Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

I awoke sometime later with a hell of a headache and the stench of dirty fur in my nostrils. My back rubbed against something hard and my hands and feet wouldn't move properly. A quick inspection of my person told me that my limbs had been bound by a tight, thick rope. The rope that bound my hands was also tied around a post.

I also wasn't the only one strapped to the wood.

"Good evening, Millie," came the bittersweet greeting from the emperor.

I twisted around and saw that Cal was also stuck to the post, but he had a pair of heavy manacles around his wrists. "Evening?"

He lifted his eyes upward and nodded. "Or so I believe. It's difficult to decipher through the thick canvas."

I noticed what he meant. We had been bound to a stack in the ground within a large leather tent. The entrance was a simple flap that was heavy enough to block out any chance of seeing our surroundings.

I heard voices beyond the walls and their gruff laughter didn't give me any comfort. "Any idea where we were?"

A dark shadow fell on his brow. "The camp of the mountain werewolves. Gasric has apparently betrayed Eall and plans to destroy the truce."

A horrible thought struck me and my face fell. "How?"

"No doubt by killing me."

A chill ran down my spine as I twisted around and looked him up and down. "Then why don't you use your wind magic to blow us out of here?"

He shifted and I heard a rattle of chains. "Unfortunately, they have bound my wrists with a chain that neutralizes magic. What of your gift?"

My heart skipped a beat. "What gift?"

"There is no time to waste with secrets, Millie," Cal insisted as he nodded down at my bare left arm. "I know what you held there was the Prima Staff. The truth was very obvious when you used it to foil the plot to manipulate the thunder races."

My eyes widened. "So that's why you gave us that thank you after the race!"

He smiled. "Yes. It was all I could do without drawing more attention to you."

"But why didn't you have us arrested?" I questioned him.

Cal lifted his chin slightly and furrowed his brow as he stared hard at the ceiling. "An object as powerful as the Prima Staff has a will of its own. I cannot change that will any more than I can change nature itself. I merely desired to know how it had come to disappear."

I shrugged. "I wish I had an answer for you, but I just found it lying on the ground."

Cal turned his head and blinked at me. "Merely that?"

"Not a grand meeting, I know, but I guess the staff has simple tastes."

A smile slipped onto his lips. "I would never describe anything the staff does as ‘simple,' but I do see what you mean. I also know that the staff would not pick any person to wield its awesome power. You also must have the gift of magic."

I squirmed in my bindings and my shoulders drooped when the effort failed to so much as loosen the ropes. "Not enough to get us out of here without the staff."

Our conversation was interrupted when the flap to the tent was thrown aside and Gasric entered. He was followed by one of his men.

"I see you're awake," he mused as he stalked over to stand at our side.

Cal narrowed his eyes at the wolf. "You do yourself a dishonor by interfering in your host's affairs."

Gasric grinned. "Soon I'll be the host and these pathetic wolves will be the guard dogs, if they're any good at that. And speaking of guard dogs-" He turned his attention to me and stretched out his hand. My heart skipped a beat when I realized he held the reverted flute. "My men found this little trinket on you. It's pretty easy to tell it has some powerful magic. A gift from your emperor, perhaps?"

I felt Cal's chuckle vibrate through me. "Unintentionally so, but I could not have entrusted it to anyone more worthy."

Gasric frowned and turned his head to one side to catch the attention of one of his men. The wolf strode forward and drew out a small familiar orb from his pocket. It was an aqara, a ball of sand that could tell if someone had the gift of magic.

My frantic mind had only one thought as the werewolf passed the orb over me.

Please don't work.

I waited with bated breath for the familiar glow. The bright light I expected didn't materialize. There was a faint glow from the orb, but nothing more.

"Should we chain her, Gasric?" the werewolf with the aqara wondered.

Gasric sneered at me. "It would be a waste of the chains to put them someone that weak, especially since we already have to lose one set today. Just tell those cowards they can come in."

The werewolf nodded and hurried out. Gasric knelt in front of me and looked me over with a lustful glint in his eyes. "Pity you got caught up in this mess. You would have made a good mate."

I glared at him. "I already have a mate and he's going to find you and kick your ass."

A crooked grin curled onto his lips. "You think a pampered pup would be a match for me?"

The flap of the tent opened and an older man with a crone of a woman slipped into the room. I noticed Gasric stepped back and hid the flute behind his back. Apparently, he didn't believe in sharing the spoils.

The man was about Cal's age with gray hair swept back in a becoming look had his face not had a permanently displeased look on it. He sported an elegant suit with the latest high cut on the coat and his black boots clopped loudly against the packed earth. A golden watch hung from an equally expensive chain and several rings flashed on his fingers, and I had no doubt the gemstones were real. He also carried with him a black cane with a round silver top. There was something strange about that cane. The surface wasn't smooth, but seemed to have shingles along its entire length.

A familiar chill ran down my spine in the presence of the hag, for that was the only description that suited her. She wore a black dress, the hem of which brushed against the tops of her black, pointed shoes. A lacy shawl was draped over her thin, hunched shoulders and her face was a mess of wrinkles. She rubbed her hands together in front of her and constantly brushed her fingers over a ring in which was set a large onyx-black stone.

The cold she brought with her reminded me of the chill I had felt when Ben and I were followed by the black carriage on the north road. So this, then, was the witch who had placed the curse over the area.

Cal narrowed his eyes at the newcomers, primarily the man. "Count Darcelle Belmonte. I should have known you would be behind this treason."

I started at the mention of the surname. Ben had mentioned them on our very first adventure, and the connotations hadn't been flattering.

Count Belmonte smiled and bowed his head. "My apologies for treating you in such a rough manner, Your Majesty, but you left us little choice."

"Little choice but to let you destroy a chance at peace?" Cal challenged him.

Belmonte shook his head. "Peace is not good for the cursing business, Your Majesty, of which I have so thoroughly invested. The Matriarch here herself-" He gestured to the crone at his side, "-runs through my coffers as though she was a man dying of thirst and they were filled with water."

The Matriarch gave him one crooked, evil eye. "You get your money's worth, Count."

"So it would seem," Cal mused as he lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "Such a storm hasn't been seen in this area for many years."

The old woman cackled. "I would wager it's never been seen at all."

"Brag later," Belmonte hissed at his companion before he returned his attention to Cal. "I know you despise sharing your royal duties, Your Majesty, but rest assured I will take them up as well, if not better, than you."

"That gives me no comfort," Cal retorted.

Belmonte chuckled. "That's quite alright. Soon you won't have anything to worry about."

The miffed crone scowled at him a moment and then set her sights on me. She shuffled over to me and bent low on my left side. One of her wizened hands reached out and pinched one of the ribbon bows between two fingers. She pulled on the cloth and the ribbon fell apart into her shriveled palm. The old hag studied the ribbon with a toothy grin. "My my, what have we here?"

Belmonte narrowed his eyes as my true form was revealed. "I see the deceit of the Rookwood family knows no bounds."

I scoffed. "I'm not the one with my emperor tied up."

Belmonte knelt beside me and the evil look in his eyes made me shrink away. "The pet of the scion of the Rookwood family." He reached up and brushed his hand through my hair. His voice was as cold as ice. "Would that I had time to deal with you properly and have my revenge on them for that ancient curse of bad luck."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "From what I'm seeing, you guys deserved it."

His face contorted with fury and he wrapped his hand around my throat. I winced as he let on the pressure. "Foolish girl. I should destroy you now." A smile curled onto his lips and he released me. Precious air flowed back into my lungs and made me cough. The count stood and stepped back. "But that would be too easy. I have a better fate for you." He caught Gasric's eye and I saw that the flute was now hidden in a mess of blankets behind the werewolf. "Deal with them effectively, and don't become so cocky that you walk away before the job is finished."

Gasric scowled at him. "Nobody has ever escaped the pit and I'm not about to let that happen now."

"See that you don't." And with that, Belmonte strode from the tent.

The old woman followed after him as she pocketed my ribbon. "This will catch me some fine men."

Gasric sneered at the fluttering flap before he marched after them. I could hear him bark his orders. "Check the walls again! I don't want them climbing out!"

Cal's whispered voice floated over to me. "Now would be a good time to make our escape via your magic."

I shook my head. "How can I get us out of here? I don't have the Prima Staff."

"The staff is merely a conduit for your magic," he told me. "The sacred wood helps you to focus your natural gifts into being, but it is not needed to create your light. That lies within yourself."

My shoulders slumped and I hung my head. "Great. Now I just need to find that power within me before we're thrown to the wolves."

That time came far sooner than I wanted as the door swung open. Gasric's bulky form stood in the doorway. He swaggered into the hut and a half dozen of his henchmen followed him. They passed around their leader and hefted us to our feet. We were cut apart and lined up shoulder to shoulder in front of the preening brute.

"I hope your stay with us was satisfactory, but with all hellos, there must be a farewell. That time has come."

Cal struggled in his bindings and glared at our captor. "Release the girl, Gasric. She has nothing to do with the truce."

Gasric puffed out his chest and grinned. "Always the noble one, Your Majesty, but your chivalry is wasted on me. Fewer lips to tell tales, and this woman would certainly spill it all to her friends before the day was out." He shook his head. "No, I'm afraid she'll have to meet the same fate as you."

"And that is what?" I spoke up.

A spark of evil lit up his eyes. "You'll see. Bring them."