Royal shuffle: Vampire’s mate

ANDREACcontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

The blood drained from my face and I immediately felt lightheaded as I stared disbelievingly at the note in my hand.

“When did you see this?” I asked.

“Just now…I can’t say for certain how long that it’s been there for.”

I stared at the note again, hoping against hope that it wasn’t real. But it was, the note was written in the intricate and yet careless handwriting of Adela.

“What is it?” Leo asked, snatching the note from my shaking hands.

“What are we going to do? She’s gone to them,” Savannah asked.

I found my way to the nearest chair and sat, not trusting my legs to be capable of holding me up for much longer.

“We’ll simply go after them,” Leo replied, as though it was the most obvious option.

“Go after her?!” I scoffed. “Do you know where she went?!”

Leo shook his head slowly and sighed. “No, I don’t. But at least we know where to start.”

“And where is that?” I asked, cocking my brow.

“This palace that Williams keeps speaking about.”

I threw my head back and laughed. Not out of amusement or mockery but just at the sheer irony of it all.

“Oh, so now you think your brother is capable of kidnap?!” I asked, screaming the question with all the power in my lungs.

Leo shook his head. “No, I don’t. But let’s start from there.”

Leo balled the paper in his fist and started for the door.

“Where are you going?” I asked, marching after him.

“To get our unwanted guest ready,” he relied.

I and Savannah shared a confused glance and walked after him, running to keep up with his long strides.

“Ready for what?” I asked, and followed him out of the building, into the forest and straight for the holding cells.

“He’s taking us to where they’re holding Will and Adela.”

“Now?” Savannah asked, still stunned.

“Yes. We would have the element of surprise,” Leo replied.

Leo motioned to the guard standing in the corner, “You. Get William ready. He’s coming with us.”

The guard nodded and left to do his bidding. Leo pointed to another guard and asked him to get the head warrior.

In all of this I watched him, watched how Al of a sudden he was eager to get my children, and with the sudden realization of the situation, my heart broke. He didn’t want to believe that his brother could do something as hideous as kidnapping a child until it was his child.

“You look pale,” Leo asked. “Is something wrong?”

You. I almost said. I shook my head and took a few steps away from him.

“Everything is fine.”

The head warrior walked through the door with urgency, conveniently stopping Leo from asking me any more questions. I spared a look up at him and found him looking at me, his eyes told me that he wasn’t done.

“I was sent for,” he said.

“We need you to put together a small team of your strongest soldiers.”

The old man’s brows furrowed together and he spared a glance at me.

“Why?” He asked.

Leo looked at me before responding, “We might know the location where Will is being held…and also, the Princess…is also with them.”

“Princess Adela?!”

We both nodded.

“I’ll get to work immediately. Where is the place?” He asked.

“It’s in the mountains. Some castle nestled up there. William would take us there,” Leo replied.

“The former Prince William? The prisoner?” He asked again, his brows of gray pulled down over his eyes.

The light bouncing off of his bald head made him seem like a cartoon character.

“Yes. That William.” I said.

“Can he be trusted? What is it’s a trap? An ambush?”

“I guess we’ll find out,” Leo replied.

“That’s why we’re asking you for your best soldiers.”

The man nodded. “When do you want them?”

“Today. As soon as you can assemble them.”

“I’ll have one ready for you in an hour.”

We both watched as he walked out, and as though reading each other’s minds headed for William’s cell. We entered to see him being fed.

“Hello there,” he said, munching noisily on chicken bone. “At some point, I was wondering if the plan was to starve me to death.”

“Hurry up, we leave soon.” I said.

William stopped chewing, and looked at me in confusion.

“Where are we going?” He asked, his eyes widening in panic. “Is this my last meal?!”

“It might as well be if we don’t find Adela and Will at that castle you speak of.”

William stopped and stared at us with wary eyes, a smile slowly spread across his lips an s graduated to laughter.

“So you finally believe me then? I was beginning to wonder how much you wanted to find out son,” he said. “And I suppose you want me to take you to the place?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“It would be much easier to dispose of you there if we don’t find the kids up there.” Leo added.

“Kids?” William asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Yes. They have my daughter,” I said.

William nodded, shoved the last piece of fried chicken into his mouth and spat out tiny pieces of bones into the now clean plate. He wiped his hands on his dirty trousers, and stood as much as his chained legs would allow.

“I’m ready!” He proclaimed. “Let’s go get back our children!!”

I nodded and began my journey back to the palace, vaguely aware of Leo and Savannah walking behind me. I headed for my office and pulled a small lever to reveal a large wall of weapons and armory. I pulled out silver knives and loaded my guns with silver bullets.

“What are you doing?” Leo asked, entering my room and closing the door behind him.

“Getting ready. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Ready for what?”

“To go get my children,” I relied.

It was almost as if that was obvious enough.

“You’re not coming with us, Andrea.”

“And why not?”

“It’s dangerous,” Leo replied.

I scoffed, stripped out of my clothes and changed into plan tees and a fitted tee shirt and a pair of jeans.

“And you think that I’m going to leave the fate of my babies in your hands?”

“What? You don’t trust me?” Leo countered.

“Not as far as I can throw you,” I replied and attempted to sidestep him, but he grabbed my elbow and pulled me into him.

“And why not?”

“You didn’t seem bothered to find Will until Adela went missing. You didn’t think that your dear brother was ever capable of hurting a fly until your blood was affected…”

Leo frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

I scoffed and kept silent, watching the expression on his face change from anger to confusion to hurt. He slowly released my elbow and moved a few steps back.

“Is that what you really think? That I didn’t want to find Will?” He asked.

I shrugged. “It would be convenient for us to come back together if the child I had by the man you hate didn’t exist.”

Leo nodded. “I love you. And yes, I would love for us to get back together, but not at the expense of a child.”

“Really?”

Just as he was about to respond, the door opened and Savannah poked her head in.

“Hi. They’re ready for you.”

I and Leo shared one last glance and headed for the door.