Chapter 66

Neil

Serena was alive, kneeling in front of me, her face streaked with tears and dried blood. I didn’t know what my brother intended to do with her after this, but I knew it would not be good.

Caleb knelt down slowly, gripping a handful of Serena’s hair as he did. The way he tugged her head upward, causing her to wince, made my blood boil even more. “Go ahead, girl. Tell us who really kidnapped you. Who really killed your entire family.”

Serena wrenched her mouth shut, refusing to speak. But it was useless. All it took was one hard slap across her face from Caleb, his handprint instantly reddening her cheek, for her to speak.

“W-Werewolves,” she bit out, her voice trembling. “I-It was Werewolves.”

I struggled against the guards holding me to no avail, rough growls rumbling in my chest as I watched her clutch her face. Caleb simply smirked at me.

“Werewolves,” he repeated. “Interesting. And what’s especially interesting, Neil, is that your little Werewolf girlfriend just happened to show up on the day that Serena’s caravan was attacked.”

My eyes narrowed, but I kept my mouth shut.

My silence seemed to displease Caleb. His hand shot out and grabbed my jaw, forcing my head back. “Your silence speaks volumes,” he warned, the steel edge to his voice slicing through the air between us. “Perhaps I should cut out your tongue, since you don’t seem keen to use it.”

“Then do it.” I leaned into his grip, staring him down. “You want me dead so badly, Caleb? Go ahead. Show Father what a coward you really are.”

For a moment, his eyes darkened, but before he could respond, the cell door flew open with a crash. Castor’s roar filled the corridor.

“Get your hands off of our prince!”

Ember followed right behind, twin daggers already slick with blood. Her wild hair was tangled and damp, eyes blazing like small fires as she tore through the guards at the door. Castor swung his massive blade with bone-crushing precision, and the cell erupted into chaos.

It was all I could do not to smile.

The moment Caleb’s grip loosened, I lunged forward. The guard holding me staggered, and I drove my head backward into his face, hearing the satisfying crunch of bone. His grip faltered just enough for me to twist free, snatching the knife from my boot in one fluid motion.

“Neil,” Serena’s trembling voice cut through the clash of steel and heavy breaths. She was still bound, crumpled in the corner. “Neil, thank the Goddess…”

I didn’t waste time with words. There was no time to waste, anyway. Dropping to a crouch in front of her, I sliced through the rope at her wrists, catching her as she sagged forward, too weak to stand.

With that, we both jumped into action. My knife cut through two guards with ease, dropping down and sweeping one leg out to send another guard to the floor. Ember tossed one of her daggers to Serena, who cut down another female guard with two quick parries and a swift cut to the throat.

It didn’t take long for Castor to force Caleb to his knees, his massive hands tightening around the hilt of his sword. By now, only one guard was remaining. And, like the cowards they all were, he dropped his weapon and held his hands up in surrender.

It was over. Just like that. I nodded to Caleb, who quickly disarmed Caleb and bound his hands behind his back. By now, my brother had stopped fighting, realizing he was outnumbered.

“Caleb is a traitor,” she panted, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “He is trying to frame you when he is really the one who has been working with the Werewolves.”

My eyes snapped to Caleb. He said nothing, but the way his eyebrows lowered and his eyes glinted was all the answer I needed. The King would hear about this.

Suddenly, a soft sniffle caught my attention.

I turned, my eyes widening when I saw them: Castor and Ember. Castor had his arms wrapped around Ember, and she… she was sobbing. Into his chest.

And then it struck me. There were only two.

“Eric,” I breathed. “Where is he?”

Castor simply shook his head and stared at the floor. That was all the answer I needed.

My fists tightened at my sides. My people—my friends—were dying while Caleb had been carrying out his devious little plan.

For that, he would pay.

The battle had been won, but just barely, by the time we emerged into the throne room. Guards lined the walls, some wounded, others barely standing. My father sat on his throne, his gaze heavy and dark as he quietly spoke to his advisors, but as we approached, his eyes narrowed at the sight of Caleb bound and bloodied.

I shoved Caleb to his knees before the King.

The King’s gaze darkened. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Father, I bring you a traitor of the Lycan kingdom,” I growled.

Caleb lifted his chin defiantly. “Neil lies, Father. We located the true Serena—kidnapped and replaced with a Werewolf named Raven. I have reason to believe that Neil orchestrated this.”

I grit my teeth, but remained silent. The King, with a weary sigh, slowly rose from his throne and began to step down from the dais. He glanced over at Serena, the real Serena, and then at me.

Serena stepped forward and quickly cut in before he could speak. “Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but Neil is not the one who had me kidnapped. In fact, it was Caleb who I saw at the rogue camp during my imprisonment.”

The room fell silent.

“I have this,” she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small pendant. She tossed it onto the floor, and it skittered to a stop in front of my father’s feet.

A royal guard’s emblem. Specifically, Caleb’s emblem.

“He visited the rogue camp where I was imprisoned on multiple occasions,” she breathed. “I believe that he was the one who was consorting with the Werewolves and the rogues—he wanted me captured, wanted to use me to make Neil look like the traitor. Because he knows that Neil and I are the King and Queen from prophecy. And he wanted to push out Neil, take the throne for himself, and become the false prophet who would unite the Werewolves and Lycans and rule over all.”

The Queen, who was standing next to the throne, suddenly inhaled sharply and clutched the necklace at her throat. She exchanged a look with my father, a look I couldn’t even begin to decipher.

But whatever it was, it looked like understanding.

Somehow, they knew about this… prophecy. And Serena’s words solidified something.

The King snapped his fingers, and two guards surged forward to lift Caleb from his knees. “I cannot deal with this now,” he growled, shaking his head. “Take him to the cells for questioning. Disqualify him from the succession. And—”

Before the King could finish, a sharp whistle split the air. I turned just in time to see the arrow flying past.

The shaft buried itself deep into my father’s chest in an instant.

“No!” I lunged forward as the King collapsed, blood spilling across the stone. Ember spun, her dagger flashing as she hurled it across the room, instantly striking the Werewolf spy who fired the shot. He crumpled to the floor, dead before he even hit the ground.

The throne room plunged into chaos, but I barely registered it. I caught my father as he fell, and my soul sunk into the pits of my stomach.

He was gone already.

The Queen was at my side in an instant, tears streaming down her face and her hands trembling. She stared first at my father, and then at me, and then up over my shoulder. I lifted my head and followed her gaze, meeting Edrick’s icy gaze as he stepped forward, unsheathing his sword.

“The Lycans need a king, little half-brother,” he said, his voice smooth as silk. “And it looks like it is just you and I now who are qualified. So…”

He drew his sword, lifting it toward me with one hand, and his eyes grew murderous.

“Shall we fight for it?”