Challenged by Darkness (An Urban Fantasy Novel) (Befallen Tides series Book 2) (7 page)

She nodded when she saw him. “How are you?” Winx winced as she said it, like even she knew it was a crap thing to ask.

Keaton gave her a sad smile. “I’ll live, right?”

“Maybe. You’re pretty resilient.”

A compliment from Winx? Maybe he was still sleeping.

She was looking at him oddly, almost as if she missed seeing him. But it wasn’t like she was going to say it. Keaton knew that wasn’t her style. Instead, Winx blew a gust of a sigh and pointed to the kitchen. “I’ve made my cameo appearance for the day. Now I’m going to make a snack.”

As she walked into the kitchen, the three cooks made room for her quickly, stopping whatever they were doing and standing back. Winx glowered but didn’t otherwise acknowledge it. She grabbed an already packaged sandwich from the fridge and made good on her word to vacate the room.

Keaton watched her go with regret. The cooks got back to their stew with aplomb, as if they hadn’t overreacted. Sabrina shivered beside him.

“Callous thing,” she muttered to herself.

He was immediately distraught. “Has everyone been treating her like that?”

“We’ve tried being nice, Keaton. But she insists on being difficult!” Sabrina squeezed his wrist. She hadn’t moved her hand an inch.  “I want you here. I know you, I like you, and I think it’s best you stay. But I have to think of what’s best for the pack. If she keeps this up, we may have to make her leave.”

“If she leaves, I leave.” It was simple: he was with Winx, no matter what. Even after all his doubts and fears, he would never watch her go. He’d be beside her.

“Why?” she asked. “I don’t want you to go. You have so much to offer this pack, Keaton. Why would you stick by her?”

“We belong together. I will not abandon her.”

“She can take care of herself, and she prefers to be on her own. You’ve seen that. Maybe you need to consider that this is where you two go your separate ways. You don’t have to keep running to her rescue. Not when you have yourself to think about.”

Keaton had seen that. If he were entirely honest with himself, he could admit it: Winx didn’t need him. But that didn’t change anything. “Winx and I, we have each other’s backs. It is what it is, Sabrina. And if you cannot understand that-”

“Fine, fine! I just…  we need you.”

“Why?”

“You’re strong, able, resourceful.”  Sabrina smiled. “You could help patch the holes in this place. You’re alpha material.”

“What about you? This is your place. Why don’t you consider yourself the alpha?”

She brought a cup to her lips and sipped at its contents without looking at him. “We could both be alphas,” she mused.

Winx didn’t like the snow at all, so when she walked out of the house, she remained on the porch. The best place to keep away from stares was facing the backyard. There were some bandits milling about, but it wasn’t as bad as it was in the front.  She curled into a cushioned chaise and tore into her sandwich.

Keaton was around his kind again even if it wasn’t his original pack, and they were equipped to console someone like him, someone who had lost almost everything. But the fact that Winx herself was also alone didn’t seem to register with any of them. She was the outsider here. And why should she have expected any different?

She finished her food quickly, threw the plastic wrap onto the ground, and leaned back to stare at the blank white sky. Washington was starting to look a whole lot better.

CHAPTER 7

The tower was a stunning pearl marble. Tall columns stretched before skylights that poured in arresting amounts of sunlight. Rushes with tiny, perfectly bloomed flowers decorated the walls along with vases made of blown glass. It was a palace in every sense of the word.

The princess’s room was just as immaculate.  A bed with a lavender canopy dominated a large portion of the space, and a bubbling hot spring in a polished square smack in the middle took up much of the rest. Cozy chairs, a table, an entire entertainment center: it was everything a princess could possibly request.

But Genevieve was not impressed. Or distracted.

It probably went without saying that the lixyn hadn’t been happy about London and Roy compromising her breakfast or taking away her duties. She didn’t care for their myriad explanations, either.  No, she would enact some sort of retribution when the opportunity arose.

“I apologize, Your Highness,” London said for maybe the hundredth time. “But your uncle, the High Chancellor himself, demanded that we bring you to a safe l holding by any means necessary. He has been worried sick about you, and he’s terribly angry with me for allowing you to assist with our operations.” He gave her a small frown. “Which you assured me he knew about.”

She did not feel any remorse for her fib. “I have an obligation to my people.
All
of my people. I’m not about to expect them to follow me blindly after all of these attacks.”

“Your people,  Princess, don’t expect you to put your own life on the line for their safety. No ruler ever does such a thing. You’re doing exactly what you should by employing the proper authorities to handle this situation, and by staying alive. That is your duty.”

“I do not want to hear it!” Genevieve’s normally too-cute face was skewed with open outrage. “You drugged me and took me here against my will. My uncle could not have ordered that.”

“Actually, he did,” London corrected her. “He knew you wouldn’t come without a lot of difficulty. We were at a loss as to how to convince you to come.”

“And you actually went through with it?
What’s wrong with you
?”

“I’m not defending my methods. I’m simply saying we were after your best interests.”

“Then you must be psychotic. Both of you, out of my room.”

They each bowed before they left. Genevieve watched them go with a narrowed stare.

Really. It was one thing to request her presence to meet with her uncle. It was quite another to force her into it. What had gotten into them? Nobody would deny that these were desperate times. But to poison her body would not gain her compliance. They had to know that.

She stayed in the room those first couple of days, uninterested in exploring the rest of the palace. Food was brought to her four times a day, finery befitting only the highest of royalty. When the savory platters were first introduced, she was more than distrustful about the fare. But that didn’t last long. Soon, she sated her appetite without fear. They wouldn’t have the gall to poison her twice. Not now that they had her where they wanted her.

It was hard to negate the lavishness presented to her in general.  Yards of pastel dresses cinched in her size filled a walk-in closet.  Using the hot springs to soothe her travel- and battle-weary body was far better than the brisk washes she’d endured at the bandit campsite.  And having entertainment of any kind was easier on the mind than the steadfast worry of savage attacks.  Easing back into the life of a princess wasn’t hard at all. Still, Roy or London attempted more than once to apologize further or even to attempt genial conversation, and Genevieve remained uninterested.  And every now and then, the idea of escaping would flit across her mind. But she couldn’t navigate herself back to Colorado without assistance even if Winx and Keaton were still there. And besides, the holding was guarded. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Orion wanted her secure.

And yet, now that she knew firsthand what evil was out there, she could not shake it off. Winx and Keaton had been left alone in that B&B with nothing more than a note of apology and no further resources or aid of any kind. How furious they must be with her, if they were even still alive! Winx was still weak from her injuries and Keaton was currently irrational, operating on impulse. They would be easy pickings for Chavez and his gang. And what of Stori and Tipping?

She didn’t want to break her silent streak to ask London about them, but Genevieve just couldn’t stop the fear that bad news was on its way.

Orion Merrick didn’t look any different than the last time Genevieve had seen him. Her uncle still had an overly tough exterior with a pudgy face, the jowls hanging just the slightest bit. His dark hair hadn’t changed an inch, his clothing was as imposing as ever, and his stare was aristocratic. When he hugged her, it was a show lacking affection and warmth of any kind. It had always been that way, but now that Genevieve had been gone for so long, she’d expected to feel some sort of compassion.

“My niece. You have no idea how worried I have been!” He looked her over. “You seem very well. That sky blue suits you.”

The blue lace stitched dress did suit her, flaring about her knees and tucking around her buxom body in a way that wasn’t obscene. She thanked him for the compliment with a demure smile.

 Orion led Genevieve down from the entry hall over to an elaborate dining hall where the banquet on the table seemed to go on for miles. Her uncle helped her into a seat, and once she was poised just on the edge, he sat across from her, leaving the head of the table empty. 

“Your journey must have been an exciting one, Evy,” Orion began as he poured her a glass of water. “Judging from the details London and Roy have given me, you’ve proven yourself to be quite the able individual.”

Genevieve was at a loss to reply. Her uncle placed the water before her empty plate before pouring his own glass.

“All of your recent trials have not been in vain. I want to assure you.” He took a swig of water. “But now your place is at home. Where you belong.”

He clapped sharply, and five servants in the finest livery emerged in unison. They each walked to a covered dish and began to serve both of the diners. Genevieve’s heart quickened when she noticed the utility set on the belt of each worker. It mostly contained carving and serving tools, but each servant also had at least one firearm. Was that to protect, or to guard?

It wasn’t until after their plates were filled with each succulent dish that Genevieve looked at Orion again. He was staring at her in an uncomfortable way, his fingers clasped beneath his chin and his elbows on the table.

“Uncle Orion. Did you order London to drug me in order to get me here?”

“Yes.”

The verification didn’t settle her mind at all. Genevieve felt tears pool in the back of her eyes.

“Why?” she asked. “When you could have requested my arrival in any other manner?”

“We’re living in urgent times, Evy.  That sometimes calls for actions that we would normally shy away from. I had to ensure your safety as well as your punctuality.”

“Uncle.  Surely you can
understand
that resorting to such measures doesn’t exactly put me in a trusting position.”

“Even if I reiterate that it was done with nothing but your best interests in mind?”

Genevieve’s chest heaved with barely suppressed indignation. Was she really having this conversation? She’d never been treated in such a way by anyone in her Queendom. To disregard not only her well-being but her faith…

Orion grinned and adjusted a cloth napkin over his lap with a flourish. “Okay, my dear. It may take you longer than I would like to see that I have done everything I can for you. I have secured this palace, which was not easy, and I’ve had it decorated without sparing any expense. It is guarded day and night so you can rest easy without thought of the savage epidemic. But if I need to continue to prove my loyalty to you, I will do so.” He cut his knife into a premium slice of meat. “This is all for you, niece. You know the danger that is out there. If something were to happen to you our future would be compromised.”

When Genevieve looked at her uncle again, angry tears were  streaking down her freckled cheeks. Orion continued to give her the same uncaring stare. It fired her up even more.

“I have put everything on the line to be out there!” Genevieve’s tirade came out as a high pitched squeak, her breath shortened. “I helped organize the defenses, and I worked myself ragged to recruit more! How can you justify what you have done to me? Your methods were villainous!”

“Please calm down.” Orion barely paused eating to speak.

“You may stop pretending that I am overreacting. I do not appreciate your carelessness in the slightest.” When she still didn’t get so much as a look from Orion, Genevieve was reduced to slamming her fist onto the table.

The sound didn’t exactly steal his attention, but he did lower his fork. His eyes remained on his overflowing plate as he said,  “You’ll thank me for what I’ve done one day. I’m sure that you don’t believe me. But in the end, this is for the best.” He gestured his hand toward the head of the table. “You did not question why I did not sit there.”

“I was not interested in why.”

His jaw worked from side to side before he looked at her sternly. “I am not the only one who wanted you here.”

Genevieve felt her frown fade. Her fist eased its clench as well.

Orion saw her change in manner and nodded. “Yes. She is here.”

He nodded toward the doorway, where a figure stood.  Servants bowed as Genevieve looked over her shoulder.

All of Genevieve’s hopes had rested on this for so long. Could it be?

“Mother?”

When the screams started and didn’t stop, Winx peeked her eyes open. It was late afternoon, and she had been dozing in and out for hours due to sheer boredom. But now that people were screaming, she should probably wake up.

The bandits were losing their minds as Winx made for the front porch. All of them were in a frenzy, some zipping around with their superior speed and others frozen in terror. Winx scanned the area for the source of their panic.

A savage.
A
savage
.
As in one. It had a broken leg and was dragging itself into the clearing on the leg left intact. It wasn’t fast enough or smart enough to nab one of the quick prey zooming around it.

But this savage looked… new. Like someone who had only been dead for maybe a week. The dead that she’d encountered lately had been dead a lot longer.

As Winx stepped off of the porch, she flitted through its mind only to find that ever-familiar nothing. But she also found that no one was controlling it. Isolated incident confirmed.