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“Rose,” I shout, looking at her small body. She no longer looks fierce, and I don’t like it. She’s covered in blood and doesn’t move when I call her name.
Scooping her up, I carry her back to the castle. Unwanted worry washes over me, and I don’t like how it tastes. Daisy and Ghost hold the doors open as I make my way inside. Chatter, worry, and relief echo around the room, but I stay focused on Rose. Without any regard for the silverware, I lay her on the table in the hall. Daisy wipes Rose’s skin clean with a damp cloth from the kitchen while I check her over. Other than the blood, she doesn’t seem to be badly hurt.
“Is it dead?” Rose asks when she awakens several minutes later.
“Yeah, you killed it.” I stroke her hairline. “Where did you learn to do that?” I want to praise and scold her at the same time for being so reckless. I could’ve lost her, but the bird might’ve killed someone if she hadn’t been here.
“I’m tired. I need to sleep,” she says, closing her eyes.
“Okay. It’s okay.” I rub her hair again. I’m not sure if it’s her or me I’m trying to soothe. I turn to Ghost. “I’m going to take her to my room.”
She nods, and I don’t miss the look of disappointment on her face.
Rose barely weighs a thing as I carry her upstairs and into the tower. Carefully, I lay her on the bed, undoing her blood-spoiled dress, and strip her to her underwear. I wipe off the remaining dirt from her skin so it’s back to its flawless composition. She has a small mole on her wrist that I’ve never seen before, but the rest of her is a blank canvas. I stare, mesmerised by her beauty and the hell she made me feel. The steady rise of her chest shows she’s at peace, and I need to let her rest.
Once I’ve made her comfortable, I head downstairs to my father’s room. My mother’s not there when I arrive. I approach his lifeless body. This realm is tearing everything apart, but I can’t imagine my life without it.
Watching the people around me suffer isn’t what I want. Without this illusion, the Dutchmen coven would be at risk. But we’ve all become weak from living this fantasy. I could take away my father’s pain by removing the stone. After seeing Rose hurt today, I’m questioning if all of this is worth it.
I ball my hand up in anger and thrust my dirty fist into his chest. Bones and muscles easily make way for me to locate his heart. I wrap my hand around the epicentre of my world. The moonstone feels heavy in my hand as I hold it still for a few seconds.
With a few magic words, I could carry this weight starting right now and allow my father to rest in peace.
I move the stone an inch higher and bring it closer to my heart. The pulse of blood is deafening in my ears. My father gasps for air. His eyes open, but they remain glazed over. It’s like he’s waking up, but I’m not sure why. I let go of the stone, letting it fall back into place, and remove my hand from his thorax. The spell closes the wound I’d created. “Father,” I say, feeling a strong sense of hope.
“Where’s the wolf?” he says, looking at me for the first time in over a month.
“Wolf?” I repeat. “What do you mean?”
He doesn’t answer. Instead, he slumbers back on the bed. It doesn’t matter how much I shake him; he doesn’t wake again. He’s back to sleeping in his unresponsive state.
Chapter Six
ROSE
I’ve slept in Prince Titan’s bed since the bird’s attack. The event circles around in my head while I try to understand it. I wasn’t fearful of the monster, more curious of where it came from. I’ve seen enough dark phoenixes to know that it was black magic that created the creature, but who would do such a thing? My back and arms are still sore from the struggle before I plunged the dagger into the bird’s heart. When I fell back to Earth, I hadn’t considered how high we’d flown, and the landing hit me hard. Rest has been my focus for what feels like a week, but I’m starting to get better now.
Titan moves beside me, and I pretend to be asleep. We haven’t talked about what happened that day, or our new situation. He kisses my temple with soft, lingering lips, then climbs out of bed.
I allow myself to watch his naked physique move around the room. He’s magnificent to look at. His tall, muscular frame is like a piece of artwork. I’ve never wanted to touch someone as much as I do him. The view is short-lived as he pulls on his trousers, followed by his shirt. My eyes shut as he turns towards me. I’m not ready to talk to him yet. He lingers over me for a few minutes, and my heart beats faster. I shouldn’t like his attention or affection, but I can’t help it. He’s an addiction I wish I didn’t crave. His soft lips touch my cheek. I want to lean into the kiss and take all of what he’s offering, even though I can’t. This isn’t my home, and he isn’t the one for me. He takes his time, but eventually, I hear fleeing footsteps descending the stone stairs until he’s gone.
While Titan’s out of his bedroom, I want to explore his bookcase. The waxing gibbous moon decorates my wrist, and I’m not sure how long it’s been there. The full moon is coming in fast, and I need to plan my escape. It’s not a choice between living a fantasy or returning to the comforts of my sister. There is no decision to make because there’s only one way to move forward. All my life I’ve been ruled by the moon, but it’s never been like this. I should be angry with everyone in this realm. Yes, the queen has darkness in her heart, but I see sadness too. Titan isn’t the easiest person to judge, although he struggles too. Protecting me in this room will have had consequences. The other girls will not like it, especially when he could have taken me to the medical wing.
I climb up the shelves and reach for the next book I haven’t read with a moon on it. So far, I’ve discovered the werewolf curse is more complicated than I thought, but all I need is a location for the moonstone. The rest of the details can be discovered later.
Once I have my hands on the book, I pull it out and fall back to the floor. A gasp of pain escapes me as the bruise on my ribs hurts. That’s one thing my wolf will take care of. I’ll no longer be injured as my werewolf heals faster than my human form.
This book seems to be about the creation of the Dutchmen’s realm. I’m about to dismiss it when a picture of a heart wrapped around a stone catches my attention. That looks like the moonstone. Its iridescent exterior is unmistakable, and its crescent shape is like a moon.
Is the spell more than a curse on the Wolfbane family? Is it more complicated because it also gives power to the Dutchmen realm? If I cure my people, will it take away some of their power? There are so many questions circling in my head. I think back to the spell I saw in the grimoire. It said it was in the heart of the beast. Did it mean literally?
“I’m glad to see you up,” Titan says. His tone isn’t as friendly as his words. My pulse quickens, but I try to hide my surprise.
“Thank you for looking after me.” I stand, moving away from the book. He’s usually louder when climbing the stairs, and I’m suspicious he was trying to see what I was up to. I try to let my nerves calm. Did he want to catch me out of bed? I pull at the area my glove should be, but find no comfort, as the material is missing.
He puts a bundle of lily roots onto the table. I don’t know much about making potions, but lily root is used for contraception. I narrow my eyes curiously and point to the plant. “What do you need that for?”
“I think it’s time, Rose,” he says in a serious tone.
