Chapter 426

Jackson, Gabriel, and I immediately focus on the bedroom door, which is roughly splintered now, just moments from being ripped from it hinges. I squeeze their hands, suddenly thinking that my decision to come back here might be a little rash –

Who is on the other side of that door?

What are their orders?

Gabriel groans, his legs buckling beneath him in his weakened state, falling back against the bed.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Jackson growls, storming for him and ducking one shoulder beneath Gabriel’s arm, standing again and propping my other mate up. “When they come through that door, you need to be a cruel Prince again. Can you manage that?”

Gabriel growls a bit, glaring at Jackson, even as he nods. “Ariel,” he says, gesturing to his side, begging me to come there. “They need to believe you’re on my side.”

I nod and immediately move there, tucking my hands behind my back and attempting to look as innocent as I can, like I didn’t just poison their Prince.

Almost the instant that I take my spot the door shatters, pieces of it coming slamming down.

Soldiers shout as they flood into the room, but they stutter to an awkward stop as they see the Prince standing before them, a nasty sneer on his face, apparently quite well – even if he does have his arm around a sneering Alpha that they don’t recognize.

“Is this how you enter my Luna’s chambers?” Gabriel snarls, and I snap my head to him, a bit surprised at how easily he falls into his old persona.

“Sir!” the soldier in front says, dipping into a quick bow. “We thought you were in danger! We –“

“Danger?” Gabriel sneers, laughing low. “At my Luna’s hand!? You fool. I’ll have your head for this.”

The soldiers look awkwardly at Jackson, still not getting it, but Gabriel’s authority is absolute. “Be gone!” he snaps, waving a hand at them. “If I wished to be disturbed I would have answered the door, you idiots –“

Still not understanding the soldiers begin to back away.

They start to move a lot faster when Jackson takes an aggressive step towards them, snarling low, letting his canines extend to fangs.

“The ambassadors,” I whisper, glancing at the door at the soldiers retreating backs as they scurry away – probably to report to the King. “Where will they be?”

“Across the Castle,” Gabriel says, slumping a little against Jackson as he turns his head to me. “They’ll be close to their quarters, but confined. I think I know where, Ariel, but I – I don’t think I can walk – I’ll have to give you directions –“

Jackson rolls his eyes at this, apparently finding Gabriel’s weakness distasteful, and bends low, scooping Gabriel up in his arms. Gabriel gasps and then snaps his head to snarl at Jackson, his displeasure clear.

“Okay, both of you need to let it go,” I snap, one hand on my hip, the other pointing a finger at both of their faces in turn. “Jacks, he was just poisoned, it’s not his fault that he’s weak. And Gabriel, he’s helping. I’m not going to be able to follow directions. So, let’s go.”

Both snarl unhappily but follow my lead as I stride for the door. Jackson comes to my side as we stride down the hall and then quickly outstrips me so that I have to trot fast – nearly running – to keep up with him. Gabriel gives confident directions at each turn, guiding us through, and Jackson’s ready snarl and general size and power stop any protest that anyone might have at the sight of the Crown Prince being carried through the halls by a strange man.

Still, my heart pounds as we go, because Pippa was right – the castle is absolute chaos right now, and the shouts increase as we hurry through the halls, people apparently figuring out that we’re here and spreading the word.

“There,” Gabriel says finally, pointing towards a heavily guarded door. “They’ll be in there.”

Jackson nods and strides forward so fast that I have to run to catch up.

The guards at the door hesitate at Gabriel’s command to step aside, but when Jackson again places my mate on his feet and the Prince takes a few unsteady steps forward, snarling at them to obey their monarch and fall back if they value their lives, they obey. The guards scatter as we open the door.

“Hi, hi!” I say, frantic and fast, bursting into the room. All of our Moon Valley ambassadors turn to me with wide-eyed surprise and fear, though their terror abates slightly when they see Jackson at my side. I scowl a bit, not liking that he instills relieved confidence when I do not.

“Okay, everyone join hands, please!”

“What?” the oldest Ambassador says, stepping forward. “Princess, we have to –“

“Hold. Fucking. Hands,” Jackson growls, the Alpha command heavy in his voice as he steps aggressively towards my father’s men, the implication that he’ll tear them apart if they don’t clear in his violent snarl.

“Damn,” Gabriel says under his breath, watching Jacksons, clearly impressed.

The Ambassadors snap into action, each holding hands in a long train.

“Thank you!” I say, light and cheerful in my Princess Cupcake voice, taking the hand of the eldest Ambassador, who looks down at me in wonder. “Now, when we get there, if everyone can please continue to hold hands –“

“Get where?” the Ambassador asks, his eyes going wide.

“No time for questions!” I say, quite light, turning my head back to Jackson and opening my mouth.

“But Benjamin Ternicki!” the Ambassador says, shaking his head, vehemently.

“Interrupt her again,” Jackson snarls, storming forward to loom over the smaller man. “Just once more. And watch what happens.”

The ambassador goes very, very pale.

“Thank you sweetie,” I say, patting Jackson on the chest. “I’ll be back in just two minutes –“

“Wait, what?” Jackson gasps.

But too late, I vanish away with all of the ambassadors in tow.

As one, they gasp and shout as they appear in the Land of Darkness, overwhelmed and frightened by the onslaught of magic, and the disappearance of the Atalaxian palace, and the appearance of the new world.

I grimace, but there’s no time for explanations or pity as I stride forward, seeking Jesse and Midnight as well as the soldiers.

What’s left of the soldiers – certainly not as many as there were dashing for us before – are luckily clustered on the other side of the castle-wide cage, peering at the egg that still holds the God of Darkness, probably wondering what the hell it is.

“Please keep hold of the hands, please!” I call out to the Ambassadors, stepping forward, peering around, looking for two figures –

And – there –

“Midnight!” I shout out into the air, cupping my hands to my mouth. “Jesse!”

The little figure’s head snaps towards me and I smile.

They vanish and a moment later appear at my side.

“Hi,” Jesse says, giving me a warm grin as Midnight looks up at me with wide, frightened eyes. She, too, glances over at the shadow encasement that holds the God of Darkness, worried.

“The others, did you get them out?” I ask, anxious.

“We brought them to the yurt,” Jesse says, his tones frustrated as he glances down at Midnight. “She…we’re having trouble convincing Midnight that Moon Valley is safe.”

“Full of ruffians,” she murmurs, wrapping her arms around herself. “And whores.”

My eyes go wide but Jesse shakes his head at me, clearly letting me know not to question it.

“Jesse,” I whisper, shaking my own head in turn. “You have to get them back –“

“Look, just give me time,” he murmurs, glancing at the ambassadors. “We’re back at the yurt for now. What do you want me to do?”

“Take them,” I say, gesturing towards the Ambassadors, who all still stand quiet and still, holding hands like a line of kindergarteners. I can’t help but smile at the sight of them.

“Ariel,” Jesse snaps, putting a hand on my shoulder that draws my attention back to him. “What are you going to do?”

“Don’t worry about me,” I say, shaking my head and giving him a confident smile.

“Of course I’m worried about you –“

“I have Jacks,” I say, giving a happy little shrug.

Jesse grins at me. And then nods. “You want us to come to come back for you?”

“I think you need to focus on getting your crew back to Moon Valley, Jesse,” I say, my hands reaching up to anxiously in my hair. “And get in touch with dad and Roger – tell them what’s going on. Don’t worry about me and Jacks – we can handle it. Do you – do you think you need me?”

I glance down at Midnight, who still looks towards the egg, wondering if she can truly be trusted to save Pippa and Elias and Ben and all of these ambassadors –

“Hey,” Jesse says, patting my shoulder. I blink and look back at him. “You trust me, I trust you, yeah? Let’s just…each do our jobs.”

I smile and throw my arm around him in quick impulse. My cousin hugs me back for a moment, giving me a tight squeeze before letting me go.

“I’ll see you at the palace, right?” I say, pointing a finger at his face, meaning it much more as a command than a question.

“You got it, Princess,” Jesse says, laughing and taking Midnight’s hand, leading her over to the line of ambassadors. “And when you do? We’re having drinks. Big ones.”

I laugh and nod my agreement before I shift again, back to the room where I left Jackson and Gabriel.

My eyes go wide at the sight that greets me there.