Chapter Thirty
With nearly closed eyes, Kari sat on the cell floor and stared through slatted eyes at the surreal image of those coming down the stairs. Since she was supposed to be unconscious from the drink, she positioned herself next to Bryon leaning against the wall. From this vantage, she clearly saw the steps.
Prince Goddard led the procession down, wearing a deep red cape-like robe. The collar and sleeves were wrapped in fur with long flowing fibers that almost floated in the air when he walked.
Behind him came those she recognized as the guards, but wearing black robes with hoods over their heads. They carried down armfuls of fluffy rugs. What were those for? Were they going to lie around and tell ghost stories?
The prince continued toward their cell while the men laid out the mats. He spoke the native language, but she could guess what he was basically saying. A black robed person took a key from a pocket and opened the cell. The guard pointed at Bryon and asked a question. Probably wondering why Bryon was in human form and not animal. Shit.
The prince paused for a moment, but told the guy to bring Bryon out. Her poor Bryon, once again, was dragged across the floor. Fortunately, this was smooth stone and not jagged rock. His body was laid on one of the rugs. Worry made her feel like puking. What should she do?
The prince spoke to the group, raising his arms to the sides and dropping his head back. He looked to be preforming a miracle. In a way, he was. Demon possession was only in fiction. The lightbulb in the room faded for a brief second. When Kari returned her eyes to Goddard, she gasped out loud. Oops. All heads turned toward her.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the prince as he made his way toward the cage. “Well, I see you didn’t drink the water,” he said. He smiled when he saw her expression of horror. “You like what you see, young lady?”
Her brain was trying to make sense of the image before her. Goddard was in human form, but looked like a zombie fresh from a grave. His skin was loose and discolored, teeth and nails looked like they’d been soaked in black coffee for years. His face was sunken and hollowed to appear skeletal.
“What happened to you?” she asked.
“Time happened, my dear. Flesh only lasts so long. Ever since finding out about a superhuman race, a species with immense physical power and beauty, I’ve waited and hunted for a creature I could have.”
“So you’re not really the prince, are you?” She was starting to catch onto the logic here.
The creature laughed. She blinked and suddenly, the prince was standing in front of her. “You are correct, child. Goddard and several of his ‘ancestors’ have been purely contrived by me. I would be Goddard’s great-great-grandfather, King Alheim.”
What would allow him to change his image like that. There was only one reason she could come up with. Black magic.
“You’ve used glamour to disguise yourself as members of the royal family. But the logistics of that would be completely insane,” she said. “You’d have to—”
“Kill lots of people and limit exposure. Yes, of course.” He waved his hand like it was nothing. “When you get to my age, life means little except for what it can do for you.” He turned back to the black robed men gathered around her mate’s body lying on the rug. “And as soon as I have this new body, I will be invincible for generations to come. Hopefully.”
Two thoughts came to her mind. This creature roaming these halls would explain the rumors of the castle being haunted by the older king. And the reason he was part of the traffic ring was to find a body he wanted. Who better to scout for a shifter than someone who made a living finding and capturing people?
His last word registered in her mind. “What do you mean hopefully?” Halfway to the rugs, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
“The last shifter possession I tried didn’t turn out so well. The poor creature suffered horrible pain before dying. I waited too long for him to bleed out, among other things. That won’t happen again.”
Oh shit. This was not happening. Panic seized her. She had to find a way to stall whatever the hell this monster had planned until the poison burned off and Bryon woke. The only thing that came to mind was their last option. Bryon said not to use it unless dire. Now looked pretty dire to her.
“Do you know why you failed, dumbass?” she said, making her voice as smooth and haughty as she could. The sick shaking she felt inside wouldn’t be good to show right now.
Goddard swung around, his robe flying out behind him. He stomped his way back to her cage. His arm shot between the bars, aimed for her throat. She lunged backward to hit the wall.
“What do you speak of, child. How would you know my failings?”
Kari rolled her eyes and huffed. “Everyone knows you can’t possess a shifter. The animal half will beat the shit out of the demon before he even gets in.”
The demon’s eyes flashed red, locked onto hers, then narrowed. “And how do you have this information?” he asked.
She swallowed hard. Please god, let this work. “You don’t know who I really am, do you?” She cocked her hip and crossed her arms over her chest. “You happen to be talking to the only human on this planet who knows all there is about the shifter species.”
Goddard stepped back and looked her over. “So fortunate for me. How have you, a female human, come to such knowledge?”
She pulled her shirt collar to the side revealing her mating bite marks. “Remember that boyfriend of mine? He happens to be my mate. My shifter mate. I’ve studied their traditions and ways and understand their history.”
His eyes grew wide. “Your boyfriend is a shifter? Another one in my town?” He stepped up to the bars. “You will tell me where he is.”
She frowned. How long could she keep this going? Wake up, Bryon! “Like I’m going to tell you that and let you find him.” She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes.
“Then I have no further use for you.” He walked away. “Guards, have someone kill her.”