Chapter 31

Bethany and I sat on the little stone patio outside my new room.

“This will be a great spot to relax after you have your furniture.” She grinned at me.

We were sitting on the stones. I nodded, then looked back inside the door. “I can’t believe the size of the room.” I gave her a wide-eyed look. “My room, when I had one, was not even as big as the bathroom.”

She chuckled. “Erin and I used to rent a one-and-a-half-bedroom apartment, Tawny’s room is the size the whole apartment was.”

“Half bedroom?”

“Don’t ask.” She shook her head, then turned back to watch Tawny chasing a grasshopper.

“I feel like I went overboard with the furniture I picked.” Tawny pounced again, missing the insect once more.

“Don’t. I’ve been to the storage warehouse and there are miles of furniture.” She grinned, “like enough that we could change the furniture every week for a year and never see the same pieces twice.”

“Why do they have so much?” My phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out and looked at it.

Bethany pulled out hers. “I have no idea. I don’t understand palaces and royalty. I lived in an abandoned building and foster care most of my life.” She smiled. “Looks like we’re going to where you used to live tomorrow.”

I studied the message. Trip to the asylum in the morning. More details at dinner. I was conflicted about going back there. I didn’t want to, but if those I’d heard for years were trapped, I wanted to help free them.

“You can probably pass on going over, no one will blame you.”

I looked at her, then turned to see where Tawny had pounced off to. “I feel like I need to be there.” I couldn’t see her. Standing up, I brushed off my pants. “Face my demons from the past sort of thing.”

She got up as well. “I get that.” She looked around. “Maybe she’s in those shrubs?” She pointed to the far side of the yard.

“She’s been chasing that grasshopper since we came out.” I started walking toward them.

“Guess she needs to practice her hunting skills.”

I looked at her. “Do we want her to hunt?”

Beth shrugged, “I don’t know, but it’s a preprogramed instinct I would imagine.”

I moved to the opposite end of the foliage, trying to look into it. “Tawny, where did you go?” I paused, then pushed my way in. On the other side of it was a hole in the stone wall, just big enough she’d be able to fit through. “Oh no.” I wedged myself between the sharp branches and dropped down on my knees to look out it. I caught a glimpse of brown running through the grass.

I looked up at Beth. “What’s on the other side of this wall?”

Beth shook her head. “I have no idea.” She pulled out her phone and helped hold the branches for me.

I started for the large gate at the other end of the yard.

Bethany ran along beside me. “Leone, Tawny got out through a hole in the wall.”

We reached the gate and it took both of us to pull the large bolts back to open it.

“Okay. No. We’ll grab her before she gets too far and come right back.” Bethany put the phone in her pocket. “Leone’s sending Mac and Bart. We’re not supposed to go outside without them.”

I heaved on the gate, it was heavy and opened slowly. “I’m not used to that.” We went out and started along the wall. “She will be lost before they get here.”

Beth nodded as she jogged alongside me. “Look.” She pointed.

Tawny bounced in the air, heading toward the trees.

“Maybe we should get her a collar with her own tracker.”

I started running. “We may need to.”

“We’re outside the warded area.” Beth said catching up to me. “I just felt it as we passed through.”

Later, I’d have to find out more about these barriers and wards. Right now, I was too frantic to retrieve the animal I’d already rescued once today.

We ran into the tree, then stopped. Two men were there. One of them had Tawny and she was struggling against his hold.

“Oh, good.” Beth huffed out a breath.

I looked at one man, then the other, neither had the silver crests anywhere I could see, so they were not guards. I put my hand out to stop Beth from going any closer.

“Two princesses, this must be our lucky day.” The man not holding Tawny said.

Beth stiffened beside me and held her hands out from her body.

The man with Tawny grunted, then grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and held her out from him. I knew parents carried their cubs that way, but Tawny was still struggling and wasn’t happy.

“I apologize for not knowing your names, your highnesses,” he bowed his head, “but I can see from your amulets you’re mated to our Enforcer and The Captain of the Guards.” He grinned. “How fortunate for us.”

“What do you want?” Bethany raised one of her hands and held it there.

I realized she was waiting for an opportunity to use her magic. She was glaring at the man holding Tawny.

“A simple exchange.” The man pulled out a small gun and pointed it at us. “We’d hoped for a prince, but two princesses mated to royal brothers will allow us much more bargaining power.”

My FOS was off the charts. I was cursing myself for not putting my new jacket back on. My knives were around my ankles and not easy to reach.

The man suddenly dropped Tawny. She took off into the trees.

“Why did you do that?” The man with the gun sounded annoyed.

“I don’t—I don’t know.” The other one looked confused.

“Ah,” he waved the gun at us, “one of you is the witch.” He grinned. “You won’t be able to bewitch me so easily.”

Beth raised her hand, bright sparks arced off it. “Okay.” She gave him a steady look.

I stood there feeling helpless. A feeling I didn’t do well with.

The other man snapped out of it and pulled a blade from behind his back. It made mine look like baby knives in comparison. Everything happened so fast it was a blur.

Bethany flung a ball of light at the one holding the gun. He stumbled back.

I dropped down to get my knives and heard the gun firing and felt my side sting. Grabbing two knives, I threw one at the man with the blade as he lunged at Beth. It hit him in the thigh. Dropping to one knee, he howled in pain.

Bethany flung both hands above her head, then dropped them toward the man with the gun. It hit him, sending him flying backwards. The gun fired again. I didn’t have time to pause, I pulled out the other knife as I threw the one in my hand. Hitting the man holding the blade in the shoulder. He dropped his weapon and cried out again.

Out of nowhere Rafael and Leone appeared. Quinton and our two guards also stood in front of us. Mac and Bart lunged at the man with two of my knives sticking out of him as Quinton went after the other who tried to run. He didn’t get five feet when Quinton tackled him to the ground.

I looked over to see Beth holding her shoulder as Rafael dropped down beside me.

Leone ran to Bethany.

“I’ve been shot.” She said breathlessly, holding her hand over her shoulder.

“Let me see.” Leone moved her hand.

Rafael was on his knees beside me, he looked down, then his eyes went wide with fear.

That’s when the pain in my side registered. I looked down to see blood staining my shirt.

“How bad?” Rafael bent over and pulled up my shirt. He hissed out a breath and pressed his hand against my side.

Michael and Autumn appeared out of nowhere.

“Autumn, Tawny took off into the trees.” I pointed.

She paused to assess the situation and then nodded and ran in the direction I said Tawny had gone.

Michael held a box up to the man with our guards. He vanished.

Quinton dragged the other man over, then Michael made him disappear too.

I was feeling lightheaded as Rafael pulled me into his arms

“Michael, call the doc, get him to my room. Kara’s been shot and I don’t see an exit wound.” Rafael shifted me so he could carry me and hold his hand against my side.

Leone stood up with Bethany in his arms. “Beth too, but it just grazed her.”

“Shot?” Quinton looked at me. “With a gun?”

I nodded, then rested my head on Rafael’s shoulder.

“Cowards.” He turned around looking at the ground looking for the gun.

Michael pulled out his phone and started after Autumn. The guards followed him.

“Hold on.” Rafael said as he stood up.

My head filled with white noise, then I found myself on a bed with Rafael still holding me.

Daxx came bursting through the door. “Quinton called me.” She rushed into the bathroom. “How bad is it?”

Rafael lay me down, then knelt over me. He grabbed my shirt and ripped it open.

Daxx came back out of the bathroom with towels and crawled across the bed. She handed Rafael a towel, then started wiping my waist off.

“No exit. Shit.” He looked at the door. “Where the hell’s the doctor?” He pushed the towel against my side hard.

I groaned.

“Sorry, honey.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Have to slow the bleeding until the doctor gets here.”

“I know giving her blood is bad because we don’t want to heal it with the bullet still in there,” Daxx looked at Rafael, “but you could slow it with your saliva.”

“Don’t.” A man came running through the door.

“Hurry up, Doc.” Daxx said moving out of the way.

Mitz and Alona came running in with another woman I didn’t know.

“Start an IV?” The woman asked.

The doctor nodded as he looked at my side. He pushed against my side and I yelped.

Rafael growled.

“Brother, contain yourself and let him do what needs to be done.” Chase stood in the door.

Rafael gave him a hard look.

I turned to see the women with an IV needle in her hand.

I tensed.

“Hey,” Rafael gently turned my face so I was looking at him, “It’s okay. Look at me.” He said softly.

“Little poke.” The woman said.

I clenched my teeth as she pierced my skin.

“That’s it.” Rafael whispered and kissed my forehead.

“I’m going to have to take the bullet out.” The doctor said. “I don’t think it’s deep, we could transport…”

“Do it here.” Rafael said in a deep tone. “Then I’ll heal her.”

“Very well. If someone could port Miss Rule back to get what I’ll need.” The doctor held a towel over my side.

“I’ll take her.” Daxx got off the bed.

I closed my eyes, feeling tired.

“The fluids will help with the blood loss.” The doctor sat on the bed, still holding the towel on my side. “I’d like to administer a sedative until I’m finished, so she’s not fully awake.”

My eyes popped open.

Rafael put his forehead against mine. “I’ll be here the whole time.” He whispered.

“Tawny is in her room.” Autumn same running in, Michael right behind her. “Bart and Mac are repairing the wall.”

I felt better knowing Tawny was okay. I looked at Rafael and nodded. “Do it.”

He kissed my forehead, then turned and nodded to the doctor.

“I’ll be right here.” He whispered and kissed me again.