Her mother shook her head. “I’ve made my mistakes, too.”
Noelani stared into her mother’s sad eyes. “But I don’t see how you can blame Jack for what his parents did.”
“The crimes of the father are the crimes of his son,” Melvin offered as an explanation.
“Jack was also not a model citizen. Your father, while traveling in the human world, discovered him in a gambling hall and brought him back for a visit.” Her mother stood and strolled across the room to the birdcage. “In less than a week, Rodman accused the boy of stealing.”
“Yet we found no proof he committed any crime,” Melvin added.
Her mother’s hand paused over the door to the cage. “He’s the one who decided to leave.”
“Can’t blame him, I wouldn’t want to live with Rodman either,” Melvin grumbled under his breath.
“Anyway, we didn’t see him again until he came back to Ardenia with the news that your father had died.” Her mother drew in a deep breath and then lifted the latch to retrieve her dove. “I’m afraid I wasn’t very kind to him for imparting such disheartening news. I refused to let him return to Ardenia and threatened to imprison him for life if he should ever try to return.” She lifted the bird and rubbed her cheek against his white breast.
Noelani glanced at Melvin then at her mother. “And now?”
“I don’t know. I have a lifetime of misgivings to overcome.” Her mother placed the bird on her shoulder before she strolled back across the room. “Are you sure he’s really that important to you? After all, you can’t approve of his lifestyle of gambling and living among the low lives of the human world.”
“I...” Noelani reviewed what she knew about the man. He’d freed her from Governor Sloan and shared his thoughts with her while they made love. But did she really grasp the true nature of the man?
Pictures flashed in her head of both old memories and new. Would her mother lump her into the same category as Jack? She’d been little more than a slave to Sloan and he liked to gamble.
Ashamed and worried her mother would reject her, too, Noelani drew back. “I believe you’re right. Now is not the time to discuss this.” She raked her hands through her hair. “I need to get my past, future, and present all clear in my head.”
Her mother smiled and nodded her understanding. “Why don’t you let Oxford show you to your room?”
Noelani turned to see a mountain of a man. Memories of her mother’s private guard made her smile. When had he entered the room?
“I, uh, think you’re right.” She stood and leaned forward to hug her mother. A familiar warmth surrounded her, and love soothed her doubts about the future. A strong conviction of belonging sang through her heart. They would work it out and overcome the past. No one would ever tear her from her home again.
****
Following Oxford down the hall, Noelani sifted through all the different events that had happened in the last few days. “Oxford, do you happen to know a man named Tate?”
Oxford stopped in front of the last door on the left. “Yes, he’s Councilman Rodman’s assistant.” He threw open the door and motioned for her to step inside. “Here you are. Your room is just the way you left it.”
Noelani glanced inside, and a wave of recognition washed through her. Images of the past came rushing back, and she stepped over the threshold.
Childish drawings marked the wall. Some she’d done when she was no more than a kid. While others revealed a skill gained after years of practice. Every animal imaginable, drawn with a charcoal brick, graced the stark white sheets pasted to the walls.
Her favorite sketch was missing, and she rushed to her old desk and yanked open the top drawer. Stacks of her drawings filled the space. The one on top plunged her into a dark void.
She’d only seen one panther in her life. At the time she hadn’t known who it was. Now, she realized Jack had captured her heart at a very young age.
But could she trust him?
Doubts clouded her mind, and she stared at the lean lines of his panther form. Had he returned her to Ardenia because he wanted to help her or to gain favor with her mother?
She threw down her drawing and walked to the center of the room. The crystal light from the fireplace drew her attention. A special feature of Ardenia, the unique stones released a soothing heat.
Overwhelmed with memories and impressions, she closed her eyes to picture Jack. Her lover for the last few days, her protector on their journey to Ardenia, and the man she wanted for the rest of her life. He had deep issues of his own they would need to overcome.
The strain of the long day weighed her down. She stepped to her bed and ran a hand along the top of the peach comforter before sinking down onto the plush surface. Should she rest and try to make sense out of all the images in her head or tell the guards to bring Jack to her room and demand answers? Rest lured her into closing her eyes.
Only for a moment.
Jack flashed through her thoughts and seduced her into a peaceful world with no strife, no heartache, and no difficult decisions to make.
Chapter Twelve
The hand on Jack’s shoulder instantly woke him from his nap. He blinked several times at the mountain of the man before him. Oxford.
Almost the spitting image of Havyn Westmore, his brother, he stepped back to stare down at Jack. Oxford indicated he should rise. “The queen is ready to see you now?”
Jack swung his legs off the chaise lounge and grabbed a few grapes from the table in front of him. “Did Kitty remember her past?”
“Yes, Noelani is currently resting in her room.” Oxford grabbed Jack’s arm and yanked him to his feet. “Now, if you don’t mind, we need to move.”
The light shove irritated Jack. He reframed from retaliating and walked around the table to the door. “One would almost think we’re in a hurry. Is the queen that anxious to see me?”
Oxford followed Jack through the door where the other two guards from earlier waited. “The queen requires a few private words with you. She feels you two have a few things to discuss since you’ve decided to return to Ardenia.”
“Right.” Jack followed Oxford down the hall and recalled the last discussion he’d had with the queen.
Still grieving for the man he’d travel with, fought beside, and who’d shaped his entire adult life, King Harris’s death had affected Jack as much as it had the female monarch.
Her words rang in his ears. “Though I appreciate you’re coming to Ardenia to tell us of my husband’s fate, I believe it would be best for everyone if you returned to the human world and not darken our world again with your presence.”
With his promise to Harris fulfilled, Jack left the one place his comrade had promised he would be welcomed. The dual pain of losing both his country and his best friend drove Jack. He survived the best way he could, alone and with no connections to anyone.
Only until recently had he—
Oxford stopped in front of the queen’s chamber and knocked.
Could he survive leaving Kitty?
“Come in,” a male voice sounded through the door.
Oxford opened the door and ushered Jack over the threshold.
Upon entering the room, his gaze fell on Melvin. Sitting by the fireplace, the wizard stirred the kettle at his feet. The queen sat in her normal gold, high back chair.
“Jack, my boy. You’ve grown into a handsome lad.” Melvin smiled, and his obvious sincerity eased some of Jack’s anger at being held prisoner by the queen.
“Thank you, Melvin. My mother, rest her soul, would’ve appreciated your comment.” Jack walked to the queen and knelt at her feet. “My queen, you wanted to see me.”
The small smile on her face sent a wave of apprehension through him. She didn’t normally enjoy his visits. “Yes, I believe you and I need to talk. Please have a seat.” She pointed to a chair located near Melvin.
He stood and scanned the room. Oxford and another guard beside him guarded the exit. Both appeared rela
xed, indicating no anticipation of violence.
Jack settled and turned to the queen. “All right, what is it you’d like to discuss?”
The lady wove her fingers together and laid her hands quietly in her lap. “First, I have to apologize.”
“What?” Never in his wildest days had he expected to hear those words from her, not after their history and her blatant dislike of him.
She nodded. “I can understand your confusion. I judged you unfairly in the past because of your parents. I was wrong and...” She sighed and stared into space. Her distress bothered him more than her apology. “I’m finally ready to hear your side of the story.”
He shook his head. “What do you want to know?”
She glanced briefly at him then lowered her gaze to her hands. “You are a child of Ardenia. Your father was the king of our country at one time. But because of your parents’ affair and their escape to the human world, I’ve treated you with less than kindness.”
“And my uncle’s obvious disgust probably hasn’t helped the matter.” Did they inform his uncle of his return?
“Rodman does like to voice his opinions,” Melvin grumbled and studied the contents of his pot.
The queen frowned at her wizard and wiggled uncomfortably in her seat. “Let’s talk instead about some questions I’ve had about the past. How did you meet my husband?”
Jack smiled. The lady controlled the conversation, and she had no desire to rehash his battles with his uncle. “Believe it or not, my mother introduced us. King Harris learned of my father’s death and visited to offer his condolences.”
“How did your father die?” Melvin interrupted.
“During one of the first skirmishes between the giants and the humans, he volunteered to help defend a small village. The giants bombarded the place with large rocks, and he was crushed under a beam when the building he was in collapsed.”
“Yes, now I remember. That was a few weeks before Harris brought you for a visit to Ardenia.” The queen stared off in the distance as if viewing the events of the past.
“King Harris convinced my mother it would be a good idea for me to visit my homeland and meet my uncle.” He groaned. That particular part of the plan had failed. His uncle hated him on sight.
“And after you left Ardenia and returned to the human world, what did you do?”
Jack liked the way the queen skipped over the problem with his uncle, the acclaimed Councilman of Ardenia. “I traveled for a while and became involved in the escalating issue between the giants and the humans.”
“Why didn’t you return to your mother?” Melvin dropped a few herbs into his pot.
“I couldn’t find her. She disappeared into the mountains and left no trace of her whereabouts.” Jack recalled the sense of abandonment he felt upon returning to find her gone. “I met King Harris about a year later. We traveled and fought several battles together.”
“And you were with him when he died?” the queen asked in a rasp whisper.
Jack noticed the lines around her mouth. “No, my assignment took me away from the area for the day. I had to scout out the enemy and return with information about their location. While away, the giants attacked the camp. I returned to...” The visions of the mutilated bodies of his comrades still sickened him. Human carnage covered the ground.
He gulped down bile, and his throat burned with the memory. “No one could’ve survived.”
“Why did you travel to Ardenia to tell us of his death?” Melvin stirred his pot with a long spoon. “You had to realize you wouldn’t be welcome.”
At the time, Jack hoped to share his grief. King Harris, who’d almost been like his father, had also wanted his family to know his fate. “I made a promise.”
“And are you now in love with my daughter?”
****
A strange noise woke Noelani. She jolted straight up in bed and quickly glanced around. The glow of the setting sun shrouded the room of her youth. No guards, no maids, no one occupied the space. Yet, she could have sworn she heard a voice or someone calling her name.
The door to her clothing chamber open, the space inside was filled with silver robes that shimmered with the sunlight streaming through the windows. She threw off her comforter and stood. The crystals overhead instantly lit. The magical stones reminded her of the other marvelous wonders of her homeland.
“Yes, I’m finally home.” She twirled around and spread out her arms. “I’ll never have to wait on Governor Sloan again.”
Another man now held her fate. Jack. She had to find out his motives for bringing her home. Was it because he truly cared or was his sole objective to return to Ardenia? Or maybe it was both.
Rushing across her room, she yanked a royal robe from a hook and slid it over her head. Time to find out.
On her flight down the hallway and main staircase, she encountered no one. Even the door where Jack had been detained had no guard. She checked inside the room and found it empty.
Where did they take him?
“Are you looking for Jacko?”
Noelani turned and stared at a much older Rodman. Never impressed with the man, she studied him for a resemblance to Jack. None. Was he really Jack’s uncle? “Yes, do you happen to know where he is?”
“He’s in the queen’s chambers. I’m heading up there now.” He offered his arm. “Care to join me?”
Unwilling to touch the man, she shook her head and bolted ahead. Once at the door of her mother’s chambers, she barged right in. “Mother, what’s going on?”
A large hand closed around her arm and tugged her to an abrupt stop. Noelani twisted to look at the guard for a brief moment. “Omar, release me. I need to talk to my mother.”
“Yes, Princess. I didn’t realize it was you.” Omar released her and stepped back.
She hurried forward.
“Councilman Rodman, are you here to visit the queen, too?” Oxford’s words followed Noelani across the room.
“Jack, what are you doing here?” Noelani stepped into his arms as he stood, and the curly hair on his chest caressed her hands. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Jack slid his arms around her waist, and she nestled closer, drawing strength from his warmth.
“We were just discussing your father.” Her mother’s voice pulled Noelani’s attention from Jack.
She stepped out of his embrace to kneel at her mother’s feet. “Why didn’t you wait for—”
“And did he tell you he’s the one who killed him?” Rodman interrupted.
“What?” her mother choked out.
Noelani jumped up and rushed back to the Jack’s side. The two guards flanked Councilman Rodman on each side.
“And how would you know?” Jack’s bitter question lanced through the sudden silence in the room. “Were you there?”
Chapter Thirteen
Anger surged through Jack, and he longed to strike out. Yet with Kitty standing right beside him, he couldn’t take the chance. She could get hurt.
“I didn’t have to be there. You’re wearing the proof.” Rodman pointed at the pendant around his neck. “I gave that necklace to King Harris before he left to join the fight in the human world. The only way you could have gotten it from him is if you killed him.”
“Wrong.” Kitty wedged her body in front of Jack and pointed a finger at his uncle. “Now back off.”
Rodman backed up, and the two guards each took an arm. “I’m telling you, he’s a murderer.”
“Wrong,” Kitty repeated, her voice rising in volume. “You’re spouting something you know nothing about.”
The fire in her soothed Jack’s desire to fight, and he laid his hands on her waist to keep her from advancing any further.
“Easy, Noelani.” The queen stepped beside her daughter. “Why don’t we all take a seat? Then you can tell us what you know about Jack’s necklace.”
Kitty’s unmoving body remained stone still, and she stared at Rodman, daggers in her eyes.
&nb
sp; Jack slid his arms around her. “Come on, Kitty. Let’s sit down.”
She turned in the circle of his arms. “My name is Noelani. Don’t call me Kitty again.”
Shocked by her cold glare, he dropped his arms and stepped out of her way. What had happened to her since she’d left him a few hours ago?
She strolled to Melvin and took the chair Jack had occupied earlier. He glanced around, rejected the idea of dragging another from the opposite side of the room, and took a position behind Kitty—no—Noelani.
“Oxford, place Jack’s chair next to Noelani,” the queen directed her personal guard.
Everyone waited until Oxford followed the queen’s command.
Jack nodded his thanks to the guard and settled next to Noelani.
“Mother, Councilman Rodman is mistaken. Jack did not kill my father.” The elevated tone in her voice alerted Jack to her high level of anxiety. “Jack received that necklace from a witch. She placed it around his neck for good luck.”
Rodman broke in. “What witch? Where were you? And why would she be willing to help you? Did you pay her?”
“Council Rodman.” The queen tilted her head to one side. “If you please, I’ll ask the questions.”
“Certainly, my queen,” his uncle groveled. “I should’ve held my tongue.”
Jack enjoyed the sight of his uncle squirming. Over the years, with almost every encounter they had, his uncle accused him of some type of crime. Disgusted they were even related, Jack altered his gaze to Melvin when the wizard shuffled to a stop in front of him.
“Would you mind removing the necklace?” Melvin’s eyes darted to the pendant, glowing with a mystical light.
“Sure.” Jack ran his fingers along the string. “I can’t seem to find...” He lowered his head and twisted in his seat to show Melvin the back of the necklace. “...the connection.”
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