Huntress

by Susan Copperfield

  My father bared his fangs but fell quiet.

  “You need to pretend everything is normal, Your Majesty. This is critical if we want to get as much information out of them before we make the arrest. More importantly, we need to find out if they have any other targets.”

  Eva.

  I fanned my feathers at the thought of anyone targeting her, and while Barclave had it out for me, he’d been careful about targeting an RPS agent. Even dazed, in pain, and barely conscious, I thought he’d spoken the truth.

  There was no gain for him in hurting Eva, not when he believed she was part of some clever ploy to drive Gail away. The extra attention would hurt his chances of taking my place.

  I almost admired Barclave for his cunning. Almost.

  My father growled, but he nodded, relented, and jumped out of the SUV leaving me with my uncle, who stared at me down the length of his long, battered nose.

  “Sir, please try not to traumatize your nephew any further. Until Dr. Hampford’s associate is able to look him over, treat him as though he is more fragile than glass. He’s your responsibility. Keep him mobile and conscious. Those are Dr. Hampford’s orders. If he can’t stay conscious, shift and get a hold of me immediately. We’ll route him directly to the ER. Ideally, we’ll avoid that, but when an injury like that survives transformation, it’s a cause for concern.”

  My uncle nodded and draped a paw over my back, tugging me closer. Protesting would wear away the little energy I had left, so I shuffled to him to convince Christian I’d cooperate.

  “Good. Remember, call me immediately if there are any problems. I’m toeing more lines than I like right now. Your Highness, if you think your condition is worsening, peck your uncle to call me.”

  I bobbed my head.

  Christian sighed, bailed out of the SUV, and tailed my father into the castle. As sticking close to my uncle ensured I had at least one predator on my side, I waited for him to hop out of the vehicle before I followed.

  Landing hurt, especially as I misjudged the distance thanks to my wavering vision. The temptation to crawl under the SUV to hide almost got the better of me, but my uncle shoved his nose under me and herded me towards the castle.

  Agents from my father’s detail watched me like hawks ready to swoop down and enjoy a fresh Thanksgiving dinner, likely at Christian’s order. Their scrutiny woke the same nervousness that got me through each spring. Unlike in the spring, I had someone larger and more lethal to hide behind.

  My uncle growled, showed off his sharp teeth, and matched my pace, an unfortunately slow wobble. As I couldn’t seek sanctuary in my normal places, I headed for my father’s office. Under his desk would make a fantastic hiding place, and no one would judge my uncle for invading.

  All of my uncles and aunts invaded my father’s office for no reason other than to annoy him.

  I made it halfway to my chosen sanctuary before my uncle shifted, picked me up, and set me on the desk, which was the last place I wanted to be. Uncle Edgar shifted with his clothes, something I was more grateful for than usual, but I disliked how he grabbed my neck with one hand and examined the back of my head with the other.

  “In good news, Christian is overreacting. You have mud on your head.” While still holding my neck in a firm grip, my uncle snatched a tissue from my father’s desk and wiped it over my head. “Well, mostly mud. There’s a small cut. I expect that’s where you were hit. Head hurt?”

  He eased his grip enough I could nod.

  “No surprise. When Christian tells me my job is to keep you awake, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m also going to start giving you your first lesson on how to transform to human without getting help from someone. And yes, we can help each other transform, but it’s unpleasant. I expect you transformed when you were unconscious?”

  Startled, I peered at him with an eye.

  “We all start out that way, kiddo. We usually don’t figure out we can shift outside of our season unless something goes wrong. Your father fell off one of the castle walls and about broke his neck. He panicked. Fortunately, he’s a cat, so he landed on his feet, but it surprised the hell out of him. He bolted right back to your mother and hid under her chair until our father had a chance to coax him out.”

  Once I returned to my human form, I’d have to ask a great many questions about the time my father hid under my mother’s chair, as he was a rather large lynx and I couldn’t imagine him fitting under any chair in the castle.

  “The basics of shifting is figuring out which parts of you are man and beast, separating them enough to pick your shape, and making your talent do as you wish. We theorize that securing a bond allows our talent to develop enough to control the shapeshifting. In the spring, you’ll find it’s easier to shift to your beast but harder to become human. You’ll manage, though. Lord knows you’re stubborn enough to fight the magic. But this? Extreme fear or severe injury is what triggers our ability to shift. Well, in your case, unconscious but out of season ability to shift.”

  He released my neck and grabbed more tissues, rubbing away as much of the mud from my head as possible. I stood still for him, as I worried he’d shift to his wolf form and use his tongue.

  “In good news, there’s limited blood. I’m concerned about the severity of it before you shifted. Lethal, probably.”

  I nodded to acknowledge him.

  “We’ll be able to use a truth seer to verify how the family talent works and confirm an attempted regicide count in addition to kidnapping and general assault. I’m sure Christian and Meredith will enjoy adding charges to the list.” My uncle growled. “I’ll help.”

  In his case, I suspected ‘help’ actually meant ‘rend flesh from bones.’ Inflicting bodily harm on someone was more of a predator’s inclination, but I’d make an exception myself if an opportunity presented itself.

  At the minimum, I wouldn’t interfere with my family when they dealt with Barclave and Gail.

  “You’ll be pleased about your Evangeline’s reaction to your disappearance.”

  I lifted my head and gave him my undivided attention, and when he didn’t continue, I gobbled my demand for details.

  His grin oozed smug wolf. “First, she was the first to know something was wrong. Evangeline called in an unknown threat. She had your complete schedule so knew there wasn’t supposed to be a scenario going on, and she’d known the scheduled scenario had already ended. Second, she was able to pinpoint the exact location where the attack happened, but she said something disrupted her brand on you. Third, whatever you do, don’t make that woman angry. I’m not sure you’ll survive it. Someone suggested she was hallucinating the whole thing, and she told him if he dared to doubt her judgment when it came to you again, she’d be delivering his body in a coffee tin. She was a little upset over your disappearance.” Leaving me on my father’s desk, my uncle closed the door, went to the closet, and retrieve a pair of sweats from the top shelf. “Let’s try to get you shifted. I’m not sure Dr. Hampford or her associate would appreciate treating a turkey, and honestly, transforming should help you heal faster.”

  Becoming human would make my life much simpler, although it’d be a lot harder to hide from the rest of the palace staff. I wondered if word was already spreading someone had used magic to take my place.

  My uncle didn’t give me long to think about it. He dug his fingers into the feathers of my chest and secured a hold on me.

  The next time anyone suggested I be helped through a transformation, I would fight to my last breath to prevent it. Only an idiot would consent to being turned inside out, stabbed with a thousand, invisible tiny blades, and subjected to the agony of broken bones.

  I would’ve preferred the headache.

  Mercifully, I hadn’t had anything to eat or drink, so while my stomach heaved, I was spared from the indignity of vomiting. Coughing, I struggled to catch my breath.

  “Better than I thought. When your grandfather forced me through my first change, it was ten minutes of tha
t. You didn’t take long at all. Perhaps an unexpected benefit of your transfusion? You are in dire need a shower. I’m so glad the architects thought it’d be wise to have a bathroom adjacent to your father’s office.” My uncle grabbed my elbow and dragged me across the room. “Shower first, and don’t fall on your ass. Hell, don’t even try to stand. Sit your ass on the tiles. I’ll help you wash your hair so we can get a better look at the damage without shaving your head.”

  Any other day, I would’ve bristled over my uncle joining me in the shower, but between general exhaustion and the persistent throb in my head, I cooperated without a fight.

  He dealt with my hair first, poking and prodding where I’d been struck. “Well, transforming helped. I can see where you were cut and hit, and while you’ve gotten one hell of a bump, it doesn’t feel like your skulls in pieces. But I’m not a doctor.”

  “It doesn’t feel as bad as before,” I admitted.

  “Good. Any nausea?”

  “Not like before.”

  “You’re ahead of your old man. It took him months to shift without throwing up. It takes a lot of transformations to adapt to it. Once you do, you’ll hardly notice it.”

  “That’s something.”

  “It’s going to take forever to get all this mud out. What’d they do? Dump you in a hole and shovel dirt all over you?”

  I sighed. “That’s not far from the truth. I think they used an animal’s den maybe? They talked about making a long-term solution.”

  “They wanted to keep you alive?”

  “As far as I could gather. Barclave seemed confident his talent would keep me alive despite a head injury.”

  “He sounds delusional to me. What do they want?”

  “Gail wants to be queen.” I resisted the urge to shrug. “I guess Barclave liked the idea of becoming a king, too. He’d have to take my place to make Gail the queen.”

  “Unless they have no idea how the succession works here, which I’m thinking is a possibility. Gail wasn’t the type to look into the actual duties of being a queen, only the prestige of the position,” my uncle muttered, and he dumped more soap on top of my head before rubbing it in. “There wasn’t much blood on you as a turkey, but it’s all caked in your hair, kiddo.”

  “I bet this wasn’t in your job description as an uncle.”

  “Beats what the rest of my brothers are having to deal with. I get to stand guard duty and keep people away from you while they handle the imposter. They have to hide their fury and instinct to eliminate a threat. Killing either one without sufficient evidence would cause a great deal of trouble for the royal family. No, we’re going to let them live, and we’ll make sure they’re ruined before they rot in prison for a long time.”

  “Without maiming them?”

  My uncle grunted, digging his fingers into my hair to work the soap in. “Maiming is up for negotiation.”

  “Gail wanted to go after Eva. Barclave didn’t want the RPS looking closer at him, which is what would happen an agent is attacked. I’m concerned Gail might’ve made plans to get rid of Eva.”

  “After you’re clean and changed, I’ll notify Christian and see what we can do to get security increased around her. It might take a while; with this incident, your detail’s going to be shuffled and everyone reverified. It might take a while to go through the interviews. His Royal Majesty of Montana can’t be everywhere at once, and we’re not the only kingdom having problems right now.”

  “Do I want to know?” I hesitated. “You know what? I’m pretty sure I don’t.”

  “There are some issues about California’s line of succession.”

  That surprised me. “Why?”

  “Well, the heir is refusing any matchmaking ploys by his family, citing North Dakota’s situation as he’s an unbonded leech, and he’ll probably get ideas from you if he’s not allowed to do as he wants to find a partner. That leaves his brother, also an unbonded leech, who is utterly unprepared for ruling. While the rumor mill has been going strong, I doubt the younger brother has any idea he might become king.”

  “Another Grégoire situation?”

  “Not entirely. The prince is likely unaware of the situation. The rumor started in New York last week.”

  I groaned. “New York is starting even more trouble? Again?”

  “New York is developing a bad habit of producing queens. I think His Royal Majesty of California was hoping to find a woman his son might accept.”

  “How?”

  “I haven’t figured that out, truth be told. I was still stuck on California going to New York in the first place. I would’ve paid good money to be a fly on the wall during that meeting. So, you’ll want to watch California in the near future. There’s going to be drama.”

  “We should just rename the Royal States to the Drama States. It’d be more accurate.”

  “But we’re royally dramatic, kiddo. Just take a look at you. You’ve been the undisputed king of all things drama for several months now. There are entire websites dedicated to speculating on what you’ll do next. Word’s already spread you’ve set a wedding date without announcing the woman you intend to marry. Your father and mother aren’t telling us, but we have a pretty good idea who she is.”

  “I’m sure she’ll notify you herself should she desire.”

  “With or without her charmingly extensive vocabulary?”

  I chuckled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “How’s your head doing?”

  “Better than earlier, much to my relief. I’ve got a headache you wouldn’t believe, but it’s tolerable. Earlier? Not so much.”

  “Transforming isn’t a cure-all, but it helps a lot. Let’s get the rest of that muck off you so you can enjoy a soak. I expect they’ll be dancing around that imposter for a while trying to get as much on him as they can before making the arrest.”

  “After the day I’ve had, so help me, if Barclave sleeps in my bed tonight, I might kill him myself.”

  “And if he does, it’s for good reason. You can’t kill him, kiddo.”

  “That’s not at all fair. He got to hit me. I should get to hit him back.”

  “It’s doubtful he personally hit you. He probably hired someone to hit you, and until we figure out the money trail, you might need to disappear in the castle for a few days while the imposter settles.”

  “He should have to go to the RPS compound and stay only in the secured sections.”

  “But then he’d have to share a suite with Eva and Meredith.”

  I grimaced at the thought of him being anywhere near Eva. “If I asked Meredith to kill the bastard, do you think she’d do it?”

  “You’re even more bloodthirsty than I am right now. No, kiddo. There will be no acts of premeditated murder.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because no matter how satisfying it would be, it’s still wrong.”

  Dr. Hampford invaded my father’s office, and an old man with jet black hair and stress lines across his brow followed. The pair locked on me faster than I could blink, and I grimaced at their scrutiny. Had I been wise, I would’ve stayed in the tub for longer rather than moving to my father’s couch and toweling my hair dry while wearing his sweats.

  “No one told me he’d transformed back,” Dr. Hampford announced, annoyance sharpening her tone.

  “He’s fine. It helped the headache, it let him get the blood off, and he was covered in mud. Let the kiddo have some of his dignity back.”

  “This is Dr. Thorton. He’s the best Montana has to offer for trauma care. How bad do you think the injuries were, Mr. Averett?”

  “He was unconscious when he involuntarily shifted. That’s a good indicator of lethal damage. We may not have the best talent but it’s useful in a pinch. The way he was behaving in his animal form supports the damage; he still had injuries to his head although it’d stopped bleeding. Christian mistook his natural coloration and mud for blood.”

  “And now?”

  “They
left him in the mud covered in blood, which had caked in his hair. It took me almost an hour to get that crap out. There’s no bleeding, but he’s got a bump he’s not going to forget anytime soon. In good news, his headache has improved.”

  “Your Highness?”

  “My uncle won’t let me kill them,” I complained.

  “It’s prudent to allow them time to identify if there are any co-conspirators,” my doctor replied, and she offered me a smile. “Good work rescuing yourself. Let Roger have a look at you, and we’ll figure out how best to care for you.”

  “And the imposter?”

  Christian slipped into my father’s office and took a seat beside the door.

  “I assigned him to bedrest for the next forty-eight hours with careful monitoring. He’s not to be left unattended at any time,” Dr. Thorton announced.

  “Christian? What about Gail?”

  “She’s been thanked for her contribution in helping with ‘Prince Kelvin’s’ recovery and sent home. She’s also going to be monitored. I sent a pair of RPS agents home with her, and she’ll have a pair with her at all times. I picked the pair from His Majesty’s detail, and they’re aware she’s a conspirator in this situation. They’ll be recording her every word.”

  I almost felt sorry for her, but then I remembered she’d almost gotten me killed with her greed. “And Eva?”

  “Agent Evangeline has been temporarily relieved of duty. She was relieved upon confirmation of your disappearance. I thought you’d be happier about the situation that way. We’re still hammering out the details of how to hide your presence, but honestly, it’s not going to stay a secret long. We’ve already put out the code there’s an imposter in the castle, so the entirety of the permanent staff knows. All cameras are recording, and we have a full staff evaluating every word the imposter says. We’re doing a comprehensive background check on Agent Barclave. As per protocol, all of the newer agents have been temporarily relieved of duty while the circumstances of your kidnapping are being investigated,” Christian announced. “Agent Barclave’s impersonator will be given an assignment at the RPS training compound in secured areas so we can monitor him.”