by Milly Taiden
“That would explain why I’m still conscious,” he replied.
“But barely.” She took a deep breath. She had to think to come up with a plan. Goddard would try to take over her mate’s body, but wouldn’t be able to. What would Goddard do when he discovered he couldn’t? He’d kill them both on the spot. Shit. Think, Kari, think.
This wasn’t a puzzle easily solved by analytics or moving things around in her head. She’d always wondered if that accident hadn’t happened when she was twelve would she be “normal,” just like the average Joe who watched Wheel of Fortune because Jeopardy! made him feel dumb?
He rested against the stone wall. They were running out of time. His shaky hand lifted to her face. Fingers brushed against her cheek. “I loved you the first time I set eyes on you in the prince’s dining room. That second, I knew you were mine.”
He spoke like he was dying. Maybe they were on their way to meet death. Tears rolled from her eyes. “I loved you the second I saw your picture in the director’s office. The guys could smell it on me. I was so embarrassed.” He chuckled. She leaned forward and kissed him. Much too quickly, his body went limp.
The door to upstairs opened, again. More than one person was on their way down. This was where it began.
CHAPTER 30
With nearly closed eyes, Kari sat on the cell floor and stared through slatted eyes at the surreal image of those coming down the stairs. Since she was supposed to be unconscious from the drink, she positioned herself next to Bryon leaning against the wall. From this vantage, she clearly saw the steps.
Prince Goddard led the procession down, wearing a deep red cape-like robe. The collar and sleeves were wrapped in fur with long flowing fibers that almost floated in the air when he walked.
Behind him came those she recognized as the guards, but they were wearing black robes with hoods over their heads. They carried down armfuls of fluffy rugs. What were those for? Were they going to lie around and tell ghost stories?
The prince continued toward their cell while the men laid out the mats. He spoke the native language, but she could guess what he was basically saying. A black-robed person took a key from a pocket and opened the cell. The guard pointed at Bryon and asked a question. Probably wondering why Bryon was in human form and not animal. Shit.
The prince paused for a moment, but told the guy to bring Bryon out. Her poor Bryon, once again, was dragged across the floor. Fortunately, this was smooth stone and not jagged rock. His body was laid on one of the rugs. Worry made her feel like puking. What should she do?
The prince spoke to the group, raising his arms to the sides and dropping his head back. He looked to be preforming a miracle. In a way, he was. Demon possession was only in fiction. The light bulb in the room faded for a brief second. When Kari returned her eyes to Goddard, she gasped out loud. Oops. All heads turned toward her.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the prince as he made his way toward the cage. “Well, I see you didn’t drink the water,” he said. He smiled when he saw her expression of horror. “You like what you see, young lady?”
Her brain was trying to make sense of the image before her. Goddard was in human form, but looked like a zombie fresh from a grave. His skin was loose and discolored, teeth and nails looked like they’d been soaked in black coffee for years. His face was sunken and hollowed as to appear skeletal.
“What happened to you?” she asked.
“Time happened, my dear. Flesh only lasts so long. Ever since finding out about a superhuman race, a species with immense physical power and beauty, I’ve waited and hunted for a creature I could have.”
“So you’re not really the prince, are you?” She was starting to catch onto the logic here.
The creature laughed. She blinked and suddenly, the prince was standing in front of her. “You are correct, child. Goddard and several of his ‘ancestors’ have been purely contrived by me. I would be Goddard’s great-great-grandfather, King Alheim.”
What would allow him to change his image like that? There was only one reason she could come up with. Black magic.
“You’ve used glamour to disguise yourself as members of the royal family. But the logistics of that would be completely insane,” she said. “You’d have to—”
“Kill lots of people and limit exposure. Yes, of course.” He waved his hand like it was nothing. “When you get to my age, life means little except for what it can do for you.” He turned back to the black-robed men gathered around her mate’s body lying on the rug. “And as soon as I have this new body, I will be invincible for generations to come. Hopefully.”
Two thoughts came to her mind. This creature roaming these halls would explain the rumors of the castle being haunted by the older king. And the reason he was part of the traffic ring was to find a body he wanted. Who better to scout for a shifter than someone who made a living finding and capturing people?
His last word registered in her mind. “What do you mean hopefully?” Halfway to the rugs, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
“The last shifter possession I tried didn’t turn out so well. The poor creature suffered horrible pain before dying. I waited too long for him to bleed out, among other things. That won’t happen again.”
Oh shit. This was not happening. Panic seized her. She had to find a way to stall whatever the hell this monster had planned until the poison burned off and Bryon woke. The only thing that came to mind was their last option. Bryon said not to use it unless dire. Now looked pretty dire to her.
“Do you know why you failed, dumbass?” she said, making her voice as smooth and haughty as she could. The sick shaking she felt inside wouldn’t be good to show right now.
Goddard swung around, his robe flying out behind him. He stomped his way back to her cage. His arm shot between the bars, aimed for her throat. She lunged backward to hit the wall.
“What do you speak of, child. How would you know my failings?”
Kari rolled her eyes and huffed. “Everyone knows you can’t possess a shifter. The animal half will beat the shit out of the demon before he even gets in.”
The demon’s eyes flashed red, locked onto hers, then narrowed. “And how do you have this information?” he asked.
She swallowed hard. Please god, let this work. “You don’t know who I really am, do you?” She cocked her hip and crossed her arms over her chest. “You happen to be talking to the only human on this planet who knows all there is about the shifter species.”
Goddard stepped back and looked her over. “So fortunate for me. How have you, a female human, come to such knowledge?”
She pulled her shirt collar to the side revealing her mating bite marks. “Remember that boyfriend of mine? He happens to be my mate. My shifter mate. I’ve studied their traditions and ways and understand their history.”
His eyes grew wide. “Your boyfriend is a shifter? Another one in my town?” He stepped up to the bars. “You will tell me where he is.”
She frowned. How long could she keep this going? Wake up, Bryon! “Like I’m going to tell you that and let you find him.” She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes.
“Then I have no further use for you.” He walked away. “Guards, have someone kill her.”
CHAPTER 31
Fuck! That’s not what she wanted. She clutched the bars in her dungeon cell and scrambled for something to say that would make Goddard want to keep her alive. She’d already told several lies. Why not a few more. If the poison didn’t wear off Bryon soon, they would both be dead shortly.
“There is a way to possess their body if you really want it.” The prince stopped and turned to her.
“You said there is no way because of the creature inside.”
She swallowed again. A glass of non-poisoned water would be great. “That’s right. You have to draw out the animal essence before you can take over.”
“Duh, how many shifters have you dealt with before now? That would be the huge, grand number of one.”
Goddard pinched the bridge of his nose and paced. “Female, you have been a thorn up my ass for too long.”
“Usually it’s a thorn in your ass. But up it sounds just as painful if not more so.” She sneered at him.
He spoke to his men and pointed to her. The guy with the key came forward and unlocked the door. He grabbed her arm and jerked her front and center.
“Now, tell me how you draw out the essence of the animal.” He stared down at her, only inches away. Fear almost pounced on her heart—rephrasing: being scared shitless almost stopped her heart.
“It’s a ritual that requires proper setup and procedure to work.”
He remained quiet for a second. Would he buy this? She was selling some really deep shit here. Time to get her waders on.
“What do we need?” he asked.
She scoured her mind for something, anything, to help. Ritual scenes from movies she’d seen popped into her mind. “Candles. We need lots of candles.”
He looked at his men standing around. “You heard her. Bring me every candle in the castle.” The men disappeared quicker than she thought possible, leaving her alone with him. “You know, female. If this doesn’t work, you will die slowly and painfully.”
Words did not make their way to her mouth. That being scared shitless thing was back in full force. Not that it had ever left.
She cleared her dry throat. “It will work. I know what I’m doing.”
“It better. For your sake.” She’d heard that exact line in a movie more than once. She felt like looking around for hidden cameras, waiting for that guy from Candid Camera to walk in and tell her this was all a setup. Damn. She was becoming delirious. She needed to focus on a plan, not break down. FBI agents didn’t do hysterics. Quickly, men returned with candles. By the looks, the wicks and wax may have been original to the castle. She wondered if they’d even burn.
“Set the candles in a circle around the ceremony site and light them. We’re creating a circle of protection. It’s important to keep evil from entering.” She glanced at Goddard. “I mean, keep evil from leaving.”
“Next,” the prince said.
Yeah, next. What else did they use in rituals? “Chanting. We need chanting next.” The prince’s brows raised. “Have you heard of Lady Gaga?” she asked.
“Who?”
“Never mind.” She turned to the men. “Here’s the chant: Rah rah ah-ah-ah. Ro mah ro-mah-mah.” She repeated the lyrics several times and they picked up on it quickly. It was the perfect chant if done with a slow tempo and deep, male voices. She knelt next to Bryon’s head and pushed up his eyelids. She jerked back, startled at the very eerie look of only the whites showing.
The prince frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just when eyes are like that, with only the whites showing, it looks like the person is”—the irony didn’t escape her—“possessed.”
The prince laughed. “Not yet, dear child. Not yet. Now make haste. I grow weary and skeptical of this. If this is a charade, your pain will be immense and long-lasting.”
She was very sure it would be. The thought kept her brain processing, thinking of ways to stall to give the poison time to get through the wolf’s system. “We have to call to the powers that be and beseech their guidance and prayers for success.”
Goddard wrapped a hand around her throat. “There are no deities on this planet with power. You lie.”
“No,” she squeaked. “This isn’t godlike power. It’s . . . it’s . . .” Oh god, this was it. She was going to die at the hands of a demon older than dirt unless she thought of something good. Her mind reeled through every book she’d read and movie she’d known, searching for something that would remotely make sense as an answer. The solution came to her. “It’s the force.”
His grip loosened enough for her to breathe. “What is the force?”
She prayed he’d never seen Star Wars. Best movie of all time. No arguments. “It’s an energy field created of all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, binds the galaxy together.” She cringed a bit with the last part. “Galaxy” sounded a little over the top.
Goddard stared at her, probably wondering if this was all bullshit. She had to push him. Get him off balance and take control of the situation. “Do you want to possess the body or not? It’s not going to work unless you do it the right way. You failed once already. I won’t.” Oscar-worthy performance. Did she smell shit in someone’s pants? Oh, wait. That could be her.
He released her. She stepped back and sucked in air. Skepticism shined on his face, bringing back his zombie eyes and scowl. He said, “This will kill your friend. I’m having a hard time believing you’d simply comply with my wishes. Why are you helping me?”
That was a damn good question. One she couldn’t answer truthfully and expect to live. Hopefully, God would forgive her for the lies she was about to tell. If they didn’t work, she would probably be meeting the Almighty and could explain then. Kari gave him her saddest, most vulnerable expression.
“Look,” she started, “I just want to get back to my boyfriend so we can go home. I’m tired and hungry and dirty. My feet hurt. I didn’t want any of this to happen. I’m scared and willing to do whatever I have to in order to stay alive.” So far everything was true. She looked at the wolf lying on the rug and continued.
“If that means telling you how to possess this shifter, fine. It’s no skin off my back. Once you have his body, then you can let me go. I’m no threat to you. If I tell any police that a demon-possessed werewolf is the royal ruler, they’d throw me in the looney bin and forget I ever existed.” And that was the damn truth, too. Except she had a few business acquaintances in high places who would believe her story. She was thankful for that.
The king laughed at her. She hadn’t meant anything to be funny, but apparently something was. “Continue on, girl. We’ll see the outcome before we decide anything,” he said. She hoped they didn’t get that far. This making up stuff as you went along was difficult. She now understood how hard it would be to write a book. She gained more respects for storytellers.
“Okay,” she said, “it’s time for your part.” She turned to the prince to see the ancient skeletal-looking man and jumped. That horrid face was enough to make anyone ill. The skin on his face continued to sag with gravity, pulling away from the bone. The little substance in her stomach churned. She needed to keep it together. How much longer could the damn toxin last?
Kari took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Maybe it was time to trust herself in that she could do other things not related to numbers and puzzles. She’d always felt like a failure when it came to things outside the realm of her job. Perhaps if she put faith in her heart and didn’t overthink it, she could find she could be a success. Now more than ever, she needed creativity.
She opened herself to everything around her—the force, she thought as she laughed to herself. But she felt something she’d never experienced.
Her fingertips buzzed like energy from the air vibrated around them. Through her shoes, her feet tingled as if soaking in the life of stone she stood on. She closed her eyes and her ears heard the sounds of bugs and insects milling in the rotten wood, scurrying around. She heard heartbeats, all those around her. She focused, listening to blood rushing through the bodies nearby.
Calmness filled her as she felt the unconditional love from the man before her. In the tunnels, she’d been so caught up with everything going on that she blocked out all emotions and feelings to let her brain work in a sterile environment. But now it was different. Her mate, her forever love, was sending her what he could to help her. With him, she could do this. Could do anything.
; She let everything flow, just hanging on for the ride as her soul and mind went to work. She said, “The whole point of this is to entice the wolf spirit to come out of the body. If it’s more pleasant out here than in there, then it will willingly depart the body. Get it?” God, she hoped he did. He didn’t say anything. She asked him, “Do you know the Latin language?”
“No. It was obsolete long before I was here,” he replied.
“Good.” Kari knelt by Bryon’s head again. “I need to start the process. Get the spirit’s attention, if you know what I mean.” Shit. The man’s scowl scared the piss out of her. It went along with the shit already there. She breathed in deeply again to get back in touch with that life, the energy she felt around her.
She put a hand on Bryon’s forehead and the other over his heart. She rattled off Latin phrases words she knew from books and movies. “Carpe diem, anno domini, deus ex machina, e pluribus unum, Se agapo.” That last one was Greek for I love you, but he didn’t know that. Hopefully.
Dropping her chin to her chest, she tried to talk without moving her lips. She knew the wolf inside the body would hear her no matter how softly she spoke. “Okay, wolf. Snap him out of it. If not, it won’t be pretty. Listen for my cue—”
A hand squeezed her shoulder and pushed her back. “What are you saying?” Goddard demanded to know.
CHAPTER 32
Kari looked up at the man towering over her as she sprawled on the floor. The pain in her shoulder inflicted by a bony hand digging into her joint flared with each heart thump.
She needed to answer his question quickly. “You wouldn’t let me invoke the force, so I had to say an extra prayer.” With a huff, she picked herself up and dusted off her hands. Fortunately, that gave her brain a few moments to think. The old wives’ tale of how cats killed babies came to mind. How or why, she had no clue. She was just rolling with it. “He’s ready now. Kneel down and lean over his face. You’re going to steal his breath and his wolf along with it.”