by A Lonergan
“You would think the castle would be on high alert and would have noticed us by now.” I whispered as we got closer to the doors.
Armia shook her head, like I should have put it together already. “I have been cloaking us you imbecile.
That made sense.
I knew the moment she took the cloaking spell away. Guards flooded around us, Nico was at the front of them. “Willow?” My face broke into a genuine smile. His light brows were pulled together in concern as he took our party in. “What happened?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but Armia jumped in. Nico didn’t look surprised. “I was on my way into town when I was kidnapped. My men were slaughtered, and I was brought to a little hovel in the ground. That’s where I found these two, beaten beyond belief.”
“How did you manage to escape?” Nico’s voice held suspicion.
Armia’s face crumpled. “One of my men had survived, and followed the kidnapper, he staked out the entire operation for days before he provided enough distraction for Willow to take down the rest of the men.”
Nico’s eyes slid to me and I knew exactly what she was doing. She was trying to thread suspicion into our relationship. “That’s a great feat. But why isn’t His Majesty healing himself?”
Armia let out another overly exaggerated cry and threw herself into his arms. “They had magic restraining cuffs on us. Our blood absorbed some of the metal and I don’t know how we will make it.”
“Madam Colver will be coming to assess each of you soon enough. As soon as I saw you I sent for her.” Nico picked up my hand in his, shrugging off the clingy Royal at his side. “Are you okay?”
I nodded my head. I felt like I could have crumbled at his feet. The rutting elf handed Cal to one of his guards and they went away quickly.
“We have been worried sick.” Nico grasped my hand tightly as he pulled me into the castle. “What is she here for?”
I jumped at Nico’s voice in my mind and looked around cautiously. “Squeeze my hand to answer, ‘yes’. Is she here for her genies?”
I gripped his hand hard and focused on walking instead of the silent conversation going on. I didn’t want to raise questions with Armia. He led us up a spiral staircase and into a long hallway, the corridor was where all important guests stayed. I stopped our group.
“I can go to the servant quarters.” I pulled my hand from his.
Nico grabbed it back. “The other maids don’t know of your safe return, I’m sure they will soon enough, but you need your rest.”
“And your privacy for whatever plan you have. You have a plan, right?”
I clenched his hand and he nodded, but it looked like he was just contemplating something.
The guard stopped at beautiful gray doors and opened one for me. “A healer will be here soon enough, and I’m sure Madam Colver will be here before then. I will show Armia to her rooms.”
Nico swept his arm forward for Armia to follow him but she stopped. “I really don’t want to be alone.” Her voice was small and if I hadn’t known better I would have believed her to be the victim. “What I went through down there, it changed me and I can’t stomach to be away from the only person that understands.”
I blinked at her. I didn’t think she would pull something like this, but she did seem like a controlling person. She needed this to go exactly how she planned it. But I didn’t know how I was going to accomplish anything without Cal, he wasn’t far from my thoughts and I needed to know he was okay.
I grabbed Nico’s hand. “Come tell me how Cal-” The informality rolled off my tongue with ease and I could have slapped myself. Nico looked up at me quickly and frowned. I tried to correct it, but I knew I was too late. “Please, tell me how His Majesty fairs.”
His eyes softened. “I can’t imagine what you went through with him. It must have changed you both considerably.” Nico said in my mind, while he said out loud, “Of course! You are his savior. I’m sure he will be singing your praises.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The King
I moaned as I rolled over. I pushed my hands out searching. Searching for what, I wasn’t exactly sure. That was until I found soft bedsheets and I had hoped to find the skin of a woman. A specific woman that I had shared a cell with for what seemed like an eternity.
“You look rough, Your Highness.” Nico’s voice rang from somewhere in the room.
I groaned and opened my eyes. “Oh, thank Mother above, you found us.”
“Not entirely.” Nico said grimly.
I rolled over and found him leaning against one of the posts on my bed. “What happened?”
It all came flooding back. One of my sister’s men had kicked me and Willow had come to my rescue like the wild woman she was. I could have smiled, in a strange kind of way, at the memory of her taking his eye out in a dash. Every time she moved, it was a new experience for me.
“Armia came speaking half truths, or what I could piece together in her overly dramatic way, with you over the shoulder of a twit elf, and Willow entirely too bloody for my liking.”
I sat up and my entire body protested against the movement, but my body was alight with panic. “Where is Willow now?”
“She is in the room two down from here, and Armia is with her.” I shot up.
Nico stepped in front of me and held up a hand. “Willow has a plan. She’s here for the genies, isn’t she?”
I closed my eyes. I had failed. I should have been better.
“Madam Colver had sensed her magic a few hours ago. She sent them away and we managed to drop the spelling against Armia so she could enter and not cause problems.” Relief coursed through me.
“Does she know where the genies went?”
Nico shook his head. “She told them to leave and come back when you made a signal with your magic, whatever that means.”
I shook my head. I hadn’t the slightest of clues. “How did you find out that she has a plan, or are you guessing?” I had thought she was bluffing and just trying to find an opening in all of this, so she could just kill her.
He tapped his forehead.
“You told her?” I asked, surprised. “You haven’t told anyone, but me.”
“I trust her.”
I gulped. “You won’t, when you find out more about her.”
Nico gave me a small smile. “I will, because I know she’s genuine to the bone. She is as true as it gets. Even if she is shackled to the most evil being, next to your sister, in the realm.”
“I need a scry.” I said, trying not to think on what he had just told me.
“What ever for?” Nico wrinkled his eyebrows, in confusion.
A knock at the door interrupted me. A pretty, young girl with light lavender skin pushed the door open. She curtseyed and kept her eyes on the floor while she spoke. “There is a man at the front of the castle, he said that you have requested his presence. He is a scry.”
Nico’s eyes flashed to me. “Send him up.”
The girl disappeared and Nico whirled around, fully. “What in the Maiden of Death?”
“I need to know what’s going on with Armia and Willow, I won’t be able to just sit here and let her play her game in my castle.”
“Are you sure it’s not something else?” Nico lifted his eyebrows.
“No, I just need to know what my sister is up to,” I couldn’t lie to him, but he didn’t need to know the truth just yet and I didn’t owe it to him.
“She called you Cal, and she wanted to know you were okay.”
I found myself smiling. She had slipped up because we had been casual with each other while we had been held captive together. We had bonded in a way that I hadn’t imagined we would or should have. But I found myself missing her already and it hadn’t been that long since I had last seen her. I shook my head. My thoughts were becoming silly.
Another knock at the door and a small man appeared. He bowed low and didn’t look to be coming up anytime soon. “Thank you for coming.”
“
Anything for the King.” The man stood up and I took in his appearance. He was wearing worn trousers and had a backpack strapped to his back. His boots were dirty, but not worn like the rest of his clothes. He was bald, and looked familiar. “I am Master Ren.”
Nico stood up straighter. “You know Willow.”
Master Ren smiled. “Indeed. I see that she has created a special bond with you both.”
I didn’t say anything and Nico cocked an eyebrow curiously.
“What can I do for you?” Master Ren slid his pack off and laid it at my feet.
“I need to know what my sister and Willow are doing.”
Master Ren stepped forward, “May I?” He held his hand up and I nodded as he pressed his finger to my temple. I was sucked from reality and could see Willow perfectly before me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Willow
Madam Colver had fussed over me for far too long. I could see that Armia was getting antsy and annoyed that no one cared how she had faired throughout all of this. But, it wasn’t my fault that everyone knew what a vile person she was and didn’t want me alone with her for too long. She had done this to herself. When Madam Cover finally left, Armia turned toward me with evil in her eyes. “I want my genies, now.”
I nodded my head. “Yes, ma’am.”
She waved her hand forward and the doors opened. “Do not rut this up for me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, I want you gone as quickly as possible.”
Armia laughed and said the strangest thing. “He will never love you.”
“What?” I asked, as I continued walking, making sure that the coast was clear with every turn. I wasn't exactly supposed to be out of the servant quarters, or alive and Armia was somewhat of a fugitive.
“My brother will never love you. He loved another before you, and he's the type that is one and done.” Armia smirked, like she had won.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not looking for love.”
Armia blinked. “Then what did you come here for?”
“To kill your brother.”
I rendered her speechless, and I left it at that. She didn't continue the conversation, and I was grateful.
I led her to the stairwell that I knew was forbidden. There weren’t any signs or markers that told me to stay away, instead it was the feeling I got when I had walked past it on one of my many cleaning days. I had asked the djinn what it led to and they gave me a serious look. They told me it was the highest tower in the castle and the only one that could enter and exit alive was the King. Magic pulsed around in waves and I wondered how Armia wasn’t suspicious of the feeling. Surly from her ruling, she knew what was up there.
I could hear her mumbling to herself as we got closer. “Of course he would hide them there. The only place in all of the kingdom that would have enough power to deter me. The only place that would mask their power.”
Interesting.
The vile woman rushed past me and took the stairs two at a time, her hair ruffling behind her as she climbed. Before she reached the top, she turned around and looked down at me. “Why don’t you come with?”
“I can’t stomach to see you imprison them. I care about them.” I looked away from her and focused on the bottom step, pretending to be lost in thought, lost in grief.
“Suit yourself. I might just let you live after I retrieve them, after all, you still haven't killed Cal.”
Rutting chance of that.
She grabbed the doorknob and was thrown into the air. Her body flipped, turn over turn before she was suspended in place. Her head snapped back and I could hear footsteps coming our way. I watched her intently to make sure she couldn’t escape. I had been certain she would have died, but being a prisoner worked too. Her hair floated around her, and her face was expressionless. I expected at least anger. Nothing. Her face was void of all emotion.
Cal rounded the corner, and I about fell to my knees. He was okay. I had thought for sure he wouldn’t make it and I was afraid. In the back of my mind, all I was worried about was getting Armia away and making sure he was fine. When his eyes met mine his body relaxed and his face broke into a smile. The movement stretched the wound on his face and he winced in pain. Guards filed into the hallway behind him, all waiting for his decree. Nico stood by his side, watching his every movement. My face of relief turned to a steely glance, his men would run me through if they thought I was the threat… they eventually would too. Sadness gripped me. My time here was coming to an end.
“How did you do it? How did you know?” Cal shook his head in disbelief.
I shrugged up a shoulder. “The genies warned me of this place. They warned me to never touch the door or bad things would happen.”
“And you trusted that she would just blindly go?” He laughed in disbelief and pushed his hands against his short hair.
“I guess,” I chewed on my lip.
Nico came to me and got down on his knees. “Thank you for protecting our kingdom, thank you for saving my best friend.” He looked up at Cal and grasped his hand. “My King.”
I bowed my head, unsure of what I was going to say. “What happened to her brown headed guard?” I asked Nico. He was the only one I could be casual with.
Nico pulled himself from the floor and looked at Cal. “We threw him in the dungeon as soon as Armia was in your room. I gave strict orders for Armia and her companion to not be trusted, so as soon as they were separated, I worked some magic.” He winked.
Armia was still suspended in the air. “What is wrong with her?”
Cal waved his hand in the air and Armia came to life. “I WILL KILL YOU, I WILL GET MY GENIES.”
Cal waved his hand again and she was silent. It made sense. Magic was kind of cool.
Nico escorted me back to my room, much against Cal’s wishes, but I insisted. He needed to take care of his evil sister, and I needed rest. I especially needed a bath. Nico hovered around the doorway.
“I know that you came here to kill him.” Nico said.
“Only as a last resort if Claudia wasn’t here.” There was no point in lying.
“And she isn’t here.” Nico wouldn’t look me in the eyes.
I pushed myself across the wood floors and touched his cheek. He finally turned his eyes toward me. “You don't have to worry. I am going home without the King’s head.”
“What does that mean for you?” He pulled away from me, his face showed that he was at war with himself and his emotions..
“It means that I will die.” I had accepted it. I would get through it. I couldn't kill the man that I cared for, I couldn't risk Nico in all of it, and I couldn't sabotage a kingdom that I had come to love. I was willing to sacrifice myself for all of it.
“Stay for a little longer.” Nico tried to reason with me, he pulled at my hand, and if I hadn't known better, I would have figured he had romantic feelings for me.
“For what?” I swallowed hard. I wasn’t good at goodbyes.
“For Cal,” he whispered as he turned away.
I forced him to look back at me and I brushed his hair from his eyes, like I would have if I had ever had a brother. I would have loved to have a brother. “My mother needs me. I have been here too long. I need to get her out first before I turn myself in.”
“Let Cal remove the magic on your wrist first.” He cupped my face and kissed my forehead. “You deserve a fighting chance.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The King
I paced the floor. I couldn’t make up my mind on what I was supposed to do. Armia was in the dungeons and spelled very well, with as many of my guards watching over her as I could muster. But it was like it didn’t even matter. All I could think of was the woman two rooms down from mine. I had wanted to rush to her in that hallway and check her for any new wounds. I had wanted to hold her and reassure her, but the look on her face had told me that she didn’t need me. That she never would. I had known that. I could feel her free and wild spirit in the room the first night I had
laid eyes on her. The first night she had met my stare with determination and amusement.
I finally took a deep breath and decided my fate. Master Ren had given me his backpack after he had shown me Willow and my sister. He told me to give it to Willow when it was all said and done, and I imagined now was the best time to do it. The bag was heavier than I expected, and when I had gone to peek inside of it Ren had snatched the pack back. “It’s not yours, and you don’t have the permission to be nosey.”
I was curious, but I knew he would know if my nosiness got the best of me. I tossed the backpack over my shoulder and dismissed the guards posted at my door. They gave me curious glances and I knew they would be reporting to Nico as soon as they found him. I smirked, and I was the nosey one.
I knocked on Willow’s door three times before she yanked the door open with a scowl on her face. Her hair was wet and dripping down her back. “Oh, it’s you.”
I smiled at her. “I’ll wait while you get dressed.”
I hadn’t missed the little view of her tan legs and her bare shoulders above the white towel wrapped around her. It was the best view I had ever seen. A few moments later the door opened back up and she was wearing a small nightgown with a robe over it. She crossed her arms over her chest.
“I don’t know how this is considered functional sleepwear.” she grumbled as I followed her into her room.
“It’s not supposed to be formal. Its made to come off.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. My thoughts went wild with the statement, and as much as I wanted to take it back, I couldn't.
Willow cocked her head at me and barked out a laugh. “I meant when it came to fighting, but I guess these are made for a different kind of war.”
"You're going to fight in sleepwear?" I chuckled.
She rolled her eyes and sat at the foot of her bed, which wasn't helping my thoughts stay clean. "You never know when you'll be ambushed. At home I slept in functional wear in case I needed to flea or fight for my life."
