by Renee Carr
“What?” Joshua said. “That’s rather selfish of you to assume that he’s the center of her attention.”
“I put her beside me on the world stage,” Nathan answered. “I made sure that she was never four feet from me. You know how dangerous it is, to be close to our family.”
“She’s not the first girl that you paraded through the palace,” Joshua said.
“But she is the first girl I’ve put on the world stage during a royal funeral,” Nathan said.
“Oh Creator,” Joshua said, suddenly. “You think this girl is your mate. A human, Nathan. A human.”
“Correct,” he said, glaring at his brother. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“No,” Joshua said. “Just that it’s no wonder you’re distracted.”
“Not for long,” Nathan said, as his phone beeped. He had set an alert if Ivy’s name popped up anywhere in the media. He wanted to know exactly where she was and what she was doing, in the hopes of rekindling their relationship. There were a few pictures on the screen in front of him, and every single one of them sent his heart into fearful palpitations. He swore, and Joshua leaned over.
“Well, Brother,” Joshua said. “It looks like you found her.”
“Wrapped around James,” Nathan couldn’t believe his eyes. “How...When...”
“He resembles you,” Joshua answered. “He’s a rebound.”
“No,” Nathan said. “There’s no way. She wanted to get as far away from me as possible. She wouldn’t fall for another dragon, not after the way I...”
“You what?” Joshua asked.
“After the way I traumatized her,” Nathan said. “After the way I misjudged her.”
“Maybe she just wanted something else,” Joshua said.
“I let her in, Joshua,” Nathan said, surprising his brother with her sudden emotion. “I let her in. I don’t let people in.”
“You haven't,” Joshua said. “Not in a long time.”
Nathan’s phone continued pinging, as article after article came up. She had been nominated for some sort of award, and the media was abuzz with her name, and the name of the new mysterious man on her arm.
Unable to help himself, Nathan clicked on one of the videos that popped up. Ivy was giving an interview, locked on James’s arm.
“Congratulations on your nomination,” the reporter said. “Are there any inspirations or mentors you have in your life?”
“Oh yes,” Ivy said, as she smiled at James. “I would say there are many mentors. One of them I can think of is my friend Ben and his parents. His parents have always fascinated me, and I know where to find them if I ever need help.”
“And what happened to the man you were dating before? Nathan?”
“Phht,” she answered. “Nathan is old news. Like old shoes, in the dusty warehouse of my mind old news. This is James, who’s trying to upgrade from Nathan.”
She laughed and James smiled as the clip ended.
“What the actual...” Joshua said, but Nathan picked up on what she had said.
“She knows where Nick's parents are buried,” Nathan said. “That’s what she just told us. Also, I think James is trying to usurp us.”
“How did you get all of that from an interview?” Joshua said. “She was talking about nothing useful.”
“No, she told me everything,” Nathan said. “And....” There was one message that confused him. He went back to the video, and played it again, listening closely. “Is there...a shoe factory around here? An old one?”
“Um,..” Joshua did some research on his own device. “There’s one about three miles from here.”
“We need to go there,” Nathan said. “I think she’s trying to give us a clue of something.”
“Not that I’m a scaredy-cat,” Joshua answered. “But do you know what kind of danger you could be putting us in? We came to scout, I have no backup, I have no...anything. Because you told me were just looking around.”
“I’m sure of this,” Nathan said. “She’s my mate. I feel like she’s telling me something on a different level, even if she doesn’t want to.”
“Great,” Joshua said, as he located the best route to the shoe factory. “Let’s go then.”
“You sound sarcastic,” Nathan said. “May I remind you...”
“You wear the crown, you’re the King,” Joshua said, in such a tone that made Nathan realize he had been a bit of a jerk of late. He wanted the world to understand his authority, but he didn’t want his family to resent him.
“That you’re my brother,” Nathan said. “And I would never put you in danger.”
Joshua stopped, looking at his brother. He hadn’t expected that answer, and so he was at a loss for words.
“Not even for this girl?” Joshua asked, and Nathan held his head high.
“This is what the universe intended,” he said. “So it can’t lead to danger.”
Joshua took a deep breath.
“Can I ask you something, Brother?” he said. “Do you believe that everything happens because the universe wills it?”
“Yes,” Nathan said, and Joshua gripped his nails to his fist.
“So the universe intended for John to go?”
Nathan had faced many challenges in his time as King, but answering Joshua’s question at this moment felt like the worst one.
“Yes,” Nathan said. “For whatever reason, it was John’s time to go and mine to wear the crown.”
“You are braver than I for accepting that truth,” Joshua said. “But then, you were closer to John than I.”
“Family is everything,” Nathan said. “And when John fell, I could choose to grieve him...or I could choose to take care of the legacy he left behind, by building my own. With the werewolves, with you two...”
“And with Ivy.”
“And with Ivy,” Nathan echoed.
“Well then. I supposed we better get started,” Joshua said. “Let’s go find this reckless cousin of ours and stop him from starting his own legacy.”
Chapter 19
“That was quite the interview you gave,” James said to her, as they arrived at the theatre that evening. Ivy still had her makeup on from that afternoon’s event, and they hadn’t done much more than watch the media coverage unfold. “You think it’ll work?”
“It’ll work,” she said. “If you want to lure Nathan to you, then it will accomplish that. He’s still obsessed with me, I promise you that. He’ll come for me, and he’ll come to the warehouse. I promise you.”
“You should be the one to do it,” James said.
“What?” she asked. “Do what?”
“Get rid of him,” James said. Ivy almost dropped her purse.
“What? This was not part of the plan.”
She didn’t know that killing him was part of James’s plan, although she should have guessed it. How else did she think he was going to usurp the throne?
Ivy, of course, had no intention of letting him do either. But she figured she had to play the part, at least up until the moment when she could look into Nathan’s eyes again.
And if she could look into his eyes again, there were several things she would tell him, starting with the fact that she was sorry.
Despite the fact that she and James were walking around freely, she felt like she was a hostage.
“Of course, it’s part of the plan,” James said. “How do you think we were going to do it? Ask politely?”
“Have you even thought it through?” she asked him. “He has two brothers...”
“Who will not fight me as a contender for the throne,” James said. “The universe will want the strongest leaders on the throne, and I have made it clear that I am the answer to their prayers.”
She couldn’t believe his arrogance. Wanting to stay safe, she nodded.
“Sure,” she said. “Tell me how to do it.”
“After,” he said. “Let’s focus on the show. We don’t want anyone thinking that something is amiss until it actually
happens.”
“Does Nathan know?” she asked. “That you live on Earth and work like this? I mean, after that media frenzy, he knows now, but...”
“No,” James said. “He knows I live here, but I try to keep them in the dark about my whereabouts. Don’t you find them suffocating?”
“Completely,” she lied and headed into her dressing room to get ready. “Oh, I should Instagram with all this makeup on.” She paused in the hallway, snapping a selfie of her clearly in the theatre. James was in the background of the picture, exactly as she wanted, starting his duties as a stagehand.
She posted it quickly, knowing that Nathan was following her. Ivy thought fondly on the moment they had exchanged social media handles, her head in his lap as they drove through dark country roads. That moment seemed so long ago, and she longed for another chance to have that simplicity with him.
He liked the picture as soon as she posted it, which made her breathe a sigh of relief. If she was careful, maybe her carefully played plan would work. Or maybe, if she slipped up, she’d end up like those werewolves, forgotten and decomposing by nightfall.
The show was difficult to concentrate on that day, and she felt like a robot, going through the motions. She hated James more at that moment than she had before she stepped on stage because the stage was her safe place. She had never had trouble leaving her problems in the wings and singing as if she was the only person in the world. Today, she was distracted, and it showed.
“You too good for us now?” someone said to her, as they took their bows. “That was rubbish.”
“Yeah,” Ivy replied, as the curtains closed. “I’ve decided one nomination means I’m a star and the rest of you can hang out in my dust.”
“Bitch,” someone else said.
“Princess,” Ivy replied. She didn’t want to drop her guard for a moment, nor did she want anyone to think that something was wrong. They were safer if they knew nothing about the supernatural world who ruled above them. “Queen, hopefully.”
James was waiting for her in the wings and applauded as she handed over her props.
“Don’t clap for me, that was terrible,” she said.
“Something on your mind?” he teased.
“I was too busy thinking about how we were going to pull this off,” she cooed. “Let’s get it done.”
“Don’t be in a rush,” James said. “You don’t know if he’s there yet.”
“Then tell me your plan,” Ivy replied. Looking around, James pulled her into the curtains and lowered his voice.
“Part of the reason I used that warehouse is because the walls have been spelled. The holes in the roof are annoying, but it’s the only points where magic can get in. The walls block magic out, which means everyone in there becomes human.”
“A void,” she said, and James raised his eyebrows.
“How do you know about voids? They are dark magic. Witches die for casting those spells.”
“I read books,” she said, annoyed. “Your culture is not as secretive as you think it is.”
“Well, that’s bothersome,” James said. “Every human who knows a thing about the supernatural world will be silenced under my rule, that’s for sure.”
“Not quite the best incentive to being your partner,” Ivy pointed out and he smiled.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” he said. “You’ll get an exemption. But knowledge of the way a void works can help us.”
“How?” she said.
“All voids have compromised areas,” he said. “It’s the way the spell works. This one is where the moonlight comes in. If you just stand there when you shoot him, he’s lost.”
“So I block his ability to turn?” she asked.
“You got it,” he said.
“I’d want it to be at close range,” she said, her eyes twinkling with fake excitement. “I know exactly how I’ll do it. Lure him in. Get him close, so the bullet can’t miss.”
“Beautiful,” James said. “You are vindictive.”
“And you’re sure this will work?” she asked.
“It’ll work,” he said. “The Dragon Kingdom has been far too shaky since John died. Nathan is not the King John was. But I can be.”
“What are we waiting for then?” she asked.
“Do you think anyone suspects anything?” he asked, as they walked towards the car.
“No,” she said. “I’ve been very careful to make sure that no one has any idea. I’ve gone out of my way to be extra bitchy and throw them off the trail.”
“They better get used to it,” he said.
“Why?” she asked.
“Well, because you’ll have a high position in the Kingdom if you play your cards right,” he said and she rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, for all this work, I better,” she said. “Did you make the warehouse a void?”
“I didn’t,” he said, as they got in the car. “I struck up a deal with a few witches.”
“I wonder if you could make more,” she said, casually. “Just because that’s a pretty powerful weapon. Do you know how to contact them?”
“Yeah,” he said. “They are in my phone under code names. It’d take three seconds to get them to create more. For a price, of course.”
“Of course,” she said. “But those are good friends to have.”
“Powerful friends,” he said. “Who believe in our mission.”
“So why aren’t they here to help you?” she asked. “If they believe in taking down the throne?”
“Because it’s....” he shook his head. “I don’t know, to be honest.”
Ivy looked out the window as they drove.
“Why me?” she asked. “Just because Nathan had his eye on me?”
“Partly,” he said. “You had the insider opinion. But also...I’ve been watching you for a while. You’ve always struck me as a Queen.”
“How long have you been watching me?” she asked.
“For a while,” he repeated.
“How long?” she demanded.
“A few months,” he said. “Maybe 9 or 10. I had to be sure.”
“9 or 10?” she asked, in horror. “I’ve been dating Nathan less than that.”
Her heart pounded and she realized that she might be in more danger than she had bargained for.
“I picked you because I knew he would be interested in you,” James said, as he drove. “You’re his type.”
“I’m not his type,” she exploded. “He made that clear half a hundred times.”
James smiled at this, shaking his head.
“You’re the type he wanted all his life, but was afraid of what people thought.”
“How do you know that?” she asked, stunned.
“Because he’s my cousin,” James said. “We grew up together. I know him.”
She picked her next words carefully.
“And you want him dead?” she asked.
“I didn’t always,” James said, quietly. “Just...the universe was cruel to my family. John should have never died, fate is all messed up. I intend to set things right.”
“John killed himself, right?” Ivy answered. “That has nothing to do with fate.”
“Everything is fate, Ivy,” James said. “We have no control. Even my choices tonight, it is what the universe intends me to do.”
“Oh,” she said, realizing James was out of his mind. “Well then, thanks for choosing me.”
“Fate chose you,” he said. “I just had to be brave enough to accept it.”
They finally made it to the shoe factory, and Ivy got out, scanning the area. She couldn’t see any indication that Nathan was there, but she trusted that he would be.
“Here,” James said, handing her a gun from his trunk. “You know how to use one of those things?”
“Pull the trigger,” Ivy said. “Easy enough.”
“And you really think you can do this?”
“Feminist culture,” she said. “Men like that don’t exist anymore.”
“But you think you can kill him?”
“Like you said,” Ivy replied. “It’s fate. Besides, if I don’t, you’ll kill me right?” she said it like a joke, with a smile. James laughed too, but she had a feeling his answer was serious. He would have killed her yesterday when they were standing over the werewolf bodies.
“Right,” he replied, as they walked through the grass.
“Was it fate that the werewolf plan would backfire on you too?” she asked, and he shrugged.
“Those wolves must have been designed to die,” he said. “Their King isn’t much better than Nathan is. Perhaps it’ll end up bringing them down too, who knows. They weren’t hard to kill, in any case.”
“But you didn’t know them,” she said.
“Makes it easier,” James glared at her. “Are you going to keep asking questions all night, or are you actually going to get something done?”
“Sorry, Sorry,” Ivy said. “I’m a performer. Doing something in the dark doesn’t do it for me. Also, are you just going to leave those bodies there? You’re basically admitting to the crime.”
“I want him to know,” James said. “I want him to know that he’s leaving the Kingdom to a very capable King.”
“Very good of you to do so,” she rolled her eyes as they stepped inside. She smelt the bodies decomposing and wrinkled her nose. Now that she knew werewolves face to face, she was more bothered by the situation. They deserved better than to be just left there.
James was about to say something to her when he heard a noise outside. He cocked his ear as they heard a car engine stop.
“They’re here,” he said. “Good job, he followed your lead.”
“Of course, he did,” she replied, as she wandered towards the poor wolf bodies. “Because he’s in love with me, and I left him.”
“Ivy?” she heard Nathan’s voice and almost sighed in relief. “Ivy!”
“Hello, my love,” she said, as he appeared at the door desperate and frantic for her to be in his sight. His brother, Joshua, was beside him, and Ivy could see, for just a moment, Joshua’s dragon teeth bared.
The second they walked through the door, however, it was obvious what kind of building they were in. His teeth retracted and his eyes turned back to the pale blue that he had as a human.
