Chapter 76 CHAPTER 76
Chapter 76 CHAPTER 76
CAEL'S POV
“I've messed up, I've fucked up so badly!”
Fabian paced around the hotel room, his hand raking through his silver hair again and again.
“At some point you're going to have to say exactly what it is you did man, I'm not interested in decoding shit. I'm planning a date for Sera and I. I see you've gotten your claws in her. That wasn't part of our plans, remember we're supposed to –”
“We need to leave! Now, Cael.”
“Hey, hey, slow the fuck down. Are you being serious right now? First you refused to share your grace with her to me and I've been doing everything to get her to forgive me. For a crime we both committed, you ordered it, I was protecting your crown. Now that she's not threatening to stake my heart, you're talking about running?”
“She found out!”
“What are you talking about?”
“We had sex –”
“Congratulations!”
“Then she tried to mark me and I knew that can't happen.”
“Please tell me you twisted things around and made her feel guilty instead.”
“I wish. I showed my strength and lost my hold on my scent.”
“How the fuck do you manage to do that?!”
“Trust me, if you get that close to her, you won't be able to judge me so harshly. But then I worsened shit by trying to compel her to forget. But I don't think it worked. I didn't feel any power leave me as I left her sleeping there. I went back and she was gone. I searched everywhere, I asked her friends, she just disappeared, Cael. Her scent is literally stale right now, if you go out there, you would think she's not been home in months. I don't understand.”
“You're right about one thing, you've fucked up. Royally. But I don't blame you, you stay in your white castle and all you deal with is papers and things that don't involve actual danger.”
“Cael… thread carefully.”
“No!” I snarled, “you thread carefully! Do you know what this means? Do you think she'll ever let us get close to her again?”
“I thought we weren't going to come back.”
“And that's why you shattered the bridge completely? We deceived her, both of us knew each other and lied straight to her face, played her because you couldn't sacrifice your pleasure for me. Now, mind you, I have discovered that she has access to her father's research. What if there was some in there that could have helped us?”
“Fuck!”
“Let's get out of here before those council bastards get her to give up our location.”
“You think that's where she went to?”
“While you were busy with her, I was actually doing the work! They're starting her training earlier. They're planning something and we need to stop playing around. Let's go back so you can stop it from that end.”
He nodded and we packed up quickly and I drove like a mad man out of Nashville.
When we got back to the Palace, it was like we'd opened the gates on our way out and let everyone free access to rampage through everything.
The private library was browsed through.
There were strange faces on the training ground, and before I could say a word, Fabian roared for his second in command.
“GWEN!!”
She was standing in the centre of the throne room in seconds.
“What is happening here?!”
“It's the vampire Lords, my King. They're camping here until you come and explain your absence to them.”
“Come on, Gwen, you don't have to make it sound like that,” Lord Celtrin’s voice drawled.
“How dare you? You disrespect my General and appointed second in command like that?” Fabian hissed, his voice low but his claws were pushing out, lethal.
But I knew he'd flown too close to the sun. If he lashed out at the bastard now, he'd notice.
And then we'll have a full blown attack on our hands right here in the Palace.
He has successfully brought his people here in our absence afterall.
“Come on, Your Lordship, you really don't expect me to respect her. She's just a little girl you place her to manage the cooks and the maids. You shouldn't be here when grown men are speaking, Gwen.”
He said her name like a curse.
“The reason I haven't hurt you as much as I want to Lord Celtrin, is because I don't want to piss off the King. Watch your tone.”
He laughed.
“And what can you do?”
Okay, enough of this crap.
I moved before anyone could see me move, one moment he was standing there, smirking, and the next, I had his spine in my hand.
Everything turned to a pile of ash.
Gasps rang out around the hall and that's when I realized how many people had gathered here, overwhelming the general.
“Everyone, out!” Fabian screamed and in seconds, the throne room cleared out.
“If this happens again, Gwen, use the power I've given you to deal with it. If you let brats like that intimidate you, then you're not worthy of the chances I give you.”
“I'm sorry for failing you, Your Majesty.”
“Get somebody to clean this mess up and make sure you search every bag before it passes through those gates. Cael, help her out.”
I nodded, my blood lust increasing
Because I knew they would test me and I won't hesitate to make a lesson out of them all.
This was the time to show everyone that is doubting us that the Valkori's are not to be shaken.
And a large part of that responsibility fell to me.
And beneath all of the angst, was a sorrow that seeped deeper into me the more time passed.
The realization that I'd lost my chance with Sera.
Nothing will ever make her forgive us again, not after this deception.