Elis
The heavy iron doors groaned open, spilling torchlight into the dungeon's gloom. The air hit me like a wall; blood, sweat, and rot. But beneath it all was something different. I stepped inside, my boots scraping against the damp floor. Two bodies lay still in their chains, faces slack, eyes glassy. Dead.
My wolves snarled inside me. These men had been mine. They had crept into my palace under moonless skies, blades meant for my heart, yet driven into Lily's stomach instead. I'd been waiting for the right moment, to tear the truth from their throats, to make them beg for death. And now, someone has robbed me of that.
The guards froze under my gaze. Warriors and council members gathered in the doorway, their whispers fading into the thick, oppressive silence. Douglas knelt beside the corpses, his head tilted, studying. When he rose, his face was grim. "Poison."
The word twisted in my chest like a blade. I clenched my fists until my claws threatened to break skin. "Who did this?" My voice cut through the air like steel. No one spoke. The dungeon was impenetrable to all but a handful of people. Which meant this wasn't an enemy slipping past my walls, it was one already inside them.
Minutes later, we were in the great hall. The air was heavy with fear, the scent of it sharp and acrid. My council sat rigid, warriors lined the walls, and every heartbeat seemed too loud. I let my gaze move over them slowly, deliberately.
"My enemies sent those men for me. Not for Lily. Me." My voice was calm, but I knew the weight in it made their stomachs knot. "They failed, and I intended to make them pay. But now they're dead, before they could speak. Before I could learn the truth."
Douglas's jaw tightened. "Someone silenced them. And that someone is here."
I looked at the guards, each one standing stiff in their armor. "One of you," I said, "walks among us, eats with us, swears loyalty to me. And yet…" I stepped forward, my voice dropping lower, colder. "Two prisoners in iron chains, denied food and water for a full day, somehow died in their sleep." Still, no answer.
"Bring me every guard who stood duty last night," Douglas ordered. His voice was sharper now, carrying my unspoken command.
I let my gaze sweep them again. "Until I know who did this, every single guard is a suspect. And if I do not have an answer by nightfall…" I paused, letting the tension coil. "I will execute every last one of you."
The murmurs were immediate, fear thickening the air. They knew I meant it. I always meant it. My eyes moved from face to face. I see fear. Guilt. Suspicion. And then Jose. He sat still and silently. Normally the loudest in the room, tonight he only watched. Calculating. His gaze flickered with something dangerous, and then…there. A smirk. So faint it could have been a trick of the light. Gone in the next breath. My wolf bristled. I didn't like it.
Before I could speak, the doors slammed open and a warrior rushed in, breathless. "My King, another attack!"
The room erupted. Warriors scrambled, voices collided. And Jose… just leaned back in his chair. Smiling.
***
By the time I reached my chambers, my head felt like it had been split in two. I shut the heavy wooden doors behind me, shrugging off my royal robe and tossing it onto the chair near the bed. My hands dragged down my face, the weight of betrayal and unanswered questions pressing harder than the crown ever had.
I stretched out on the mattress, rubbing at my temple, trying to quiet the tension crawling up the back of my neck. That's when I felt it; an unfamiliar shift in the air. A scent drifted to me, faint at first, then wrapping itself around me like a silken thread; wildflowers and honey. My senses sharpened instantly. My body went rigid. She was here.
I sat up sharply, and there she was; Lily, lounging in the armchair across from me as if she'd been there all night. One leg crossed over the other, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"How…" I began, but she raised her hand like I was interrupting her.
"Relax, Your Majesty. I was just practicing."
My eyes narrowed. "Practicing?"
"Teleportation." She said it lightly, almost proud, stretching her fingers as though to shake off the energy of it.
I scanned her, taking in every detail to make sure she was flesh and blood, not some figment conjured by my exhaustion. "You just appeared in my bedroom?"
"Impressive, right?" she grinned. "One second I was in my room, the next, poof! Here I am."
I scoffed. "You could have warned me."
"Where's the fun in that?" she teased, pushing herself up from the chair and walking toward me. "Besides, I needed to see you. We need to talk."
That stripped away any amusement I might have felt. I already knew what this was about. The night's events had sharpened every instinct I had, someone close to me wanted me dead.
"I know about the attack," she said, her voice steady. "It's getting worse, Elis. You need to be careful."
"I'm already careful," I replied, my tone edged. "But that's exactly why I need to figure out who's behind this before they strike again."
Her gaze was unflinching. "We already know who's behind everything, Zal of course. The real question is how many of your men are now serving him. Who in the palace, maybe even among your guards, has already turned to him."
Her words hit hard because I'd thought the same thing. She stepped closer still. "The sooner I complete my training, the better."
I studied her face; noting the determination in her eyes and the confidence in her voice. She wasn't just telling me this; she was warning me. And she was right. If Zal's reach had already seeped into my walls, rooting him out wouldn't be enough. I'd have to cut away the rot before it spread further. But that meant moving quickly… and trusting her to survive what she was preparing herself for.