FIVE

Astaroth

THE DIGITAL NUMBERS ON the clock slowly changed with each passing minute of the meeting. Members of the Royal Court arrived on the monitor screen projected onto the wall. Father stood off to the side, his hands folded behind his back, the same condescending look in his scarlet eyes. Under the harsh glow of the florescent lights, Father’s skin contained a moonlight glow with an aged face.

I sat in a wheelchair with a violet blanket draped over my legs as Anton took his place behind me, one hand on the sabre’s hilt and the other at his side, looking straight ahead.

“Lord Ghoul, I understand your concern about the auction,” Father said, eyes darting in my direction with a glare. “I too am ashamed of my son. His weakness brings the question of his ability to take the throne.”

I flinched. For my whole life, I had been a failure in Father’s eyes. The kingdom saw it too. I couldn’t bring myself to act on the harshness of war, sending innocent victims of war to their graves. And yet, I was expected to do so once I ascended the throne.

Father glided across the floor in graceful movements. He stopped next to me, eyes narrowing in my direction. With a scowl, he turned back to the projection. “Yesterday, Prince Astaroth came very close to being assassinated. The call was made to notify the military within the capital.”

“Assassination?” Duke Tempest scoffed. His walnut-shaped eyes, the hue of limes, narrowed as he sat back in his chair, folding his arms in front of him.

“Unfortunately, it seems so.” Father’s voice mocked me with disdain. “The assassin appeared to be a former maspet - a siren disguised as a dragonthorn. If Prince Astaroth’s bodyguard had not acted in time, the throne would be in peril.”

I cleared my throat. “I barely caught sight of them. But yes, their disguise dropped as soon as my bodyguard struck them with thunder. Blue scales rippled across their body.”

Murmurs filled the air until Father held up his hand. He turned to me.

“And did you take your brother’s maspet after he bought him? That mangy dog.”

Biting my lip, I looked at my hands. I barely remembered claiming him as mine. Dante didn’t argue either. After I came to, he still didn’t argue with me. Was letting Father know his way of punishing me? Yet, that didn’t sound like Dante. We sometimes argued and took each other’s things, but Dante had never shown that he despised me enough to throw me under Father’s boots.

“That wolf goes back into Dante’s control. He’ll stay in his Zoo while you keep your pathetic maspets in yours,” Father commanded. He cleared his throat and took out his glass phone, scrolling through something. “In other things, I am sure your guard relayed the news? Lady Morgana is your betrothed, and by the 28th of Ewi, you will be married to her.”

At the mention of marrying Lady Morgana, my ears buzzed like a thousand hornets were going off. I raised my gaze to Father, my heart hammering against my ribs. I knew this day would eventually come. Father would make me get married and have children to protect the bloodline, while he continued to rule. The assassination attempt was probably a setup by him to warrant my fear and gain approval from the Royal Court.

I snorted at Father’s demand. “No, I’m not marrying her. We all know that Lady Morgana is not a child of high nobility and it would-”

“She is a runi and the only one capable of handling you. The other ladies of the runi royal court have been married. The alliance with the Wrihan Dynasty remains,” Father spoke, direct as ever.

“You and Mama were mates. Can I not wait to find mine?” I asked.

Father went rigid. He slowly turned to face me, mouth pulled taut as his right eye twitched. Every chance he got when I was merely a dragonling, he gave me that very same look; it always resulted in another beating. I shivered and lowered my gaze.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Father’s shadow move, his arm raising above his head. Before I could scoot away, I felt the bite of his palm against my cheek. The sting pulsed like a heartbeat. I could taste metallic blood in my mouth and I spat it out onto Father’s shoes. Father sneered at my reaction as laughter erupted into the room. Each of the nobles on the monitors laughed.

The wheelchair rolled back and I could sense electricity in the air, crackling and popping until two of the overhead lights burst. A puff of air brushed the top of my head and I knew Anton had something to do with the lights.

Father cursed. He pointed a finger at Anton.

“Calm yourself, guard. Or you’ll face the dungeon.”

A snicker left me. “You attacked me. What did you expect of my guard? For him to sit back and let me be injured? Would you have rather he did that with the assassin, so you wouldn’t have your precious heir any longer?” I mocked.

With a glare, Father straightened out his jacket. He turned to the cameras and began to speak of something that I droned out. I had struck a nerve. The kingdom needed me, and he knew it.

How pathetic. Father gave in and let a lower class get away with embarrassing him.

“And with that, we can move onto the news of a new war prisoner,” Father said, piquing my interest. “Luna Sybill was captured by Lord Lazarus two nights ago. She was alone and driving out of the Hollow Claw Pack’s capital city, correct, Lord Abyss?”

Duke Fabian Abyss rested his chin on his folded hands, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Lord Lazarus did a wonderful job bringing her back here on such short notice. And to think that we can cripple the pack in a single blow.”

I sat forward in my seat. A Luna was captured, and Dios came from that pack. He’d have no knowledge of her torture. He would surely blame me for that.

“You brought her to Eminence as of this morning,” Father continued. His gaze swept over me. “I’ll have her escorted to the royal courtyard by tonight for some entertainment.”

“Father, is it wise to have to two wolves of the same pack in close proximity?” I asked, the hairs rising on the back of my neck.

Shaking his head with a cocky smile. “That wolf will join the fray and get to enjoy watching his Luna die.”

“What? Are you insane? The wolf will attack to kill as he watches!” The words escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

“I’m sure we can get Wolf Slayer to do the job,” Father continued.

My blood ran cold at the mention of Wolf Slayer. That monster was gone; sealed away to never darken the the world again. Dante made sure of that, and put a fail safe in place just in case his spell failed. Father had no power to disrupt runi magick — unless, he got one of the nine clerics to step forward.

“And where would Wolf Slayer be?” I probed.

Keeping his back to me, Father pulled out a black glass phone. “I have my secrets, just as you have yours.”

Secrets - just another excuse to trick me into submission. His words had no meaning. Dante’s magick was strong and Father didn’t know I was Wolf Slayer. To the nobles and the Royal Court, he disappeared decades away with knowledge on the inner workings of the kingdom. If anything, he would be a threat, not an ally. But Father didn’t see it that way.

Scowling, I sat back in my seat. I had a single chance to protect myself, and Dante would have to agree. Wolf Slayer could never see the light of day ever again.