Chapter 130 The Palace
Adrian’s POV
Well, it’s about time… I need to know what he's been up to. And why he didn't pick up earlier.
I stepped farther onto the balcony, the cool night air hitting my face as I answered the call.
My wolf was already pacing inside me, restless from everything that had happened today… Finding an Oden in the middle of the woods, Kira’s wild escape, the revenge stunt, that black rose mark burning in my mind like a brand.
I’d been blowing up Thomas’s phone hours ago, desperate for answers about the symbol on her arm, and now he finally picked up.
“Thomas,” I growled low. “Talk fast. What the hell took you so long? And your explanation should be worth it.”
His voice came through ragged and breathless…the kind of heavy, panicked breathing I’d only ever heard from him during full-scale war.
My stomach dropped. What could have happened? An attack?
“Your majesty… It's been chaotic here. I’m sorry. I couldn’t get to my phone all these while.”
“Chaotic?” My grip tightened on the railing. “Did rogues attack? Are the humans safe? Thomas, what the fuck is going on? Speak!”
I walked out of the balcony restlessly and went deeper into the walk-in closet, pulling the door almost shut behind me so my voice wouldn’t disturb Kira sleeping on the bed.
My heart was hammering so hard I could feel it in my throat. If something had happened back at the palace while I was chasing my mate across a field…
“The new priestess arrived earlier today,” Thomas rushed out, still sounding like he’d run a marathon.
“She performed the cleansing ritual immediately. For now, there’s no trace of dark magic left in the palace grounds according to her. She also said that she cast a powerful covering spell too… Morgana can’t slip in, and she can’t borrow anyone’s body to enter. The palace is sealed tight.”
I exhaled sharply. That's settled…but the relief only lasted a second. I knew my beta too well. That wasn’t the whole story.
“But that’s not all, is it?”
Thomas hesitated…just a fraction of a second, but I caught it. “No, your majesty. I wish it was. Prince Levi… he almost started a war between us and the bloodsuckers.”
Of course. It has to be Levi.
The mess his stupidity caused in the human camp hasn't even died down and he's already itching for more chaos?
A low growl ripped out of my chest before I could stop it. My free hand clenched into a fist so tight my knuckles cracked. “What has that piece of shit done this time?”
“I thought he was locked in his quarters after what happened last night…after your orders. But right after the cleansing ritual, a full vampire convoy rolled up to the gates. Prince Levi had gone behind everyone’s back. He brought the vampire princess back,” he said.
“What? Didn't I say I was going to visit the vampire King myself?” I asked.
“That's not all. He told the vampire king he couldn’t wait for you to make peace, so he begged for her hand right there on their territory. Swore he’d protect her with his life… and if anything happened to her, the king should come after our kingdom.”
Unbelievable.
I slammed my palm against the closet wall, the wood splintering under the force. “Come after the kingdom? My kingdom? Am I the one marrying his daughter? Is Levi out of his goddamn mind?”
Thomas’s voice dropped even lower. “That’s not even the worst part. I’ve been trying to get him off my back all evening…that’s why I missed your calls. Prince Levi insisted the vampire princess is royalty and can only live inside the palace. Her father gave that as a non-negotiable condition for the alliance. He won’t let his daughter live anywhere else when she’s royalty.”
I ran a hand through my hair, tugging hard enough to hurt. My wolf was snarling so loud I could barely think. “Where are they now?”
“Still standing outside the palace doors. I spoke to the vampire king’s representative and he made it crystal clear…either she stays in the palace or she comes back. No middle ground. And he insisted that they won't leave until they see her entering the palace.”
My mind raced. Why were they so particular about the palace? Who the hell told the vampire king that Levi had been sent outside the palace in the first place?
As if Thomas could read my thoughts through the link, he answered before I could ask.
“This can only be Lady Margaret’s work. I suspect she leaked it to the vampire king. It enraged them when they learnt that their princess will be living outside the palace. Now the alliance has to be sealed with this marriage or the rift that’s lasted for generations between our kind and theirs will explode again. And she knows you’d rather have the bloodsuckers as allies than enemies.”
I growled so deep it vibrated through my chest. “Let them in. Give them a chamber downstairs in the east wing…the most isolated one. And inform Levi that I don’t ever want to see him anywhere he’s not supposed to be in the palace. If he steps one toe out of line, I’ll handle him myself.”
“Understood, Your Highness.” Thomas hesitated again. “But Lady Margaret is making a messier scene. She’s demanding she must go where her son is… She's insisting that something might happen to him when she’s not there.”
“Levi is a fucking adult,” I snarled. “Tell my dear aunt she is forbidden to step inside the palace. Then open the doors for Levi and his bride.”
I was about to end the call when I remembered that I haven't shared the news with him.
“Thomas…you won't believe what happened today. I found one.”
“One what?”
“An Oden.”
Thomas’s voice cracked with shock. “You…you found an Oden? In L.A? Just like that? But how? Your Majesty, that’s—”
“Keep it tight,” I interrupted. “No one hears about it. We’ll discuss it properly tomorrow when I get back. But for now, prepare a room for her somewhere in the palace that’s hidden. Have one of our trusted men clean up Sheila's old chamber for her.”
“On it.”
Thomas exhaled like he was bracing himself. “I missed your calls earlier, your majesty and I got your message to call back. Is there any problem over there? Or did you just miss me?”
I was about to tell him to go fuck himself when I remembered why I’d been desperate to reach him in the first place…the symbol, the mark, Sebastian’s claim. My mouth opened to ask.
But just then, a blood-curdling scream tore through the suite.
“Kira!”
I hung up instantly and bolted out of the closet.