It’s a lie. I won’t be if I keep pulling on my magic. I’m not fully recovered from allowing the beast out and my strength is low. If I keep using my magic, my resolve will fall and the beast will use it as an opening to take over again.
Max’s power helps, the bond propels me to keep the door locked, but it won’t be enough.
Reid takes the lead into the hall, the inside too dark for my mate to see. Holding her hand, I walk behind Reid, sword drawn. My brother can fight, but my first concern has always been to protect what I love.
The halls for the servants is winding, long, with uneven hall sizes, crafted as an afterthought. Some we can only walk single file. Others, three of us can pass shoulder to shoulder. But after rushing through the cool passageways, we find ourselves at a fork.
“Why’d we stop?”
“I don’t know where Uncle is.” He tilts his head, listening. “Mal and Fenrir didn’t know where he’s being held. I’m open to suggestions.”
“Can’t you smell him?” Max asks, glancing from me to my brother. “Aren’t Dark Fae senses better than Witches and Humans?”
“We’re not dogs.” Reid rolls his eyes. “Heightened sense of smell, sure. But only Kaden can hunt by smell. The rest of us have to be closer to pick it up.”
I shift my weight, anxiety gnawing at my gut. This is taking too long. “If he’s to be executed, then the king would keep him away from the public.”
“Torture room?” Max clears her throat as Fee winces with the memories of what Zelos did to them both. A growl leaves my lips as I think on the damage, the harm he’s caused, the pain they felt.
The urge to stalk the halls, rip my father’s head from his shoulders grows brighter the longer we’re here. I’ll make him suffer. I guarantee it.
Zeke shakes his head. “No, if he’s to be made into a display, he’d be near the stage.”
“Holding cell.” I gesture to the right. “It’s the place all criminals are kept before a hearing. In this case, Oslo has already been convicted, so he’ll be there to await his punishment.”
It’s beside the throne room, a small closet where the accused would wait for the king to call them forward. Knowing Zelos, he’s probably kept him there, hoping to break him, before dragging him into the throne room to kill. No one would know about it except for those who sat in on court proceedings. Both my siblings were usually left out due to not being the next in line.
By Seti, I will kill him if Oslo has been locked away for days in that closet.
“It’s in full view of the throne, my heir,” Zeke reminds me. “If we go to the closet and your father is there, he’ll see you.”
I conjure my shadows, their coolness a welcoming hug as the bite of Max’s fiery magic winds deep alongside it. My brow sweats, the strain uncomfortable. Exhaustion pulls at my bones and my hands tremble. “Good thing he won’t see us.”
“Kaden,” Max draws, voice tight. “If you use too much, the beast?—”
“Won’t be a problem, love.” I press a chaste kiss to her temple, lying to my wife again. We’ve been married for only two days and yet, I’ve told as many lies. “I promise.”
Together, we turn toward the right, following the hall. It wraps around the throne, various doors entering the room for servants to pass out drinks or food to the guests. We bypass them all until we get to the end.
Max tugs my hand, stopping short. Her fingers press to her forehead, stained red, her brows furrowed.
“Kitten, what’s wrong?”
She breathes through her nose, head tilting as if listening. “Behind this wall are a lot of heartbeats.”
There’s a gathering then, in the throne room. This is where my father will use my uncle to alleviate his cause, force the Lords and ladies to watch his demonstration. My uncle will be forced toallow lies be spewed and an unfitting punishment bestowed on him.
Rage ignites in my belly, my shadows growing darker, thicker in the hall.
We need to get to him first.
Reid opens the last door, facing the hall before the throne room. This is where I prepared Max for the Dark Court, where I warred with loving her and hating her for this situation.
Perfect symmetry, that this is where I take my throne back.
Under the cover of darkness, we glide across the floor, keeping our steps light so as not to attraction attention. The darkness of the halls is thick, but my shadows obscure us, allowing us to make it to the opposite side without interference.
There, among the shadows, almost undetected, is a slip of a door, the silver handle blending into the wood. No one would know it was there unless they were searching for it.
