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“I don’t understand why anyone would pretend to be the king!” I moaned. “Surely he had to know that Nyx was smart enough to see through the ruse. And why now? After all this time?” My head jerked up as an epiphany dawned on me. “Is he the one responsible for the fires, for trying to kill me?”
Odette shrugged and nodded. “That makes sense to me,” she agreed. “Create chaos and come back as King Lucius to show that he’s the only one capable of running the kingdom properly.”
My brow furrowed. “But why come after me?”
“Maybe because it’s harder to get rid of a king and queen on the throne,” Odette snapped. “I really don’t have all the answers right now, Maren, dammit. Can you just come with me?”
She lost all her pleasantness, and anxiety laced her voice. A fusion of shame and apprehension blossomed inside me at her about-face. I was stressing her out with all my questions, but did I really want to go with an enchantress who couldn’t maintain control of her own emotions?
Still, she was the best bet I had right now. I couldn’t very well sit there and wait for the pretend King Lucius to come and attack again, shroud or no shroud.
“You’re right,” I apologized, hurrying toward the door. “Let’s go.”
“NO!” Odette said sharply. “Not like that!”
I stopped and turned toward her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, let’s teleport. It’s safer.”
Again, I waved my head vigorously. “No. I need to find Nyx first. We should go through the castle. I can’t leave him behind.”
“Don’t be foolish, Maren,” she growled, reaching for my arm, but I backed up before she could grab me.
“I’m not being foolish. I’m looking out for my mate,” I blurted out. Odette’s eyes became sooty slits as she advanced on me.
“Your what?” she hissed, anger seeping out of her pores. “What did you say?”
“We can’t just leave Nyx behind, Odette,” I told her reasonably, a chill of fear rushing down my spine suddenly.
A slow, cruel smile formed on her lips. “Don’t you worry about your lover, you dumb whore. I’ll make sure he’s taken care of,” she said coldly.
Oh, she still hates me!
But the realization had come far too late. I had fallen for Odette’s fakeness, her friendship and pitiful in-house banishment. My isolation in the castle had made me desperate for companionship and empathetic to Odette’s plight. I had lowered my guard and made myself vulnerable.
And now I was going to pay the price for that.
I spun around and grabbed for the door handle, determined to find the guards and escape Odette, but before I could even consider shifting into my owl form, my body froze mid-step. I gasped, realizing Odette had used magic on me. My eyes darted toward her as I struggled to understand what she was doing.
“You dumb wench,” she sighed, shaking her head as she wrapped her arms around me. “If you had just stayed in your part of the city where you belonged, none of this would have ever happened. He doesn’t want you. He’s just keeping you around because of that bastard you’re carrying now.”
Whimpering inwardly, I begged her to stop with my eyes, her spell enveloping me in panic, but she only laughed.
“Calm down,” she snickered, holding me tightly. “This will all be over soon. I promise you that much.”
A cloud encircled us, and we disappeared from the room in a poof of silver gray.
So much for that shroud of protection she was supposed to have put over me. Odette had been the enemy all along, and I had walked right into her trap. And she had executed it so well that no one would ever know about her horrific treachery.
I would likely take it to my death.
Chapter 17
Nyx
On his scent, my nose to the ground, I raced out the back doors of the castle, ignoring the cries of my guards behind me, warning me to wait. I was going to catch this bastard and bring him to justice myself. How dare he try to impersonate my father and think he would get away with it? How stupid did he think I was?
A million other questions rushed through my mind as I bounded through the courtyard, the smell of his fear and sweat diminishing in the cold, open air, but I stayed with the scent, growling to ensure he knew I wasn’t giving up. I would stay out all night if that’s what was required of me.
