“Thank you, baby,” he whispers before capturing my lips with his. The kiss is soft and tender. I pull back, cupping his face in my hands.
“Anytime.” I give him a quick peck on his lips. “Let’s go before it gets too late.” He nods, lifting me off of him, making sure my feet are firmly on the ground before letting go.
“Before you guys go, we should tell them what else we learned. I have something I need to tell you, as well,” Stolas states.
“Right. I forgot.”
“What else is there,” I question.
“We watched Kellan open the safe. There’s a fireplace in his room. The seventh stone in, you press and the portrait above it opens. The safe is there, but there is a four digit code to open it,” Verkor replies. “There are hundreds of possibilities on what it could be.”
“People usually pick numbers that are important to them. That should narrow that down,” I respond. Stolas has this mile-wide grin on his face. His leg is bouncing a mile a minute. He knows something. “What, Stolas?”
“I could tell you the four numbers,” he says excitedly.
“What do you mean?” Verkor asks.
“When Kellan was pushing in the code, each number has a different pitch to it. If we press each number and I hear the sound it makes, I could tell you the four numbers used and in what order.”
I gape at him. “You could do that, seriously?”
“Uh-huh. Shifters have excellent and sensitive hearing.”
“Holy shit. We really need our plan to go off without a hitch,” I say.
“That’s not all,” Verkor states.
“There’s more?” I question.
He nods. “I saw a torn, tan piece of paper in the safe. I couldn’t see the top, or if there was anything on it, but it looked an awful lot like the piece of map you have, Finley.”
“Shit,” I whisper. “At least we know for sure it’s here and in the safe.”
“Yes, but like you said, we need everything in our plan to fall into place; otherwise, this might have been for nothing,” Obsidian states. He’s right, but I have too much hope now to fail.
I tug on Verkor’s arm. “Come on, let’s see if we can keep this good luck streak going and see if there are any clues in your mom’s room.”
Verkor
I’m glad I have Finley with me. I don’t think I could do this alone. I haven’t been back to my mother’s room since I went back to look for her necklace. I wasn’t allowed to. In hindsight, I’m lucky they let me stay in the castle. We stand right outside her door. I don’t make a move to go in. I hope I find the answers I’ve been looking for. I think it would be a validation for me, knowing that wasn’t crazy all these years. But, if I don’t find what I’m looking for, at least, I could say that I tried.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this? We don’t have to do this today.” Finley squeezes the hand she’s holding.
“God, I love you.” Her eyes widen, and her mouth keeps opening and closing. Shit, I think I said that out loud. “Did I just say that out loud?” She nods her head. I take both of her hands in mine. “Look, I’m not expecting you to say it back. You can tell me that when you’re ready. I don’t want to rush you. I didn’t even realize I loved you until my cousin had pointed it out, and it smacked me in the face,” I say in a rush.
“Y-you love me?” she stammers.
“I do.”
“Wow,” she whispers.
“Like I said, it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way about me yet.”
“I just...give me a second to process this. It was unexpected to say the least.”
I nod. She takes a few deep breaths. I can see the internal struggle warring on her face. I meant what I told her, just because I love her, doesn’t mean she has to say the words back. I want her to mean them and not just say them because I did and she feels obligated. She wiggles her hands free, walking a few steps away from me. I watch as she runs her fingers through her damp hair. She takes a few more deep breaths before walking over and standing before me.
“Okay, I’m going to be honest and I hope you don’t hate me for it after.” Well, I’m not sure if I’m going to like this, but she continues. “I don’t love you, yet. I am getting there. These last few days with you and the others have been wonderful, and I think you’re great. You’ve been nothing but kind, caring, and patient. I need someone like that in my life. What I feel my not be love just yet, but I’m deeply in like with you. And I don’t think it will be much longer before I’m in love with you.” Finley looks at me with gray eyes so full of worry, like I’m going to be angry with her. I smile.
“I can work with that.” I step closer, wrapping my arms around her. She looks up at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “Deeply in like, huh.” I grin at her. She smiles.
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
I lean down, pressing my lips to hers. She sighs and slumps in my arms, like a heavy weight just lifted from her. I part my lips and her tongue dives right in. Our breaths and tongues mingle together. I push into her a little more, deepening the kiss. She tastes like heaven and sin. I pull back, breaking the kiss. I rest my forehead against hers. We stay like that for a few minutes, just breathing each other in.
“As much as I would like to stay in your arms, we should start looking in your mother’s room.”
I know she’s right, but I don’t want to let her go. Not yet. I hold her a little longer, before releasing her and backing away. I turn toward the door, steeling myself for whatever is waiting for me on the other side. I place a hand on the knob, turning it. Half of me was expecting it not to open, but it does. The minute I step forward, crossing that threshold, I’m instantly transported back in time.
I run down the hall, glad that school is down for the week. But, I’m excited to show Mama my test score. I studied so hard for that test and now I had the A to prove it. I get to our door, opening it.
“Mom, Mom, look,” I say waving the paper around. I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight before me. My mother’s feet dangling, a chair on its side right below them. “MOM!” I yell. I look up, but she doesn’t look right. Her skin is the wrong color. It’s purple, and not pale white. Her lips and her eyes don’t look right either. I don’t like her blue lips. They look better pink. The parts of her eyes that are normally white are red, and there is no sparkle in them. They don’t move when I call her name. “MOM!” I yell again, but she doesn’t answer. I need help. I don’t know what to do. The paper in my hand flutters to the ground as I race out of the room. “HELP!” I scream, running down the hall. “My mom needs help. Please, someone help.” But no one comes. I run back to the room grabbing her cold legs and try to lift her, but I’m not strong enough. I can’t reach the rope. I need to be taller. My foot the chair when I move. The chair...the chair can help me. I turn it over and stand on it, reaching for the rope around my mother’s neck. I pull and tug, but nothing is working. “Mom,” I cry. She doesn’t answer. “Please, Mom. I love you.” The chair wobbles under my feet as I pull and tug harder at the rope, but it doesn’t budge. I lose my balance, falling to the floor crying. I curl into a ball under my mother’s feet, watching them swing side to side. I don’t know how long I am there before someone finally finds me.
“Oh, sweet fae.” A hand touches the top of my head. “Come little one, this is no place for you.”
I look up, seeing one of the guards. He holds out his hand to me. The guard helps me stand, walking me to the bedroom door. I stop, looking at my mom then around the room. Somehow I know things will be different after this. I almost take his hand when I see something sparkle on my mother’s nightstand. I take a step closer, but the guard grabs my hand. I see it’s my mother’s necklace, the one she never takes off.
“This is no place for you. Come, we’ll go tell the king.”
“But, I need.” He tugs on my hand, causing me to look at him. He bends down, looking me right in the eyes.
“You don’t need anything in this ro
om at the moment. I need to get you out of here.”
“But.”
“No, buts. When it’s safe for you to do so, you can come back, but not until then.”
The guard drags me from the room, my last sight is my mother’s feet.
“Verkor? VERKOR!” Finley’s voice brings me back to the present. I turn my head in her direction. “Are you alright? If this is too much, we don’t have to do this.”
“I’m fine now. It’s just...I haven’t been in this room since I was eight. The last time I saw my mother came rushing back.” Finely grabs my hand, squeezing it.
“That must have been horrible. And I can’t imagine what that must have been like, but you aren’t going to be doing this alone. You have me and you know Obsidian and Stolas will be here to help if you want them to.”
“I know, baby. Thank you.” I squeeze her hand back. I look around the room. “You know, it still smells like her perfume, and it seems like nothing has been moved.”
“What are we looking for?”
“Anything really. Anything that may tell me why, what, or even who made this happen.”
Finley nods, releasing my hand. She makes her way over to the right side of the room, going straight to my mother’s closet. I make my way over to the nightstand. My hand hovers right over the knob. There is the highest probability that there is nothing to be found, but it’s that slim chance that has me here. Finley and her quest to finding the pieces of the map have given me the final push I needed to come back here. I’ve been wanting to for years, but I was a coward, afraid of what I was going to find, or what I wasn’t. I take a deep breath, grabbing the handle. The drawer squeaks as I pull it open.
There are a few loose papers, a leather journal, pens, and some odds and ends in the drawer. I pick up the journal, placing it on top of the nightstand. I’ll take that with me and read it later. Next, I take out the loose papers, leafing through them. A drawing I made when I was little, some recipes, and letter from my father. It’s dated a few days before the king killed him. I skim through it. He knew his time was coming to an end, and he apologizes profusely for what he did. He knew he shouldn’t have but gave in to temptation. It takes everything I have not to crumble up the letter. He was weak and not fit to be with my mother. Even after all this time, I’m still angry over what he did. I know I should get over it but I can’t. My father started all of this. He was the downfall of our family.
“There was nothing in the closet. I looked through all of the pockets in anything left hanging. I knocked on the walls, thinking that there might have been a hidden door or something, but there was nothing,” Finley says as she walks up to stand beside me. “Did you find anything?”
“Not yet,” I say quietly. I put the papers in my hand on top of the nightstand with the journal, closing the drawer. I go and open the next drawer. Inside there are multiple bottles. Lifting one, I see my mother’s name on it, a prescription. I check the next few bottles, finding her name on them. I don’t bother checking the rest. I know what I’ll find. I slam the door shut.
“It’s okay, Verkor. There are a few more places we can look.”
I nod. I know it’s a long shot. I didn’t really expect to find anything. The king wouldn’t leave anything behind implicating him. I follow Finley, and we search the rest of the room, coming up empty.
“I’m sorry, Verkor. I was hoping that we’d find something.”
“I came in knowing that there was a chance for this, but at least I can say I tried.” I walk over to the stand, gathering the letters and the journal. Finley waits for me by the door. I take one more look around before walking out the door, closing it behind me. It almost feels like I’m closing one chapter of my life, even if I didn’t find what I was looking for. I gaze at Finley, knowing that I need to start looking at my future. I can’t do that if I’m still living in the past, but I need to try and find out what really happened that day. Hopefully, I’ll find something in my mother’s journal.”
Chapter 17
Finley
Verkor’s been a little distant since last night. He’s kept to himself, immersed in the journal he took from his mother’s room. I’ve left him to it. When he’s ready, he'll tell me what it says. I leave the room in search for Stolas and find him in the kitchen, stuffing his face.
“Why am I not surprised to find you here?”
“I’m a man and a shifter. I need fuel to keep this fine specimen going.” I shake my head, smiling. “Is there something you needed, love?”
“Actually, yes. I was wondering if there were shops near the castle? The ball is tomorrow and I still have to get a dress, shoes, and jewelry.”
“Ah, there are shops in the village that we passed by on the way in. You don’t need to worry about a dress. Verkor has gotten you one already.”
“Hm, well, can we still go? I haven’t left the castle grounds since we got here.”
“Oh, I know exactly what we need to do. Be ready in a few hours.” I smile. I’m excited to spend a little one-on-one time with Stolas.
I make sure I’m ready to go. The black corset, with beaded flowers, that ties up the back, was a pain in the ass to get on, but totally worth it. I twirl, smiling as I watch the black, flowy skirt spin around my legs, and my favorite boots peak out underneath. I take a moment to adjust the black lace gloves, ensuring the tie on my middle finger is secure and pulled tightly. I smooth down the sides of my hair that I’ve pulled back with bobby pins. Just one more thing. Retrieving my velvet black choker from the counter, I tie it around my neck. I give myself one last glance in the mirror and smile. I almost don’t recognize the girl in the mirror. She’s happy. I spin, marching right out of the bathroom, ready for whatever Stolas has planned.
“Damn, Fin. You look amazing,” Stolas states.
“You don’t look so bad yourself.” I smile.
Stolas isn’t wearing anything fancy, just faded jeans and a plain, black, long-sleeved shirt, paired with black boots. He holds out my cloak. I walk over, presenting him with my back. He wraps my cloak around me. Turning me, he secures the tie that hangs across my collarbone. He lifts the hood; the white fur frames my face.
“Where are Verkor and Obsidian?”
“Verkor went off to talk to Kellan, and I think he said something about a guard. Obsidian went hunting, again.” I nod. Stolas holds out his elbow. “I have a fun evening planned.”
I wrap my arm around his, and he escorts me from the room. The walk to the front of the castle is quiet. I’m glad Stolas, or myself, doesn’t feel the need to fill the silence. A guard stationed at the door opens it for us, and a horse and carriage is what greets my sights. I look up at Stolas, finding him already staring at me, and I smile.
“This is unexpected. I thought we were going to be riding horses down. How did you manage to get a carriage?”
We walk down the stairs toward our ride. The only thing more beautiful than the carriage that awaited us are the two magnificent Clydesdale horses hooked to the front. The deep cherry wood is accentuated by the black velvet top that covered only the bench seat. The sleek wooden spoked wheels gave it a vintage air as did the single coachman seat, which rose slightly higher than the passenger one in the rear. As we neared, the coachman opened the wooden carriage door, embossed with a calligraphy styled, white E, letting everyone know who the carriage belonged to. I rolled my eyes and smiled, even their belongings held an air of vanity about them.
“If you know how to ask, anything can be done.”
“So, you asked Verkor?”
He laughs, helping me into the carriage. “Yeah. He did ask what I wanted it for, and once I mentioned you, he was more than willing to set this up.” Stolas climbs in, sitting beside me, on the surprisingly padded bench seat. He reaches down, pulling a blanket from underneath the seat. Stolas opens it, placing it across our laps. Throwing an arm over my shoulders and pulling me close to his body, I lay my head on his chest.
“I’m surprised he quit reading that jour
nal. Verkor seems a little down and withdrawn today. I wanted to talk to him, but didn’t want to disturb him in case he was working through something.”
The carriage shakes a little as the coachman climbs on, taking his seat in front of us. He grabs the reigns, snapping them, and the carriage jerks forward.
“I’m sure he appreciates the gesture. When he’s ready, he’ll tell us.” I nod, because I thought the same thing earlier. Stolas did say that he went to talk to his cousin. Maybe they can give him a few more answers to help him move on.
“Okay. We’ll worry about that later. I’m ready for whatever you have planned for us.”
He kisses the top of my head, and I snuggle deeper into his hold. The sound of the horses clomping is oddly soothing, as is the kiss of the winter air across my cheeks. The sun is starting to set, casting a beautiful orange, pink, purple, and yellow glow across the sky. Even though the Winter Court is cold, it’s strangely gorgeous with everything snow covered. It’s like a winter wonderland. We ride in silence as the carriage winds down a road I didn’t notice when we first arrived.
After a short ride, the village starts to come into view. Some of the houses in the village look more opulent than others, while some are carved right into the side of the rock ledge, which doesn’t look very safe. My attention is taken from them, to the bustling market before me. I gasp at the sight of so many fae wings. They differ in color from light blues to darker, light gray to darker, and even some white ones. The carriage stops a few feet away. Some fae turn and look in our direction but quickly go back to their business. For some reason, I didn’t think that the fae would be welcoming of outsiders, considering that Verkor had to show his wings at the front gate before being allowed entrance. But I guess if you’re in the castle walls, you’re deemed okay.
The coachman opens the door, and Stolas gets out. He stops and turns. I scoot over, rising. His hands go to my waist, lifting me from the carriage. He turns, placing my feet on the snow covered ground, making sure that I’m steady before letting go and once again offers me his elbow.
Stolen Warriors Page 17
