The Wolf Prince (20 page)

“They will be voided,” he said, and turned his back on her to mount his horse.

Since they were now one horse short, they helped Tatiana up on the front of the jail wagon, where she could ride with the coachman.

And then they set out as fast as they could for SouthWard. King Drem had explained that they would not be sent through the portal due to the prison coach and so would have a long ride ahead of them.

Ruben rode next to Willow, noting how she gripped the pommel of the saddle. More than once, she appeared to be nodding off.

“Are you going to make it?” he asked, aware he couldn’t let her see how worried he was. Willow’s earlier pale skin had now taken on a ghostly pallor. Even her lips, normally red, seemed bloodless. She barely showed enough strength to keep upright in the saddle.

Unsmiling, she nodded. “I think so.”

“Let me know if you need my help,” he said. “If you’d like to ride with me, I’m sure we can arrange something.”

His words brought a faint smile, though she shook her head. They rode on, pushing as hard as they dared. Luckily, neither Tatiana nor Eric seemed inclined to talk. Chad had folded himself up into a close approximation of a ball. He must have been weak from loss of blood.

Several hawks circled overhead, keeping pace with them. Ruben also got a sense that other creatures watched them from the shadows. If they communicated to Willow, she didn’t pass that information on. Perhaps they too were worried about her.

Finally, the landscape began to look familiar.

“We’re nearly home,” Willow said, confirming his thoughts.

The instant they reached the golden path that wound up the hill toward SouthWard keep, as though a message had been sent ahead, medics rushed out and tended to Tatiana and Eric. When they were deemed stable enough, they were transported to the hospital. Chad was also taken off, escorted by a regiment of guards, still trapped in his ensorcelled prison.

Though Willow needed to rest, she and Ruben were told that the king and queen wished to see them immediately.

They were taken into the castle, and without a chance to clean up or take refreshment, Willow and Ruben were ushered into a formal sitting area. The servant closed the door behind him, leaving them alone. Ruben helped her take a seat on a gilt-encrusted couch, then sat beside her.

“At least it’s not the throne room,” Willow joked, trying to sound lighthearted, though she betrayed herself by the way she kept twisting her hands anxiously. The slight sag of her shoulders and the persistent way she shivered revealed her exhaustion.

Aching to hold her, Ruben nodded, absently noting the dazzling gilt-covered chairs, gold-threaded upholstery and glittery wallpaper.
Bright
didn’t even begin to describe the effects of it. “If I stayed in this room too long, I’d have a raging headache.”

Though she laughed, her nerves were apparent in the sound. Her movements were shaky, but she got to her feet and began to roam the room. She picked up objects, studying them and setting them back down without ever seeing them.

Finally, she dropped back into her seat next to him. “They’d better make this quick, or I’m going to pass out,” she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Stroking her hair, Ruben reached for her hand. Once her fingers were intertwined with his, he felt a little bit of calm peacefulness steal over him. No matter what happened, as long as Willow and he were together, everything would be all right. He had to believe that.

Finally, King Puck strode into the room, his narrow face pinched. There was no sign of Queen Millicent, Willow’s mother, and Ruben didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried.

Instead of greeting Willow, the king fixed his gaze on Ruben. “I see you’ve imprisoned the youngest EastWard prince. What evidence do you have against him?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“Against Chad?” Ruben sat up straight. “He tried to kill me. And then he admitted to murdering my servant. I request permission to bring him home so he can stand trial.”

The king flinched. “He is the second son of a powerful king. I don’t know that I can allow this.”

Moving slowly, Willow pushed to her feet, bravely facing down her father. “You don’t have a choice. You must send word to EastWard. You know our laws. Chad will have to stand trial. Not only did he murder a human servant, but he attempted to kill Prince Ruben.”

King Puck slowly nodded. “I’ll have to speak with your mother.”

Willow shrugged. “Go ahead. But no one is above the law. King Drem has put a binding spell on Chad to keep him from using his magic.”

At the mention of the Shadow king, a look of sorrow mingled with pain flashed across King Puck’s autocratic features. “You met your sire?”

Slowly, Willow nodded. “Why did you never tell me?”

“You mother did not wish me to.” He reached out as if to touch her, but dropped his hand before making contact. “I abide by her wishes, as always.”

“Where is my mother?” Willow asked, her voice steady. “I have much I want to discuss with her.”

“She’s with your sister. Until she’s sure Tatiana is all right, I doubt she’ll have time for you.”

Though Ruben knew the king’s words had to hurt, Willow’s serene expression betrayed nothing. “Would you let her know that I need to speak with her?” she asked.

King Puck nodded. “Of course. Meanwhile, I’ll go and prepare a message to be sent to the EastWard king.”

As he turned to leave, Willow stepped in front of him, stopping him. “And after Chad is well enough, he must be sent through the veil to stand trial for his crimes among the humans,” she declared, her tone daring him to disagree. “Prince Ruben has promised this to his father.”

After a long moment, the king sighed. “I suppose you’re right. Let me see what I can do.”

As he reached for the door, Queen Millicent swept into the room, her expression furious. “Arrest both of them,” she ordered, motioning her guards to come in after her.

“On what charges?” Ruben asked. Willow stood like a statue, allowing the guards to place her in restraints.

“On what charges?” he repeated, when it seemed plain the queen had no intention of answering.

She waited until he was handcuffed before answering.

“On charges of conspiring against the royal family of EastWard.”

“What kind of nonsense is this?” Willow asked, facing her mother. “You know good and well—”

Queen Millicent’s expression contorted, turning her beautiful face into one of ugly malice. “Tatiana has told me the truth. She said you and your human pet conspired against Chad in order to frame him for Eric’s crimes.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Ruben protested. “Ask King Drem’s coachman. He can tell you the truth.”

The queen looked down her aquiline nose at him. “He violated the treaty by trespassing on our lands. Like him, you and Willow are to be held until all of this is sorted out.”

* * *

Exhaustion claiming her, Willow let herself be transported by the guards to her family’s little-used jail in the ancient dungeons underneath the castle. She had no doubt that neither she nor Ruben would be kept here for long, despite Chad’s apparent plan to deceive everyone. Even if Tatiana refused to tell the truth, there was Eric. As firstborn son and heir to the EastWard kingdom, his word would carry a lot more weight than Chad’s.

“All very good reasoning,” Ruben said from the cell next to hers. “Except for one major issue. Chad’s trying to make it seem like Eric is the killer.”

“Somehow, he must have persuaded Tatiana to go along with his story.” That wouldn’t have been too difficult. Now that Eric wanted nothing to do with her, her sister would have been quick to grasp at any straw Chad might have thrown out.

Though she tried to stay awake long enough to come up with a plan, Willow felt herself drift off to sleep. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes was Ruben’s handsome face, peering worriedly at her through the bars.

When she woke, she felt sluggish, though she knew her strength had returned to her. Raising her head, she found Ruben in the exact same place, still watching her.

“How long was I out?”

He shrugged. “A few hours. I have no way to track time. But no one has come looking for us. If your sister doesn’t recant her story...”

“She will. She has to. Tatiana is a lot of things, but she’s not an idiot. She won’t want to be with a killer, especially one who made it plain he was using her. Once she gets over her embarrassment, she’ll tell my mother what really happened.”

Ruben’s expression was doubtful, but he nodded. “I just want to go home,” he said.

Willow felt a pang at his words, though she was careful to hide it. “Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you, now that you’ve completed your task?”

He searched her face. She couldn’t decide if the tenderness she saw in his gaze was pity or something more.

“Now is not the time to talk about this,” he finally said. “But once we get out of here...”

Chest tight, she turned away, not wanting him to see how much his words had hurt her.

Footsteps on the stone stairs had them both raising their heads. When Tatiana came into view, Willow smiled, glad she’d been right about her sister.

Ignoring Ruben, Tatiana crossed to stand in front of Willow’s cell. “I’m sorry to have to put you through this,” she said, her tone as conversationally pleasant as if they were discussing the weather.

Willow frowned. “Are you going to tell the truth so we can get out?”

“I haven’t decided.” Twirling a lock of her golden hair in her finger, Tatiana wrinkled her nose in a move she often practiced in front of a mirror, deeming it adorable. “I didn’t want to marry Eric, but I refuse to let him humiliate me. At least now that everyone thinks he’s a killer, they won’t listen to anything he says.”

“You can’t do this. Not only will Chad—who actually
is
a killer—go free, but an innocent man will be tried for his crimes.”

“So?” Tatiana’s expression seemed carefully blank.

“Tati, Chad said he didn’t want you. Remember?”

“He didn’t mean that. He only said that to give him time to think of a better plan. Once he did, he told me the truth.”

Willow let her disbelief show. “I have to believe you know better than that.”

Her sister’s face took on that mulish expression that Willow knew so well. “Say what you will. I have to do what makes me happy.”

“This? This makes you happy? Not only are you helping a killer, someone who may just decide to slaughter you some day, but you’re letting an innocent man suffer for his crimes.” Willow took a deep breath, fervently hoping she could make Tatiana see reason. “Not to mention they’ve got us locked up for allegedly conspiring against him.”

“Sorry. You’re collateral damage.” With a sigh, Tatiana swept her gaze over Willow. “You had no future here anyway. You should have stayed at NorthWard, with your own people.”

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Willow regarded her older sister with a combination of pity and scorn. “Tati, you’ll be queen someday. You have to do the right thing.”

Then, not waiting for her sister to answer, Willow turned her back on her and went to sit on her cot.

Tatiana left without another word.

“Do you think she’ll do it?” Ruben asked. “I knew she was awfully self-centered, but this is unbelievable.”

“I can only hope.” Willow let some of her glumness show in her voice.

When a few minutes later there were more footsteps on the stairs, she raised her head. Relief flooded her when she saw King Puck and Queen Millicent stride around the corner.

But neither one was smiling.

Chapter 20

“I
believe you have something of mine,” her mother said grimly, holding out her hand.

The earring. Willow couldn’t believe she’d completely forgotten about it. Slowly, she dug into her pouch and retrieved it. Dropping the bauble into her mother’s hand, she sighed. “I’m sorry—” she began.

“Silence,” the queen ordered, holding up the pearl. The earring began to glow as she closed her fingers over its luster. Closing her eyes, she listened to something only she could hear.

They all watched, Willow and Ruben confused, King Puck appearing wary.

Finally, Queen Millicent opened her eyes. Fixing her sharp violet glare on her husband, she made a sound of disgust. “The jewelry has told me everything. I now know Tatiana lied. These two are guilty of nothing.”

The king flashed a look of surprise. “Then what do you want me to do with them?”

“Release them,” the queen ordered, bitterness darkening her tone. She could hardly meet Willow’s gaze. “Chad is the killer, as you said. Tatiana, for whatever foolish reason, seeks to help him.” Making a dismissive gesture, she turned away, tossing her pardon over her shoulder. “You and your human are free to go.”

“Wait,” Willow called out. “We are not finished, Mother. I met my true father. King Drem has told me you forbid him to contact me.”

The queen’s expression, already cold, turned to ice. “So?”

“So? That’s all you can say? Why did you hide this from me?”

“Because it doesn’t matter. I never wanted you. You are nothing but a constant reminder of my sin.”

Though in some small part of her soul, she’d known this, actually hearing her mother say these words had Willow reeling. “But you’re my mother...”

“No longer.” The queen lifted her chin, the gesture reminding Willow of herself. “From this day forward, you are the daughter of King Drem. You are no longer welcome here.”

“Release them,” the king ordered. As her guards unlocked the cells, Ruben stood. “What about Chad?” he asked.

From the doorway, King Puck answered. “Though we’ve not yet heard from his parents, I’m certain Eric will give approval for you to take him to Teslinko to be tried for his crime.”

Ruben bowed. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” the king said, sounding anything but gracious. Then, without a word of apology or even a look at their youngest daughter, the King and Queen of SouthWard swept from the room.

Willow stared after the woman who’d birthed her and briefly allowed herself to feel the old, familiar longing. Her entire life she’d ached for her mother’s approval—no, more than that. She’d longed for her mother’s love.

Apparently, as far as Queen Millicent was concerned, Willow would never be worthy. Maternal love was supposed to be unconditional, but not her mother’s. Willow might as well have wished for wings to fly, or something equally unobtainable.

That’s when Willow realized she could no longer stay here. No matter what happened, whether she went to Teslinko with Ruben or back to NorthWard to live among the Shadows, SouthWard was no longer her home.

Though she tried to tell herself it didn’t matter, she felt like an enormous hole had been ripped in her soul.

* * *

Besotted. Glaring at Willow and Ruben while they made goo-goo eyes at each other, Chad silently sneered. He might have been defeated, at least for now—or however long King Drem’s spell kept his magic contained. It wouldn’t be forever, this he felt quite certain. The massive amount of energy it would take to cast a forever spell would have been more than King Drem and an entire army of Sidhe could have managed.

The question was, how long would it last? Patience wasn’t something he had in abundance, yet Chad knew he’d have to wait. Because once his magic was released, no one—especially not one puny human Shape-shifter and a bastard Sidhe princess with no magic—would be able to stop him.

Then he would have his vengeance. And it would be bloody. Exactly how he liked it.

His brother Eric would also pay. The coward had simply turned him over to the SouthWard rulers, in effect washing his hands of his only brother. If Chad had been permitted to see his brother once before he was sent to Teslinko, he would have spat on him. He suspected Eric knew this and that was why he stayed away.

Curious as to what kind of punishment the humans would try to impose on him, Chad settled in to wait for them to come collect him. He’d already been told they’d be taking him to Teslinko.

* * *

Coming through the portal with Willow, Ruben had never felt so completely and utterly happy. Finally, he’d returned home, along with the woman he loved. Though he hadn’t yet confessed his feelings to her, he planned to do so once he’d delivered Chad to his father to stand trial.

Willow seemed unusually solemn, no doubt a direct result of her parents’ coldhearted actions. He planned to make that up to her—once she became his wife, she would never want for warmth and love.

Since metal wouldn’t travel through the portal—or veil, as Willow called it—new bindings had been fashioned for Chad. Made out of some kind of heavy-duty rope, he’d been bound with his hands behind his back and his ankles shackled, just loose enough to permit him to walk. King Puck had assured them the bonds were magical, and that the magic would transfer through the portal intact.

For safety’s sake, Ruben kept Chad slightly ahead of him. He didn’t want to take a chance the other man would try to escape the instant they crossed over.

They all went through at once. Ruben and Chad, with Willow right alongside them. Ruben landed on his feet on recognizable ground, in his beloved, familiar forest and breathed the pine-scented air. Taking Willow’s hand, he swung it once, laughing while Chad glowered at them.

Both surprised and relieved that Chad had put up no resistance, Ruben ordered him to walk. He still held Willow’s hand and together they began to hurry toward home.

When they reached the first rise in the forest, he pulled her close and kissed her until they were both breathless. Smiling, he wrapped her in his arms and turned to face the first view of his family’s castle.

Normally the ancient, crumbling tower where he’d often took refuge was the only part visible. But now...he saw nothing.

Ruben knew a moment of trepidation as he jerked the plastic rope that held Chad tethered. “Are you certain we’ve arrived back in Teslinko, in my world?”

The worry in his voice made Willow look up at him, frowning. “Yes, of course. The gateway is in the veil between my world and yours, not any others.”

He took a deep breath, trying to slow his racing heartbeat. “We’d best hurry then. Something must have happened to my home.”

Letting go of her hand, he ordered Chad to go as he started forward, slowing enough to reach out and steady Willow when the footing grew rough. As they reached flatter, more level land, he picked up the pace, urging Chad ahead of him the way he might have urged a packhorse.

The dark looks the EastWard prince kept shooting Ruben told him how little the other man appreciated this.

Willow kept pace with them easily. The sound of their running feet blended with the pounding of his heart. He could only hope his parents were all right. He’d never forgive himself if the extremists had succeeded in hurting his family while he’d been gone.

He hadn’t remembered the landscape being so hilly, though to be fair he’d never tried to run it before, except as wolf. At the thought, his inner wolf stirred, though there was no struggle to try and change, just a deep feeling of contentment. This in itself was new, and slightly shocking. Maybe Willow had been right. Perhaps there was something to be said for this newfound acceptance of his dual nature.

Chad jerked his rope, probably deliberately, which made Ruben stumble. Like a chain reaction, Willow nearly lost her footing, too.

Instantly he grasped her elbow to steady her, even as he pulled back on Chad’s tether.

“We’re nearly there,” he told her. She’d been to his home before, as had Chad, he remembered.

They continued at a slightly slower pace, though anxiety still churned inside him. He kept her elbow in his hand as he tried to brace himself for what he might find.

The path curved here; there was the stone bench surrounded by the rose bushes his mother had planted. There was the arbor of sturdy oak trees he’d helped his sister take care of when they’d been younger.

At the last bend in the path, he broke through the trees, tugging her along with him. Panting, he stopped, peering at the welcome sight in front of him. There sat the home, his castle, the slate-colored stones glowing warmly in the bright afternoon sun.

The building appeared exactly as he’d left it, except there had been quite a bit of repairs made already to the ballroom that had been destroyed in the explosion.

He swayed, his relief so great he couldn’t speak. Slightly ahead of them, Chad looked back and sneered.

“See.” Willow touched his arm and leaned into him. “It’s all right. Nothing has changed.”

But it had. Something was...different.

Not entirely sure what, he glanced past the renovated ballroom and up the small hill, searching in vain for his old hiding place. Where the tower had once cast a long shadow on that bit of lawn, he saw only sun. The old part of the keep was no more. This he couldn’t fathom. The tower had stood for many centuries, withstanding storm and wind and the fallacies of man. What could possibly have brought it down now?

“Come on.” Taking her hand once more, he pulled her around the huge gardens, toward the curved drive. He forced Chad to continue to move ahead of them. As they rounded the corner where repairs were still being made to the ballroom that had been destroyed by the bomb, he led her up weathered stone steps to a rise in the land.

“Here.” Nothing left but several piles of stone. Grief filled him, sorrow for losing both the last piece of his family’s past, and his only secret, special place. True, there were secret hallways and hidden rooms inside the newer part of the palace, which was actually a few hundred years old, but this had been
his
. Part of his family’s history, part of his childhood, part of his life.

“What is it?” Willow turned, surveying the area. She lifted her head, sniffing the wind in a manner that reminded him so much of a wolf that he froze. “I sense something,” she said. “Age and sorrow and history. Why?”

“An old part of the castle once stood here.” He shook his head. “It was the only part that remained of the old keep. There was a massive stone tower here.” He pointed. “With crumbling steps.”

“Can we get a move on?” Chad said, his expression disparaging. Ruben ignored him, glad of the magical tether that kept the EastWard prince bound. King Puck had promised it would last until Chad had served his sentence, or been killed, whichever his punishment might be.

While Ruben was happy—so happy—that his home was unscathed, he’d lost something, too. This had been his refuge. And now it was no longer.

As he stood surveying the ruins, letting his sorrow show in the bend of his shoulders, she came up behind him and once again wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry. It obviously meant a lot to you.”

“Yes. I’m not sure what happened to it. It looks like another explosion, though why the extremists would want to target this section...” But even as he spoke, he knew why.

“My father’s father declared it off-limits, but of course I came here every chance I got. Even as an adult, this was where I came when I wanted to escape the rest of the world. They must have been targeting me.”

“But how did they know?”

He shrugged. “All of my family knew I came here, as did most of the servants. No one spoke about it and I was never disturbed here. It’s easy to see how, if word had leaked to the extremists, they could hurt me by destroying this.”

“They didn’t know you weren’t here.” Her caramel-colored eyes searched his face. “I’m very glad you weren’t here.”

“Me, too.”

Standing on tiptoe, she touched her mouth to his. Gladly, he kissed her back, letting her touch erase the sorrow. He’d only lost a place. She—and his family—were what really mattered.

Chad grunted, grimacing. Ruben sent him a warning glare, then focused his attention back on Willow.

Chuckling, she broke apart. “It does have a beautiful view from here. Maybe you can put a bench here or something.”

“Maybe. No more hiding away,” he mused. “I’ll miss it.”

“I think perhaps its loss is fitting,” she said, still holding his arm. “You no longer have a need to hide away from your life.”

She was right. “And now it’s time.” Giving Chad’s tether a shake, he linked arms with Willow as he forced his prisoner toward justice.

Recognizing him, the guards immediately sprang to attention and opened the door. Ruben kept Chad’s tether a bit tighter and led him up the steps and into his home.

“My son!” Nothing but joy in his voice, King Leo rushed from around the corner, enveloping Ruben in a heartfelt hug. “Welcome home.”

When he pulled back and caught sight of Willow, who hung back, he held out one arm and motioned her forward so he could include her in the embrace. “Princess Willow. Thank you for taking such good care of my son.”

He glanced at Chad and his brows rose. “You caught him?”

“Yes. He’s also Bright—from EastWard—and a prince. He’s under a magical spell to prevent him from using his magic. The bonds are also ensorcelled, so that he cannot get away.”

“Excellent.” Giving Chad a hard glare, King Leo motioned to his men. “Take him below to the dungeon. He will stay there until he can be brought to trial.”

“What of my bonds?” Chad spoke for the first time. “Surely you plan to remove these once I’m in my cell.”

Ruben and his father shared a glance. Finally, Ruben shrugged. “King Puck didn’t tell me how to remove them.”

Willow didn’t even try to hide her smile. “He told me. But I’m not sure you deserve to have them taken off. He said they’d remain until you received your sentence.”

Narrowing his eyes, Chad glared at her. He said nothing as the guards marched him forward.

Once he was out of sight, Ruben looked at the woman he loved. “Are you going to remove them?”