worth it. Anyways, enough idle small talk. I've got things to do.”
“What are you doing?”
“I have a show tonight.” The girl shrugged. “Gotta go.”
Ariel stalked off, leaving Enya in a state of shock. This entire time she was up here, she hadn't thought about her life back home. She missed her parents, but she never could have imagined living a normal life. Or at least, as close to normal as she was used to.
But could she do that? Travel here was hard, but she had been very sick. She felt stronger than she ever had before.
Inside the throne room, Nicholas and Alexander were sitting on the thrones. They weren't in any official positions, just quietly talking.
“Enya?” Alexander noticed her first. “What can we do for you?”
“I just came to talk to you,” she said. “If you had a moment. Oh, you're uh...highness,” she curtsied. When she looked up, she saw Alexander smiling down on her.
“Thank you,” he said. “But there's no one here right now, so you can speak freely.”
“Brother,”
Nicholas protested, but Alexander waived his hand.
“She can speak freely. I am not her king.”
“I wanted to ask for Cole's freedom,” she said. “I wanted to plead for Cole's freedom.”
“Plead for it?” Alexander said, with a raised eyebrow. “I assume you have a case to present to me.”
“I don't really,” she replied. “Aside from the fact that I can control him, I can make him better.”
“Better than what?” Alexander asked. She paused.
“I...he wouldn't...the things that he did, when he was alone. You have to understand what he went through. The news that he was adopted devastated him.”
“Devastated him?” Alexander replied. “Enya, you have to understand. WE didn't abandon him. We didn't tell him that he wasn't welcome.”
“But you broke everything he believed in,” she said. “How would you feel if you were told your family wasn't your real family?”
“We are his real family,” Nicholas said. “And I admit, Father didn’t treat him the best. But he is gone now.”
“So why don't you let him out?”
“Because he killed a lot of people!” Alexander burst out. Enya looked at the ground, her eyes blinking back tears.
“None of us are perfect,” she replied. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
There was silence in the throne room.
Chapter 13
“Cole.”
He looked up to see his brother, Nicholas, at dawn the next day. Nicholas was a frequent visitor, so he didn't move. Nicholas was always the one who had taken care of him. It was the rule in the family. With four boys, originally, they always took care of the ones below them. It was always Cole who had no responsibility; who had no one to watch over. He supposed that contributed to the fact that he was always up to no good. It wasn't his job to take care of anything but his own amusement.
“What did you bring me?” Cole asked with a smile. He was trying not to think about the reality that his brothers could possibly leave him in there forever. That was the obvious solution, he thought.
“A key,” Nicholas said, and waived his hand. To Cole's surprise, the door clicked open.
“I'm free to go?”
“Not quite,” Nicholas replied. “But for the moment, you can wander the palace. More specifically, you need to go see your human.”
A Wolf's Embrace (Wolf Mountain Peak Book 4) Page 73