“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 she 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 quiet awhile.”
“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 memorized,” 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, and 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.”
“Enya?” Cole asked, in concern. “What's wrong?”
“The magic we flooded her with is wearing off,” Nicholas said. “She's growing sick again.”
Cole got up quickly, panic flooding his face.
“Why don't you help her then?” he asked. Nicholas remained silent. “Nicholas! Help her!”
Nicholas paused, trying to put it in less frightening terms.
“We have, Cole. Several times.”
“So, do it again,” Cole snapped. “Why don't you just cure her? Why are you keeping her in this state?”
Nicholas said nothing, and horror came over Cole.
“You can't do it, can you?”
“Not all of us are witch half-breeds,” Nicholas said, trying to have hope. “Alexander and I may be the most powerful dragon lords alive, but you are more than that.”
“So?” Cole asked, half frantic. “Are you going to let me do it? Are you going to let me cure her? Is her cure a condition to my prison sentence?”
“Cole,” Nicholas said, meeting his eyes. “Do you think we are so cruel?”
“So, you'll let me do it? No conditions?”
“No conditions,” Nicholas said. “Let's go.”
Nicholas's haste scared Cole as they hurried down the hallway. Nicholas was not usually panicked. He took things in stride and did what was necessary. It was true, he had anger and emotional issues, and sometimes lashed out. But he never looked panic or scared.
Cole wanted to transform for the simple reason that he would get there faster. But he had a feeling that he would need every bit of magic he had.
Nicholas led him to the room where Enya had been housed. Cole was relieved to learn that she was being kept in the royal quarters – the best rooms, the best service.
But upon entering the room, he saw the familiar demons return. Enya was pacing the room, which she sometimes did when the pain was out of control. She was half doubled over, sweating buckets, and trying not to vomit.
“Hey, baby,” Cole leapt forward. The hope in her eyes when she saw him was so uplifting that he almost cried. He wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. “It's OK. It's OK.”
“Cole,” she managed, and a wave of pain took over.
“Alright. It's OK. Come here.” He pulled her down to the luxurious bed. “You're OK. I need you to stop tensing up, because you know it's harder to accept the magic.”
“But I can't!” She was fighting against him, but he remained calm. Nicholas was taken aback by the way Cole was acting. This was not the reckless, mischievous brother that had caused so many problems. The one that sometimes seemed cruel just for the sake of being cruel. Cole was angry. Cole was a rebel. Cole killed for the sake of killing.
But in this moment, he was the calmest, sweetest, kindest boyfriend to his weak, sick girlfriend.
“Ready?” Cole asked, and Enya managed to nod. “Here we go then, my love.”
The magic flooded from his palms, stronger and better than it had on Earth. Cole could feel her body accepting the healing, and he fully intended to surpass the normal point. He didn't just want to just heal her. He wanted to renew every cell in her body so that she was never sick again.
Cole was the greatest dragon lord when it came to magic. Learning that he was a half breed had been his downfall not too long ago, but currently, he was grateful for it.
He closed his eyes, pushing the magic from the most inner workings of his body, but he couldn't seem to break the barrier within her to renew the cells. And to his horror, Enya was still in pain. Her fever still burned, and her head was half limp against him.
“Nicholas,” Cole's eyes flew open. “Nicholas, can you come and help me?”
Nicholas moved forward, placing his hands on the bed.
“Tell me what to do, brother.”
“It's healing magic,” Cole said. “But you have to give it to me. Can you do a transfer spell?”
“I think so,” Nicholas replied.
“You can do it,” Cole urged him. “You can do it. I know you can.”
“Right.” Nicholas put his hand on his brother's shoulder.
“Cole?” Enya asked, and he squeezed an arm around her.
“It's OK, love, just give me a minute.” He was trying to sound hopeful, but his heart was beating a million miles a minute. He couldn't seem to find the perfect position to give her all the magic he had. It was almost as if her body was putting up its own barrier. “Just one minute.”
He felt Nicholas's magic flood into him, and he pushed as much as he could, grasping Enya tight.
Her cells were highly damaged. He could practically see them in front of his eyes – warped, weak, and fi
ghting for survival.
“I need more!” he cried to Nicholas, who gritted his teeth and pressed harder.
“Cole,” Enya said again, and it sounded like she was in even more pain.
“Just hold on,” Cole said, as he tried again. The magic was starting to flood him in ways he had never experienced. He knew that using high amount of magic was dangerous, and he knew that it could sometimes do terrible, harmful things.
But in that moment, feeling Enya's limp body against him, he didn't care. He would give up his own life for her.
He suddenly felt what he could only describe as a pop or bang. It hurt immensely and he felt darkness sparkle in front of his eyes. Nicholas fell back, slumping against the wall. Cole felt blood dipping from his nose, and he wiped it away in haste as he looked down at Enya.
She was limp in his arms, her eyes closed. And to his horror, her chest was not moving.
“NO!” Cole screamed. He was loud, the scream coming from the button of his lungs. It was such a terrifying cry that people from all over came running into the room. “ENYA! NO!”
Alexander came sprinting in with Ariel, having been down the hall. Cole's hands were on her chest, trying to push more magic in a frantic attempt to revive her. Nicholas was dazed, his magic blown, and he could barely focus on the scene in front of him.
“Move!” Ariel moved forward, letting go of Alexander's hand. “Cole, get off her. Alexander, call your medical team.”
“What the hell happened?” Alexander barked, in his own panic.
“I'm trying to help. I'm trying to help. I’m trying to help,” Cole repeated, but Ariel had no time for his explanation.
“I said, call your damn medical team,” Ariel swore as she quickly tied her long, red hair in a knot. “They are more advanced than Earth, and yet they can't get here? Do it, now!”
She pushed a stunned Cole aside, checking Enya's breath. Finding nothing, she placed her hands on Enya’s chest and began CPR immediately.
Everything on the planet was either magically controlled or mechanically controlled. The simple measures of CPR seemed beyond them, and none of them had any idea what they were doing.
Ariel continued CPR for almost five, heart-stopping minutes. It was the most chaotic that things had ever been in the palace. Cole was frantic and screaming, Nicholas was trying not to faint, and Alexander was trying to remain in control.
Shifter's Heart: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (The Hills Book 1) Page 23
