Gavin looked at the seats where the other ministers used to sit and seethed. In their places were elevated commoners and warriors as courtiers along with all the pack leaders, the alphas, and lunas. He sat across the table from Basil, but he never felt so alone or powerless. Adolph had been cruel in the way he’d allowed his ceremonial title to remain, a cold gleam in his eye every time he glanced at Gavin. He would pay for this but Gavin held his tongue as people began to speak about their options. Annexing the territory of the vampire queen was partially in their interest. More land typically meant more power, but the land had been barren since time immemorial. If the land was truly barren, then annexing the land would just bring more mouths to feed. After all the upheaval, they wouldn’t have the food stores to make it through the year. Adolph watched Gavin contemplating it. His thoughts were clear on his face, and to a degree, Adolph agreed, but there was no way around it.“I th
She was nervous, pacing the little parlor of his rooms. While he had her things moved into the queen’s rooms, she hadn’t spent much time in them. She held the drafts of the birth announcements that Raven had the royal calligrapher create for them. They wouldn’t be going out until the baby had arrived, but it was the best way to tell Adolph. “Laurel?” She stopped and turned as Adolph entered the room with a surprised expression. “What are you doing here? It’s almost dinnertime.”She smiled, “I thought… we could have dinner together in private.”Adolph smiled, coming closer, “Private, hm?”His tone set a flush in her cheeks and lowered her gaze, “Yes… Though I have something to tell you…”Adolph frowned, flinching as he eyed her, “What is it?”Laurel startled, shaking her head and drawing closer, “Nothing bad. I promise. Sit down.”Adolph sunk onto the couch and she sat beside him. She set the drafts in front of him, but his eyes widened at the first one she placed in front of him. He
*The scent of blood filled his nose, seeping under the doors.* *Cries of agony and fear filled the air. He ran through the door to find Laurel in her birthing bed, growing paler by the moment, reaching for him with a trembling pale hand.* *Servants rushed around in a flurry, screaming for towels.* *The healer looked harried and he felt their bond trembling.**It shook, strained, and stretched until he felt it about to break.* “Laurel!” Adolph cried, sitting up in bed. He was alone in bed and it only made his heart run faster. He threw off his blankets and jumped from the bed. “Laurel?” Adolph called, entering the bathroom. Laurel flinched, looking up at him from in the bathtub, her body obscured by the layer of bubbles on top.Her face turned bright red, “A-Adolph, what’s wrong?”He shuddered, slumping back against the wall before crossing the room in quick strides. He fell to his knees beside the tub and pulled her close to press their lips together. She gasped as he pulled her aga
Adolph couldn’t wait for the report. He left the bed as soon as he woke up, tucked Laurel back in, dressed, and hurried out. He snagged a quick breakfast on his way to the entrance to the dungeons. The guards saluted him as he passed and told him that the guards he’d placed over Eden were still down in the depths of the dungeons. He ran into them on the steps. They seemed shocked but saluted. “Sir, would you prefer our report now or to see it for yourself?”Adolph took a deep breath, centering his calm and nodding towards the lower levels, “Show me.”They nodded, turned around, and led the way down the steps. They rounded the corner to where two other guards were. They saluted and opened the heavy gates. Once upon a time, the Raymond family held various types of people in the dungeons. He was half certain that this cell had been designed for a vampire prisoner. Lying in the middle of the room, still and pale as if he was simply sleeping was Eden’s body. His clothing and armor were
The door opened with a loud creak that seemed more ominous than it had ever been before. The man at the front of the procession was much older than Adolph, looking to be old enough to be Adolph’s grandfather. His robes almost sparkled on his shoulders as they rustled around him. He walked with a tall staff that was just a bit taller than he was, crowned with a glowing collection of gems. He came with six others all dressed in long white robes, hooded and quiet around him. Each of the six carried a box. Her stomach churned. There was something deeply otherworldly about them. Their presence filled the halls with a warm energy that Laurel could almost taste. It made her think of the temple, but it felt different than that. The old man had a smile on his face but Laurel didn't feel any more relaxed.Neither did Adolph. It wasn’t that the man seemed threatening, but he didn’t know anything about Wiccans and their motivations. Eden was the son of the vampire queen and a Wiccan, which mea
*Grandson?*Eden had never mentioned having any family. Had he known that Taleisin was his grandson? And the Wiccan who cursed the lands, had that been Eden’s father? The grief in the man’s eyes as he told the story made her think that was the case. “He… would not have parted with such a thing unwillingly…” Taliesin said, “P-Please… tell me what happened to Eden?”Adolph seemed tense beside her. She glanced at him with a little nod and he relaxed just enough to remain where he was, though his hand still rested on his sword. “Eden pretended to serve the vampire queen,” Laurel said calmly. “He killed most of her generals and orchestrated an attack on the main castle. He did kidnap me from the imperial city to lure Adolph into the vampire lands. He said he was using me as leverage… He also said that he’d planned to allow Adolph to fall into a rogue state from our separation.”Taliesin shook his head, “Of course… The curse of a blood aura…”Adolph stiffened. He wanted to keep her from t
He couldn’t say that he had hoped that the Wiccans would refuse to give up their magical instruments, but he had. It would have made it easier to deny the chance that Taliesin might try to liberate Eden when they went to the dungeons. He left Laurel with Chasel in the throne room, speaking with Raven and the others about the unexpected development of the Wiccans’ arrival. The path to the depths of the dungeons was familiar at this point. “I am surprised that they have withstood the test of time so well.”Adolph turned his head as Taliesin stopped, placing a hand on the stone wall. A weak light came from within the stone in large circles of a script that had Adolph growing uneasy. “What do you mean by that?”“Wiccans had a hand in building both Ash and Crystal castle… Though the magic in Crystal castle is much weaker due to how long it’s been since Wiccans and werewolves have been in contact.”Adolph eyed him, “For what reason have Wiccans been in hiding all this time? Something tel
They had dinner that night and waited until morning to speak with the caravan from the Wiccan Alliance, inviting them to breakfast. It was strange to have most of his family and their guests at the table, but it was a state matter so they all had to be there. He squeezed Laurel’s hand as she smiled at him and nodded. “My luna will be… leading these discussions of peace and cooperation,” Adolph said.Laurel smiled at him, squeezing his hand and looking at Taliesin and the rest of the congregation. Each of them seemed troubled and resolute, but Taliesin smiled at her warmly. His eyes were red-rimmed. “The wars and battles have taken a great deal from all of us,” Laurel said, “I propose that we work together to try and heal those wounds in the ways that we can.”Taliesin nodded, “Wise words. What did you have in mind?”“You mentioned the curse that should have expanded over all of Morrigan’s lands, but Annwn, a castle that is within her territory, did not seem to be under that curse.”