I stopped outside and pressed myself against the wall, eavesdropping on the conversation. There were at least three distinct voices, maybe more, but I couldn’t be certain.
“Our queen has sullied herself by laying with a beast and creating demon spawn. By God, her soul is probably already bound for hell.”
“Hush! Raging against the queen in shadowed rooms won’t help. Action. That is the way,” a voice said.
“Yes,” agreed another. “Perhaps an herbal concoction that would leave her barren? Then there would be no further abominations slithering out from between her legs.”
A powerful and throaty voice spoke up. “These ideas are only the prattle of disgruntled royal cousins. You are all blind to the true problem. Edemas has created dozens of offspring. He’s making bastards left and right. If he or the queen were to die, then the next in line would simply take over, subjugating us for another generation. We must not only cut the head off the snake but chop up the body and burn it to ash. We should start with the Crown Princess.”
A flutter of fear jolted through my chest as the strange voice said the words. I didn’t know why there would be so much terror inside me. Did I know this woman they were talking of killing?
“He’s right. If the princess is allowed to live, then she may become a monster like the father. I’m told there are two newborns that Edemas has sired with a couple of his whores. The rumor from the wet nurses is that they, too, are alphas. This has to end. Starting with the princess would be best. It will put Edemas on edge and also sow fear and distrust within his inner circle. It is a good plan.”
“It must look like an accident. Overt murder will only turn his suspicions on us. If we are to be successful and wrest this crown from his head, we must be careful. The princess is kind and gentle, yes, but we all know what might happen soon—once she wears the crown. No, this is for the best.”
A whimper of fear escaped my throat, and I clutched at my chest, wishing I could take the sound back.
“What was that?”
“Is someone at the door?”
Without waiting another moment, I turned and ran, my bare feet slapping on the stone floor as I went. Shouts erupted from behind me. The conspirators had spotted me and were in pursuit. Fear pushed me forward. I could see the staircase ahead of me. In the back of my head, I knew that if I made it there, I could try to take the stairs two or three at a time. Three floors down, I could find the captain of the guard—if I could only get there.
My left foot touched the top step just as rough hands splayed over my back. My head snapped back as I was pushed over the stone banister. I tipped over the edge, and the hard slate floor thirty feet below me rushed up at me. My breath exploded out of me as my fear gave way to shock and disbelief. I spun in the air, looking up at an unknown face as I fell. Stern eyes watched as I neared the ground with every second. Then?—
I jolted up in bed, gasping for air and clutching at the sheets. My heart pounded so hard that I was worried I might have a heart attack. I hadn’t screamed like I usually did when I had a nightmare, and Nico was still asleep beside me, breathing steadily. I put a shaking hand to my mouth and tried to calm my breathing.
My wolf was right at the surface of my consciousness. She was hurt and terribly sad. Were my dreams actually memories? Could wolves be reincarnated? Could my wolf have lived all those years ago and lived in that castle? If these were memories, who had my wolf been in that past life?
51
NICO
Ileft Maddy to sleep the next morning and went downstairs to scrounge up some breakfast. Most of the stuff in the fridges had expired and rotted. I threw out the milk, eggs, and everything else that looked dangerous to consume. In the freezer, I found some frozen burritos. Shrugging, I went ahead and threw the burritos into the oven.
I walked around the kitchen and took a closer look at the refrigerator doors. It was completely covered in photos and magnets commemorating a visit to Disney World, another for Disneyland, and there was a magnet with a beach scene from a trip to Jamaica. The photos were the best part, though. There was one of Maddy when she must have been twelve or thirteen years old with a mouth full of braces. Then there were several with her at various ages through middle and high school. The senior picture showed the beautiful girl I knew so well.
I checked on our frat house breakfast and found they were almost done, so I headed upstairs to wake Maddy. To my surprise, she was already up. She was sitting in bed, staring out the window.
“Hey, good morning,” I said.
“Morning.” She didn’t look at me, and it seemed like her mind was elsewhere.
“Umm, breakfast is almost ready. I made beef and bean burritos. The sour cream is still good, and I found some jalapeños and salsa.”
“Sure. Be there in a minute.” She didn’t bat an eye at the strange breakfast. Over the last several weeks, I’d learned to let Maddy be. She was going through things I couldn’t begin to understand.
“Okay, cool. Come down whenever you’re ready.”
She came into the kitchen wearing a robe just as I was putting the burritos on a plate. When I looked up at her, Maddy seemed a little more awake and not as distant. She took the plate and raised an eyebrow.
“How late did I sleep?” she asked.
I smiled at her. “It’s only eight o’clock. It was the best I could do. There’s cereal, but I had to throw out the milk.”
Maddy nodded, and I slid the container of sour cream and a bottle of hot sauce toward her. “It’s fine. I’ll have to leave a bad review for this restaurant online, though.”
I chuckled. “Damn. There goes my livelihood.”
