“The onyx eyes keep watch. The ring gets warm if danger is near,” shereplied.
My heartpounded.
“Has it ever felt warm to you, my Queen?” I carefullyasked.
She smiled faintly and looked down at the finger where the ring usuallysits.
“It might not be working anymore. After all this time, it may have just stopped working. My father would be heartbroken. He believed in the ring,” Octavia offeredup.
“Why do you think it is not working anymore?” Idelved.
“It has been warm for weeks,” Octaviaadmitted.
My heartbeat had sped up even more, and I felt sweat form on myforehead.
“For weeks?” I repeated, hoping she would denyit.
“Since my trip to Brookhaven weeks before thefestival.”
Brookhaven was where I saw Octavia. It was where I had seen her after many centuries. The ring had been warning her since then. Clearly, there was a flaw in whatever protective spell hung around the castle because I wasin.
Though, Derwin called me a hybrid; one of a kind. Perhaps the witch who made the ring and cast the spell could not take a creature like me into account. As my mind worked through different scenarios and explanations of how I was able to get into the castle, Octavia’s commanding voice pulled me from mythoughts.
“Liam, tell them not to close the doors,” Octaviasaid.
Liam tried to reason with her, but she was not going to considerit.
“Liam, tell them not to close the doors. Klyn still is not back. Those doors are not to close until he has returned,” shedemanded.
I went back to my thoughts about the ring, the protective halo around the castle, and how a witch should have been able to account for even partial vampires or those with vampirelineage.
Octavia announced that she thought we needed to go out and look for Klyn. I had to discourage this as much as possible. If any of them went outside in search of Klyn, anyone beyond the grounds of the castle would be killed. I felt it in my bones. The Carpe Noctem wereangry.
“No. This is no weather for any of us to be out in. Especially you, myQueen.”
I had to prevent anyone from going beyond the castle grounds. I could not have a death on myconscience.
“The last time I checked, I was in charge here,” Octaviadeclared.
“With all due respect, my Queen, that is not a good decision foryou.”
I suggested that we wait until the storm passes, and then we could gather a group to go search for Klyn. She ended up wanting to go upstairs to get her ring, so we all went with her. The second she put it on, she began panicking about CarpeNoctem.
“Are you sure, my Queen? How are you certain?” Iasked.
“The ring. It is hot, no longer warm, but hot,” she hastilysaid.
“There could be flaws with that ring, my Queen,” I tried to impress that upon her as we all followed her backdownstairs.
As Queen Octavia relayed a strict order that no one was to leave the grounds, a man appeared to walk out of the fog. It was as though he came from the direction of the town. He brought a letter, and it was handed over to Octavia. After she read it, she glared atme.
“River, show me your mark,” Octaviasaid.
She knew. The letter toldher.
“MyQueen—”
“Show me!” sheyelled.
