Untouchable (Wolf Kings of Twilight Book 1), page 22
“Move, Ivy!” Margaret shouts when she comes into the room with Alek. “Let me see the wound.”
I scoot away until my back hits the wall. I’m sobbing uncontrollably by this point and can barely see anything.
“You have to save him!” I beg. “Please, Margaret! He’s all I have!”
“Alek,” Margaret says calmly. “Do me a favor and get Ivy out of here so I can concentrate on Boris.”
“Come on, Ivy,” Alek says, bending down and placing his hands underneath my arms to pull me up off the floor. “We need to let Margaret tend to Boris. The best thing you can do for him is leave.”
“No!” I fight against him taking me anywhere as hard as I can. “I’m not leaving my father!”
“Ivy!” Alek shouts, jarring me out of my grief for a brief second. “Listen to me. He’s in safe hands. Margaret will help him, but you’ve got to give her some breathing room.” Alek wraps an arm around my back. “Now, come on. Let’s go get some fresh air so you can calm down. Once you’re thinking straight again, we’ll come back. Okay?”
I know he’s right, but I don’t want to leave Boris. He would never leave me in similar circumstances.
“I can’t leave him,” I cry. “I just can’t.”
“Do you want him to die?” Margaret’s question is vicious and unyielding. “If that’s what you want, then by all means stay. But if you want him to have a chance to live to see another sunrise, get the hell out of here!”
“Come on,” Alek says in a tender voice. “Let’s go outside. We’ll come back later.”
I allow Alek to help me out of the room. I’m vaguely aware of him leading me out of the castle and down the road toward the village.
“Where are we going?” I ask, still in a daze from everything that happened.
“We’re just walking,” he says. “Breathe in the fresh morning air, Ivy. It’ll help clear your mind and calm you down.”
I take in a ragged breath through my tears, but it doesn’t take away my pain.
By the time we reach town, I’ve at least stopped crying, but my eyes are so swollen their puffiness makes it hard for me to see anything. However, I am able to make out that we’re near the docks.
“Are you taking me to see Damon before the Dawn ferry leaves?” I ask.
“No. I’m afraid the ferry isn’t here anymore,” he says as we walk down one of the docks along the pier. “It’s well on its way across the river by now.”
“Then why are we here?” I look up at Alek and see him smile.
“We’re here because my people need you too,” he says. “It looks like I win the tournament after all.”
Suddenly, Alek pushes me off the side of the dock. I expect to feel water hit my skin, but instead, my head hits something hard and wooden. My world begins to spin out of control as I watch Alek hop into the small rowboat with me. He grabs the handles of the oars on either side of it and begins to row us away from Midnight.
“You know, I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to get you into this boat,” he says with a laugh, “but as luck would have it, good fortune was on my side.” He looks down at me. “I am truly sorry about Boris. He seemed like a good man.”
“He is a good man,” I groan as I attempt to sit up. “A way better man than you are.”
“Possibly,” Alek concedes. “Trust me, Ivy. I take no pleasure in this. If circumstances were different, I would try to take things slow and properly court you, but I’m afraid I don’t have time for that. As soon as we confirm you’re not pregnant with Damon’s spawn, I’m afraid you and I will need to come to an understanding.”
“An understanding? I understand that you’re kidnapping me, you filthy pirate!”
Alek continues to row without saying a word. As the shores of Midnight get farther away, I know it’s now or never. I try to leap out of the boat, but Alek catches me easily around the waist and uses his weight to force me back down.
“Stop squirming!” His arms are like a steel vice, but I don’t care. I’m pretty sure I know what he means by an understanding, and I refuse to become a victim of his misplaced duty to his people.
“Let me go!” I kick. I twist. I even sink my teeth into the side of Alek’s neck, doing whatever it takes to make him release me.
Alek slams his fist into the side of my head and the world suddenly goes black.
Chapter Nineteen
(Damon’s Point of View)
As the ferry approaches the shores of Dawn, I wonder for the hundredth time this trip if I made a mistake by leaving Ivy back home. Danger lurks around every corner, especially in my court. I’ve tried to dismiss the reports of a ghost haunting its halls, but even I can’t deny it might be true. At least I was able to place some distance between her and one of the most threatening people: King Simon Hilal. By keeping a close eye on him, I can thwart any plans he might have had of abducting Ivy before our fight. I don’t relish killing the man, but I meant what I said to Ivy. Neither one of us can afford to let her go, not if we want to help our people survive.
“Man, she’s rocked your world hard, hasn’t she?” Oliver says, joining me at the front of the ferry. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you fall for a girl like this. Not since Anya, at least.”
“What I felt for Anya when I was a boy doesn’t even compare to this,” I confess.
Oliver scratches the side of his head. “Wow. That’s saying something. I have to admit, I didn’t think your feelings for her had gotten that deep yet. What is it about her that you like so much? I mean, she’s beautiful, but practically every woman at court is pretty.”
“It would be easier for me to list off what I don’t like about her.”
“Okay, I’ll bite,” he says with a grin, “what is it that you don’t like about her?”
“Huh, nothing.”
Oliver shakes his head in pity. “You’re a goner then. She has you hooked like a fish and she’s reeling you in slowly. Just watch out before she eats you alive.”
“I can only hope that happens . . . and soon.”
Oliver laughs and I can’t help but chuckle.
“So, uh, this fight with King Simon,” he says as the laughter dies. “I don’t like it, Damon. Even if you win, there’s no guarantee the people of Dawn will accept you as their king. What if it causes a war instead? What are you going to do then?”
I look covertly around us to make sure there aren’t any wolf ears present.
“I have no intention of keeping Dawn. If I win, I’ll hand it over to Sophia to rule.”
Oliver looks baffled by my decision. I can’t say I blame him because it only leads him to one conclusion.
“You’re doing all of this for Ivy then?” he asks. Before I can even answer he starts to shake his head. “That’s insane, Damon! You’re risking your life for a girl?”
For one of the few times in my life, I feel anger toward my best friend.
“She’s not just a girl. She’s the woman I intend to marry.” I look away from his incredulous expression. “And the woman I might have children with someday.”
Oliver doesn’t say a word as he thinks over what I said.
“You’ve never talked about having kids before, except that you didn’t want to pass on anything from your father to your own children. Does she really mean that much to you? Are you sure this isn’t just some sort of passing fancy?”
I shake my head. “She’s the one I’ve been waiting my whole life for.” I chance a glance in Oliver’s direction. He still looks concerned, but I can also see a slow acceptance smooth out the lines of worry on his face. “I don’t think I can live without her. I don’t even want to try.”
Oliver sighs heavily as he takes it all in.
“I never thought I would see the day,” he says.
“What day?”
“The day you finally fell in love with someone who pretty much matches you in every way. Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into? Ivy doesn’t strike me as someone who will bow down and take commands from her king or her husband.”
I smile. “That’s exactly why I love her.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel shocked that I used them. From the look on Oliver’s face, he’s equally surprised.
“You’ve never used those words before,” he says in awe, “not even when you were with Anya.”
“I know, but I mean them, Oliver. I love her, and I’ll fight to my last dying breath to keep her safe.”
Oliver nods, slapping me on the shoulder. “Then so will I, if she means that much to you.”
“Good.” I check around us again and move in a step closer to Oliver. “I need you to make me a promise. If I don’t win the fight, I need you to protect Ivy from Simon. She’ll never let him touch her. That much I know for a fact. She would rather die than bear him a child. He’s too arrogant to take no for an answer from her. You and Edmond will need to take her as far away from Midnight as you can. I don’t care if you have to make a happy little home for her in the Barrens. Just keep Simon away from her. Understood?”
“It won’t come to that,” he says, playing off the seriousness of what I’m asking him to promise me.
I grab him by the upper arms and look him straight in the eyes. “Promise me, Oliver. I need to hear you say it.”
Oliver sighs, but reluctantly, he nods. “I promise, Damon. You have my word no harm will come to her if anything happens to you.”
“Good.” I breathe a sigh of relief.
“But, just so you know, I’ve wagered a month’s salary on your fight with the bastard, so you better win.”
I chuckle as the ferry makes dock in Dawn.
Simon leads his pack out of the main room of the ferry and hops over onto the dock. He looks back at me as if ordering me to follow him.
“Pushy bastard,” Oliver grumbles.
“Let’s get this over with,” I say. “The sooner we have this man in custody, the better.”
At this time in the morning, Dawn is like a ghost town since all the residents live their lives to the fullest while they’re human during the night. In that regard, they’re a lot like us. While we live out our days in the sun, they dance in the moonlight and try to find comfort in the dark between the twilight hours.
Once we reach the castle, Simon doesn’t waste much time. He and his men lead us directly to the dungeon beneath the main hall. The light has been left on down here, making it easy for me and my men to see our way.
The castle in Midnight has a dungeon, but I’ve never been to it. So far, I’ve had no need to use the space during my reign. However, Simon’s seems to be full, but there’s only one man among them at this time of day.
The man behind the bars is bald, making his pointy ears stand out all the more. He’s sitting cross-legged on the bed in his cell with his back propped up against the wall. His hands rest on the sides of his knees palm up and his eyes are closed. After spending so many years down here in the dark, his skin is pale and his frame thin.
“Are you sure he’s still alive?” Oliver asks as we stand and watch the man meditate.
At the sound of Oliver’s voice, the man opens his eyes and looks our way. Even in the dim light, I can see how green his eyes are. They practically glow. He stands as his gaze shifts between us all.
“I’m King Damon Solaris from Midnight,” I tell the man. “We’ve come to ask for your help.”
The man grins, finding humor in what I’ve said. He shakes his head and turns to sit back down on his bed.
“If you help us, you’ll earn your freedom.”
Simon turns his wolf head toward me and growls.
“Look,” I say to him, “if you truly want to help your son, you have to give this man a reason to do you a favor. Besides, Ivy was right. It’s barbaric to keep him imprisoned down here for just being different. You should have done the right thing years ago and released him. For all you know, he was born in the Barrens and his ears are simply a deformity.”
I look back at the man. He’s watching me with keen interest, and who can blame him? I’m offering him a way out of his predicament. If Simon has his way, this pointy-eared stranger will probably stay down here until he either dies or the world comes to an end.
“Do you come from the Barrens?” I ask the man.
The man looks between me and Simon again. He nods.
“Are there others like you there?” I ask. This will be the real test. If he says yes, we might be able to talk him into helping us, but if he says no, our mission will be brought to a standstill.
Thankfully, the man nods.
“We’re looking for a man there who has something we need,” I say. “We know where he was last seen, but that was over two years ago. He was like you,” I point to his ears to indicate what I mean. “I know you have no reason to trust us, considering what the old king here did to you, but we need to find your people to see if they have something we’ve been using as medicine. Would you be willing to go to the Barrens and introduce us to your people?”
The man points to me and nods. He then points to Simon and shakes it.
I sigh. “Looks like he’s willing to help me but not you.”
Simon growls and snaps at the man through the bars.
“Can you blame him?” Oliver asks Simon. “You’ve taken over twenty years of his life away. I sure as hell wouldn’t help you either.”
I look back at the man. “Since the medicine will be used to help Simon’s son,” I say, “he’ll want to come with us to the Barrens. Are you willing to overlook his presence to help this child?”
The man crosses his arms in front of him and casts his gaze to the dirty stone floor at his feet. After a few seconds, he looks me in the eyes again and nods.
“Thank you,” I say, turning to Simon. “Where is the key to this cell?”
One of Simon’s wolves walks back down the corridor, uses his mouth to grab a large key ring hanging on a hook on the wall, and brings it back to me.
“Please don’t try to run away,” I warn the man. “Simon and his pack would be able to run you down and tear your throat out before you took ten steps. Is that understood?”
The man nods.
I unlock the door and swing it open.
Tentatively, the man walks forward even though Simon and his wolves are growling at him. As he reaches the hallway, I hold out my hand to him. He stares at it for a moment, and I’m not sure he’s going to shake it. When he does, I’m as surprised as anyone else.
“You can call me Damon if you know how to speak our language,” I say. “What’s your name?”
I don’t expect an answer, but when the man parts his lips, I find myself holding my breath to see if he actually speaks.
“Vamir,” he says in a deep rich tone.
Simon and his wolves stop growling out of shock, I suspect.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Vamir,” I say, shaking his hand heartily. “We’re going to be traveling by boat back to my kingdom across the river. Then, we’ll set out for the Barrens as soon as possible from there.”
Vamir nods. I assume he’ll be a man of few words. Having not spoken to anyone in so long has to have had an effect on him in more ways than one. I simply hope his mental faculties are still intact, and that he answered my questions about the Barrens truthfully. It could be that he’s simply playing me for a fool, but at this point, I don’t have much to lose. He’ll either help us or not. We have a better chance of finding the man who has the serum with his help than without it.
As we exit the castle grounds, a wolf races out of the castle’s main hall and yaps at Simon. Simon turns and looks at the wolf. His eyes narrow right before he races to the other wolf, barrels into it, and knocks it to the ground. The other wolf sits back up but doesn’t stand. It whines at Simon, but Simon simply turns his back on the wolf and continues to head toward the docks.
“Do you think that was Sophia?” Oliver whispers to me as we follow Simon through town.
“That would be my guess,” I say.
Poor Sophia. She had the perfect life until her son was born. Now, it seems she’s lost the love and respect of her husband and doesn’t know what the future will hold for her son.
Once we board the boat and set off back across the river, Oliver and I scrape together what food we can from the galley and offer what we found to Vamir.
Being held in the dungeon for so long, Vamir refuses to leave the bow of the ferry. He raises his face to the sun, eyes closed, basking in its warmth.
“I’m sorry I can’t offer you more than this,” I say while handing the plate of bread, cheese, and grapes to him. Oliver gives him a cup of water to wash it all down with.
“It’s fine,” Vamir says. “Thank you for your kindness. I wasn’t sure there was any left in this world.”
Vamir sits on the bench on the bow and starts to eat.
“Why are your ears pointy?” Oliver asks.
I backhand him in the chest for being so rude, but Vamir simply smiles.
“It’s a trait of my people,” Vamir says, popping a grape into his mouth and moaning as if we just handed him the most delicious food he’s ever eaten.
“And who are your people?” I ask.
Vamir tears off a piece of bread and stuffs it with cheese. While he munches on it, he looks at me, and I can tell he’s weighing his options.
“We are the fae,” he finally says. “What’s left of my kind live in the Barrens. This medicine you spoke of. Do you know what it is exactly?”
“No. You would have to discuss that with my mother. She’s the one who found the serum out there. I don’t really know much about it.”
“I heard from some of the other inmates that King Simon’s son was born as a wolf pup. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Is it also true that he can’t shift into his human form at all?”
“Yes.” I’m not sure where all of this is going, but I hope it leads us to a cure.
“I see.” Vamir breaks off another piece of bread and proceeds to eat it with more of the cheese. After he swallows, he takes a swig of water. “After I help you, are you sure King Simon will let me go to be with my people?”
