The Rejected Werewolf Princess by Didiadeyemi

CAMILLA'S POV

I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay back with him and figure out what he meant or identify the source of the sound. After hearing another scream, I rushed towards the other side of the cells with Ryker in tow. The cell door was open and the guards were on the floor bleeding profusely from gashes in their sides.

“What the hell happened here?” I asked as I rushed to my knees trying to put some pressure on the blood but it was too much. Nothing I did seemed to be able to stop it. “Where are the prisoners?”

“I'm sorry,’ one of the guards whispered. His voice was shaky and blood was dripping from his lips. “I don’t know how it happened, I swear. I didn't mean for this.”

“Tell me what happened,” I tried to keep my voice firm but soft at the same time. His friend was dead and I knew he would be too, the last thing I needed to do was stress him out. He was bleeding out by the second despite the pressure I was applying.

“I came down here and I saw you,” he explained me. “You were in the cells and you told me that they had put you in. I wanted to get you out, I just wanted to do the right thing. After I opened the door, it was like someone had cast a spell on me because you weren't there anymore and they were. They attacked me and they asked me to tell you that they were coming for you. I am sorry, your majesty.’

“It isn't your fault,” I whispered softly. “Did they say anything else?”

He shook his head barely. “They said we would all live to regret it because his majesty killed her husband. I tried to stop them, I swear I did."

Behind me, I felt Ryker stiffen. Ansel had warned us barely seconds ago that they would rain hell on us for what we did. I would have been lying if I said fear didn't grip my heart but I knew that for the sake of the brave man in front of me, I couldn't panic.

I turned to him with a small smile. “You are a brave soldier, thank you for everything you have done. You were doing your job. We weren't prepared for them. You did the right thing."

His eyes watered. “Did I, truly?”

I nodded. His eyes were already gazing over and I knew it was just a few seconds away. I kept pressure on his side with one hand and reached out for one of his hands with the other. His hold was shaky and loose but he managed to hold my hand but I couldn't let him die alone, not when this death could have been prevented.

I wasn't sure how long I stayed there holding his hand but the physician and some other guards rushed in. I still didn’t release him, I didn’t know how to. I could feel their eyes on me but I didn't care, I only cared about the man on the floor in front of me. He couldn't have been up to thirty. He had the entire of his life ahead of him and it had been taken away from him just like that.

“Camilla,” I felt Ryker’s hand on my shoulder in a comforting manner. “He is gone. You need to let go of him so that the guards can take him away."

I still didn't move, so Ryker gently pulled me to my feet. My hands and the hem of my dress were covered in blood but I didn’t care. I couldn't peel my eyes away as they carried the bodies. They were both so young, they didn't have to die. They shouldn't have died. It was us that the sirens wanted.

“What about the sirens?” I asked Ryker. “Did anyone see them leaving?”

He shook his head. “They are long gone but I sent a mind link to all the guards. Everyone needs to wear ear plugs until further notice. I know it puts us at a disadvantage but I believe it is necessary. I don't know much about sirens but I do know that if you cannot hear them, they cannot deceive you.”

“They are dangerous,” I was still in a daze but he nodded. “Can we go back to Ansel now?”

I could tell he was worried about me, and on another day, I would have tried to ease his worries but there was much to be done. I didn’t even wait for him before I started making my way back to Ansel’s cell. He was still seated where we left him and he had an amused look on his face as he took me in.

“Did something happen?” he mused aloud. “You don't look so good.”

In that moment, something bubbled inside of me, something dark and dangerous. He had the audacity to smirk after he was the one that brought them to our doorsteps. He wasn't even remorseful in the slightest. He had done this over something as fickle and stupid as an elder seats and now lives had been lost and probably more to come.

I reached out for him, I didn’t need to touch him, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The body was a fascinating thing, it was made up of seventy percent water. All I needed to do was reach out and touch it. I knew the exact moment I had his life in my hands and I squeezed. I watched as blood gathered in his mouth. There were a million things I could have done, I could have frozen his blood inside of him, I could have made him bleed out slowly, or I could have watched him choke on his blood. All of them sounded very appealing but none brutal enough for what he had done.

“Camilla,” I felt Ryker’s presence behind me. “Let him go or you will kill him."

“He deserves to die.”

“That is true, but not right now. Death will be too easy for him, he needs to tell us all he knows first”

I didn’t respond at first and then I felt darkness envelop me. I knew instantly that Ryker had done it. I should have panicked, but there was something almost calming about the darkness, it didn’t fill me with fear or panic, but rather ease and comfort. I didn’t even realize when my shoulders began to sag and I dropped my hand. I vaguely heard Ansel cough and splutter as the darkness dissipated. I was still pissed, but the haze of murder was gone from my eyes. “Give me one good reason why we shouldn't kill you right now, I told Ansel who stayed silent/ At least he had learned not to smirk so much. “Where did you find these sirens and tell me everything you know about them.”

“I don't know much. I thought they were a myth. I was doing research of what I could do to create some conflict in the pack that I could easily solve and I read about sirens. They were known as masters of manipulation. You could get a siren to do your bidding if you paid the right price. I went with all the money I had, I thought it was enough, but I didn't account for how rich I saw them to be. I didn’t know it would end like this."

“Did you miss the part where they called them manipulators?” I spat. “If they are still doing your bidding then call them off"

He laughed, but there was nothing amusing about it, it was bleak and humorless. “They were never at my bidding. They only wanted me to think that. This was always about them. Sirens thrive on conflict and violence, they wanted to spill blood on their terms and now you have given them the chance. What were you thinking when you killed one?”

“What were you thinking when you enlisted the help of one?” I shot back and he went silent. I squatted so that we were at eye level before dropping my voice to a cold whisper. “I will only say this once so listen to me carefully. If any harm comes to any member of my family because of you or what you have just done, I will paint the walls of this palace with your blood and I will make sure to rain fire down on your family in return, am I clear?”

His eyes flashed with anger. “Leave my family out of this."

“You better pray to the goddess above that my family comes out of this alive, Ansel, or I swear, you will live to regret it"

I didn't wait for him to respond, I just turned on my heels and walked away. He was screaming after me but I couldn't be bothered to turn back. As I got out of the dungeons, his voice became nothing but a distant memory at the back of my mind, there was more that needed to be attended to.

I could feel the shocked eyes and hear the gasps from the guards and maids as they took in my blood stained arms and dress and while I knew I should have gone to change, there were a lot more important things that I needed to attend to.

“Camilla, I think you should change,’ Ryker whispered as he walked up to me. “You need to get cleaned.”

“No,” I didn’t even hesitate. I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm keeping me in place.

“You can take five seconds to get cleaned.”

“And that is five seconds more that those sirens are on the loose. We need help, Ryker, we need help, we need to know what we are dealing with."

“Camilla, baby-"

“Our children are in danger,” I whisper yelled. “Did you hear what he said? They are coming for us, they are coming for our kids. Remember what Audrey said about the palace bathed in blood?”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?” It hit me then that I never told him. “Camilla, what are you hiding from me?"

“A few weeks ago, Audrey came to me to tell me that she had a vision of the front of the palace bathed in blood. I think this is what she was warning us against.”