Chapter 15

 

After we entered the castle grounds, Ida motioned to us from her hiding place between a large bush and the wall. When we reached her, she and Conor discussed something but my world was on mute. Lexie frowned. I didn’t attempt reassurance. I didn’t have it in me.

Ida and Conor led us through a maze of the garden’s alcoves, past the rose garden and down the path until we made it to the castle. Lexie and Conor hung back, giving Ida an opportunity to sneak me in first. If they were caught sneaking around, no one would care.

As instructed, I went through the motions, ducking into the shadows, trailing behind Ida, but I’d left the emotional part of me outside the castle walls. I welcomed the cold void. It comforted more than the pain bubbling beneath the surface.

Liam yanked me into my bedroom, hugged me tight then passed me off to Cara.

“Kylie?”

I blinked and stared at Cara, unsure of how long she’d been trying to get my attention.

“Are you okay? Did something happen?”

Ida’s voice was far away, as if a bubble surrounded me. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She came through like that. She’s catatonic or something. Who knows? I’m surprised she even returned.”

“Ida, that’s all we need for now,” Liam said. “Can you please excuse us? We’ll call you when she’s ready for bed.” Liam opened the door and ushered her out.

I needed the bed now, though. I wanted sleep and was unable to remember the last time I’d been this tired.

“Kylie?”

I looked up, surprised to find Lexie in the room. When had she gotten there?

“Kylie, you need to talk. Okay? I know you’re upset. I can’t even imagine the pain you’re feeling but you need to focus. You can’t solve any problems like this. You need to come back to us, okay?”

“I’m here.”

Cara stood in a corner. Her lips were pressed into thin line. She stepped forward and put a hand on each of my shoulders. “Kylie, this isn’t you. You’re always planning your next move. You don’t give up.”

“Maybe I should give you guys a moment alone,” Liam said.

His usually adorably flushed face was pale and sad. A twinge of emotion trickled through me. I’d left Liam and never looked back. I’d left Grant and refused to move forward. That had to hurt. He headed to the door.

“Liam? You don’t have to go. I’m okay. I need some sleep. I have a lot to tell you and I want to, but not tonight. Okay?” I attempted a smile and hoped he could at least see my sincerity.

He hesitated with his hand on the doorknob then slid his fingers off the handle. He walked to a chair and sagged into it.

“How did everything go while we were gone?” I asked.

Liam and Cara exchanged glances and I regretted my question.

“Just tell me.”

Liam said, “Well, it took almost the entire day for anyone to realize Grant was missing. The guards were a bit preoccupied but once they snapped out of the ambrosia-induced comas you put them into, all hell broke loose.” Liam rubbed the back of his neck. “My father wanted to see you. He suspects you had some involvement. I assured him you were in bed not feeling well. We bought some time, but I guarantee you, first thing in the morning his guards will be pounding on your door to take you to him. Also, Orin’s been acting suspicious, which helped turn the attention off you for the moment. And since none of the guards have any recollection of the night, no one knows where to look for answers. The next few days are going to be tense around here. The best thing to do is keep you visible so people don’t think you have reason to hide.”

“I can do that.”

“I can’t believe you pulled it off.” He smiled and shook his head.

“Liam, I don’t know if you’re mad I freed Grant, but I’m glad I did. Your father planned to execute him.”

“He wouldn’t do that. He said he wouldn’t,” he said quickly.

Since when did we believe a word that came out of his mouth? “Yeah, he did, but he only planned to keep him alive until we married. In fact, he referred to the execution as a ‘wedding present’ for the bride.”

Cara stared at me and Liam’s face blanched. He knew his father manipulated every situation but this act of cruelty had taken it too far. It would hurt me, but it would also upset Liam. He and Grant had been good friends, once upon a time.

Alastar had crossed the line this time, tarnishing his image forever. Though probably wrong, I got great satisfaction from my story accomplishing that. He deserved his son’s revulsion. “There’s more to tell, but I’m exhausted. Can we talk in the morning?”

Though Liam probably burned with curiosity, he respected my wishes. “Sure, get some rest. Do you want me to call for Ida?”

I waved it off. “I can get ready for bed myself. I don’t have the energy for her tonight.”

“She helped a lot in all this,” Cara offered. It didn’t work. Not tonight, at least. I didn’t care.

“I’m sure she did it for Liam. She hates me.”

Neither of them argued it further and they left me in solitude. My straitjacket of indifference fit well as long as it kept the pain away.

* * * *

The sheet tangled with my legs as I flipped from side to side. I adjusted the pillow, flipping it over time and time again to the cool side. I kicked off all the blankets, stared at the ceiling and counted from one-hundred to one. Sleep came eventually. A restless sleep which provided no comfort. I dreamt of Grant and being lost in the forest. Merrows, Alastar, even Orin haunted my slumber.

When I stumbled into the bathroom the next morning, my fitful night was evident. Tears, shed in sleep, had left my face puffy. Dark purple crescents stretched from my cheekbones to the bridge of my nose. To reduce some of the swelling, I splashed my face with cold water but it was a lost cause. Without bothering to brush my hair, I pulled it back and went to the wardrobe to find something to wear. Someone had brought my breakfast tray but the food had no appeal. I left my room to find Liam.

My mother stood in the hallway outside. She wrapped me in a hug.

“I’m glad you’re safe. I needed to see for myself.” She held me at arm’s length. “Are you okay?” She placed the back of her hand against my forehead.

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

She studied me. “Do you want to talk?”

I shook my head and a look of disappoint flashed across her face.

“Have you seen Liam? I need to speak with him.”

“I believe I saw him headed toward Lexie’s room.”

I thanked her and slogged down the hall.

After one knock, Lexie answered the door. I brushed past her and plopped into a chair. Liam leaned against a wall opposite to where Conor lounged.

“I hope you don’t mind but we told him about the oracle,” she said.

I waved dismissively, relieved not to have to talk to Liam about soul mates and love consummated. “What do you think about it?”

Liam shifted his weight and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not what I expected, that’s for sure. Um, it’s interesting, though. It seems to prove my father has ulterior motives.”

“Yeah. Any ideas on what to do now?”

He scratched his head. “I wish I did.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out. I need to convince him I’m neither an asset nor an enemy.”

Liam nodded, but didn’t look confident with my plan. “Has anyone summoned you to speak with him yet?”

“No, and I’m hoping to avoid that for a while. I’ll be sure people see me and confirm my presence here, but I need a little time before I take on your father.”

Liam frowned. Conor and Lexie wore similar expressions.

My terminology might not have been the best. I didn’t get it, though. I couldn’t take on the king. What were they worried about?

Desperate to change the subject, I looked at Lexie. “I could use some fresh air. Do you guys mind if Lexie and I take a walk? I need to talk to her.”

Liam’s expression cleared. “No problem. It’s good, anyway. People will see you around.”

Lexie and I left the room and headed out to the garden. Once it became safe to talk, I sat on a bench in one of the distant alcoves. Lexie joined me, unnaturally quiet.

It had become clear people viewed me as a live wire with fragile emotions and powerful magic. I didn’t want to be that girl. I stared straight ahead and confessed everything to her. “Lex, I’m drowning and don’t know what to do. It’s impossible to think straight. Even when Alastar threw Grant into the dungeon, I didn’t feel this hopeless, powerless. I want to fix things and put a stop to Alastar, but how? I’m just a girl, an eighteen-year-old girl, who is madly in love with her boyfriend. Why can’t I just be her?”

“You’ve never been just a girl, Kylie. I think everyone knows that but you. Maybe it’s time you figure it out for yourself.” She offered a small smile. “Nobody expects you to be all rainbows and sunshine, but you can’t give up.”

“But it’s like I’ve been submerged in freezing cold water, fully-clothed. I’m trying to move but am weighted down and losing energy. My body’s numb and I can’t remember how to pull to the surface.”

“Well, thankfully, you have someone reaching out to help you. Lots of people. You’ve got us, and we won’t let you drown, but you have to try. We can’t do it alone. You have to fight for it but know we’ll be there to help.”

I leaned over and hugged my best friend, glad to have her with me. Though it still hurt, knowing she was there helped. A small crack formed in my protective shell, allowing other emotions to seep through. “I need to tell you something else, but swear to secrecy. In light of recent discoveries, it’s imperative no one else finds out. Not even Conor.”

“I promise.”

“If there’s any truth to this oracle, it’s already been set in motion.”

She stared at me, her expression blank, as she processed what I said. Her jaw dropped and her large brown eyes grew even bigger. “You and Grant?”

“Before we knew, of course.”

“That night in the forest?”

“Yeah. But now with this whole oracle thing.” I sighed. “What do you think?”

“What do I think? Who cares what I think. How was it?” she asked, giddy with Lexie-excitement, exactly what I would’ve expected before.

A small laugh escaped. “Only you would be able to overlook everything else and jump to that.”

“And? You can’t drop this bomb on me and deprive me of details. As your best friend, I’m entitled to the entire story. Well, maybe not every detail, but the important ones, anyway.”

My face warmed, and though I did want to tell her, being put on the spot like this made it awkward.

“Kylie! You’re killing me. Okay, how about this. I’ll ask questions, you just answer. Was it good?”

“Lex–”

“Just answer.” Her face brightened.

“Yeah, of course. It was perfect.”

She frowned. “Then you had to give him up. I’m so sorry. I knew you were sad, but it makes more sense now. He really is the one, the one from the oracle.”

“Now you see why no one can ever know. I’m hoping this whole Grant escaping thing will pass over, and as long as Alastar has me, maybe he’ll stop hunting for him. If this got out, I think it’d be like sentencing him to a certain death.”

“I won’t tell a soul.” Her seriousness morphed into a sly grin. She nudged me. I loved Lexie for always being herself. My entire world could change, but she wouldn’t, and for that, I was forever grateful.

“Anything else I should know about?”

“Nope. Oh, well, you totally mortified me with the whole v-card comment.”

“Oh my God.” She laughed so hard, tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Lex, it’s so not funny.”

“No, it’s hilarious. I wonder what Grant thought. That is seriously classic.”

“Thanks for the support.”

“Oh, come on, one day you and Grant will look back and laugh about it.”

“I hope so. Really hope so.”

“You will. I wonder if he told Conor. Guys talk about stuff like that.”

“I doubt it. Too much risk involved now.”

A vine crept up a birdbath next to the bench where we sat. Lexie plucked a small flower and sniffed it.

“You can’t tell him,” I warned.

“I know. You’re right about the risk involved. I get that, but it would be awesome to know what he had to say about it,” she whispered.

I grinned. “While I agree to some extent, this isn’t locker talk. It’s serious,” I emphasized. I trusted her not to tell Conor, but worried she might not drop it, hint around for details and eventually expose the truth.

“We’d better get back.”

“I guess so.” She twirled the purple flower between two fingers.

“Lexie, you know you can go home, right? I don’t want you to feel forced to stay. You and Conor seem to have a good thing going. You could always just take off. Run away from all of this. I wouldn’t blame you. I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

“I know, but I’m not ditching you and neither is Conor.”

“Have you discussed this?”

“Yeah,” she admitted, “as long as you’re here, we are too. Conor also has some obligations here. He can’t just take off.”

“Obligations to Grant?”

“A lot of things.”

“I don’t want him to feel stuck here, babysitting me.”

“Kylie, how can I convince you? We’re here for you by choice. We care about you and Grant. You couldn’t get rid of us if you tried.” She smiled and nudged me with her shoulder.

“Fine, but if it ever changes or gets to be too much, just tell me. Don’t you think you’re parents are worried about you?”

“Um, are we talking about my parents? They’re probably happy to have me out of their hair. They think I’m spending the summer backpacking through Europe.” She rolled her eyes. “They’re glad to have me gone.”

“I doubt that, Lex.”

She tucked her flower behind my ear. “I don’t. C’mon, let’s get back.”

* * * *

The conversation with Lexie had improved my general demeanor. It didn’t take away all the pain, but I was no longer “catatonic” as Ida had described.

Alastar stood in the foyer speaking with his advisors. The moment I stepped into the castle he turned.

I stood tall and refused to cower under his stare.

“Can you please excuse us? I would love to speak with Kyla in confidence for a moment.”

His entourage scampered away, but Lexie hesitated. Alastar looked at her with a smile so fake it was condescending. I urged her to go on. She finally disappeared down the hall, leaving me alone with my nemesis.

“How are you feeling today?”

“Better. Thank you.”

He narrowed his gaze. “It must have upset you to hear about Grant.”

“Not really.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“He’s no longer locked away in your prison. Good for him. You and I both know he never belonged there. I wasn’t allowed to visit him, so nothing has changed from my perspective. Well, aside from justice.”

Alastar glared. I’d spoken too freely with the king but had no desire to play his games. If he believed me to be important then it was his turn to do the song and dance, and if he didn’t like what I had to offer, he could give me the boot. I didn’t need him. He needed me.

He tilted his head, his tone cool. “Something’s changed in you.”

My knee-jerk reaction would have been nervousness but I controlled my emotions better than even I thought I could. “Nothing’s changed. I’ve adapted.”

“Hmm. Interesting theory. You know, Kyla, sometimes we need to learn when to hold our tongue. When we’ve over-stepped our bounds and when it’s time to realize we shouldn’t upset those with all the power.”

I held his gaze and, enunciating every word, said, “I couldn’t agree more.”

We stared each other down. The air thickened with tension, yet neither of us budged.

“Ah, there you are.” Liam walked into the foyer followed by Conor and Lexie.

As soon as she left, she must have run and told Liam, and I should have been thankful. I’d already said too much and wasn’t ready to stop.

Liam stood by my side, facing his father.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” He glanced between us, his stance stiff. “Kylie, you promised to meet me for lunch. Are you ready?”

“If we’re done here, I’m ready.” I looked to Alastar. “Are we done here?”

He smiled. “I’m finished. You may go.”

I didn’t need his permission and had opened my mouth to tell him, when Liam cut me off.

“Great. I’m starved let’s go.” He grabbed my hand and dragged me away.

I glanced over my shoulder at Alastar.

He had dropped his smile and gave me a murderous stare.

Good, maybe he’d kick me out.