Amdis gripped his head painfully as he leaned against the walls of the cell. He fought back the urge to vomit as his dad's words were a jumbled mess in his mind. However, his father's warning was clear.
They have come to take her.
"Go, go now," Amdis managed to say.
"Go where? What are you talking about?" Ethan asked. Ethan noticed that Amdis was bleeding from his eyes and nose. "You need to sit down."
"I…I don't need…" Amdis started to speak, but talking only intensified the pain.
Amdis attempted to clear his head, but his father's memories were still a torrent in his mind. He couldn't focus as he just kept hearing his father's last thoughts.
"Amdis? Amdis! Snap out of it," Ethan said gripping Amdis' shoulders, shaking him. The slam of the dungeon's doors rung out. Heavy footsteps approached and the guards had their swords unsheathed pointed at Ethan and Garrett.
"Wait a minute, you got the wrong impression," Garrett said, stepping in front of Ethan defensively.
"Our former lord has fallen to foul play," Amdis said, pushing Ethan off him and Garrett out of his way. "Lock everything down. No one gets in or out without my permission. Take them to Kasia now. You two help me gather my father's ashes."
"What game are you playing? You didn't want me to take her before. Why now? Why…"
Amdis cut him off angrily and asked, "Are you an idiot? Go to her now! She is not safe! Why do you think whoever did this killed my father? It was a distraction!"
Ethan and Garrett did not hesitate as they ran back the way they came in. Just like Amdis said, the guards immediately took them to where Kasia was staying.
As soon as they entered the room, Ethan knew a struggle had happened. Droplets of Kasia's blood were on the floor. Another scent lingered, mixed with hers that made him snarl in anger.
"Amanda was here," Garrett said, saying what Ethan was thinking.
"I should've broken her neck when I had the chance," Ethan growled in frustration.
"How was she able to beat Kasia in a fight? Kasia would not have willingly went with her," Garrett stated.
Kasia had never lost a battle against Amanda even while she was human. Ethan saw something glinting under an overturn table. He walked over and picked up a syringe. His nose crinkled in disgust as he smelled wolfsbane.
"She drugged her, the damn coward," Ethan growled as he tossed the syringe away from him. "How did she get in here? How was she able to get in without noticing?"
As Ethan and Garrett searched the room for clues, Ethan felt drawn to a particular wall. He walked up to it. Amanda's scent was the strongest from here. Did she come from the wall? Was there a secret door?
Ethan noticed a black smudge on the wall that looked like it was in a symbol that he could not make out. He reached to touch it to see what it was, but Amdis stopped him.
"Have you heard the phrase look but don't touch?" Amdis asked.
"Is this your doing?" Ethan responded as he pulled his hand free of Amdis.
"Don't ask stupid questions Ethan. It is clear black magic. She used it to get in and out," Amdis explained. "Touching it would probably have an adverse effect on the curse on you."
"How do you know that?" Ethan questioned suspiciously.
"Because my father told me," Amdis explained. "And it has a certain scent to it. I'm surprised that you can't smell it."
Now that it was brought to his attention, Ethan did notice another scent. A slight smell of something rancid was in the air. Ethan wondered how many times he had overlooked that scent.
"How could your father have told you? He wasn't even making sense," Garrett said. He was clearly suspicious of Amdis' response.
"Do you think you wolves are the only ones that are telepathic?" Amdis questioned. "He did not have much time to do it the proper way."
It was a tradition that vampires passed down their knowledge to the youth when faced with death. Normally, there was a whole ritual with blood and the passing was peaceful. Amdis' father didn't have the luxury. Passing knowledge on by telepathy was rare because with how old Amdis' father was the barrage of memories could have torn Amdis' mind apart.
Amdis was a mixture of emotions. He didn't know how to feel about his father's death. Of course, he was going to be put on trial and then, put to death. However, this just felt wrong.
"Then, you must know why Amanda kidnapped Kasia and where she took her," Ethan said, bringing Amdis out of his thoughts.
"I do," Amdis responded. His hand glowed as he touched the smudge on the wall. It was absorbed into his skin.
"Then, what are we waiting for? We need to get to her now. There's no telling what Amanda has planned," Ethan stated impatiently.
"I am surprised by your hastiness Alpha King," Amdis sneered. "How on earth are you the leader of lycans and werewolves acting this way?"
"Don't act like you don't feel the same way. Your Deva is in danger too. Why are you standing there so nonchalant?" Ethan retorted. "It's like you don't even care about her."
Amdis blank expression finally cracked as he glared viciously at Ethan. "Who are you to tell me how I should be acting?"
Garrett groaned inwardly. They didn't need them arguing anymore. Garrett approached to try to diffuse the situation, but Amdis side eyed Garrett and warned, "You stay out of this. You can't always defend him."
"You do not get to order him around," Ethan snarled.
"He is in my domain. If I want him to dance, he better damn do it," Amdis snapped. "I have lost my father to the enemy. My mate has been kidnapped. I am enraged but I don't have the luxury to allow my emotions to fuel me and neither do you."
Amdis tapped the wall, and a portal opened where the smudge had been. "You can be reckless. You can be stupid and go right now. It'll take you straight to Kasia but you will be walking straight into a trap. You being killed does not help any of this, but it is your right to do it."
Ethan glared at Amdis and then at the portal. Every fiber in his being was telling him to get his mate. But he knew better. Ethan had been able to hold back from claiming Kasia as his mate for so long, he could wait a little longer.
"Close it," Ethan finally said.
"Smart decision," Amdis stated. He snapped his fingers, and the portal disappeared.
"Then, what is the plan? Who is Amanda working with?" Garrett questioned.
"The Rogue King…he probably has her now," Amdis explained. He could see Ethan getting angry and Amdis raised his hand to calm him. "But he is not going to do anything yet. He will have to take her to the Hunters first."
"Like that's any damn better!" Ethan exclaimed.
"It buys us some time. The Rogue King won't be able to touch her until the Hunters get what they want from her. And we will use that time to our benefit," Amdis reasoned. "Ethan, it seems that you're about to be in more debt to your allies."