My eyes widened. What was going on? Gil, again, had withheld information from me. Why would he send Alec to my court session without letting me know? I’d just seen Gil that morning, and he’d acted as though nothing was wrong as he prepared for the day. I couldn’t believe it. My fury rose, mixing with hurt and a queasy sensation. This wouldn’t be good at all, and I could already tell that I was in for a worse surprise than I could’ve ever anticipated.
I was going to kill Gil when this was all said and done.
“I have to duly note that one of the judges seated here today is in direct relation to this matter, and her opinion will be null and voided from the final judgment due to conflict of interest. Is that clear, m’lady?”
He was speaking to me. I opened my mouth but choked on the words. I wanted to hear what Gil had sent Alec about, but the dread that spun all around me told me it would be nothing good.
Clearing my throat, I nodded and finally managed to squeak out a response. “Yes, I understand.”
“I understand,” Alec confirmed after I spoke. He gave me a sympathetic smile before moving his gaze back to the magistrate.
“Magistrate Nathan, I, Alec StaNover of House ArcKnight have been sent by Gilbert of ArcKnight to lay before the council a most concerning situation of vital importance to our leader.” He paused, his eyes back on me as he spoke, just as if he was speaking to me alone. I knew his words had been patterned by Gil, but the way he was saying them to me was more apologetic than anything else.
I braced myself for the worst. This was going to rip me to pieces. I already knew it.
“State the situation,” Magistrate Nathan said, motioning for him to proceed.
Alec cleared his throat and managed to rip his gaze away again. He stared straight ahead, speaking the script my husband was forcing him to speak.
“It has been two months’ time since our Alpha, Gilbert, and Princess Rafaela have been wed. They had been courting for two years prior to the marriage. This relationship has not sired any heirs for the royal lineage. Our leader is concerned that his mate may be barren and requests that the ban on polygamy for the Alpha be lifted in the hopes of conceiving an heir as soon as possible.”
The rush of gasps and protestations rose up from the room. Stunned, I couldn’t speak or breathe. My whole world had been upturned. How could Gil do this to me? No one in the ArcKnight line had ever requested a second wife or had ever had the need for one. I couldn’t even wrap my head around this betrayal.
Magistrate Nathan slammed his gavel, beet red and visibly angry at the sudden discord in the room. “Silence!”
The noise died down, but I was screaming on the inside. Now I knew what Gil really thought of our relationship, and it was crushing.
“Does the petitioner have any medical evidence of his mate’s barrenness?” he asked.
Alec didn’t squirm or even flinch at the request. He produced a letter folded in thirds and held it out to the officer of the court for presentation to the magistrate.
“His Royal Majesty, Gilbert of House ArcKnight, has supplied the queen’s medical records as evidence.”
“What?” I scoffed. “This is absurd! I’ve never been tested for infertility. Whatever he is showing you has been falsified!” I gripped the edges of my chair until I was certain the wood had become one with my flesh. This was insanity. Gil should have his head checked for bringing such obscene allegations against me.
Yet, my heart was breaking. How dare he?
Magistrate Nathan looked over the creased paper, ignoring my outburst. He stared down his nose, through his glasses, as he scrutinized the document. I felt my heart skip beats and my head spun while I waited for his analysis. If he approved Gil’s request for a second mate, my chance of getting pregnant would be reduced to zero. It was insulting and devastating at the same time. How could he do this behind my back when I’d done nothing but love him with the deepest devotion a mate could ever give to another? Why didn’t he just divorce me?
I swallowed back the tears threatening to flow. I hated the thought that because he was Alpha, he had the power to request a test on me without my consent. Every time I went to the doctor, I never suspected this could ever happen. I’d trusted him, but now that was all gone. He’d taken my heart and trashed it. Kicked it across the field like a practice ball to receive all the abuse before the one used for the game would be presented, all shiny and new.
I was defeated if the magistrate granted Gil’s wish.
I glanced over at Alec and found a reserved sadness shining across the surface of his eyes. He was hurting for me, and he was letting me know it. Years of friendship had taught me the small signs of emotion he let escape from his expression. It was just enough for me to see how he felt about all this, and I was able to breathe again. He calmed me without any words. He was merely a pawn in a game we’d both been forced to play.
He didn’t break our connection as we waited but instead willingly accepted my grief. He gave me the tiniest of nods before bowing his head slightly. His respect was there, and he was more ashamed of the situation than Gil would ever be. Alec was my lifeline. Him, not my husband. I couldn’t count on Gil any longer, and that realization was bittersweet.
“It appears the result is legitimate. Queen Rafaela may examine it now.” Magistrate Nathan handed the creased paper to the court guard who then brought it for me to look at. I stared at the paper, complete with the Temple City Laboratory & Research Operations logo embossed into the paper. It was definitely authentic. To have confirmation that my husband had gone behind my back to have me tested for something I hadn’t ever thought of as a problem was degrading. I’d never forgive Gil for this insult. Never.
“This is ridiculous.” I crumpled the paper and tossed it behind me. I straightened, composing myself to remove all traces of the grief that had fought its way to the surface of my face. “It’s absolutely absurd.”
My mouth tingled as the blood rushed to my face and my fingers turned marble white squeezing the arms of my chair. Everything turned numb as I waited for the verdict. It wasn’t as if I didn’t already know the magistrate’s answer to this situation. I was more helpless at that moment than I’d ever been in my entire life. I’d been caught weaponless, and Gil had struck me down. It was all over now. Everything we’d built had been burned to ashes, and there was nothing to do but grin and bear it.
“Unfortunately, this was initiated by the concern and request of our Alpha. With the surrounding circumstances and the urgent need for an heir, I am inclined to grant the Alpha his request for a second mate. This matter will be revisited once an heir is conceived, by either Queen Rafaela or the as-yet-unknown second mate. The court is adjourned for today.”
The crack of his gavel should’ve made me jump, but instead it felt like my soul fracturing. I couldn’t believe it. I’d lost against Gil. He’d completely deflated me in less than ten minutes without even being present.
The crowd slowly departed, full of sympathetic looks, but I remained seated, ignoring their faces. I feared my legs would fail me if I stood now. Falling gracefully was impossible. That was all I needed. Humiliation upon humiliation. No, thank you. I could sit there all night if I had to.
“M’lady?” A voice cut through my thoughts, so I lifted my head to find Alec standing next to me offering out a hand. “Let’s go.”
My lips quivered, and the very real fear that I’d burst out into tears before getting to my chambers was more frightening than anything else. The only thing I could manage was a shake of my head.
I can’t go back there with Gil. I can’t…. I swallowed down a sob.
You don’t have to.
My eyes widened, and the sheen in my eyes gave way to a single teardrop trailing down my cheek. He cupped my cheek and wiped away the tear with a finger.
He could hear my thoughts. But how?
“Alec?”
He kept his hand on my cheek while moving a finger to his lips to silence me.
Don’t
speak. I know you can’t go back. I’ve readied the largest guestroom for you. As for our ability to speak to each other in our heads, you can’t let anyone know about this. Agreed?
I nodded, taking his hand and slowly rising on my wobbly legs. With his assistance, I managed to step down from the dais and walk out of the courtroom. No one would think much of him holding me up. The verdict had probably already spread to the high winds, and I was expected to look upset and distraught in one way or another.
What do I do now? I thought.
We’ll figure it out. Let’s get out of here first.
I exhaled as we left, feeling more like myself again. Truth be told, it was calming to be in Alec’s presence. This telepathy of his was awkward but useful. I was glad I had an ally in all this mess, for it was going to take a war to set things right.
I curled my hand into a fist. I was more than ready to fight.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ephrem
Walking the streets of Temple City during yet another rainstorm was cathartic in ways I couldn’t explain. The tapping of droplets against the hood of my rain jacket gave me peace when there were so many things flying around inside my head. The smell of soaked asphalt and clean ozone were revitalizing as I made my way down my nightly patrol route. I had hours to go before my shift was over, but it never bothered me to wander the streets. It could be worse. I could be held up in the MarkTier palace like my brother, Etan the current Alpha of the MarkTier pack, bored with politics and the incessant banter about rules and regulations. I didn’t envy his life one bit, even with the suffering I’d had to go through for things to be the way they were.
Etan still wasn’t used to his position. My father had abruptly stepped down from the throne, and Etan had only recently taken over as Alpha. He hadn’t even been required to marry beforehand. It was a curious thing, and something we were all still trying to understand, but my father had so far remained silent on his reason for abdicating.
I made my way out of the center dominated by tall skyscrapers and condominium buildings, and the avenue opened up to the central park area where the river ran through the city, swelled with rain. It rushed past in turbulent rapids, deadly and unstoppable. I wondered how many had lost their lives in its freezing embrace, pulled down below, their lungs filling with water with every toss and spin. There were probably more than anyone would care to admit. Nameless victims, forgotten as quickly as the passage of the torrent.
A chilling sense of being watched swept over me, and I scanned the darkened horizon for the culprit. The park was empty. Nightfall and bad weather always kept people indoors. One had to be a fool to be wandering about in the soaking rain like me. I was used to the rain, and it was a comfort in the isolation of night more than anything else. But I wasn’t alone tonight, and the feeling of something unnatural with a touch of dark magic unfurled itself as a swirl of fog began crawling across the park toward me.
Even I knew when it wasn’t wise to be alone.
I walked away toward the looming buildings ahead of me. I needed backup before investigating the park. It was unusual supernatural activity, and I was pretty sure it was up to no good. Passing the first building, I turned to stare back at the phenomenon and decided it was definitely artificial; the fog swirled at the edges of the park but didn’t extend beyond it.
I reached the shelter of an awning and pulled out my phone. I dialed my friend Jason, who was also on patrol; hopefully he was nearby.
“Yo,” he answered.
“Hey, I have a suspicious fog forming in the park near the western side of the city.”
“Citadel Center?”
“That’s the one.”
“I’m three blocks away. Where you at?”
I’m at the corner of Fourth and Anubis.”
“Be there in two.”
The click of the line let me know he was on his way. I stuffed the phone back into my jacket and continued to study the fog bank. It seemed to stall for a few minutes. Was it watching me? I could feel the prickle of eyes on me once more. I couldn’t shake off the uneasiness, but I wouldn’t risk entering it alone. This buddy system had kept me and my friend Jason alive many times, and we weren’t about to abandon it if it worked.
“What do you have for me?” Jason jogged up, jumping up from the soaked street and onto the damp sidewalk to join me under the awning. He was as drenched as I was and turned to eye the park when I pointed in that direction.
“What do you think of that fog? It’s watching us. I don’t know how I know that, but it doesn’t move like a normal fog would, and it’s emitting some kind of coarse energy.”
Jason studied the haziness, scratching his goatee as he assessed the situation.
“You’re right. It’s strange. Almost feels like a pack.”
I nodded but didn’t look in his direction. I was leery to let my gaze wander from the fog. It licked the edges of the street as if it was thinking about spreading, yet it didn’t. It did give off a pack essence, but I saw no one near it or us. Nor did I smell any wolf shifters nearby. How was it possible for a pack to have an unnatural talent to affect the weather like that?
Jason growled, a low rumble in his throat, as he flared his nostrils.
“Whatever it is, it wants us to go into it,” he said. He turned toward me, and I noticed that his eyes shined with an unnatural golden glow as they morphed into his wolf aspect. He’d maintained his human form but had changed just enough to enhance his senses of sight and smell. We both sniffed the air, but it held nothing more than the ever-present damp city smell.
I didn’t know why the thought filled my mind, but something I’d learned in school returned to me just then. “You don’t think they’re back, do you? That one wolf pack that was banished centuries ago?” I didn’t elaborate, knowing my comrade would know what I was talking about.
“Never know. The energy in this place attracts all sorts of unsavory types, even the ones never allowed to return.”
There were the legends, of course: an unusual pack who didn’t turn into just wolves but could also transform into flying stone-like creatures. They could manipulate nature in a way no pack ever had. Of course, they’d been banished from the MarkTier stronghold centuries ago and had never been heard from again.
A wolf gargoyle pack.
The thought made me shudder. Could they still exist? If they had returned, I had to notify the council immediately. They were yet to be in violation of the terms of banishment if they remained in the Outlands part of Temple, but how much longer before they broke that condition? If they had come this far, what was to stop them from returning to the MarkTier stronghold?
It worried me, but I was getting ahead of myself.
“Time to check it out.” Jason motioned me forward, and we split up. He’d went left and I took the right. This way whoever was behind this couldn’t catch us both at the same time. Still, we didn’t stray too far apart so we could keep track of one another.
I pulled out my sword and prepared to fight. Whatever was causing the fog was beckoning to us, and I wasn’t about to willingly hand my ass right over to an enemy.
I strained my memory to remember all I’d read about the wolf-gargoyles. They’d been banished for stealing dark magic inside the palace grounds. They were supposedly the ones who had cursed the city of Temple with its rainy weather. It was the type of weather they preferred, but they had left town for an unknown destination, and the gloom had remained.
Their pack had been assimilated into the MarkTier pack a long time ago when their Alpha was defeated by ours. That was the extent of the history taught to us, but I knew there was more. I faintly remembered something about them being able to turn into stone and fly, like gargoyles. Angels of stone and death. That was the tale told to me by a nanny when I was younger.
They carried swords of dark obsidian and were cursed to roam only during the night as gargoyle warriors or in their human form. During the daytime, they used to be regular wolf shifters, but on
ce they were cursed, they were turned to stone under the sun’s light. It was an odd story whose origins had been lost long ago, but like everything else unusual around these parts, I assumed there was some truth behind it. It was said that some of them would situate themselves as statues, but others would hide and then hunt in the Outlands during the night.
What had banishment done to them? Had isolation driven them to the brink of insanity or made them desperate to seek vengeance?
I motioned to Jason, but he shook his head. Nothing was going on. No one was there. Nothing but the dismal fog that appeared to be watching us as closely as we were watching it. Not convinced it wasn’t malicious, I reached toward the mist, feeling the energy within it excite as I got closer.
“I wouldn’t touch that,” Jason said as he jogged to my side. “Heard reports of acid rain falling. This could be full of that crap.”
I lowered my arm and laughed. “Acid rain?” I wrinkled my nose at the fog as it suddenly withered away, retreating into the park. Was that a low-sounding groan I heard along with it? “I don’t know about that, but it looks like it’s moving away anyway.”
We both watched it dissipate into the forest until nothing but the regular gloom of moisture floated about. The feeling of being watched receded with the fog, but I wasn’t through investigating this phenomenon. I had some research to do on this banished pack that had once belonged to my family’s coalition. It was curious that the fog had reminded me of the gargoyle pack. I was almost positive it meant something, and Etan had to be warned, just in case.
“Come on,” I said to Jason. “It’s time to pay my brother a visit.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lilliana
I watched the sunrise through the window in Ephrem’s living room. It was our living room now, but I wasn’t quite used to calling it that yet, even though I’d been there for months. Funny how things had turned out for me. I’d never hurt anyone in my entire life, yet here I was banished forever from my childhood home. The homesickness crawled up my chest and swelled in my throat, making it hard to breathe.