Phoebe’s POV
"Phoebe!" Caron’s roar made flinch. His fury was palpable, and I could see his hand twitching as if he wanted to strike . The only thing holding him back was our location - the palace walls and the king’s favor protecting from his wrath.
"Kevin’s rotting in the dungeon. We need him for the plan," Caron hissed, lowering his voice but not his intensity. His reminder of my supposed commitnt to destroy the king felt like ice in my veins.
"I’ve changed my mind." I turned to face him directly, my decision crystallizing with each word. "I won’t do it. You’re asking to commit murder against the king. I never truly agreed to that."
"It’s too late. You’re already in this ss."
"I’m not part of your sick ga," I shot back, steel in my voice.
My resolve had finally solidified. Whatever twisted plan Kevin had orchestrated, I wanted no part of it. After everything he’d done to - the lies, the manipulation, the complete lack of remorse - I didn’t care if he died in that dungeon. Maybe his death would even cripple the Movent, though I wasn’t certain he was the true leader.
But if Kevin was important enough to their cause, his demise might be exactly what we needed. Let him rot. I had my own plan now - convincing Perry to end this war through diplomacy rather than bloodshed. It might take years, but I could feel him warming to already.
Caron’s grip on my arm turned vicious, his fingers digging into my flesh as his voice dropped to a nacing whisper. "Yes, you are part of this. You poisoned the king. If we fall, you’re coming down with us."
I tried to wrench my arm free, but his hold was iron. "I’ll tell the king everything and beg his forgiveness."
"You think he’ll forgive you? How pathetically naive."
His words struck deep, but I refused to let doubt cloud my judgnt. "He will. He’s my mate."
Caron released with a shove, his face twisted with rage. "Go ahead. See what your precious king does to you. Just rember this, Phoebe - you won’t walk away clean. If you betray us, you’re going down with us."
"I’m not betraying anyone. I never committed to your sches." I t his glare with my own before turning my back on him.
I left the room and imdiately sought out Perry.
"King Perry is in the strategy room, my lady. He received urgent news and is eting with the high-ranking officials," a warrior inford .
The timing couldn’t be worse. When I pressed for details, the warrior could only shrug - he wasn’t important enough to know classified information.
"Thank you." Anxiety gnawed at as I headed back to my chambers, but I couldn’t shake the restless energy. I needed answers, and if sothing major was happening, it likely involved the Movent.
I decided to find Mason in the oga quarters.
Her bubbly personality made her easy to locate. One of the ogas practically bounced as she offered to escort to Mason’s room, clearly thrilled to help the king’s mate.
"You look absolutely radiant, my lady. The king must be overjoyed to finally find his destined mate."
I managed a smile and thanked her for the kind words before knocking on Mason’s door. "Thank you, Violet."
"Anyti, my lady." She bowed before departing.
The lock clicked from inside, and Mason’s surprised face appeared in the doorway.
"Can I co in?" I kept my tone gentle, rembering how poorly our last conversation had ended.
——
Perry’s POV
"Poison," Perry said grimly, the word hanging heavy in the air. "The sa poison as before?"
Twelve elders sat at their designated places around the strategy table, joined by five senior warriors, the royal beta, and the royal gamma flanking their king.
"Yes, alpha," Kim confird, his expression dark. The senior warrior had just returned from the frontline with devastating news. The warriors had been slowly poisoned, the symptoms so gradual they hadn’t realized what was happening until it was almost too late.
Only after learning about the healer’s murder in the palace had they thought to check the sick warriors. The diagnosis confird their worst fears.
"Most felt sluggish but didn’t complain until they started collapsing during training," Kim added.
"This has to be the sa group," Flynn snarled. "Their organization is too sophisticated for amateurs. Soone’s orchestrating a rebellion against the crown."
"We need to investigate everyone in the palace," Elder Tricia suggested after a tense silence.
"Agreed, but screening thousands of people will take considerable ti," another elder pointed out.
"The oga. The kitchen oga," Perry said suddenly, pieces clicking into place. "The poison at the frontline ca through contaminated food. If they targeted our warriors there, they’re doing the sa here. Helen must have discovered sothing that forced them to eliminate her imdiately."
The theory made perfect sense to everyone in the room.
Reviews
All reviews (0)