Broken Vows

Cadmus is starting to charge across the garden, and Hadeon gets to his feet, standing in front of the enormous charging dragon and me. It isn’t me he wants to hurt, though; it’s Hadeon, and I know I must stop him. I’m about to try and push my way past Hadeon and face Cadmus. When I see her, Rana runs straight for the raging dragon, and I just know she’s about to meet her end.

Rana stops right in his path, and I scream her name, trying to fight my way past Hadeon, who is now holding me back as guards and coven members flood the garden surrounding Victor. The dragon attempts to take flight, but Rana and the other coven members have him trapped using magic as ropes in the great best wings to his sides. He can’t move, and he can’t escape, then why isn’t he fighting harder? Why isn’t he burning everything down? He’s more than capable of it, so why isn’t he. He shifts, and one of the men from the coven slips off his robe to wrap over Cadmus.

Hadeon still holds me close to him, “Hadeon, you have to let me go and deal with him.” I say as I place a hand on Hadeon’s chest. He looks at the trill-restrained Cadmus, then me.

“He will only lie to you; he’s clearly out of his mind. What could he have been thinking to come back here?”

“That may be true, but I need to see that he is properly punished for his crime. I still need to speak with the dragon elders. This is a serious matter; our magic will only hold him for so long.” I reply as I pull out of Hadeon’s arms.

He nods before I walk to the terrible scene in front of me. I know the magic restraint won’t hold him long, and we can do little more than keep him till the elders arrive. Without the dragon elders’ approval and involvement, I can’t sentence him to anything as much as I would like. Still, I know it will be hard to convince Cadmus is the last dragon King. They have no other to replace him in his line.

Cadmus has stopped fighting and has locked his gaze on me. He stands there tall and proud, every bit the king he is, and for a moment, I see my friend, but I can’t forget or forgive what he did.

“I want him taken to the dungeon and held there until the elders arrive,” Richard orders the guards. “My lady, you should go and wait for the elders.” Richard walks to meet me before I can get any closer to Cadmus.

“I will. I think it may be best to have him put under a sleeping spell. He will be too hard to hold awake.” I state, half wondering if Cadmus surrendered and is letting himself be held by us. I know he’s much stronger than this.

Rana is speaking low with Cadmus, but Richard is speaking to me again, and I need to give him my attention. “My lady, I don’t think you should get any closer to him. We don’t know what he will do, and we can’t risk your safety.”

As much as I want to face my mother’s killer, I know Richard is right. I breathe and clutch my neckless, “You are probably right. Make sure he stays unconscious until the elders arrive.”

I’m just turning back to return to Hadeon when I see Rana place a hand on Cadmus’s shoulder, and he hangs his head. I want to know what she is saying to him, but I see the group of guards and coven members being the lead Cadmus away. To my shock, Rana goes with them as well. Now I really want to know what they said to each other.

I rejoin Hadeon, and he puts his hand on my shoulders and pulls me closer to him, “I’m sorry that I left. I knew I should have stayed. Maybe if I did, then this would have been prevented. Princess, say you forgive me?” Hadeon looks into my eyes with such a pleading look, but he really has nothing to be sorry for. None of this is his fault.

“Of course, this didn’t happen because of you.” I gasp; if anything is to blame, it’s that silly mate bond. It turned Cadmus from a kind and competent leader to an irrational monster.

“You know that’s part of the problem with the shifters. They are so close to being animals.” Hadeon muses as he watches the retreating figures. Cadmus looks back at me over his shoulder, and for a brief moment, I feel like I need to save him.

“Princess, I promise he will pay for what he has done. I’ll make sure of it.” Hadeon’s words got my attention, and I rely on I was starting to head toward them like I was being drawn to the retreating group. I know I’m angry, hurt, and tired. I try to clear my mind of Cadmus’s rush of feelings and memories when Hadeon turns my head to look back at him.

“Princess, looks at me, please. I love you to let me love you better than any other man ever will.” Hadeon is staring deep into my eyes, and for that moment, everything feels like it’s going to be okay. I feel happy he loves me and wants to be with me. I wrap my arms around his neck as he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me in close to him. Another delicious kiss and my heart are lost to him. I know I will never love another the way that I love him.

***

As nice as it would have been to stay there kissing Hadeon and professing our love for one another. It wasn’t long before a little maid came to fetch me for a meeting. I took Hadeon by the hand, leading him to the castle. I wish I could have taken him to the meeting with me, but it would be frowned upon. Until I’m made Supreme, and we are married, he will have no real power in the coven, and joining a meeting with the dragon elders would be inappropriate. I had the made show Hadeon to a gest room as I went on to the study to speak with the higher ranking coven members about what happens now. The only thing I want to do is talk to Rana and get to the bottom of what she and Cadmus said to each other.

I can’t focus on anything when Rana isn’t at the meeting. All I want to know is where she is she still with Cadmus? He should be unconscious; those were my orders. When someone clears their throat, I realize they had addressed me, and I was staring at the door.

“I do apologize. I’m afraid I’m not myself, and the events are taking their toll on me.” I declare, standing from the table. “Richard, where is Rana?”

Richard takes a moment to think. “I believe she went to the kitchen to help her mother.”

“Thank you. Let’s reconvene when the dragon elders arrive.” I walk to the door and turn back. King Cadmus is being held in the dungeon and under sleep spells, isn’t he? The elders won’t be able to arrive for several days.”

“Yes, my lady, the prisoner is sucre. He was given some of the strongest sleeping potions we have, and he’s being held with several binding spells. He won’t be leaving that dungeon.” Richard states sounding very confident in the claim. Then why don’t I feel confident I’m? Feeling more and more conflicted.

I know I’m just tired and need sleep, but I also need to speak to Rana. My anxiety is only growing stronger. I wonder if I am having some future premonition or just so exhausted that my nerves are all on edge. I just need to see Rana, then I can finally try and rest; I feel close to collapsing, and I don’t know how much longer I can push myself throw all this pain. The grief I feel over my mother has had to wait with. All that has happened today, and I feel so close to breaking.

I get to the kitchen. Rana is there cooking with her mother. The site of the two of them together brings all of my emotions raging forward. The blast of magical energy that shakes the kitchen and shatters dishes even knocks me to the floor. I get to my knees, wondering how I did that as Rana and her mother Elizabeth rush to me.

“You have pushed yourself too hard, my lady. You need rest and time.” Elizabeth soothes, whipping away tears that I didn’t know were there. I feel my cheek, and I am indeed crying. Rana helps me up.

“Willow comes with me. I’ll stay with you if you would like.” Rana sys stroking my hair. I just give a weary nod. The energy blast took the last of what little I had left; if I don’t lay down soon, I don’t know what will happen. Everything inside of me is like an angry storm about to break. I can feel the magic humming all around, which isn’t soothing. It feels like being surrounded by angry bees. As soon as I get to my room, I collapse on the bed, and even though I feel like crying, I just can’t. The pure exhaustion takes over, and the world fades away.

When I finally wake, I find Rana sitting in a chair near the bed, reading. I start to move, and everything hurts.

“Don’t move too fast. You have been asleep for two days.” Rana’s concerned voice is just above a whisper. She moves to the bed, and I look around, noticing that the curtains are all drawn, so I can’t tell if it’s night or day.

“What happened, and what time is it?” I manage to get the words out, and my throat is so dry it hurts to speak.

Rana helps me sit up, then goes and pours me a glass of water. When she hands it to me, I drink it down quickly.

“The coven leaders came and looked at you, and from what they could guess, you just pushed yourself too far. Everything is out of balance, and you need to rest and take some time to process everything. Everyone has been instructed to speak to my father. He will be acting on your behalf. If that’s all right with you, that is?” Rana sits on the bed with me, and her bright eyes dance in the dark room.

“Yes, I can’t think of anyone better than Rich to act in my place.” I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that, for the moment, I don’t have to worry about filling my mother’s place. “I have really been asleep for two days?”

“Well, two and a half. It’s the middle of the night.” Rana gives me a sad look.

“Did you stay here the whole time?” I ask, feeling guilty that she looks so tired.

“Well, I wanted to make sure that you got the rest you needed, and I didn’t want you to be alone, so I stayed.” Rana shrugs. “I do need to tell you the dragon elders will be here in two days, and they demand to see you and that you release Cadmus.”

I know what will happen if I don’t release him. The dragons will declare war on us, and while their number may be few, they are not an enemy we can afford to have. As I sit and think about how the next few days will pay out, I’m hit with the most intense vision I have ever had. I’m standing in the garden. All I see is fire. The fire is so real I can feel the heat. The castle is burning, but I can’t see anyone. I start to run to the flames, and the vision changes to one of Cadmus and me as children. It’s the day after the first time he shifted.

“Little witch, can I keep you?” Cadmus whispers low and unsure. My younger self just giggles and kisses his cheek.

“I will always be yours, Cadmus.” My younger self says practically without thinking. I had forgotten this but seeing it again, the memory is real. I did know I always knew I was his. This can’t be true, but I know it is the vision that changes, and black feathers with ice blue eyes fill my mind. The vision is over, and Rana is calling my name, panicked.

“Willow, what happened?” Rana is interrogating and still very concerned.

“He was right,” I breathe just above a whisper. “I need to see him, Rana. I need to speak to Cadmus.”