Page 55 of Her Royal Blood

“You’ve depleted all of our magic,” Sire was barely able to say, protecting ‘Aria’ showing that he still had a shred of loyalty to me.

The guard had recovered from Polonius’ near murder, and was barely able to speak in a grated rasp. “The report from the Isle of Vitoria is that three wolves made it off of the island. One was blond with black tipped ears and paws.”

At the mention of this Polonius approached Gabrielle with wide strides and quick steps.

“What is that I smell,” he came up to Gabrielle and grabbed her face.

“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

“Leave us!” Polonius turned to the guard who had carried the message from Navarrah city and the ones flanking the door and yelled. “Get out of here and wait for my orders.”

The guards didn’t wait around as they rushed and nearly stumbled out the door as Polonius’ hands tightened around Gabrielle’s neck and chin.

“You’re hurting her,” Halo stepped up to Polonius and he threw his hand out to her.

“Get any closer and I’ll burn you alive.” His voice is a viperous wheeze.

“I bathed this morning, you know that,” Gabrielled tried to remain calm. “We both did.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you not remember?” She started to tremble. “How you took me in our bathtub on your unending quest for an heir?”

“I thought I was bathing with my wife.” His hands tightened around her neck and in my heart I knew he’d figured out that she was my decoy.

I couldn’t let him kill her. I started to panic and wondered if I came out of the invisible realm would I be able to kill him? Could I catch him off guard? Halo looked at me and while I was invisible her eyes still met mine and she gently shook her head. ‘No,’ discouraging me from what I was about to do. At first I wanted to defy her, but if Polonius caught me, there would be no escape. My kingdom and Lex, would be destroyed and all of the people with it.

Lex and I had performed the mating ritual, alone, in private. As soon as Polonius discovered that I was mated he’d have Lex killed in front of my eyes and since I was connected to him, he’d be able to get to Lex through me. I had to remain hidden, despite the fact that Gabrielle’s life was in danger.

“Please Polonius, I’m tired, you had me conduct magic all day, yesterday. I still haven’t recovered,” Gabrielle complained,still doing an incredible job playing me and more importantly staying alive.

“Trying to perform magic? You have actually performed very little magic since I married you,” Polonius’s voice had its calm, steady, and sinister tenor again.

“I’m tired, Polonius. Not only have I been trying to master my magic, but I’ve been with you in your bed all night, without sleeping enough to recover.” Gabrielle gave him a glaring look of disgust. “And then again you took me during the bath this morning…” her voice petered out.

“Laying under me is your duty as my wife,” Polonius jolted her head back for emphasis. “And still that doesn’t explain your peculiar smell. It isn’t filth, but fear, I smell on you.” Polonius’ face neared hers.

Sire raised his head as he still labored with fatigue and continued to lay crumpled on the ground.

“You’re unhinged,” Gabrielle said quietly with her face in Polonius' grip, and there was true fear in the sound of her voice. “Upset by the recent news.”

“Aria doesn’t fear. Even when I electrocuted her, she wasn’t afraid.” Polonius put his hand to the back of Gabrielle’s head, almost like he was a lover would. “Even when I electrocuted her, I never smelled her fear.”

“Why would you do such a thing?” Gabrielle asked in a horrified whisper, unknowingly giving herself away.

“Because my wife is a mage.” He used the hand on the back of her head and the one on Gabrielle’s chin to twist her head, snapping it as Gabrielle’s breathing caught in her throat, instantly killing her. Polonius tossed her body to the ground and snarled. “And she knew she would have survived it.” Polonius watched as the magic left Gabrielle’s body and she returned to her true form.

I gripped my hand over my mouth as Gabrielle laid on the floor. I used all of my strength to hold back the tears and wailing she so rightly deserved, but Halo screamed and cried enough for the both of us.

“What have you done?” She fell to her knees and started to sob.

“Did you know about this?” He rushed to Halo and my heart was in my throat.

I couldn’t lose them both.

“No. How could I? Aria didn’t do this; her magic is too wild, too unpredictable. Besides, you’ve been with me since you breached the protection spell to enter Onyx Rah. I have literally been at your side or bound in Pitaya silk.” The tears streamed down her face in a steady line as sobs wracked her body.

Polonius considered her for a moment, perhaps cataloging his time with her in his mind to discern the truth. He then grabbed her up off the floor by her arm and dragged her out the door.

To the guards in the hall, he barked out an order. “I want the old man chained in Pitaya silk and thrown in the dungeon.”

“Where are we going?” Halo asked as she tried to keep up with him.

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