POV Luella
We approached the castle under cover of darkness, our mate bond allowing us to move in perfect silence. The familiar towers looked different now—like a tomb rather than a home.
Everything has changed. Tobias has won, at least for now.
Through the windows, we could see black banners hanging in the great hall. The court was in mourning, just as Tobias had planned.
He's already announced his father's death. Already claimed the throne.
"Can you smell him?" Kyrell whispered, his black eyes scanning the castle walls.
Our bond lets us share senses now. I can smell what he smells.
Through our connection, I caught the scent of fear, grief, and something else—acceptance. Most of the court believed Tobias's version of events.
They think we're the murderers. They think we killed the King.
We slipped through a servants' entrance I'd learned about during my months at court. The corridors that had once felt familiar now felt hostile and dangerous.
Everyone here wants us dead. Everyone believes his lies.
In the great hall, we found Tobias addressing the assembled nobles. He wore black robes of mourning, but his voice was strong and commanding.
"My beloved father has passed from this world," he was saying, "struck down by grief over my brother's betrayal and corruption."
Lies. All lies.
"The evidence is clear," Tobias continued. "Prince Kyrell's shadow magic poisoned our king's very soul. His unnatural influence over Lady Luella drove him to patricide."
They're all listening. All believing.
Through our bond, I felt Kyrell's rage building, but also his control. We couldn't just attack—we needed proof, needed witnesses.
We have to be smart about this. Tobias has spent years planning.
"However," Tobias said, his voice taking on a merciful tone, "I am prepared to offer clemency to these tragic figures if they surrender themselves for proper justice."
Clemency. He means execution.
That's when I noticed something that made my blood run cold. In the shadows near Tobias's throne, I could see guards carrying someone on a stretcher.
The King. He's still alive.
Through our bond, Kyrell felt my realization at the same moment I had it.
"Father isn't dead," he whispered, his voice tight with fury and hope.
Tobias is using him as a bargaining chip.
We watched in horror as Tobias gestured toward the stretcher. The King was clearly dying—pale, barely breathing, but alive.
He's keeping him alive to control us.
"My father clings to life," Tobias announced to the court, "suffering greatly from the magical poison in his system. Only proper healing can ease his pain, but such treatment is... expensive. Difficult to arrange for a kingdom dealing with treasonous threats."
The threat is clear. Surrender or watch the King suffer.
That's when Tobias turned toward our hiding spot, his brown eyes finding us in the shadows with unsettling accuracy.
"Prince Kyrell, Lady Luella," he called out pleasantly. "I know you're here. I can smell the stench of your unnatural bond."
He knew we were coming. He's been waiting.
"Surrender yourselves," Tobias continued, "and I'll ensure my father dies peacefully, with proper care and dignity. Continue this futile resistance, and watch him suffer for your defiance."
Choose between our lives and the King's comfort. Another impossible choice.
Through our mate bond, I felt Kyrell's response before he spoke it aloud.
"No deal," he said, stepping into the light. "We're not surrendering to a murderer."
Good. I won't submit to his manipulation anymore.
I joined my mate in the open, facing the assembled court with my head held high.
"Tobias has been poisoning his own father for months," I announced loudly. "He's the real murderer here."
Let them hear the truth. Let them choose what to believe.
But Tobias just smiled, completely unruffled by our accusations.
"How sad," he said with mock pity. "The corruption has affected Lady Luella's mind as well. Perhaps she needs the same... treatment... we've been giving my brother."
Treatment? What treatment?
"What are you talking about?" I demanded.
"Oh, didn't you know?" Tobias asked with cruel delight. "The special additives in Prince Kyrell's prison meals weren't just for nutrition. A slow-acting toxin, very rare, very expensive. The symptoms don't appear for weeks, but once they do..."
He poisoned Kyrell. During the imprisonment.
Through our bond, I felt a flash of weakness from my mate—something he'd been hiding, trying not to worry me.
He's been feeling sick. The poison is already working.
"How long?" Kyrell asked, his voice steady despite what he'd just learned.
"Days, perhaps hours," Tobias replied with satisfaction. "Unless you receive the proper antidote, of course. Which I just happen to have."
Another bargaining chip. Another way to control us.
"The choice is simple," Tobias continued. "Surrender now, and I'll give you both the antidote and my father the care he needs. Continue fighting, and watch each other die slowly while my kingdom mourns its fallen king."
He's backing us into a corner. Making it impossible to choose anything but submission.
But through our mate bond, I felt Kyrell's determination burning brighter than ever.
We're not giving up. Not now, not ever.
"There's a third option," I said, my voice carrying clearly through the hall.
"Oh? And what's that?" Tobias asked with amusement.
"We expose you for what you really are," Kyrell said, shadows beginning to coil around his fists despite his physical weakness. "We make sure everyone knows the truth."
The game begins now. Cat and mouse through the castle, racing against time and poison.
"Seize them," Tobias commanded his guards. "Alive if possible, but don't let them escape again."
Here we go. The final battle.