The Hidden Truth (Shadow Claw Book 7)

by Sarah J. Stone

  Silence passed as Thomas met Yvette's eyes, full of emotion. She wanted all to be well between them, but she knew that it would probably not be. Cole raised his chin as Enya joined him.

  “Technically, I am his king,” Cole said, “and this is his queen. Either way, Thomas, be respectful.”

  “I–”

  “You tried to kill us all,” Peter pointed out, and Thomas fell silent. “Bring the girls.”

  “Make it quick,” Nicholas reminded Ariel when she came in. “As fast as you can.”

  “I know,” Ariel said. “But remember, this isn't an exact science. I'm not in the habit of purposely killing innocent girls, though.”

  Nicholas took a deep breath and then went to get Rosa, who was waiting outside the throne room. His heart pounded in his chest. This was such a risk, especially for as long as Ariel thought she needed. If she was wrong, then it could be permanent damage. Even if she was right, he wasn't sure what it would accomplish. But they had to try because they had no other solution. It was do or die–in the worst possible way, with the highest possible stakes.

  “Rosa,” he said, holding his hand out. “We're ready.”

  She placed her small, cold hand in his and followed him in.

  Chapter 9

  As soon as Rosa entered the room, she felt Ariel's presence. It made her gasp and clutch at her chest. She felt like her insides were being sucked out, and she couldn't breathe.

  It got worse when Ariel approached. Nicholas was trying to protect her, but his sister-in-law shooed him away.

  “You're messing up my read,” she said, and Rosa closed her eyes as he let go of her hand.

  “Here, quick,” Ariel held out a long-fingered, well-manicured hand. Rosa took it tentatively, and nearly fell to her knees. The carapace reached out for Thomas' shoulder, and Cole touched her back.

  Ariel closed her eyes, trying to feel the similarities between the three of them. The two dragons had mixed blood and were from different families, which made things more difficult.

  “Just one more minute,” she muttered, mostly to herself.

  Rosa let out a little gasp and a cry. Nicholas was dying inside, wanting to rip her away.

  “Ariel,” he growled, and she glared at him.

  “Shut up,” she said, trying to focus as Rosa's knees wavered, and Nicholas was about to call the whole thing off. Her face was losing color, and she would hit the floor at any moment.

  At the last moment, Ariel stepped away, backing toward the throne on the other side of the room.

  “Well?” Nicholas asked, practically begging her. “Ariel!”

  She spun around, her eyes on fire as she took a seat on the throne. It was draining, but she wasn't about to admit weakness.

  Everyone was waiting with baited breath as she tried to make a judgment call. She took a deep breath.

  “I think it's the same,” she said.

  “You think?” Cole asked.

  “They are the same,” she declared. “The three of you carry the Halloway bloodline. Which means–”

  “Which means I just need one more,” Rosa looked up at Nicholas. “One more, and I can have a chance of living.”

  “Yes,” he wrapped his arms around her. “But the question is, how do we do that? Cole, are there other half breeds running around?”

  “Not that I know of,” Cole replied. “Thomas?”

  Thomas shook his head, seeming shell-shocked by the truth. “Not that I can think of. We are Halloway?”

  “Which likely means we are immortal,” Cole answered. “Huh.”

  “My Lord,” Yvette's voice finally broke in, sounding quiet and small. “Could I have a moment alone with Thomas?”

  Peter's eyes flickered up, and he seemed hesitant. Of course, he trusted Yvette. He knew that she loved him, and he knew she would never betray him. He didn't trust Thomas farther than he could throw him, however.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Please,” Yvette said, and Peter knew he needed to obey.

  “Out,” he said to the others. Thomas raised an eyebrow and held up his shackles, but Peter just laughed.

  “Not on your life,” he replied. “Yvette, if you need help, you call for me.”

  “Of course,” she said quietly as they exited. She waited until the doors to the large throne room had clicked shut before she returned her gaze to Thomas. His chest was still heavy from the carapace experience, and he didn't look particularly comfortable. “You knew.”

  “What?” he laughed. “What did I know?”

  “You knew that you were Halloway,” she said softly.

  He tried to play it off. “What makes you say that?”

  “Because you've always been obsessed with power and with magic,” she said. “If you teamed up with King Richard, no doubt that was the deal that was struck. You knew Halloway blood was the secret to immortality. How did you find out?”

  He was fighting with himself as he struggled for the words. “It was a spell, the way the spells manifested. It never looked like anyone else's. It wasn't until I saw Cole's magic up close that I realized that something was the same.”

  “Ah,” she wasn't sitting on the throne, nor was she wearing a crown. But somehow, she looked like a queen. And what hurt the most was that she wasn't mad. She was hurt. “How could you, Thomas? There are so many innocents involved.”

  “Yvette,” he managed. “I did not intend to hurt you. Ever. You have to know that. I did not set out to hurt you, even after you became involved with him.”

  “You nearly burned down a mall with me in it!” she cried, and he looked away.

  “We've discussed this. I thought that I could save you.”

  “Well, you didn't,” she replied. “Peter did, though, luckily.”

  Thomas remained silent at that fact, looking at his feet.

  “What else do you have to tell me?” she asked. “Now that you know my life is mixed up in all of this? Tell me, now, Thomas, because I swear to God, I will not make the mistake of sticking my neck out for you twice.”

  He took a deep breath but remained silent.

  “Thomas,” she reminded him. “We were friends. And you promised to protect me forever. You swore it, no matter what happened.”

  He still said nothing, although he did look up at her.

  “What is it that you want?” she asked.

  “Do you have the power to grant me what I want?” he asked.

  “I do. You know that I have equal power beside Peter. But it's also my choice. What is it that you want?” She hoped that it was not something horrible.

  “I want to be free from the Donizettis and the life they would have me live,” he said softly. “They retreated from Umora because they did not agree with life here. And I thought I did as well. But Umora is my home, my life. I am a dragon, and I am a witch; I do not belong on a planet full of humans.”

  “Oh, my,” she said. “Thomas, I can't just–”

  “Didn't you say that you have equal power?” he asked. “So why can't you grant me this?”

  “They take care of you.”

  “You know that they don't,” he cried. “You know that my father has me so doped up on meds I can hardly see straight. Yes, it controls my anger. Yes, it controls my blood lust, but it also controls me. I feel like I'm walking through water, like I'm moving through life in slow motion. I just want to be free, Yvette.”

  “If I make that choice, I take any blood you spill into my own hands,” she said.

  “There will be no blood,” he assured her. “If you wish me back in the Royal Army, I will return. But I cannot live that life anymore. I will live any way you want, just let it be here. You said we were still friends, Yvette.”

  “You can't control your impulses, Thomas. You need help.” She buried her head in her hands.

  “I need help here,” he roared at her. “I will die there. Except I won't, because I'm immortal, so it will be a living hell forever. Please, please!”

  She was pract
ically shaking. She knew that if she said yes, there would be backlash and repercussions from everyone. Her family and the entire planet would rebel and question her judgment.

  “I was a loyal subject the whole time,” he said. “You know that I was, you can check the records.”

  “Tell me what you know,” she said. “Tell me what information you have, and prove to me that you are on our side. If you do this, I will commute your sentence.”

  “How do I know you won't just throw me back in jail?” he asked.

  “Because trust has to start somewhere, Thomas,” she said, and he sighed.

  He knew he was taking a gamble. Once upon a time, he would have trusted Yvette with his life. He remembered curling up to her at night when he was out of his mind with blood lust, with the drugs, with the demons in his head. She had always been gentle and kind.

  But this Yvette? This Queen Yvette who loved Peter? He didn't know her so well.

  However, she was right. He had to start somewhere.

  “King Richard is using tracer spells to find Rosa,” he said. “He knows that she has the magic of two witches in her, and he does mean to take it from her to survive. Those who have returned from the Other cannot survive forever on this side. The Other dropped because the magic is fading. It's the way of the world, my love. All things must come to an end.”

  “That's why you want to return to Umora,” she said. “Your magic will fade on Earth.”

  “We who came from Umora will all have to return if we intend to survive,” he said. “On Earth, the magic will be gone quickly. It's already hard to trace–hard to capture and feel. You don't feel it because you are human, but it is fading.”

  “Peter,” she said. “Peter came from the Other.”

  “Yes,” Thomas said, waiting for her to speak.

  “How do I make him stay?” she asked. “How do I make sure he doesn't return?”

  “I don't know,” Thomas replied. “Everything is out of balance. There's one pure Halloway witch, dozens of other bloodlines that have died out, and so many things that are different than the balance nature intended.”

  “So, we have to put things back into balance,” she said. She was smart, even when her head was spinning. “How do we do that?”

  “I don't have all the answers,” he admitted. “But restoring the Halloway line could be a start.”

  “I can't just wave my hands and order another Halloway witch,” she cried.

  “Create one,” he said with a shrug.

  “How?” she asked him, aghast.

  “Yvette, do not make me draw you a picture.” He fixed her with a look.

  “I…oh!” She blushed bright red. “So, you or Cole or–”

  “It's best to let Rosa do it,” he said. “She is the one with two stores of magic.”

  “Right,” she said. “I can uh…let them know. Until then, you need to go back to Earth.”

  He bowed his head. “I understand. But don't be long.”

  “I won't be,” she said. She stepped forward, not quite touching him. But she wanted to. “Thank you.”

  “You're welcome,” he replied. There was so much more that could be said between the two of them, but Yvette chose to say nothing. She loved Peter with all her heart and wouldn't change that for the world. She missed Thomas and what they had, but it didn't compare to her love for her husband. She just wished Thomas well. She hoped he found happiness of his own one day; even if the road seemed dark right now. “Wait in the antechamber, and someone will take you back.”

  “Aye,” he said. She left the throne room before she said something she would regret. Luckily for her, she didn't have to go too far. Nicholas was waiting eagerly with Rosa in the dining room. Their hands were grasped together, and they were gazing at each other with pure love. She smiled when she realized what she had to tell them. It wasn't such a bad thing after all.

  “Well?” Nicholas asked.

  She paused, looking between the two of them. She couldn't break the news all at once. So, she chose the easier route.

  “You two really should solidify your line to protect the dragons and the witches. A formal marriage would be best,” she said, not wasting any time. “Are you up to that?”

  Rosa blushed, but Nicholas understood completely. Without a word, he slipped out of the chair, taking a signet ring off his finger. He dropped to his knees, taking her hand.

  “I've been picturing this moment my whole life, my love,” he said, slipping the ring on her finger. “Will you do me the honor of being my princess?”

  “Yes!” There was no hesitation in her voice, no second guessing. She had been waiting her entire life for this moment, and it was finally here.

  Good things came from dark paths so long as they walked it long enough.

  Chapter 10

  “The final royal wedding,” Peter said to Yvette when he heard the story. “I suppose we were all putting it off for so long, really. Now that Nicholas is getting married, it makes things more secure, especially if they are focused on having an heir.”

  “What is a princess wedding like?” she asked. “Does she have to be crowned?”

  “No,” Peter replied. “It's really just a wedding with a little more fanfare. And then, she'll be his princess, the third highest woman in all the land, after you and after Ariel. Hopefully, a power she will never have to call on.”

  “Mm,” Yvette sank into the bed beside him. Ever since her conversation with Thomas this afternoon, her heart was beating wildly. She was dying to tell Peter the whole truth. Now that they were alone, it seemed as good of a time as any. “I have to talk to you.”

  “About what, my love?” he asked as he sat down beside her. “What troubles you?

  “It's about Thomas,” she turned to him, trying to be brave. “I promised him he could return to Umora and live in peace if he told me what he knew.”

  Peter said nothing for a long time. Yvette was terrified that he was angry and started babbling excuses.

  “Peter, I only did it because I knew that was how he would talk. He trusts me, despite it all. He's a warrior; he's not afraid of death. If you tortured him for information, he would never give it to you. The magic is fading, and Umora is where it will sustain longer. He hates the way the Donizettis are treating him. He doesn't want to be controlled, drugged, or live as a human.”

  “Yvette,” Peter said, softly at last, “That is your decision as queen.”

  She stopped, confused by his tone. “You aren't angry?”

  “No, my love, I'm not angry,” he replied. “I can't be everywhere at once, and I trust your judgment completely. You calculated the risks and the returns, and you made an educated decision. I'm proud of you, my love.”

  “It was still a dangerous decision,” she admitted, and he shrugged.

  “Yes, but that is part of ruling. We make those choices every single day, and hope that the majority of them work out. Those that don't, we deal with.”

  “I don't want you to think that this is because I still have feelings for him,” she said. “I love you, Peter. I was thinking of the good of the family.”

  “I know you were,” he leaned in to kiss her. “But will it be difficult, having him on the same planet?”

  “Not if you're nearby.” She took his hand with a smile. “When you're around, I forget everything else.”

  “Good,” he said as he kissed her lips gently.

  Across the hall, Nicholas was in a similar position with Rosa in his arms.

  “I can plan anything I want?” she said, and he smiled.

  “Anything you want, my love, he said. “No expense is spared.”

  “I can't believe this,” she said, bursting with happiness. “We’ve dreamed about this for so many years, Nicholas. Now, we are here.”

  “It still won't be easy, Rosa,” he reminded her. “You are in incredible danger even being seen at my side.”

  “I know,” she said. “But what other choice do I have? Besides, a moment with you
is worth an eternity alone.”

  “My love,” he took her hand. “You have never been alone. I have always been with you, even from afar.”

  “Well, now you can be with me close by.” She grinned, kissing him. “I know how dangerous this is, Nicholas, and I don't take it for granted. I promise to be careful.”

  “Is there a chance that the witches could rise up?” he asked, trying not to be too distracted by her kisses. All he wanted was to be lost in her touch, but he was using every ounce of willpower he had in order to think logically. “For you doing this?”

  “No,” she assured him. “Their goal was to continue the line. This is how we do that, so everything is validated. I will talk to them, just in case.”

  “And your apartment? Your job?”

  “I can get out of the apartment easily. It's week by week. That is what I could afford,” she said, and he responded in shock.

  “Rosa, you should have been honest about the conditions!”

  “Well, it doesn't matter now,” she said, softly. “You are what matters now. As for my job, I'll just quit.”

  “You won't miss selling men's wear?” he teased her, and she laughed.

  “I doubt it. But if I do, you are a prince. I'm sure you could arrange for me to get a job somewhere.”

  “No princess of mine will have to work,” he replied. “That is, if she doesn't want to.”

  “So, if I do?” she responded.

  “Uh–”

  “I'm joking,” she said as she leaned into kiss him. “Don't worry.”

  “Good.” He took her in his arms. At last, they could be together without worrying about the dawn coming, or someone tapping on the door. He knew that there would be challenges ahead, but for once, he was inclined to live in the moment. Rosa was with him, his family was nearby, and his heart was bursting with love.

  And she had more of a chance of living now than she ever had, thanks to a carapace that was supposed to be her enemy.

  In the ballroom, the carapace in question was not being quite as kind to her husband. Setting up her phone to blast the music from her latest show–a rap beat that made his head pound–she had blocked off the ballroom to practice. She was determined to get the dance steps right for her next rehearsal, and she forced Alexander into submission in assisting her.