by L. J. Stock
I listened to them making plans and grew agitated. I'd spent so much time fighting that I was convinced I would be more help as a part of their team rather than being a princess who sat and waited, but I knew that neither my father nor Damon would ever allow that. I was to be protected at all costs now, especially after my life had been threatened mere weeks earlier.
The three of them made the arrangements necessary to go and took off, leaving a cornucopia of worry and panic in their wake. Melody appeared at one point carrying some of my other dimensional clothes, and pulled me into a side room to change while we waited. I hated being away from everyone while there was so much going on, but I was happy to be more comfortable, and covered. Grigori accepted his shirt back with a small nod and pulled it over his head as I fell into a chair and pulled my knees to my chest in worry.
Once again, I was left waiting and watching the clock. I was beginning to abhor the hands of time. Since I'd actively decided to be the princess and fulfill the prophecy, I'd spent too many occasions on my ass, restless and aggravated as I stared at the hands ticking relentlessly slowly around the face of the clock.
“What's taking so long?” Steven asked long before I broke. He perched on the arm of my chair and picked up my hand in an attempt to comfort me. At least I wasn't alone in my impatience.
“They have to find and retrieve the dogs before they can leave,” Damon replied, the back of his hand brushing down my cheek reverently as he took the other arm of the chair. “And we have no idea what was waiting for them when they got there.”
I knew. I'd seen them, and I couldn't seem to blink without seeing the empty stares of the people heading toward the house. Every time the room went silent I heard the harrowed barking of the two dogs and it was making me edgy.
“Your Highness?” Grigori said thoughtfully in his deeply accented voice. He placed his hands behind him as he stepped forward to stand in front of my father, looking unsure of what he was about to say. He glanced at me and I gave him a small nod of encouragement.
“Yes, Grigori?”
Grigori looked uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the eyes in the room now trained on him, but his posture and presence never faltered.
“The offensive strike has begun, my lord. I knew Thánatos would not take the escape of your daughter lightly. He is not a patient man and his fuse is shorter than most. I have no idea what your plans are to move people to your new location, but they will start watching this palace now they’ve mounted the offensive. This is stage one of their attack. All veneficus were taught the signs to watch for because communication wasn’t always possible. The first wave is to eradicate all threats in the parallel. He wants to take all options away from you until your back is in a corner and your hand is forced. I should have mentioned this sooner, but I didn't think they would act so soon.”
The king motioned one of his guards forward and spoke quietly into his ear before sending him on his way. He then turned to Grigori, his eyes filled with appreciation. “Would you be willing to sit in on a war council and explain the stages?”
“Of course. I am at the princess's disposal should she wish it. I will be more than happy to comply.”
“On one condition,” I said as all eyes turned to me. “I have to be included.”
I could hear Damon's sigh from where he was sat next to me. He didn't like me involved in things like this, but what he failed to understand was that I needed to know what was going on. I needed to know that the safety of our people was being taken into consideration. That everyone around me would be safe. I had a lot of Mortisalians on staff and I wanted to ensure their safety before I sent them into the wilderness toward who knew where, or more importantly, what.
I was tired of sitting back and letting everything go on around me. I'd accepted that the location of the new palace was given only on a need-to-know basis. I'd stopped myself from asking questions. It was a safer option for everyone involved, and set their minds at ease. With everything else, however, I wanted to know what was going on and what was being planned. I had a right to know and I was beginning to think that Grigori did, too. Ultimately, at the end of all of this, I would be the one doing the fighting, and sitting back and just letting things happen while I waited for instruction was no longer the way to deal with things.
I understood the people around me were trying to protect me and I loved each and every one of them for it. Unfortunately, ignorance was not bliss and it had the potential to get me killed. If this was my destiny, which was a huge possibility now I’d survived another prophecy, I would not be kept in the dark and ignorant. It was all or nothing.
“It was my intention to include you,” the king said, raising his hand to Damon as he opened his mouth to protest. The king aimed his next comment at him. “She is the princess, and she needs to understand what is going on so she can prepare herself for what’s coming. I will not allow her to once again walk blindly into a situation with no way to defend herself and those around her. There will be no meetings or consultations without her presence in the future.”
Before Damon could respond, there was a commotion in the chamber that connected to the study we were in. The door opened, freeing the two dogs to bound in, fur and paws leaving a trail in their wake. Behind them stood Acantha, Rasmus and Shannon, all three of them with black smudges marring their exposed skin. As the entire room seemed to rise to greet them, I took a deep breath to accept more changes in my life. Something told me the farmhouse was gone for good.
Chapter Nineteen
The farmhouse was gone.
Once Acantha and the others had found the dogs, who had been trapped in the study at the back of the house, they'd been cornered in the kitchen with very few options for escape.
The moderatus had been everywhere. I’d known they would be, but it was worse than even I had comprehended. They came in through the back door, the windows, and continued flowing in through the front. The only way they'd been able to get out was through water, but they hadn’t been able to keep them away long enough to concentrate on the element and escape. Shannon had set up a wall of fire, giving them an opportunity to exit, but the flames had been so intense, and the house was so old, it was soon blazing out of control.
Considering the bodies were still alive and being used as vessels, all three of them had decided they needed to save who they could. It had been a risk, but they'd managed to get a majority of them out of the house before they released the horses and translocated from the troughs. They'd taken a chance, but I knew how much the horses meant to Acantha, and giving them the ability to run free would let her rest easy.
The moment they were checked and their burns and other injuries healed through our new magic, we took off toward the council room to discuss tactics and what we were going to do next. We were met by every division of military leader we had, which included each of the dux's personal commanders and generals.
The information Grigori was offering would give us one hell of an advantage, because knowing the stages the enemy worked in and how they communicated would mean getting people out of the palace, away from danger and into safety before we were attacked or blindsided. The meeting went on through the day and long into the night, all of us talking back and forth over each individual issue, deciding the best course of action to counter what was coming at us. We were fed in the room we had claimed, and though there were periods of silence, most of the time was spent arguing until we were hoarse. Everyone seemed to have a plan, an idea, or an argument, and none of us seemed ready to agree with the others.
Finally, when we’d formulated something we all seemed happy with, we decided that it would be better to put the plan into action sooner rather than later. It was only a matter of time until the latros were sent to start watching our movements, and they would also be expecting us to react in some way.
If they saw a mass exodus, it would be suspicious, and they would send people to follow them, not something we wanted to happen. So we’d decided that we woul
d start sending people out in small groups so it was done in shifts. Three times that day and twice the day after we would be sending small contingencies out of the palace in scattered groups going in different directions. We hoped it would be enough to keep the latros away, especially when we brought in the vis liberi dressed in exactly the same manner as those who had left.
The palace became a flurry of activity that I happily became part of to keep my mind off what was coming. It was hard sending people away not knowing whether they would be protected. Before Melody had left with the others, she gave me the dress she'd designed for the party being thrown for my engagement. She'd made it out of a light fabric, and had hidden some splits in the material to help me get away should I need to run. She'd thought about what I needed, and trying it on before she left, I knew no matter what came about, I could fight and run in the material. I even had some very clever concealed scabbards and holsters for my daggers.
With only a couple of days before the plan was implemented, I tried to keep myself relaxed and at ease. Damon and I took the opportunity to spend a lot of time together, something I was disinclined to grumble about. Since he'd asked me to marry him, he'd become a lot more attentive and hungry. His hand was always in mine, our legs pressed together when we were sat together. I could feel his eyes on me as I moved around whatever room we were cohabiting, and he was constantly whispering about how much he loved me. I drank up every second of it, my own need growing with such a ferocity I found being alone with him too much of a temptation. Even with all of that, I was surprised how constantly considerate Damon was of Grigori. He would only lavish me with this affection when Gori had been sent on a small errand or was consulting with the vis liberi or the guards monitoring the forests for the veneficus, and when Grigori was with us, he would include him in the conversation we had, reinforcing every ounce of love I had for him.
Thankfully, Shannon seemed happy to occupy Rasmus. As my guard, he was still vigilant, but it was easier to feel a sense of privacy when Shannon was there distracting him.
With all the moving, packing and planning going on, I'd snuck into one of the emptied libraries for a breather. It was sad to see the empty shelves that had one been laden down with so many books. The ghost of them was so prominent that the musty smell of old ink and paper hung in the room and filled it with history. It was difficult to comprehend just how many books had filled the shelves now that it was empty, but for a few chairs and empty stacks that were quickly collecting the dust left behind. I was sat on the window seat with Damon, while Shannon and Rasmus explored the empty stacks at the back of the room.
Damon and I were sat at either end of the seat, facing one another. My feet were in his lap, and his fingers were pressing into certain points and making me squirm. It was a quiet moment that I would have normally taken for granted, but with everything else going on, I enjoyed it.
“Stop it, Damon,” I screamed, as he clamped down and ran his fingers over the arch of my foot with a feather light touch. He gave me a grin that said make me, even though I was kicking out viciously. Sliding further down the wood bench as I fought for freedom, I accidentally landed a kick in his gut, making him double over.
“Oh God, Damon. I'm sorry. I really am, but I told you to stop,” I said gently, swallowing my laughter as I rolled to my knees and shuffled closer to him.
He was folded over at the waist, his hands pressed against his stomach, his chin on his chest. I shouldn't have even been amused, but I couldn't help myself. He was terrible for locking me down and tickling me relentlessly. I'd warned him it would end in tears one day.
Swallowing my initial reaction, I reached out my hand and ran my fingers through his hair the moment I was close enough.
“Are you alright?”
He moved quickly and without warning, his hands reaching out and sliding me toward him so I was knelt between his legs, my chest pressed against his. He looked up at me with those heated eyes that were so filled with love and wonder that I melted. It was little moments like this when I appreciated just how deep my love for him ran, even if he was being an ass and using a feigned injury to get me to come closer to him.
Not that I was complaining. I wanted nothing more than to be against him. Even in the darkest moments over the past few days, I was always able to find solace in his arms, to feel warm, safe and loved when he embraced me. Who would ever tire of that? I didn’t think I ever would.
The impending attack, knowing Melody was trekking across the land toward our new destination and in constant danger—it was all so much and it constantly played on my mind. They were all things I spent hours worrying about. Even in the heart of night when I should have been sleeping, my thoughts would keep me awake as the possibilities of what could go wrong would play out over and over again and leave me more tired than I had been when I’d gone to bed. Yet here and now, when I was essentially alone with Damon, it was like all of that was temporarily pushed to the back of my mind and I felt like I could breathe again.
“You look beautiful in this light,” he whispered, placing a reverent kiss on my neck. His lips coasted over my skin as his hands tightened on my hips, making me shudder with a smile. Pulling back, he lifted his head to look at me. I was sat on my feet so we were almost the same height.
“You're a smooth talker.” I grinned, running my hands up and down his legs, which were on either side of me. I pinched just above his knees, but he didn't so much as twitch. He just raised his eyebrows. “And you have to say that, you’re my fiancé.”
“True, but I’m not trying to smooth talk you. I like to think of it as me being honest.”
My heart pounded against my ribs as heat flooded my body, sparing just enough to pink my cheeks. Unable to help myself, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his, both of us smiling as I did. Most of the time it felt like we were reveling in the beginning of our life together as a couple, but sometimes it felt like we were saying a long torturous goodbye. This was one of those moments where it felt like the beginning, because it was only after a heady talk of what was coming in our future did our kisses turn desperate and feel like the beginning of the end. I hated those times for what they represented. I hated having to face an uncertain future with only selective highlights as a heads up. For me, I'd rather have had all the information or nothing at all.
“I can't wait until you're my wife. It still feels like I'm stealing kisses against the rules sometimes,” he murmured, running his hands into my hair and angling my head so we were gazing into one another’s eyes.
“You can steal all the kisses you want.” I grinned, pushing against his hands and pressing my lips to his again. “We should enjoy the excitement while we can. One day we will be an old married couple bickering about stupid things.”
“Oh, I do take when I want to.” He smiled, his hands dropping to my hips and squeezing suggestively. I had to admit this daring and provocative side he'd been slowly exercising since we'd become engaged wasn't something I was ever going to complain about. It was like a drug I just couldn’t get enough of. “But every kiss with you is like the first. I don't think it'll ever get old.”
“God, I hope not.”
It was a valid fear to have in a place like this. When the male dux, dukes, lords and barons came to court alone, they would almost always flirt with the female staff. They grew bored of their spouses and exercised their God-given right to spread their seed to not just their servants, but on occasion, ours, too. Thankfully, I hadn't seen much of that, being stowed away in council meetings and war councils. Not that I ever wanted to see it, but I had heard about it. It was usually one of the staff members whispering to another, not realizing I was there. Before Evander had left for the new palace, he'd caught one of the kitchen staff with the Duke of Calardi. He hadn't known I'd heard the discussion, but I'd been heading to see him and his office door had been cracked.
There was always some kind of gossip going on around the palace and privileged families, and I didn't want that for
my marriage. I knew Damon would never do anything to hurt me, but sometimes I wondered what the literal rules were for marriage here. I knew a lot of the unions were arranged. I'd even sat in on some of the decrees that had been signed by the king allowing two of the Provence dux to write up a marriage agreement for their infant children. I understood it was all about breeding and status, but I wanted our daughter to have a choice when she was old enough for marriage.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” Damon mused, his fingers gently running along the lines marring my brow before he leaned forward to kiss them away. I smiled at him as he leaned back. These thoughts I was more than willing to share, because I knew he'd probably get a kick out of it.
“Arranged marriages, and the cheating dukes, barons and lords.”
“Cass, you know I would never...”
“No, not that,” I said, laughing playfully. “That wasn't even a thought. I trust you, Damon. I was actually thinking about our daughter.”
“She hasn't even been conceived yet,” he teased, his thumb gently stroking my hip bone. “Not for lack of trying from her mother.”
I slapped his arm and fell against him, rearranging myself in his arms with my back to his chest. I leaned my head against his shoulder and looked out over the grounds that were already beginning to look a little less than perfect without the groundskeepers to tend to them.
“You don't think about her?” I asked quietly, as Damon perched his chin on my head.
He took a deep breath and folded me into his arms, gathering me closer to him. I smiled at no one in particular and let out a breath of my own as he gathered his thoughts.
“I do think about her, all the time. I think it makes it easier knowing what to expect. I can almost see her with your dark hair and full lips.”
“And your hazel eyes and perfect nose,” I finished with a small laugh. “She's going to be beautiful.”