Queen of Night

Open Wounds

✶Elizabeth's POV✶

I drop Aiwin's hand once I let the words sink in.

I turn away from him, facing the view. "No, no that's not right. I saw his head—Ameria she—no, he's dead. I saw."

"The council have been questioning it and I have to."

I turn around. "I saw his head." My voice breaks slightly as a scab of mine becomes reopened. "I saw what Ameria did."

"Yes but, I've seen what happens when someone loses their mate; they go insane, die off because they can't live without their other half."

I laugh. "Was I not going insane quickly enough for you? Do I need to show how much I miss him by killing myself?"

Aiwin gaze becomes dark and suddenly comes forward, grabbing onto me and embracing me. "Don't say that."

Sometimes I forget he's my protector, the one to prevent anything from happening to me.

"I'm sorry."

Aiwin moves away to look down at me. "Don't be. We think your mate bond is still intact, not destroyed as one would be if one died. It's part of human nature to grief after someone, especially someone they love."

I move away, running a hand through my hair. "You think this is just grief and not the mate bond that's supposed to slowly destroy me?"

Aiwin nods. "Ameria is magic, she can do anything, even project hallucinations into the mind of others."

It hit me like a truck and Aiwin has to grab onto my arm to steady me. "You think she gave me a hallucination so that I would think my mate is dead?"

"Ameria is a sick witch. She's had a past with Jason and your colony. I think because you escaped but she knew you were nearby, she gave you that hallucination so that you would get out of her way. A mate who thinks their other half is dead is called to be useless. Without you, she can have Jason and the colony. No doubt in my mind she convinced him you were dead too."

I bring a hand to my mouth. The idea of Jason thinking I'm dead and possibly being corrupted by Ameria . . .

I push the tears back.

"I need to get him back."

Aiwin looks at me with determination set in his features. "We will. Which leads to the reason Kalan sent me."

I raise a brow as Aiwin gestures for me to walk with him. I walk along his side silently.

"Kalan has a way of tracking mate bonds. It's a special ability of his as a fae. He can locate your other half and wishes to do so on you."

I stop walking for a second to let this sink in. If what my colony members think is true, if what Aiwin and Kalan think is true, then Kalan can help me locate Jason and if he is alive, I'll know where he is.

I suddenly walk faster and Aiwin matches my pace to walk beside me. I'm about to burst through the doors to the throne room when Aiwin suddenly stops me, pulling me back.

"Liz, wait a second."

I raise a brow, confused as to why he would stop me. "What's wrong?"

For the first time, I actually notice how beautiful this hall is through its hanging flowers and painted blue and gold walls. Fit for a royal family for sure.

"I just want you to be careful."

"Careful?"

Suddenly the throne room doors open and Kalan stands there, a look of surprise showing the moment he sees us.

"Ah, just the people I was going to look for. I was wondering what was taking you so long brother."

Aiwin ignores him as Kalan turns to me, rubbing his hands together.

"Now, you heard the news I presume?"

I nod my head, eager to get started.

"Good, because for once it seems your Moon Goddess has put luck on our side."

Kalan turns back into his throne room beckoning us to follow. I notice Yvette standing beside the throne in gold armour and a red cape and Kalan notices my silent question.

"My brother here has moved up in rank to be Captain in my Guard. Do not worry, you will still continue to train with him."

I move my attention to Yvette and I slowly bow my head towards him. "Congratulations, Yvette."

A smile creeps on his face.

"Thank you for making it even harder for me to beat your ass."

Kalan bursts into a fit of laughter and even Aiwin tries suppressing a laugh.

"Such formalities. Now," Kalan says beginning with all seriousness again. "Come here, Liz."He says with his hand held out.

I look over at Aiwin who gives me a single nod before I move towards Kalan. He stays seated in his seat as I give him my hand.

He holds my hand in both hands and shuts his eyes before looking back up at me. "It'll be easier if you calm your mind, clear your thoughts of anything else but your mate."

All I've been doing is trying to avoid thinking of him because the hurt is too great. But nonetheless, I nod.

Kalan nods back before closing his eyes and holding onto my hands tighter like they might slip away.

Suddenly, the floor seems to escape underneath myself and I gasp. It's replaced with grass and trees surround me.

I know this place.

A beat up target against a tress confirms my guess. This is where I practised archery.

I follow the hill up towards the pack house. The lush green grass that once grew there is dead along with the trees that surrounded the house. Leaves have fallen, either brown or black.

Despite all this, I walk inside the house. It's been repaired but changed. Its soft, bright colours have been changed to dark, harsh ones. Red mainly fills the hallway or a dark stone.

Ameria's taste. I recognize it from her other mansion.

I follow down the empty hallways which used to be busy with pack members, servants and guards.

It hurts me to see this, this dark, sad place which used to be happy and busy with pack members. But I keep moving forward, focused on my one task of finding Jason.

So I move on to the one place I would imagine Ameria and him would be; his throne room. I rarely ever went there, only Jason would usually go there to attend with pack members and to listen to any conflicts that needed to be resolved.

My breathing suddenly hitches and a my nose bleeds slightly. I wipe it on the edge of my sleeve and I keep going as my breathing suddenly becomes heavier.

In little time, I'm in front of the doors leading to the throne room. I've never got to admire the grand doors carving work. Wood carved into the moon, stars and wolves, beautiful patterns interlaced with it. I should pay more attention to these things.

I open the door, those lizard like creatures stand on either end of the room, still as statues. But at the very end of the room sits Jason in his throne chair with Ameria sitting on the arm of it, an arm draped across his shoulders.

He sits so still, his clothes all black including his cape. The face that brought such light and happiness to me, is now darkness.

The blue eyes that I fell in love with, are now black, just like everything else.

"I sense magic in this place." Ameria purrs.

Jason looks sideways at her. "The only magic in this room is yours, dear. Everyone else is locked up in the cells."

Locked up, I note. Which means they're alive.

Hope flares up in my chest and Ameria moves onto her feet. Her gaze darkens. "Something is here."

She violently waves a hand and I'm thrust out of the room, my vision edging with darkness. The floor move, falling underneath me and before I know it, I'm back in the fae's throne room, my grip falling out of Kalan's and I fall back, collapsing.

But I never hit the floor as Aiwin grabs onto me, catching me underneath my arms and steadying me.

Blood falls from my nose and I cling onto Aiwin feeling like I have no strength left to stand.

"I told you to stop," Aiwin growls out.

Kalan doesn't seem disturbed by his anger and leans back in his chair. "That was strong magic."

"He's alive. Jason is alive."

Aiwin sets me down gently, turning to face me. "You saw him?"

I nod. "More than that. I saw him and Ameria. They also said the others are being kept in cells. They could be alive."

Aiwins' eyes widen and Kalan leans forward looking towards Aiwin.

"That's not Ameria's style. She would have had them dead by now."

"what else did you see?" Kalan adds.

"I saw Jason, sitting in his throne."

"So he's alive."

I stand on weak legs, leaning into Aiwin. "Yes but, he's different."

Aiwin looks at me confused. "In what way?"

"His eyes were black and he just seemed different." My own gaze no doubt darkens. "He called her dear." I spit.

Silence follows through the room.

We all know and think the same thing no doubt. Ameria has him under her control now.

✶✶✶