Chapter 125
CAMILLA’S P.O.V
It took a second for those words to register in my head. I blinked a few times trying to realize if he had said what I thought he had. Ryker snapped out of his haze faster than I did because by the time I came around, he was barking orders at people. I couldn’t hear much save for the ringing in my ears. It was so loud that I wanted to pull my ears out but I knew that wouldn’t go over well.
“Camilla,” Ryker turned to me but his voice sounded garbled, almost like he was under water. He stood directly in my line of vision forcing me to meet his eyes. “I need you to go inside. Stay with your guards. Can you do that?”
“He has the girls and Christine,” I repeated dumbly and he nodded.
There were a lot of emotions swirling through his eyes and I could very well see that he was a second away from shifting. He was fighting to get his wolf under control and yet he still took his time to try calming me down. Ryker had always been the better one of us, he was fiercer and he worked better under pressure. When he saw that I wasn’t leaving, he grabbed my shoulders and physically moved me towards the door. Once I was within the safety of the palace walls, he turned on his heels and disappeared.
I think it was his leaving that finally snapped me out of my reverie and the severity of the situation finally settled on me. I muttered a curse under my breath and turned to follow him but he was already gone. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest as I thought of all the possible things that he could be doing to them. I tried not to think about how terrified the girls would be. I knew there was nothing I could do outside so I rushed into my office.
I rushed into my office and grabbed the notebook where I had been making notes about everything we found out regarding Alastair. There was no force on earth that was going to make me wait this out. He had my daughters and I would be damned if I allowed the week end with them still in his grasp. I went over everything we knew to see what I could use then I penned down a letter for Damien. I needed his armies here as soon as possible. I wasn’t sure how he would react to the news about Christine. I wasn’t sure what the relationship between them was but I simply hoped that for her sake, he would be here soon.
Once I had sent the letter, I turned to return to the palace but I saw Alara watching me carefully. I stopped in my tracks and met her eyes making her flush pink and look away. I still remembered what I saw in Ryker’s office but now was not the time to dwell on it and I had more important things to focus on. I started to walk away but she rushed towards me and stopped directly in my tracks. I raised a brow in her direction and a small pink hue grew on her cheeks.
“Your majesty,” she bowed and it took everything for me to not just wlak away from her. “I just wanted to apologize for what happened a few days ago. That was never my intention. It was simply a misunderstanding and-”
“Is there anything else?” I cut her off and I saw her flinch from the harshness of my voice.
“No,”
“Good, then you can leave.”
I didn’t care that I was being rude, the last thing I wanted to do was talk with her. I had more important things to handle like my kids being taken by one of the most psychopathic men I had ever come across. Hurt flashed through her eyes but she said nothing as she bowed and walked away. As soon as she had left, I let out a sigh of relief. There wasn’t much I could do on my end save from running right into Alastair’s hands and as much as I wanted to do that, I was smart enough to know from the first time that it was reckless so I did the next best thing- I called for Caius.
“What do you mean that he has them?” Caius asked and I pinched the bridge of my nose before responding. I didn’t know how much clearer he wanted me to make things. I had already explained it the best I could.
“He took them while they were leaving to safety. I don’t want the other elders to know yet but now would be a good time for you to give me some brilliant idea. I don’t know when Ryker will return but I am not letting the sun set without doing something to find them.”
Caius looked confused at best but he nodded. I saw the wheels turning in his head and it was obvious that he was coming to the same conclusion that I was. There wasn’t much that he or I could do and I hated it. I hadn’t wanted to face that reality which was why I had called for him. I hoped that maybe I was just too close to it and couldn’t see other alternatives.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered softly. “The only option would be to send a rescue team to get them but he is probably expecting that and will anticipate their arrival. I don’t know what else to do,”
I let out a sigh and ran my hands through my hair. It was a mass of curls around my face and if it were any other day, I would have panicked because it was very un–queen like but right now, I didn’t care.
A guard appeared at the door to the council room and I immediately knew that Ryker was back. I rushed out to see if he had any luck but as soon as I saw him, I knew. I hadn’t realized just how much time had passed until I got out and saw the dark sky. His clothes were dirty and I could feel the anger and disappointment rolling off him in
waves.
“I found the place where he took them,” he said carefully as if trying to decide what he should say and what he shouldn’t. “He killed the horses, there was a lot of blood but as far as I know, none of it belongs to them. The trail went cold a few miles off from there but it wasn’t headed towards the cave.”
“It wasn’t?” I asked and he shook his head.
That was weird. I would have expected him to go straight to his cave for safety but the fact that he didn’t meant that this was about something else. I thought deeply about it and it hit me like a freight train.
“This is about revenge right,” I asked and Ryker’s brows scrunched up in confusion as he watched me carefully but he nodded. “He would want to take this to the very same place where he lost the first time.”
“I’m not following.”
“He might have gone to the place where my father took him down the first time,” I explained and his eyes widened as understanding filled his features. “I don’t remember exactly where that is of course but I can always check. I think he noted it down in one of his books.”
Ryker grabbed my cheeks with both hands. “You are bloody brilliant.”
I smiled for the first time today and opened my mouth to speak when the sound of hooves cut through the air. It was loud and fast that Ryker pushed me behind me in a protective stance. A horse was heading straight for the palace and the collective shock had everyone freezing before quickly forming a protective stance around the entrance. A few of them had their spears pointed at the driver and I tried to peer over Ryker’s shoulders to see who it was.
“Ryker, move,” I mumbled as I tried to look over his shoulder but he wasn’t budging. I managed to peer over his side and I instantly recognized the rider. “Stop, it’s Damien.”
He turned to me in confusion. “I wasn’t expecting him until tomorrow.”
“I sent him a letter. I explained what happened. He must have been closer than we thought for him to get it and be here by now.” Ryker frowned but he stepped aside for me to pass and I spoke to the guards. “Stand down, he is an ally.”
As soon as the words left my lips, the guards put down their weapons. Damien had a cloth thrown around his face probably as protection from the wind. He threw it off and dismounted the horse. I looked around for any sign of his army but didn’t see them. I didn’t care at that moment because it was a relief to see him. I crossed the length of the hall and threw my hands around his mid section and he hesitated for a second before embracing me back.
Chapter 125
“Thank you for coming,” I whispered and I felt him nod tensely before I moved back. “Do you want a room to-”
“When was Christine taken?” he asked and I froze. “I got your letter a few hours ago. I left the army and came here. They should be here soon though. I want to know what you have planned to get her back.”
“I think I might know where he took them-”
“Good, figure it out so that we can leave now.”
I was taken aback by his words. I had expected concern but not this- there was real fear in his eyes. I turned back to look at Ryker who had come closer and was now listening to the conversation with something akin to a frown on his face. He took in the entire scene with his usual watchful eyes.
“Where is Riley, Damien?” he asked the other man.
“I left her at home but this isn’t about her, this is about Christine. We can’t leave her there so you either figure out where she is and we leave tonight or I’ll go on my own but either way, I’m not letting the sun rise without doing anything.”
