While Waiting to Wake

The slime made an audible snorting sound. Much like the sound a horse makes.

“I’m the god of mischief. Not the god of destruction.”

“The god of destruction likes pain?”

“Pain, torture, death. He’s different from the god of the dead, but they’re close allies. I believe they eat three day grave hearts together on Saturdays.”

Em gagged.

“Anyway,” she looked away. A little white. “I thought you’d like seeing a child getting into more trouble.”

He sighed.

“Emmaline, there is a difference between good-natured shenanigans and danger. I would be all over encouraging a child to break a few eggs. Which would attract pests and drive the cook crazy. I would never tell a child to run out in front of a moving carriage.”

He said it so seriously that Em peeked at him. Just to make sure it was still Loki on her shoulder.

“I thought you’d do anything to be amused.”

The creature warped its body to give her a smile.

“I would do just about anything for amusement. But I won’t come to harm if I’m run over.”

This was new information. Good information. As long as he wasn’t lying, she now knew that Loki would never encourage her to hurt herself.

She pondered over that and revised it.

He wouldn’t encourage it on purpose. When the danger was as obvious as getting run over. But, she’d have to test him to see if his definition of ‘dangerous’ was the same as normal people.

Still, it was good to know.

“Ah! New maid up ahead. How do we distract this one?”

It was so much fun playing pranks on the servants that Em almost forgot her primary reason for the outing. But she remembered abruptly when she slid into a broom cubby on the first floor and peeked out. Watching Tracy half frantically asking someone if they’d seen her.

“We’re almost out of time,” she whispered to Loki.

The creature bounced its upper half in agreement.

“Any ideas?”

“We’ve checked everything inside the building. How about we go outside?”

“It’ll be harder not to get caught.”

He shrugged.

“Do you have a better idea?”

Em ended up climbing out a window. Falling hard on her rump outside on the cobbles.

Wincing, she rubbed her butt and looked around.

Without a second thought, she dashed toward the stables.

There was still a lot of activity going on in there. There were still a lot of horses to care for and put away from both escorts (Flint’s and Thiago’s). Em dashed around to the back, where the back door was open and she could see the carriage.

There, she crouched down behind a carriage wheel and watched everyone.

She heard Loki’s snicker in her mind seconds before a big hand landed on her free shoulder.

With a yelp, she spun on the spot and stared up at the man glaring down at her.

“What are you doing here, miss?”

His tone was polite but there was an edge to it. She flushed.

I was looking for you, she thought sheepishly.

“Hello, sir.”

She stood up with as much dignity as she could, pretending to brush off her pants. The fronts were fine. But she wouldn’t brush off her butt with him watching.

“How’s Laisha?”

Instead of answering, he crossed his arms.

“Little sorceress, why were you causing everyone so much trouble? Spilling mop water and tying shoes? Do you not have better things to do than harass people?”

She gaped at him. Aghast. Then she turned her head to glare at Loki.

He was following us?! And you knew!?

Loki only wobbled.

Like a good little slime.

Worse, she’d made herself a burden and didn’t realize it. Feeling thoroughly scolded, she looked down at her twisting fingers.

“I’m sorry. They would have sent me back to my room if they caught me.”

It felt like a really, really lame excuse.

She hunched her shoulders further.

He sighed and crouched.

“Were just trying to explore?”

His voice had gentled, which she hadn’t expected. Peeking up, she saw his face had also softened.

“I saw you and I wanted to ask about Laisha.” She paused. “And I didn’t want that mean-old prince to see me talking to you. I didn’t want to get you in trouble.”

He chuckled.

“I appreciate that. Laisha’s fine. She’s with her aunt right now and will be sad to miss you.”

Em beamed.

“Is there anything else? If not, go back inside.”

“Wait!”

There was something else and Em impulsively grabbed his sleeve.

She’d meant to ask the gardeners. But even though they were polite, they were still hostile. And grieving. She couldn’t bring herself to ask them when they were so obviously sad. And Todd wouldn’t talk to her, either. Not yet.

Besides, Todd was young enough he might not know.

This was someone who owed her. And, maybe, it wouldn’t be too big a request.

“I have a question.”

“Yes?”

She hesitated. Just for a second before blurting out her question.

“Your youngest prince, what’s his name?”

The man stiffened.

“There is only one prince in the Empire.” He looked toward the house, though they couldn’t see it from inside the barn. “Crown Prince Thiago Cyrin.”

“Not that jerk. The youngest Lycan prince. What’s his name?”

Pain.

It didn’t just flit across the man’s face. He had to close his eyes and turn his chin, his body angling away from her in a mute desire to leave.

“He’s long dead, miss. So it doesn’t matter.”

Em studied him for only a second. The pain was so raw and real, and he was struggling so much to tuck it away again… And she was the reason it had surfaced…

That was all the time she needed to fall back on her old preference.

After all, this man didn’t mean Prince any harm.

“No he isn’t.”

“Miss-”

“I dream about him all the time. He’s fifteen, right? And much bigger than me.” She stood on tiptoes to show his height. “He has silver hair and red eyes. There are a lot of mean people around him who want to hurt him, but he’s mostly ok.”

The Lycan froze and looked at her incredulously.

Normally, that look was fun. But this time his eyes were still clouded in pain.

It suddenly wasn’t just a fun game to see what they decided about her truth. For the first time, it was urgent that someone believed her.

She grabbed his arm, looking earnestly up into his eyes.

“I’m not lying. I’ve been dreaming about him for a while now. But you can’t tell anyone.” She put a finger to her lips, face very serious. “That mean Thiago will kill him if he finds out my Prince is still alive.”

The man grasped her wrist, the one up on his shoulder.

There were tears in his eyes but not belief. Maybe hope, but not belief.

“Yes,” he agreed hoarsely. “When was the last time-?”

“I fell asleep in the carriage before we got here. I saw him then. He was limping, but the Beast man was watching out for him.”

“Beast man?”

Em sat down, pulling the man’s arm with her. Then whispered to him everything she’d ever seen about Prince. Including the first dream, where he’d been ‘blessed’ by the Egyptian priestess person.

He listened intently.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Em tilted her head. Considering.

“Because, if Prince is the one who can hurt Thiago, he’s going to need help later. And because,” she hesitated. Then reached up to touch his cheek. “You looked so sad. And I know you won’t hurt Prince.”

He choked on a laugh.

He still didn’t quite believe her, but the story had done something. He leaned back on the carriage and rubbed his face.

“Asher. His name was Asher Wyn.”

Asher Wyn.

Em smiled to herself.

“Why do you think he might hurt Prince Thiago?”

Should she tell the truth about that? She frowned, considering.

There was a time in the novel when the rebellion had peaked. Prince Thiago’s actions had caused so much unrest that hundreds, no, thousands, of people had gathered to fight him.

Including many Lycan.

It had ended with the bloodiest, cruelest battle in the entire book. With Thiago victorious. None of them knew Thiago was unbeatable. Maybe if they had, it wouldn’t have ended that way.

She looked up. Pressing her lips into a serious line as she put a finger to them.

“I’ll tell you a secret,” she whispered. “Only a few people know because he kills anyone who finds out. Before they can spread it.”

“A secret? Who’s secret?”

“A god promised Thiago that no one can defeat him. Except one.” She held up a finger. “Only one can. I don’t know if its Asher,” she liked saying his name, “but anyone else will die.”

His face had twisted even more incredulously. At least he wasn’t in pain anymore. Just confused.

“How do you-?”

“Has anyone seen Ben? Or Jay? The Marquis is looking for them.”

Em’s friend froze, cursed, then stood up.

“Get back inside,” he whispered to her. “Don’t get into any trouble.”

She nodded and watched him walk away.

“Did I do the right thing?” she whispered to Loki.

The creature shrugged. “Right or wrong, the consequences will be interesting.”

She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. But if Loki was entertained, then maybe she was that much closer to getting his cooperation.

She scowled.

Now, she just had to watch out for when he was pranking her at the same time. Stupid Loki.

***

“No.”

Ben was taken by surprise. No, not just by surprise. Jay had been so adamantly for the plan before that his sudden refusal was like a blow to the gut.

He wasn’t just refusing, either.

Jay stood in the kitchen doorway of the reeve manor. Prepared to make himself a stone wall that neither Ben nor the others could pass.

“What’s gotten into you?!”

This was their chance. Their only chance.

The Crown Prince of their conquerors, the only heir to the throne, was asleep on the second floor under a light guard. There was no better time to get revenge and throw the Empire into chaos.

“I should have stopped this before we got here.” Jay spread his arms, blocking the opening further. “I just made up my mind. We can’t do this.”

“Have you lost it?!”

One of the others tried to push Jay out of the way but Jay just spread his legs. Now using both hands and feet to anchor himself in the doorway.

“If we try this, all that’s going to happen is we’ll all die. Then who will take care of the others?”

“It's worth it if that bastard dies, too.”

“Prince Asher might be alive.”

Everyone froze.

Of course they did. It was a completely and utterly unexpected turn in the conversation.

“What?”

“I- I think I met a seer earlier. She didn’t know what we were planning, she just told me what she’s been seeing. If it's true, no one will survive tonight. And if we don't survive, we can’t confirm if she was telling the truth about Prince Asher.”

A seer.

Unlike priests, who could use divine power on behalf of the gods, seers were rare. They could see the past, present, or future. Sometimes for their whole lives. Sometimes for only a short time.

They were rarer than dragon eggs.

Even rarer now with Prince Thiago actively seeking them out.

Ben glanced up at the dark building.

Specifically, toward the window that should belong to Prince Thiago for the night.

They’d watched the man parade around. Looking over everything as though he owned every inch.

Including the Lycan.

The wretched man might’ve taken one or two of their girls that night if the Marquis, either by design or unwittingly, hadn’t distracted him. Ben and several others had made the girls disappear for the time being.

He clenched his fists, feeling his talons lengthen and lightly pierce his palms. Not enough to draw blood but enough to cause discomfort.

He wanted nothing more than to dig his talons into that man’s throat.

Even if it meant his own death.

“Are you sure this person was a seer?”

“No. I’m not sure of anything.”

Ben didn’t have to look at his people to know what they were thinking. It could be a farce. A way to throw them off before they could even begin.

It could also be true.

He understood why Jay took so long to decide before blocking the doorway at the last second. He glanced again at the window. It seemed to loom closer. Tempting him. Begging him to make a move.

Destroy the monster that lay beyond it.