Grabbing Shadow’s water bowl I move to refill it with fresh water. Zeke’s voice dwindles into an echo as I stagger into the adjoining bathroom, each step a monumental task. I manage to fill a bowl with water, but my hands are trembling.
Zeke paces nervously. “I just messaged some of the guards to send scouts out to look for Lyon. I can’t believe we slept so long,” he mutters, still typing text messages into his phone.
When I’m back in the bedroom, I urge Shadow to take a sip from the bowl. “Come on, boy,” I coax, my voice shaky and fragile. “Still no answer?” I ask, looking at Zeke and he shakes his head.
Suddenly, a loud crash resonates from outside, jolting my attention away from Shadow. I look to the balcony, wondering what is going on out there.
“I’ll send someone to get in touch with Regan. No one is answering at the High Kingdom either or in the city. It’s almost like there is no service for some reason,” he states, already halfway out of the door.
A few seconds later, the noise of shattering glass resonates loudly and Zeke jolts, looking toward the bedroom door. “What was that?” I ask, but Zeke holds up a finger telling me to be quiet. He moves toward the door and steps outside.
I grind my teeth, fighting against the vertigo, and follow him onto the landing. The world oscillates before my eyes, a sinister, spinning vortex.
“Zeke,” I mumble, my stomach churning, and I feel on the verge of throwing up. But before I can muster another word, I find myself pinned against the wall, Zeke’s hand firmly covering my mouth. He holds a finger against his lips, and as a noise sounds from somewhere inside the castle, his eyes bulge with a silent warning that sends icy tendrils of fear snaking down my spine.
An animalistic growl shatters the silence. Gnash and Hunter step out the bedroom door beside me with hackles raised. Both their eyes are on the stairs, and Zeke peeks down at them too. With calculated steps, Hunter and Gnash move forward. When a savage snarl leaves Gnash, both wolves surge down the stairs.
“Go!” Zeke commands, nudging me back into the safety of the room. But terror anchors me in place, the agonized whimper of Gnash has me frozen. “Gnash,” I manage to choke out, my fingers grasping at the edges of my magic, but it slips away. I stare at my hands, and so does Zeke before his eyes dart behind him to the stairs.
“Go, I will keep them distracted.”
“What?” I blurt, grabbing his arm. Zeke turns to say something when a strange look crosses his features. His lips part, and he gasps loudly in pain.
Zeke crumples to the ground unexpectedly, a pained grunt tearing from his throat as he hits the ground.
“Zeke!” I panic, dropping by his side.
“Mandrake root,” he rasps as his body goes limp. My hand darts out, desperately trying to help him, but my magic fizzles instantly as panic threatens to consume me.
Eerie laughter reverberates through the silence, sending shivers racing down my spine as my eyes scan the place. A man emerges from the shadowy staircase, his eyes glinting in the darkness.
“Doesn’t it suck being cursed? One falls, and they all follow,” he sneers.
I stagger forward and step over Zeke, bracing myself to confront the intruder. However, my vision begins to tunnel, each breath a battle as the man turns blurry and draws closer.
“One . . . two . . . and down she goes,” the man’s taunting laughter rings in my ears just as the floor rushes up to greet me. “One king left, and we’ve taken down the lycan kingdoms,” his words echo around me as I am forced to surrender to the void and everything goes black.
Chapter Thirty-Five
THE NEXT DAY
We drove through the night and by the time we reached the road into the High Kingdom, the morning sun is pouring over the mountains. Plumes of black smoke billow into an orange and pink sky above the city, making me accelerate more. The once tall, proud skyline has been demolished, and the remaining structures stand like tombstones over the rubble and ruins. James sits up straighter taking in the wreckage of the city in horror.
My stomach rolls as we drive through the eerily empty streets. I can feel the heat from the fires, even safe in the car and at a distance. As we reach the city square by the castle, the damage seems to taper off a little.
“What the hell?” I murmur when I spot a young girl running out of the only remaining shop. I recognize her as one of the witches who helped Zirah rise to power the day she burned. She bangs on the car window with both dirty hands.
James hastily rolls it down. She steps back, and I can tell she was hoping it was Zirah inside. Her face is stained with tears and dirt. Her dress is torn, and she has a dark bruise on her cheek and a nasty burn up her arm.
“What happened here?” I ask her.
“The Vampiric King’s guard stormed the kingdom. They slaughtered nearly all your guards, and they took Kelly hostage. They ordered our coven to come out, or they’d kill her,” she tells me. Yet, I am trying to figure out how he knows about the coven.
“You escaped?” I ask, watching as her eyes fill with tears.
“No,” She looks away and shakes her head. I can see the guilt written in her eyes as she turns to look back at us.
“My grandmother stepped forward, claiming she was the last coven member. She took my place.” I can see the sadness in her eyes. “The coven played along,” she adds, her voice cracking.
