by Leigh Walker
“Those are good questions,” he admitted.
“I’d love to hear your answers. Your view is of the utmost importance, after all. Let me see where I can help you.”
The king sank back down behind his desk, and I sat opposite from him, all smiles and attention. One thing I’d learned in politics was that people loved to talk about themselves. People loved it a lot.
With my earnestly interested expression intact, I gave King Black every ounce of my attention. He never could have expected that inside, I was quietly counting the minutes, praying I was buying Rhys enough time.
“And to that end,” I continued as I paced the room, “we can draw the conclusion that eventually, the citizens in all three of your kingdoms will benefit from the continued development of unscripted shows. Are we all in agreement?”
Dae and Joely had both fallen asleep on the couch, but King Black raised his goblet at me. “We are. Cheers to the power of entertainment!”
“Exactly.” I grinned. I’d had one of the sentinels bring in a large bottle of wine, and I’d proceeded to empty its contents into the king’s glass all night. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that His Highness was rather tipsy. He’d done so much talking about himself and his accomplishments that by that point that I wasn’t sure who was filibustering whom.
“Now, I must go.” The king stood and, in testament to the alcohol tolerance of vampires everywhere, didn’t sway an inch. “They’re waiting for me in the Realm.”
“Oh.” I looked desperately at Joely and Dae, but they were curled up peacefully, completely oblivious to my plight. “Can’t we talk some more? I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what I can learn from you!”
“Another time, Tamara. Another time.” He left the room before I could argue further. At least he appeared to remember my name, for once.
I shook the other girls awake. “We have to go, and quickly. The king’s on his way to the Realm—we’ve got to get word to them.”
We tiptoed down the stairs, and I cursed. King Black was already outside, crossing the ground to the forest with his personal guards in tow. “Bloody hell!” What am I going to do? There was no way the three of us could beat him back on foot.
“Ah, Tamara, there you are!” Blake appeared at the bottom of the staircase. She grinned up at me as she held Beast, scratching him behind the ears. “I can’t believe your meeting lasted all night like—”
“Blake.” The urgency in my voice brought a worried expression to my friend’s face. “Where’s Elsa? I need her right now.”
The gray gnome whizzed into the room and looked expectantly up at me.
“That’s a good girl, Elsa. Mommy needs you to do something, something important. Can you help me?” Her tongue lolled out, and I took it as a good sign. “Excellent. Blake, do you have some parchment and a pen? I need it quickly, please!”
Blake hustled off to get me the supplies, and I flew down the stairs. I knelt before Elsa. “I’m going to attach a note to your bow. You’re to go through the woods as quickly as you can and find Mira. Give her the note at once.”
“Does she know what you’re saying?” Dae asked.
I sighed. “She looks like she does, doesn’t she?”
Dae nodded in encouragement. “Yes.”
Joely patted my shoulder. “Of course! Animals are very smart!”
Elsa’s big eyes never left my face.
“Mommy knows you can do it.” I snatched the paper and pen from Blake as soon as she came back then wrote the quickest missive of my life.
Symptoms
Dae, Joely, and I ran through the forest as fast as we could. Roger stayed behind us, watching for signs of trouble. Little did he know that the trouble facing us was squarely ahead, already to the Realm.
I prayed that little Elsa made it back before the king. And that if she’d managed it, she knew who Mira was enough to go and find her. It was folly, of course. Gnomes were smart, but understanding a set of complicated directions, complete with name and face recognition, was probably way too much to ask of poor Elsa.
Joely’s cheeks were bright red as she ran beside me. “Are you ever going to tell us what’s going on?” she puffed.
“Seriously.” Dae dodged a tree then came aside of us again. “What are we walking—running—into right now?”
I shook my head. “I can’t tell you, not yet. It’s better if you don’t know. That way no matter what we find back in the Realm, you can genuinely act surprised. You won’t get into any trouble.” The same could not be said for me. If the king discovered that Rhys was injured, he’d know exactly what I’d been up to.
We reached the edge of the forest. The king and his sentinels were nowhere in sight, and neither was Elsa. We were the last ones back. My heart hammered in my chest as I climbed the stairs. I’d no idea what we’d find inside the castle walls.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I’m afraid King Rhys is out on the grounds. He went for the perimeter check this morning.” I recognize Duncan’s voice coming from the salon.
“He can’t be gone long. My men and I will wait,” the king said.
“I can send him to see you once he’s returned, if you’d like.” Duncan sounded hopeful.
“No, that will be all right. A change of scenery suits me just fine. The contestants were driving me up a wall just now—I’d rather stay in here and hide from them.”
“What were they bothering you for?” Duncan asked.
“Nothing that would matter to a young pup like you. Now, please have Nan send in some wine, would you? Those girls gave me a headache. And have Mira come and see me, I need to have a word with her. My men and I will just make ourselves comfortable while the canine king does his rounds and marks his territory.” King Black chortled. “Good day.”
“Good day, Your Highness.” Duncan sounded as though he was about to spit nails.
His mouth gaped when he found me with the other girls outside the room, clearly eavesdropping. He grabbed my elbow and steered me into the kitchen, far away from the king’s ears. Joely and Dae hustled after us. “What the bloody hell are we going to do now?” Duncan hissed.
“I don’t know.” The king couldn’t wait in the salon for three days. “How is he?” I asked.
Duncan frowned. “The same.”
“Where’s Mira?”
“Here. I’m here.” Mira came in holding Elsa, stroking her fur, something I’d never seen before. Vampires and gnomes historically were enemies—the vampires often complained that my pets smelled. But Mira held Elsa as if she were precious. “She came and found me, and I saw your note. Well done, Tamara.”
“It was still too late…”
“Nonsense,” Mira said. “Duncan was able to steer King Black into the salon. You held him for over twelve hours. That’s nothing to sneeze at.”
I shook my head. “But it wasn’t enough.”
“What on earth are you all talking about?” Dae cried. “Joely and I have a right to know!”
“Keep your voice down.” Duncan narrowed his eyes at her. “Or I’ll make a chew toy out of you.”
“Now, now, let’s not argue.” Mira handed Elsa to me. “I’ll go and see the king. That will buy us some time.”
“That will buy us an hour,” Duncan hissed. “We need to have a plan—continuing to sandbag the vamps isn’t going to work much longer.”
Mira took a deep breath. “I’d hoped to avoid this, but perhaps we’re going to have to tell the king that Rhys has taken ill. I don’t know that there’s much else we can do.”
“But I’m not ill,” a gruff voice said, “I’m injured. Any fool could tell the difference.” Rhys staggered into the kitchen and winced as he leaned against a wall for support. He was bare-chested, his complexion ashen, the multiple bite marks on his skin covered with dark, crusty blood.
Mira gaped at him. “Your Highness!”
“Oh my God!” Joely clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Wh-What happened?”
Dae asked.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Duncan said.
Rhys looked at me. His face was sunken, but there was still the familiar glimmer of spirit there, somehow. “And what do you have to say, Lady Layne?”
“It took you long enough.” I promptly burst into tears.
“Ah, now.” The werewolf king smiled at us then closed his eyes as though the effort drained him. “Let’s not blubber, shall we? We have a guest, an important one.”
“And just what the hell are we going to tell him about the bite marks all over you?” Duncan asked.
“Help me to the salon, Duncan. You can hear me out when I give my explanation. All these hours lying on that blasted cot have given me some time to figure one out.” Rhys put his arm around Duncan’s shoulders, and the two wolves started slowly down the hall.
“We’re totally eavesdropping on this one.” Mira motioned for us to follow her. We kept several paces behind the wolves and watched as Rhys let go of Duncan and straightened his shoulders outside the salon. We waited until they went inside then crept closer in order to overhear the conversation.
“What on earth?” King Black cried. “Were you accosted on your perimeter run? Are the rebels here?”
“No, Your Highness.” Rhys sounded weary but alert. “As you can see, these are not normal wounds: they are bite marks. Vampire bite marks.”
“I don’t… I don’t understand.”
“A vampire attacked me in the woods, Your Highness. She’s a stranger, someone we’ve never seen before. We captured her and brought her back to the castle. She’s in a cell, our prisoner.”
“And what did this vampire have to say for herself? Why did she attack you? Who is she with?”
“As far as I can tell, she’s not with anyone, Your Highness. From what I understand, she was turned then given no instructions. She was wandering around in the forest, drinking from squirrels and mice. She was never taught about werewolves or what our blood does to her kind, so she attacked me. Each time she drank from me, she felt a bit ill, so she withdrew then tried it again. That’s why I have multiple wounds.”
“I don’t understand how she was out in your forest. Aren’t you guarding your perimeter?” The king’s tone turned accusatory.
“Of course we are, Your Highness. I don’t know how she slipped through. It might’ve been because we were occupied with the full moon and our pack phase. But in any event, you can rest assured that it won’t happen again.” Rhys sounded firm, almost scary. “No one will breach our grounds again. The next stray supernatural I find on my lands will be desiccated. Not to mention what I’ll do to the rebels. I believe the vampire is unique in that she was truly wandering and lost. She’s quite naive, actually.”
“Naivety is no defense for breaking the law, though,” King Black said. “She’ll be staked for her crimes. Turn her over to me at once.”
“I defer to you as always, Your Highness. But it’s important for my pack to become familiar with the protocol of keeping a prisoner. If we’re going to war with the rebels, we need to have a system in place. So we’ll keep the vampire for now. She’s not going anywhere—she can be dealt with once I’m healed.”
“Do you need me to take over your duties while you rest?” The king sounded a bit eager.
“Not at all,” Rhys assured him. “I’m improving by the moment.”
“That’s the funny thing about you wolves. You really do seem more beast than man. Strong like an ox, and just as cultured.”
I could just imagine the look on Duncan’s face.
“Well, if that’s all, I’m going to excuse myself,” Rhys said. “We have work to do on the show, and of course, I need to meet with my advisors.”
“Are you sure you don’t need assistance with your affairs?” the king asked.
“The crown does so much for me already. I assure you, my pack is in good shape.”
“Please let me know if you learn of any other intrusions into your woods.” King Black’s tone was sharp.
“Of course, Your Highness—you’ll be the first to know, as always.” Rhys walked out of the room with Duncan at his heels. As soon as they reached the lobby, the werewolf king almost collapsed. Duncan didn’t miss a beat. He silently collected his friend and whisked him away from King Black and his men.
“I’ll make sure that they leave,” Mira whispered to us. “Go and see that His Highness is all right.”
She didn’t have to tell us twice. I couldn’t wait to be reunited with the werewolf king, even if I had to share him with the other girls.
It’s Not Over Till It’s Over
Duncan didn’t give us long with him. Joely was allowed in the king’s room first, then Dae. I paced the hallway while I waited. He was better, and that was something. But I had no idea how he was feeling about anything, least of all how he felt about me.
When Dae finally came out, her eyes were red. “You should’ve told me what happened.”
“I couldn’t. I wanted to, but I couldn’t.”
“He could’ve died. And I never would’ve gotten to say goodbye!”
I wanted to defend myself, but I could tell she was too upset to listen. “Go and rest,” I told her. “Then meet me in the game room later. Let’s have some wine tonight. We could use it, don’t you think?”
Her face softened, and she nodded. “Go and see him. He looks as though he could use a nap, so hurry.”
I hustled through the door to Rhys’s chambers. Duncan stood watch, his arms crossed against his chest. Rhys lay on his big bed. He’d changed into a pair of pajamas and was tucked under his covers, his eyes half-open. “Ah, Tamara, come here. I’ve much to tell you and not a lot of time.”
I rushed to his side. “What do you mean, not a lot of time?”
“Shh. There, now.” He patted my hand. “It’s only that I’m exhausted. I must rest so that I can heal. I need to tell you a few things, but I can barely keep my eyes open.”
I took his hand in mine. “Then close them. I’m listening, Your Highness, and I won’t go until you tell me to.”
Rhys’s eyes dropped closed, and he was quiet for a moment. “I didn’t tell the other girls the truth,” he said finally. “They only know the story I told the king. They don’t know what really happened, and I did that to protect them.”
“I understand. The less they know, the safer they are.”
“I won’t let the king take our vampire prisoner. I can assure you of that.” Rhys caught his breath for a moment. “Duncan told me how you dealt with her. Quite fairly, in my opinion. I would’ve done the same.” A smile ghosted his lips. “And then of course, he told me all about how you went and talked the king’s ear off for hours. That was quite brave of you—maybe a little more dangerous than I’d like, but I appreciate it all the same.”
“I know we don’t have much time, but I don’t understand. How did you know about the prisoner? How did you come up with that story? I also want to know why you lied to the king, of course.”
“Of course.” Rhys chuckled. “I knew about the prisoner because I was semi-conscious while I was downstairs. I heard some of what went on, and when I began to have more strength, I could pay attention to what people were saying around me.”
“Oh.” I swallowed hard. “So you could hear things. Some things. Not all the things.”
“That’s right—some of the things, but not all of them.” He took another pause, and I could tell that he was about to fall asleep. “You asked me why I lied to the king about who attacked me. I will tell you, I promise. But first, I must rest…”
“Of course, Your Highness.” I wanted to kiss his hand, his cheek, but I didn’t dare. “I’ll be back to see you just as soon as you feel up to it.”
But the king didn’t respond. He’d already fallen fast asleep.
“Cheers to…drinking.” Joely raised her goblet of wine into the air. “And to the king’s recovery.”
“Cheers.” Dae and I clinked our glasses against hers.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you more about what we were doing. After I left you yesterday morning, I of course snooped. I found the wolves in the basement, and then I saw Rhys.” I had a small sip of wine. “I didn’t want you to be upset, and anyway, the wolves swore me to secrecy. They didn’t want King Black to find out.”
“Because why, though?” Dae frowned at me. “That’s the part I don’t understand.”
“They didn’t want the king to know Rhys was hurt, just in case he’d be upset about it, or thinking that we needed to put the show on hold or something.” This wasn’t the whole story, but it was at least part of the truth. “I don’t pretend to understand all their politics.”
Joely raised an eyebrow at me. “You seemed to understand enough to stage a—what was it?—an all-night filibuster.”
I shrugged. “They asked me to help, and that was all I could think of. It didn’t do much good.”
“But it didn’t hurt, either.” Dae nodded. “At least Rhys was up on his feet by the time the king called. No one got into any trouble, either. So all’s well that ends well.”
“But is it?” Joely leaned forward, a concerned expression on her face. “I got the sense that King Black is sort of lording his position over Rhys and the others. Rhys is the king of the Realm, but the king keeps hanging around. I didn’t care much for some of his comments earlier. Seemed a bit racist, if you ask me.”
“I agree. Some of what he said was disrespectful,” Dae said. “It’s Rhys’s kingdom, and King Black should let him run it. It’s like he’s given him the car keys but doesn’t trust him enough to drive yet.”
“It did seem that way, a little.” I didn’t want to add any fuel to the fire. “Not to change the subject, but can you believe the competition’s almost over? We’ve only got the overnight dates left and then the final ball. I can’t believe it’s gone by so fast.”
