The Wolf Prince (15 page)

“Willow?” he asked again, his gut churning.

“Ruben?” It was Willow. Sounding weak, but nearby. And alive.

Relief flooding him, he answered in the affirmative.

“I can’t see,” she said softly. “My hands are tied. Do you know what happened to the others—Tatiana, Eric and Chad? And our horses? I can’t sense them.”

“I’m sorry.” He meant it. “I have no idea. Who are these people?”

“I don’t know.” She sounded apologetic. “All I know is they weren’t Bright. If I didn’t know better, I’d hazard a guess that they’re Shadows.”

“But?” He’d picked up on the hesitation in her tone.

“But the only way that’d be possible would be if we’d ventured into their territory. The Shadows avoid Bright lands and we do the same.”

“Could we have crossed some invisible boundary?”

“It’s possible,” she said. “But extremely unlikely. I’ve always been told it’s at least two days’ ride to even reach the border. And a huge and mighty river marks the separation of our two lands.”

“And we’ve only been traveling a day and seen no such thing. Then who are these people and what do they want with us?”

He’d barely finished speaking when the hood keeping him in darkness vanished, as did whatever had been used to tie him up. Nearby, Willow flexed her hands, her disheveled hair telling him she too had been wearing a hood.

“Over there.” She pointed. Tatiana, Eric and Chad were beginning to stir. The horses had been tied to a long hitching post and also appeared dazed, as though they were just now awakening from a deep sleep.

Ruben pushed himself up, helping Willow to her feet. As she slid her slender fingers into his, he again felt the jolt of connection. Together they went over to the others. He noticed Willow positioned herself as far as possible from Chad. Seems Ruben wasn’t the only one who felt something was off in the other man.

Narrowing his eyes, he couldn’t help but wonder again. Was it possible Chad had been the one Ruben had seen following Willow? Even though he looked nothing like the other man, with all the magic floating around this place, it wasn’t impossible to believe he could have seriously altered his appearance.

Eric raised his head as they approached. His petulant expression spoke of his dissatisfaction.

“What’s going on?” Eric asked, using the booming voice of a king-to-be. He stood, shoulders back, head up, turning in a slow circle. “Whoever has done this to us, I demand you show yourselves immediately.”

“Demand?”
A bodiless voice spoke.

Again that feeling of electrical current arcing through the air. A quick glance at the others showed they felt it, too.

“Magic,” Willow mouthed, looking apprehensive. The other three Brights appeared focused, as though by concentrating they could pinpoint the source.

A small man, his hair and skin the color of midnight, materialized in front of them. With his dark twinkling eyes and boisterous energy, he appeared both young and old. As they stared at him, his countenance changed from wizened to youthful and back again.

“Welcome,” he said, sounding anything but hospitable.

Ruben and Willow exchanged a glance. “Where are we?” Ruben asked, keeping his tone respectful just in case.

“You have reached the Land of the Shadows,” the little man intoned, his entire body beginning to shimmer in a way that reminded Ruben of the moment before shape-shifting. Sparkles of light danced in the breeze. “We brought you here. There is one in whom we have much interest.”

“Who?” Eric demanded, the expression on his face showing he was positive it was him. “Which of us is the one and why?”

The glimmers of color grew brighter, so bright that it hurt to gaze upon them and Ruben had to look away. When he looked back, the man had vanished.

Everyone stood still, stunned speechless.

Eric cleared his throat, about to speak again. Chad shook his head, stopping him, before looking at Ruben and then Willow.

“Now what?” he asked sullenly. “This was your expedition. Somehow, you’ve managed to land us in the middle of enemy territory.”

Ruben didn’t bother to point out that the other men were supposed to have been his guides. “According to that man, we were brought here. I can only assume by magic. Since we’re here, does anyone have any suggestions?” he asked carefully.

Expression shuttered, Chad shook his head. Eric appeared to be considering his question. “Whoever captured us brought us here, tied and hooded. That was a poor use of magical ability. Then they released us and sent someone to make sure we understand where we are. For what purpose? What do they hope to gain?”

“Maybe they want to help us find Ruben’s killer,” Chad put in nastily. “Any Bright who sought refuge here would stick out like a sore thumb.” He gave Willow a pointed look to underscore his point.

“Like I did at home?” Willow asked, sounding amused rather than hurt. “If you’re going to insult me, Chad, you’d better try a more direct approach.”

When Chad opened his mouth to reply, Ruben stepped in. “We don’t have time for squabbling. I’m sure they had their reasons, even if we don’t know what they are.”

“I think I know,” Willow grimaced. “I think they didn’t want us to see the location of their portal.”

“Portal? You mean like the magical doorway you used to get to my world?”

She nodded. “Exactly. Because the Shadow lands are nowhere near my family’s. The only way they could get us here this quickly has to be with a portal.”

“Thus the hoods and the bonds,” Eric finished. “At least now all of this makes sense.”

“Except for one thing.” Chad glanced from Willow to Ruben, his expression pensive. “We still don’t know why.”

“I have a feeling we’re about to find out,” Ruben told him. “We’ve got to get moving. At least they left us our horses. That’s something.”

“Yes, but it’d be even better if we knew the way back to the portal. It’s a long ride home without it,” Willow put in.

Chad made a rude snort. “I’m sure you can find it. You seem to have a knack for such things.”

Tatiana, who until now had been uncharacteristically silent, yawned. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think we need to ride for the nearest castle. Royalty carries privileges.”

“Not with Shadows,” Chad said.

“How do you know?” Tatiana rounded on him. “Have you ever dealt with them before?”

“No,” he admitted.

“I didn’t think so,” she rushed on, before he could ask if she had. “Royals don’t turn away other royals. I’m heir to SouthWard and he is heir of EastWard,” she said, jerking her head to indicate Eric. “That ought to count for something.”

“Maybe in your world,” Chad began.

Tatiana silenced him with a regal wave and a harsh glare. “You, like my sister, are not directly in line for the throne. Since you aren’t an heir, you know nothing.”

As Chad’s expression darkened, Eric finally moved to intervene. Apparently worried there would be an all-out war, he clapped his hand on his brother’s shoulder and pulled him close, murmuring something too low for the rest of them to hear.

When Eric moved away, Chad once again wore his familiar bored expression. “What do you want to do?” he asked Ruben, only the ice glittering in his brilliant purple eyes giving him away.

Deliberately Ruben smiled. “I agree with Tatiana. Let’s ride for the first castle we see.”

Without waiting for their replies, he strode over to their horses and located his mount. After checking to make sure the saddle was still cinched tightly, he untied the gelding and swung his leg up over the animal’s broad back.

Next to him, Willow did the same. He sensed her curiosity, the tentative desire to at least meet those people whom she was said to resemble.

To his surprise, Tatiana was the next to come forward. She untied her horse and mounted with the same easy grace that seemed part of her nature. “Are you coming?” she asked the two EastWard brothers.

Eric looked from Chad to Tatiana and back again. “I still don’t understand how we ended up in Shadow Territory,” he groused. “The boundaries are definitely not within one or two days’ riding distance. Even though they attacked us and knocked us out, there’s no way one man had enough magic to transport us. This never should have happened.”

“Unless he, whoever he might be, has stronger magic than any we’ve ever known. Or more than one Shadow was involved,” Chad drawled. “That has to be the case.”

“I would have sensed it.” Of course Tatiana dismissed his statement, even though it was the only realistic solution. “We all would have.”

Shifting his weight uneasily, Rubin flashed the other man a flat smile. Chad remained stone-faced. Neither he nor Eric had budged.

Finally, Ruben shrugged. “Fine. Stay here or come with us. Either way, we’re riding out.”

Ruben turned his horse and began to ride off. Willow was at his side and Tatiana right behind them. He kept an eye on the other men, glancing over his shoulder, to make sure they didn’t try any tricks.

Finally, the two brothers moved. Side by side, they retrieved their horses and climbed aboard, keeping to a fair distance behind the others. Tatiana glanced back, then slowed her horse so they could catch up with her. She maneuvered into a position in between them, smiling prettily.

“Is that true?” Ruben asked Willow. “Can you sense when magic is being used?”

“Most times, yes.” She glanced warily at the others when she answered. “However, we know nothing about the parameters of Shadows and their magic. It might be completely different for them.”

She’d barely finished speaking when they heard a loud clap, like thunder. They all glanced up at the misty gray sky.

When they looked back down, they found they’d been surrounded by armed guards on horseback, and judging from the hostile expression they wore, they weren’t friendly.

Eric raised his chin and opened his mouth, no doubt to spew some sort of haughty orders. Exchanging a quick look with Ruben, Chad nudged his mount sideways into Eric, knocking him off balance and effectively silencing him.

While Eric was momentarily distracted, Ruben spoke for the group. “What have we done?”

“You’ve trespassed on royal land,” the apparent leader said. “We’re here to escort you to see the king.”

“We didn’t trespass willingly,” Ruben told them. “Someone attacked us, knocked us out and when we came to, we found ourselves here.”

If the leader believed them, he gave no sign. “We will ride with you until we reach the castle,” he said.

Then, herding Ruben’s little band like sheep, they moved out.

Chapter 15

A
good half hour passed while they rode in silence, the horses’ hoof beats on the moist earth the only sound.

Ruben and Willow kept close, almost within touching distance, while the other three rode behind them. Surrounded on all four sides by the armed guards, they couldn’t have made a break if they wanted to.

And, though he had no magic to speak of, Ruben did have his gut instinct. Right now, his gut was telling him that whatever was about to happen would be a good thing for Willow, possibly not so great for the others.

“I have no desire to interact with Shadows,” Eric intoned imperiously.

“They probably have no desire to interact with you either,” Tatiana said, surprising Ruben. Glancing back, he saw from the speculative expression Chad wore that she’d surprised him, as well. Even Willow cracked a half smile.

“Are you ready to meet some Shadows?’ Ruben asked Willow.

No, she wasn’t, he could tell by the flicker of panic that crossed her mobile face. “I guess so.” She sounded miserable.

Ruben studied her, stunned anew by the overwhelming urge to comfort her. “It might not be so bad, you know. It could be a great experience, getting to know your people. Despite how you’ve been raised, half of your heritage is here with them.”

“What do you two keep whispering about up there?” Tatiana asked, the edge of her irritation making her voice whiny.

“They’re probably talking about you,” Eric sneered. Then he kicked his horse and rode ahead of her, leaving Chad at her side. Grimacing, Chad glared at his brother before shooting Tatiana a look daring her to speak. He made no secret about being unhappy about this situation.

“Come on,” the guard captain ordered, nudging his horse into a jog. Reluctantly, they all followed suit. The farther they went into the valley, the heavier the fog grew.

Ruben’s skin pricked with unease. Soon, the mist was so thick he could scarcely see five feet in front of him. If not for the group of guards behind them, if they let the leaders get too far ahead, they’d lose sight of them and it’d be a simple matter of vanishing into the mist. Even if they’d been able to do this, Ruben doubted it would work. He knew from experience that life was anything but simple.

It seemed the Land of the Shadows truly was...in the shadows. And mist. Damp, dreary, chilly mist. He would much rather have ridden in the rain.

Before too long, they were all soaked. The horses were spooked, ears twitching and eyes wide, ready to spook at the slightest provocation. He glanced at Willow, who nodded, letting him know her mount had told her in no uncertain terms that she did not like this place. The horse and all her companion animals longed for wide-open meadows, fresh-cut hay and the warm sunlight of home.

Ruben could definitely relate to that. The sense of uneasiness wasn’t confined only to the horses. Everyone seemed jumpy, jittery. Ruben took deep breaths, calming himself. Beside him, he noticed Willow doing the same.

As they proceeded cautiously forward, gradually faint sounds drifted toward them in the mist.

As they inched along, Ruben listened carefully. Music and snatches of laughter. He reached over and touched Willow’s arm. “Do you hear that?”

She nodded. “What is it?”

“Sounds like we’re getting close to a town.”

“You know what? Though I know this is going to sound ridiculous, that floors me. For some reason I hadn’t expected the people of the Shadows to live regular, normal lives similar to the Brights.”

“What had you expected? Them to live in caves and underground, only emerging in starlight to cast their wicked spells?”

Expression sheepish, she looked down. “Put that way, it sounds even sillier.”

“So do you think it’s possible that they are, as Tatiana thought, exactly like the Brights, with gilded palaces and thrones draped in precious metals?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “To be honest, when I thought of them, I’d always pictured them as savages, content to live in dark squalor, full of evil intent and with below-average intelligence.”

“Why?” he asked, stunned.

“Because that’s what we’re taught as children. The Shadows are our Boogeymen.” She swallowed hard, her pained expression revealing she’d faced a bitter truth. “I’m stunned that I, who’d always prided myself on my open mind, could be so bigoted and so close-minded.”

“Especially about your own people,” Tatiana put in nastily, letting them know she’d been eavesdropping. “I mean really, Willow. If the rumors are true, you’re half Shadow. You’re not like that, so why should they be?”

“Point taken, Tatiana,” Willow said quietly. “Clearly, I was wrong.”

Her sister found that funny, which made Ruben want to lash out at her. But watching Willow wallow in her own misery made him bite his tongue.

When she realized Ruben studied her intently, Willow blushed. He nudged his horse so close to hers that his leg brushed against hers. “Don’t worry so much about the small stuff,” he murmured. “We all learn lessons as we go along. You’re no different.”

At first, she only nodded, still lost in her thoughts. He stayed by her side, keeping her in his sights and marveling at her quiet beauty. Finally, she glanced at him, appearing a bit surprised to find him staring.

“What?” she asked, smiling slightly and making him wish he could kiss her.

“Something just occurred to me, thanks to your sister,” he said. “Since everyone seems to think you’re part Shadow, do you want to try and find your father while we’re here?”

“Find my...?” Various emotions chased themselves across her features. At first, dumbfounded and shocked and appalled, all she could do was stand with her mouth open. “I hadn’t even thought of...”

“Of course you have,” he continued, relentless. “How could you not? We’re here, in his land. You have to wonder who he is, what he’s like. It’s human nature.”

“Maybe it is but,” she reminded him, “I’m not human.”

“Even so,” he persisted. “You must be curious.”

“Maybe a little. But I’m more interested in helping you find the killer.”

“The killer isn’t here,” he told her. “We all know that. We’d have to go back to SouthWard to find him.”

Stunned, she asked, “Then why are we still here?”

Flashing a wry smile, he touched her arm. “It’s not like we had a choice, remember?”

To his surprise, she grinned back. “You do have a point.”

“About your father?”

Her smile faded. “I’ll have to think about it.”

He took that as promising, especially since she hadn’t refused outright.

Surrounded by soldiers, they were led on a silent march, down a path into a murky valley, where even the flowers seemed mere spirits of actual plants. A low mist shrouded everything—sky and forest and earth—and seemed almost tangible, as though conjured to life by a spell from a long-dead sorcerer.

Despite the gloomy appearance, Ruben did not sense true evil or danger. But then again, he reflected ruefully, he was not only without the magic these people took for granted, but he was damaged. A wounded Shifter, afraid to trust the senses of either half of his dual nature.

The mood among his little group grew bleaker. Even the horses appeared listless, as though their energy had been leached by the overwhelming dreariness of the landscape.

When the castle appeared, seeming to spring from the earth in a maelstrom of blackness, someone gasped. Not Willow, who despite everything had remained resolutely at his side. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Tatiana, clinging to a disinterested Chad, eyes wide, practically quivering from fear.

The closer they came, the more menacing the place seemed. The breeze even smelled differently. He swore he detected the salty scent of the sea mingled with the ever-present cloyingly damp mist. The ocean smell reminded him of Teslinko, though his home had been sunny and warm, and he felt a sharp pang of homesickness.

Willow shivered, wrapping her arms around herself in a futile attempt to get warm. Because of the moisture in the air, their clothing had grown soaked and remained that way, no matter how far they rode or how the breeze gusted and blew. Unhappiness hung over them like a miserable black cloud and their physical discomfort only strengthened it.

And he was no closer to finding the killer. Again, Ruben sighed. He didn’t really need to be here; in fact, he was wasting precious time wandering these dark lands. The one who’d traveled to Teslinko and murdered a servant was one of the Brights. He didn’t believe the killer would be so foolish as to travel here, where his golden hair would stick out like a sore thumb.

Again, he thought of Chad. Mentally, he reviewed his memories of the man he’d seen briefly in the woods, following Willow. Tall, golden hair, purple eyes. An arrogant, chiseled face.

Could that have been Chad? Was it possible Chad actually was the one Ruben hunted?

A quick glance at the other man, and he decided no. No killer would be foolish enough to attach himself to the one who hunted him, placing himself constantly in contact with someone who might recognize him.

Therefore, Chad could not be the killer. Ruben must continue to search until he found him.

In any other situation, Ruben would have found a way to escape and gone on about his task. Instead, he’d remain here for one reason and one reason only. Willow. She’d been so transparent with her need to connect, to have people, a family of her own, despite vehement denials. This he could never refuse her. He suspected the others were intrigued, which explained while they hadn’t yet rebelled.

“Don’t worry,” Willow murmured, tugging on his sleeve. “I’m really good at sensing danger. Right now, I sense nothing.”

No doubt, she thought he was afraid. Gazing down at her, he allowed himself to be distracted by her soft, kissable lips. Then, as her eyes widened and her pupils dilated, he swallowed, bringing himself back to the situation at hand. He nodded, unsure of whether or not to trust her instincts.

A screech came from above them, loud and piercing and shocking. Tatiana let out a little yelp, as though she’d been stung. Even Ruben and Chad jumped. Only Willow remained perfectly calm and steady.

She lifted one arm, bracing her small body as a huge bird of prey landed on her, exactly as if she’d summoned it.

The hawk swiveled its head, fierce and wild and glorious. Inside, Ruben’s wolf strained against invisible bonds, wanting to snap at the bird.

All watched in stunned silence at Willow stroked the bird’s feathers, crooning wordless, nonsensical sounds in a soothing voice.

When the hawk nestled in close, delicately moving Willow’s hair with its fierce beak, several of the guards began to mutter. Neither Willow nor her winged friend paid any heed. In fact, as she and the bird interacted, Ruben knew she was doing her thing and communicating with the hawk.

One of the soldiers raised his bow and fitted it with an arrow.

“No,” the captain barked an order. “Stand down.”

Instead, the soldier pulled back the bow. Ruben didn’t think—he launched himself at the man, connecting in time to send the arrow harmlessly into the sky.

The hawk screeched. Huge wings flapping, it launched itself up, the force of its flight knocking Willow off her horse onto her back on the forest floor. She writhed in pain, the breath knocked out of her.

Cursing, Ruben pushed himself off of the stunned soldier, shoving the man away and leaving him for his commander to deal with. He rushed to Willow’s side and helped her to her feet. At first she hunched over, heaving as she struggled to draw her breath. Gradually, she straightened, her cough subsiding. She wiped at her streaming eyes and sniffed.

“Are you all right?” he asked, brushing the leaves and pine needles from her hair.

Eyes huge and face far too pale, she nodded.

Chad made a rude sound and sauntered over, Tatiana still clinging to him like a leech.

“What the shades was that?” he asked, glancing up at the stars as though he expected an attack from above. “That bird acted like your personal hawk. Is that your form of magic?”

Tatiana laughed. “My sister has no magic,” she said, her mocking tone cutting. “Not even enough to call a wild bird.”

Chad narrowed his gaze, looking from one sister to the other. “Is that true?” he asked, his tone demanding.

Willow just smiled sadly and turned away. When she began moving forward again, the entire armed escort snapped to attention. Then, as if she’d given a verbal command, they fell into place, surrounding the three Brights and Ruben on their way to the castle.

Whatever secrets the hawk had divulged to Willow, apparently she now felt compelled to continue on to the dark castle. Despite the fact that he had no hope of finding the killer here—the suspect was Bright, after all—Ruben knew he had to keep her safe.

The closer they got to the castle, the grimmer it appeared. If King Puck and Queen Millicent’s palace had been over-the-top glitz, this castle could be considered the polar opposite. Where everything had sparkled and shone at the home of the Bright, here the absence of light was what made the place notable. The grim stone appeared to devour anything bright or shiny. What little light there was seemed to sink into its inky blackness.

At the thought, Ruben glanced at Willow and her sister, hoping that didn’t apply to Sidhe, as well. Surely, the palace wouldn’t devour them.

They rode to a stop and at a signal, the entire regiment of guards dismounted. They motioned to Ruben and his party to do the same.

Slowly, they all followed suit. As soon as everyone’s feet were on the ground, black-clad groomsmen appeared and led their horses away.

Meanwhile, their armed escorts continued to look straight ahead, unblinking. Ruben began to wonder if some sort of magic compelled or hypnotized them.

No sooner had he finished the thought when the massive obsidian doors swung open. Inside, a yawning hole of blackness. Of course.

“Don’t you people use any kind of light?” Ruben asked, directing his question at the captain of the guard. Predictably, the soldier didn’t answer. In fact, each and every one of them continued to stand at stiff attention, though their faces had regained some color and motion. They waited as though they expected someone to exit the castle and inspect their ranks. Which meant, no doubt, that someone would.