Chapter 421 The Plan
Chapter 421 The Plan
The hidden stairs wound deep under the city, lit only by faint glowing runes he had carved months ago. He reached a small underground chamber at the bottom. A single lantern burned on a rough oak table, casting flickering light over the stone walls draped with old cloaks and maps.
Mistress was already there, pacing in her simple maid’s uniform. The moment she heard his footsteps, she rushed forward and threw her arms around his torso, burying her face in his chest. Her hands gripped the back of his tunic tightly.
“You’re safe,” she breathed, her voice shaky with relief. She pulled back and looked up at him, eyes widening at the bruises blooming across his face and the blood on his lip. She reached up to touch one gently, but he flinched away.
“It’s alright,” he said, forcing a tight smile. “Just a few knocks. Nothing that won’t heal.”
“Who did this?” she asked, though she already suspected.
“The king himself,” Anthony replied, jaw clenching. He moved over to the mattress in the corner and sat down heavily. “He caught me while I was still trying to take Audrey. Fought like the beast he is.”
Mistress folded her arms, worry lines deepening on her forehead. “So what is the plan now? We must start our journey to the Highlands without her. It’s getting too dangerous to stay this close.”
“No.” Anthony’s voice was firm, his eyes lighting up with that same dark determination. “From what I said, Darius won’t take Audrey with him to the Highlands. He’ll keep her here, locked away safe from his own wolf. And while everyone is busy trying to control his beast during the Blood Moon, we step in and take her.”
Mistress bit the inside of her cheek, clearly fighting the urge to argue. But she couldn’t hold back anymore. “If we stay, we’re sitting ducks. The king wouldn’t leave his wife without heavy guards and strong protection spells. What makes you think we can break through all that?”
Anthony ran his hands through his messy hair and looked up at her from the mattress. “The protection spells can be broken, can’t they? You’ve done it before with smaller wards.”
“And if I can’t break through them?” Mistress asked, her arms still folded tight. “What then? We get caught and hanged?”
“You try again until you can,” he said, standing up and pacing the small room. His boots scraped against the stone. “I will not leave Audrey in that palace. Darius will die when the Blood Moon rises, and I will have her and her babies with me.” The obsession burned bright in his eyes as he spoke, hands gesturing sharply.
Mistress watched him for a long moment, the lantern light dancing across her worried face.
She wanted to tell him how reckless this was, how the king’s power grew stronger every day, but she knew that look. Once Anthony set his mind on something, especially Audrey there was no talking him out of it. She sighed and nodded slowly.
“Fine. I’ll start preparing new spells tomorrow. But we need allies. More eyes inside the palace.”
Anthony smiled, though it pulled at his split lip. “Good. We have time yet. The Blood Moon is still weeks away. By then, everything will be in place.”
They sat together on the mattress after that, going over old maps of the palace tunnels and whispering about weak points in the wards.
Back in the royal chambers, Darius held me closer as the repairs continued around us.
His hand rested protectively over our twins, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like we were truly a team. But the shadow of Lord Anthony and whatever allies he had hung heavy in the air. The Blood Moon was coming, and with it, choices that would decide all our fates.
AUDREY
The council chamber felt heavy with the weight of old stone and older worries. Candles flickered in iron holders, casting dancing light across the faces gathered there. I stood near the head of the table, my hands resting on the smooth wood, and looked between the Oracle, Ryker, Darius, and Allistair.
“What is the plan?” I asked, my voice steady even as my stomach twisted with nerves.
The Oracle, tall and stern in her dark robes embroidered with silver runes, met my eyes first. “My king,” she said, turning slightly toward Darius, “you should prepare to ride for the Blood Moon Highlands within a sennight. Stay there in the sacred caves until the moon rises fully.”
I frowned, leaning forward. “Why the rush to move so far?”
She folded her hands in front of her. “If the king remains in the caves of the Highlands, Allistair can lay protection spells over the nearby towns and villages. That way, the dark wolf will have nowhere to hunt but toward the palace. He will place stronger wards here too, while you, my queen, stay inside with the children where it is safe. The rest of us will stand guard outside, ready with our defenses when the beast comes.”
Her words landed like cold stones in my chest. I shook my head quickly. “No. I refuse to stay behind. The goddess gave me these powers for a reason to stop the killing and heal what’s broken.”
The Oracle raised an eyebrow, her tone turning sharp and dismissive. “What powers, exactly? You don’t seem to grasp how savage this dark wolf becomes. The curse turns it ruthless, driven by nothing but bloodlust. Unless you truly have the strength to subdue a beast like that, I strongly advise you remain where it is safe.”
I blinked hard and glanced at Darius, hoping he would speak up. My hands tightened on the table edge until my knuckles went white. He straightened beside me, his broad shoulders tense under his tunic, jaw clenched for a moment before he spoke.