Not Dead
Darius
I checked on Elara a few times tonight. I sent Kellan to his room to sleep; he didn’t the night before, and I can’t afford for him to be tired tomorrow.
“You have a plan?” William looks at me.
“Kellan will announce he chose Elara; people will question what it means, but it will be explained that Elara can still win this.”
“And when people ask what it means for Kellan?” He looks at me, waiting.
“It means what it means, if she wins, she will marry us both. If Kellan chooses beforehand, it stops the riots happening there and then.”
“Have you considered if the votes don’t make Elara win?” William’s words annoy me, but he’s right. Even if I think my plan is perfect, it won’t be.
“Then I will have no choice but to say the results don’t matter. It might cause some uproar, but it’s the only way forward I can think of that will make Elara win.” I was never meant to select the final one. It was meant to be down to the person with the most wealth, standing within their pack and such.
“Might I suggest you go on more dates with Lyra? Make it appear like you two are close. So then when the results come in, if it is Lyra and you choose Elara, it doesn’t look like you were always going to.”
Maybe he is right. “Get something sorted.” He nods at me, and the door opens.
“Steve.” He has empty hands.
“Your father’s coffin and the area around it were empty, Sir.”
“So we’re back to no information.” Where would he hide the reason behind this?
“Sir, by empty, I mean empty.”
I glance at him. “Be more specific, Steve.”
“Your father’s body wasn’t there.”
An icy feeling seeps through me. “Are you sure?” Of course, he is, as if he could miss a body! Did it look like anyone else had been through it?”
“No, everything was perfect. There was never a body in it.”
“Send more guards to the hall where Elara is.” He looks at me, shocked. “Now! I don’t care if there are fifty there. Get it sorted.”
“You can’t just assume he is alive.” William looks at me.
“You’re not a fool, William. His body isn’t there. It never was!”
“What did he have to gain from faking his death? He was king. Are you sure this isn’t someone playing with your mind?” Maybe he’s right? He’s not, even I know he isn’t right.
Taking out my phone, I hit the messages and sent it.
“What have you done?” William looks at me.
“Finding out the truth.” I stay with my eyes fixed on the phone. If he’s alive, I will find out. Whoever keeps moving through the palace knows everything. How? They know about tunnels I don’t even know about. Of course, he was behind all this.
What I don’t get is why? If he knew Elara was alive, that she was Xenia, why let her live, why not kill her? I see the message light up and sag. It’s true.
I stand, and William stops me.
“Keep everyone out of the East wing.” I walk to the door.
“Darius, what are you doing?” He stands in my way.
“Seeing a ghost, no one is to follow me.” I can’t have anyone else knowing he’s alive. Possibly alive is fine. Still, them seeing him and confirming it they can’t do.
“You should consider this.”
“I have, now move.” I wait and watch him step out of the way.
“I’m coming, I won’t enter the room, but I’m coming.”
“He will kill you.” Is he a fool?
“I promised your mum, and I won’t break it.” My eyes roll, but we leave.
“No one follows. Ensure no one steps foot in the east wing.” I watch the guards nod, and I walk off. Getting into the east wing, I go towards the room.
“Darius, consider this.” I have. Opening the door I step in and close it, locking it behind me despite knowing William can just break it if he wanted to.
I hear the piano and turn. “You were never meant to figure it out.” He continues to play.
“What are you doing?”
“Something. You need to remove her, Darius.”
“No.” I won’t remove her. His head raises, and he stands.
“No?!” He steps closer to me. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with!”
“I don’t care. I’m not doing what you say! Why fake your own death?”
“I was working on something but realised I could work on it better from being there, without commitments.”
“You could have just walked!” He didn’t have to lie.
“Oh, no, my death meant I could stay hidden like I needed. That mutt isn’t worthy to be here.”
My body shakes, and I step closer to him. “Don’t call her that!”
“No? Why not? Just because she has a wolf doesn’t make her no longer a whore, Darius.”
“Enough! I won’t push her out. Kellan loves her.”
He laughs slightly. “It’s not love. Neither of you loves her. Rip away her wolf, kill it and guarantee you won’t care as much as the last man who used her.”
“Enough!” I step forward.
“Okay, let her stay for Kellan, but you don’t choose her.”
“You don’t get a choice anymore.” He lost that power when he faked his own death.
“I think you will find I do, boy. You think you know what is happening, but you don’t. How sure are you that you can save her, protect her?”
“I’ve done it so far.”
He laughs and nods. “They weren’t real attacks. They were just playtime, Darius. If it was a real attack, she would be dead and anyone else who stands in our way. Including Kellan”
“You can’t kill her! What has she done so wrong? Nothing! You just can’t stand the thought of someone doing anything better than you!”
He growls and steps forward. “Oh, you have no idea, boy. She will be your downfall, don’t you see? Look at all the issues since she arrived.”
My head shakes.
“Your mother had dreams throughout both yours and Kellan’s pregnancy. One woman would be mated to you both, someone stronger than even you, Darius. Later, she would give birth to two perfect sets of twins. Only the pregnancy changes her. She becomes a witch, more powerful than anyone.”
I laugh. “A lot of wolves do magic.” He’s pathetic.
“Magic, yes, but this isn’t magic. Why do you think her wolf just pulled itself into her body? They say it’s a blessing from the moon goddess to stop wolves from being stolen without permission. It’s not a blessing, it’s a damn curse. Only she can take wolves or return them if she becomes pregnant!”
No, he’s wrong. He has to be. Magic works. People use magic to do it. Maze couldn’t, though. Her magic wasn’t strong enough. I don’t know what to believe.