Rough hands flip me around and bind my hands behind my back. I sense the presence of a second male but can’t turn my face toward them.
“What happened?” the newcomer asks.
“The fool tried to escape. He’s just as dumb as his mate.”
The male laughs. “It definitely makes our job more entertaining.”
“Stop laughing and help me get him up. The queen wants to see him.”
I’m lifted off the floor by the two guards and then dragged out of my prison cell. Once outside, I’m hit at once by all the senses I was deprived of in the cell. It must have been enchanted to cut me off from the world outside—complete sensory deprivation, apart from the irritating noise in my head.
The first thing I search for is Manu’s scent, but I realize she wasn’t brought to this part of the palace. There’s not even a hint of her, but I do detect Adrian. He was moved a few hours ago, is my guess.
The hallway is well illuminated, and the glare from the lights hurts my eyes. I refuse to shut them, though. I need to get thelay of the land. The walls are made of light gray stone, and there are several metal doors along the way. Nothing with bars, so I can’t tell if those cells are occupied, nor do I pick up any scents wafting from them as I pass. They’re either empty, or the doors work both ways to prevent smells from traveling through the cracks.
The two guards dragging me across the stone tiles are both wearing armor, but I don’t see any weapons on them. I wonder what was used to stun me. Nightingales possess magic, but the blast I endured was powerful, and I’m not sure these males have that type of magic at their disposal. I’m hoping they used a device. A weapon can be taken away, but innate magic can’t. That’s a problem for later, when I recover the ability to move.
We go up a flight of winding steps that seems to go on forever, and it doesn’t take long for my captors’ breathing to become ragged. They must not be happy that they were forced to immobilize me, but neither complains. When we finally reach the landing, I’m beginning to recover feeling in my legs. They tingle in an unpleasant way, but it’s better than not having any sensation at all.
The guards continue their trek in a much larger hallway. The flooring is white granite with silver-and-blue veins, polished to perfection. The walls are covered by wallpaper with a shimmering texture, and the light is provided by crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. This is definitely a main area in the castle, and my nose picks up a myriad of scents. I focus on the smells, trying to find Manu’s in the mix. My stomach coils tightly when I can’t locate her and the bond remains silent.
“Where are you taking me?” I grit out, finally able to make out words.
“You’ll see soon enough, wolf,” one of the guards replies.
We stop in front of a set of tall double doors with intricate carvings in them. There’s nothing about them that should make me leery, and yet rivulets of dread drip down my spine, and my skin breaks out in goose bumps.
The door opens inward, revealing a grand chamber with a high domed ceiling and a dais at the end where Queen Maewe sits on her throne. Selor is at her feet, wearing a collar with a chain. He has a black eye and a busted lip, but it’s the burn marks on his chest that make my skin crawl. He’s been tortured despite centuries of unwavering loyalty to Queen Maewe. The desolation I see etched on his face is pitiful.
At once, Manu’s scent reaches my nose, wrapped in fear and blood. My wolf churns inside me, wanting to be set free. But I can’t risk it, not when Manu is at the queen’s mercy.
The guards move forward, and the queen smiles. “Ah, finally. The guest of honor has arrived.”
I ignore her while I frantically search the room for Manu. When I finally find her, my stomach churns. She’s strapped to a white tree by silver chains that cut into her skin. Her clothes are in pieces, barely covering her body, and she has multiple lacerations where her skin is visible. Adrian is sitting at the base of the tree, rocking back and forth as he hugs his knees. His chin is dipped low, and his long hair covers most of his face.
“Manu!” I try to break free, but my strength hasn’t returned, and the guards maintain their vicious hold on my arms.
“Karl?”
She lifts her chin, and the ragged cry that rips from my throat echoes in the room. “No! What have you done to her?”
Blood covers most of Manu’s face, seeping from several cuts along her cheeks.
“She brought it on herself,” Queen Maewe replies as if bored. “If she had told me what my husband is planning, then Iwouldn’t have been forced to make your new friend try to get it out of her.”
Adrian’s head snaps up, and his frantic gaze connects with mine. “I didn’t want to do it. I tried to stop it,” he says through a choked throat.
The truth hits me like a wrecking ball. Queen Maewe forced Adrian to hurt Manu. He looks miserable and broken. She could have gotten the answer from him, unless…
“It wasn’t his fault, Karl. They vowed to not say a word,” Manu answers the question in my head.
Tears gather in my eyes. “Manu… no.”
“Your mate very cleverly got a vow from her companions, and as you can imagine, that displeased me immensely. But it was all for nothing, for I knowyouhaven’t made a vow of silence.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. The bitch is cunning and cruel. Even knowing Adrian and Selor couldn’t tell the truth, she tortured them.
“You’re right. I made no vow. But if you want information, I require a vow of my own from you.”
