“What do you mean, lose it?” Selor shouts.
“I don’t know.” Her voice cracks while she searches the ground, and her desperation mirrors my own.
Without it, King Ruel can’t lift Manu’s curse. We’ll never be able to be together. I begin searching too, frantically. “It must be here somewhere.”
Suddenly, a lick of dread sends goose bumps down my back. I stop in my tracks, sensing we’re no longer alone.
“So, you aren’t dead after all, Selor,” Queen Maewe says as she appears before us, followed by at least twenty soldiers. She’s wearing a long coat the color of spun silver, pants, and boots. Her hair is secured in a braid. She’s dressed for traveling—no… for battle.
Her shrewd eyes narrow on Manu, and then she switches her attention to Adrian. “You… I never thought you’d find your way out.”
Adrian takes a step forward. “Who are you?”
Queen Maewe laughs. “Oh dear… you don’t remember me? I know it’s been centuries, but I confess I’m a little offended.”
“He’s lucky he doesn’t remember you,” Manu grits out.
The queen cocks her head, grinning. “Oh, he will, and what a delight it will be when he does.”
Fuck. What did she do to Adrian that she can’t wait for him to remember? Nothing good, I’m sure. She thrives on inflicting pain.
Before we can do anything, silvery vines fly through the air and wrap around my body so tight I can barely breathe. From the corner of my eye, I see the same thing happen to Manu, Adrian, and Selor.
“Let me go, you bitch!” Manu shrieks.
Queen Maewe ignores her and walks slowly toward Selor.
“My queen.” He bows his head, the only part of his body he can still move.
“Tell me, Selor. How did you manage to return from the dead?”
“I… I don’t know. The last thing I remember is getting zapped by that bitch from Cygnus.”
Queen Maewe pinches his chin and lifts his face. “I’d believe you if you weren’t trapped by a different vow than the one you made with me.”
“I was forced into it by that fool.” Selor indicates me with a tilt of his head.
Throw me under the bus, why don’t you?
Queen Maewe approaches me, and every fiber in my body is repulsed by her proximity. “Ah yes, the wolf shifter familiar.” She runs her long nails over my cheek, sending unpleasant chillsthrough my body. “You look as impressive as I remember. It’s too bad things didn’t work out between you and my daughter. You’d make a cute couple.”
The fucking bitch. She knows very well that Vivi and I were never romantically involved.
“Stay away from Karl!” Manu shouts.
The vines surrounding Manu tighten, making her scream.
“No! Please, don’t hurt her,” I beg.
“After all this time, you still come to her defense. That’s admirable. Loyalty is so hard to come by.” She looks pointedly at Selor.
“I’ve been loyal to you through millennia, even when you banished me to the mortal lands to spy on your offspring,” he retorts.
“And yet, at the first opportunity, you conspired against me and joined forces with my husband.”
Selor’s eyes widen. “I did no such thing!”
“Silence!” The queen motions with her hand, and the vines cover Selor’s mouth. “I’ll get to the bottom of things once we’re back in Aquila. One of you will crack. Let’s see who does first.”
