Darkmyth University 2021

Chapter Twelve

When Crystal woke up the morning after she and Quinten had completed the mating ritual, she felt different. Crystal felt Quinten’s arm laying across her right hip and his hand securely placed on her left hip bone. Crystal turned facing Quinten and found his golden-brown eyes watching her closely. Crystal smiled widely and asked, “Are you watching me sleep my prince?”

Quinten smirked at Crystal and said, “I might have been watching you sleep my angel. Does that bother you?”

“Not in the slightest. So, what is the plan for today?”

“To have your abilities accessed to find out just how powerful they are. Brody, Michael, Lucas, and I will be doing this as well. This will give us a better idea of how to plan to defeat Zander and his followers. We also need to wait for Marissa to contact us.” Quinten’s phone started ringing, which he picked up and said, “Speaking of which.” Quinten answered the phone and began having a conversation in a language that Crystal did not recognize. When Quinten was finished, he said, “Stephanie is healthy but, is pretended to still be influenced by Zander’s abilities even though they have already mated and no longer affect her. Stephanie has been keeping a journal and Marissa will send us photos of the pages once she reaches her hotel room. Marissa is being followed and watched closely by Zander’s followers but, once she is in her hotel room, she can speak a bit more freely.”

“What language were you speaking?”

“Transylvanian. It is not a language known by many so, even if someone were listening in on Marissa’s side of the conversation, they would not have known what she was saying.”

“Very clever. Now, let us find General Montague and our friends.” Crystal said getting out of bed. Crystal walks into the bathroom starts the water, sticks her head back out the door and asks, “Want to join me handsome?” Before Crystal even finished her question Quinten was out of the bed and walking toward the bathroom.

While Crystal was getting ready Quinten made a phone call to the dean of Darkmyth to be sure that everyone included in this situation with Zander would be excused from class. The dean explained that Nicholas had already contacted him, and everything was already situated. Quinten sent a text message to Michael, Brody, Lucas, and the guards saying, General Montague will meet us in the training room after breakfast. Everyone acknowledged Quinten’s text as he began making breakfast. When Crystal walked into the kitchen Quinten said, “I hope you are up for another day of training.”

“I am up for anything that brings us closer to rescuing Stephanie. Have you heard from Marissa again?”

“Marissa sent me a message saying that she had been welcomed into Zander’s compound and had other sensitive information but, wanted to share it with everyone involved. I told Marissa that I would call her when were all together.”

“Well then let’s get this show on the road.” Crystal said quickly setting the table. Quinten smirked, finished making breakfast, and serving it to Crystal first. Crystal and Quinten headed toward the training room. General Montague, Michael, Brody, Lucas, and the guards were waiting for them. Crystal blushed and said, “I apologize if we are late.”

General Montague said, “You are not late Princess Crystal.”

Quinten smiled and said, “Marissa has information that she wants to share with all of us and she should be ready to speak.” Quinten pulled out his phone, dialed Marissa, pressed the speaker button on his iPhone, and then held his pone out so that everyone could hear what Marissa said.

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Marissa set up the equipment that would allow her to speak freely when Quinten called. While Marissa waited, she made sure that she had not left anything unpacked or clues behind that would reveal her true intentions to the people that would search her room once she had checked out. Marissa’s burner phone rang which she answered on the second ring. Marissa gave the details of the plans she had helped Zander make and said, “I suggest that you allow one or two of these attacks succeed so that Zander does not think that there is a traitor amongst his ranks. Also, Zander and Stephanie have completed the mating process but, Stephanie is pretending to still be under Zander’s compulsion. Stephanie has been able to gather quite a bit of information.”

Crystal asked, “Does Zander know that his power no longer works on Stephanie?”

“No, Zander has no idea that Stephanie remembers everything and has been gathering information to help Quinten.” Marissa answers.

“Have you sent the photos of Stephanie’s journal pages to me?” Quinten asks.

Marissa says, “I will do that after we finish this conversation. But you all know that you cannot kiss Zander without killing Stephanie, correct?”

General Montague steps closer to Quinten’s phone and says, “That is not exactly true Marissa. There is a plant that is strictly monitored by the royal family that will allow Stephanie to block the mating bond if she takes it daily.”

All heads snap toward General Montague in surprise. Quinten asks, “Why was I not talked about this?”

“You are not king yet Prince Quinten. Only I, your father, the elders, and your mother know about it. It is revealed to the new monarch on the day of their coronation. Your father, King Nicholas, suspected that Zander would manipulate Stephanie into finishing the mating process thus, gave me permission to inform you all of this.” General Montague said looking Quinten in the eye.

Marissa said, “We do not have time for this gentleman. Do you have a plan of action?”

Quinten said, “Not yet. Was there a map of the compound in Stephanie’s journal?”

“There is a map however, there is another way to enter into the compound that Stephanie is unaware of, and I am not sure if we have a complete map of the compound.” Marissa answered.

“Please send us what there is once you have added the section that you know about. Contact us in two days’ time. We should have a plan by then.” Quinten said with an authority that only a royal could possess.

“Ten four Quinten. Over and out.” Marissa said hanging up her phone. Before Marissa packed up the rest of her equipment, she emailed the photos of Stephanie’s journal and sent them through a secured email to Quinten. Once Marissa finished packing, she scrubbed her room clean, went to Zander’s vehicle, loaded her bags into the trunk and went back to the compound. Once Marissa arrived at Zander’s compound she unpacked and settled into her room. Stephanie seemed in better spirits then when Marissa left to get the rest of her things.

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When Quinten had texted Lucas was taking a walk around campus. Lucas was happy to find out that Quinten and Crystal had marked each other and finished the mating process. Lucas needed a few minutes to clear his mind of everything that was happening around him so that he could help formulate a plan to rescue Stephanie. Upon entering the small café on campus Lucas smelled a mixture of honey and mint. Lucas was trying to focus on where the scent was coming from when it became stronger. A raven-haired, blue-eyed, 5’ 4” tall, approached Lucas’s table and asked, “And what can I get for you today?”

Lucas sat there for a minute as color and feeling entered his world. Lucas said, “You could tell me your name.”

The woman finally looked at Lucas in the eye, gasped, and said, “My name is Regina Thompson.”

“My name is Lucas Jenkins. Can you have breakfast with me, Regina?”

“I am in the middle of my shift but, I can have lunch with you Lucas.”

Lucas almost lost the control he had on himself when Regina said his name. Lucas took a deep breath and said, “I will pick you up here at one.” Regina nods in agreement as Lucas orders a blueberry scone and a large cappuccino. Regina places everything on the table along with my receipt. When Lucas looks at the receipt, he sees that Regina wrote her phone number at the bottom. Lucas smiled as he left the café and added Regina to his contacts with a note that said mate with a heart next to it. Lucas also placed Regina’s contact information in the encrypted folder with his important contacts that only certain people were allowed to see.

At one o’clock Lucas arrives at the café to pick up Regina with a smile plastered across his face. Regina is waiting outside of the café fidgeting with her clothes as she waits for Lucas to pick her up. Lucas pulls into a spot in front of Regina, rolls down his window and says, “You look lovely Regina. Are you ready to have lunch?”

Regina’s blue eyes looked up into Lucas’s blue eyes, smiled, and said, “I am as ready as I will ever be.”

Lucas’s smile widened as he said, “I am glad to hear that. Shall we be on our way?” Regina nodded, walked to the passenger side of Lucas’s car, got it, and buckled her seatbelt. Lucas drove to a local park and said as he parked his vehicle, “I packed a picnic.”

Regina’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ shape which, turned into a smile as she asked coyly, “Trying to impress me, Lucas?”

Lucas winked and said, “I don’t know that I would consider this impressing you but, if that is what I have accomplished then so be it.” Lucas grabbed the picnic basket from the backseat of his car, walked to the passenger side of the vehicle, opened the door for Regina, and took her hand as she exited the vehicle. Lucas guided Regina to a partially shaded patch of grass, set up the blanket, and helped Regina situate herself before sitting down next to her. They enjoyed a warm afternoon getting to know one another as they ate the picnic Lucas prepared. Lucas dropped Regina off at the Lilith wing. Lucas was debating telling his friends about Regina when Michael texted him asking about the woman, he just saw exiting Lucas’s car. Well, there goes that plan.

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Michael and the guards were spending time together in his apartment talking about Quinten’s parents. Quinten’s parents treated them like they were family instead of paid employees. They all respected Quinten and his parents because they did not look down on them. Michael asked them how they had become part of the royal guard. Michael was surprised that they had all volunteered to take on the job once they had obtained all the qualifications to become part of the royal guard. The qualifications were not easily obtained, and you had to pass several tests given by different entities. Michael wanted to become one of Quinten’s guards and it sounded like he would be able to achieve that goal once he found his mate for the first qualifier was to have access to your full powers.

Michael got up to stretch and grab some beverages for everyone when he saw a beautiful raven-haired woman exiting Lucas’s car. Michael sent Lucas a text asking him who the woman was but, did not receive a response back. Michael figured the woman had to be Lucas’s mate if he was unwilling to answer the question right away. Michael balled his fist in frustration, why could he not find his mate already. Michael grabbed the beverages rejoining the guards, pretending as if nothing had happened. They spent the rest of the evening playing games on the PlayStation.