The Pack - Shadow Games (6 page)

"Yes Miss Olivia?"

"My friends call me Liv."

*****

Back in the throne room, I watched from a
bench against the wall as the King and Calder talked in hushed
tones. I'd occasionally catch a word or two and from what I could
make out, they were talking about the various vampire lords in the
kingdom. The King was smiling as he patted Calder on the back and
walked towards me.

"You have done splendidly girl. Two different
lords moved against you and now I know who has turned traitor. Your
services are no longer required."

What did that mean?

"Does that mean I can go home?"

"Sure, why not," said the King as he waved a
hand in the air and turned towards Calder.

My heart lifted at the King's words, but a
moment later the blood in my veins ran cold as I heard hushed words
from the King in a language I couldn't understand. Calder's warning
from earlier ran through my head.

There are only a few reasons to mask a
language like you described and none of them are good.

I looked at Calder just as he turned to look
at me. Whatever the King had just said, it wasn't good.

Calder responded in the same confusing tongue
as the King and in moments they were arguing loudly. But the
argument stopped as soon as the King pushed Calder away and raised
a hand towards me. His hand closed and the collar around my neck
started to tighten.

No!

"Obey your King or I will find someone who
will!" yelled the King.

Calder dropped to a knee and bowed at the
King's feet. A moment later, the collar around my neck loosened and
air flooded back into my starved lungs.

"Calder? What's going on?"

Calder kept his head bowed while the King
spoke. "Go ahead First Fang. Tell the human what is about to
happen. Tell her what you're going to do to her."

In a quiet voice, Calder told me. "I've been
ordered to take you to the gardens and remove your collar."

Something's wrong. Why is he acting like this
is bad news?

"So what is wrong?"

"Go on, tell her Calder. Tell her what that
really means," said the King.

"The collar does more than you know. It
protects you from this world. Without it, Thiea would flood you
with its magic and you would shift permanently. You would fade away
and become a beast."

The horror of his words sunk into me. I'd
wanted to become a wolf my entire life, but not like this. "Please
Calder. Don't do it."

"I'm sorry Miss Olivia," he said as he
grabbed my arm.

"Please Calder! Don't do this! I'll be like
Aoife! Don't make me like her!"

His grip on my arm loosened for a moment, but
the King coughed behind us and Calder pulled me to my feet. My
ankle burned as I stood but the pain didn't matter much
anymore.

"Don't worry so much my girl," said the King,
"In a few days time, you won't remember any of this. You'll be
happy because you won't know any better, I'll be happy because I'll
have a werewolf in my private zoo, and Calder will be able to visit
you any time he wants so I imagine he'll be happy too. Isn't that
right Calder?"

"Yes Sire," he said as he pulled me towards
the doors.

"Ohh and Calder. When you are done in the
gardens, take a group and go visit Earth. I want you to raze Black
Bear to the ground. Too many wolves know of the Blood Rite now. Fix
the problem."

"Noooo!" I screamed. I fought against
Calder's grip but his hand was like a vise.

Calder turned back to face the King. "My
King, I swore that no harm would come to Olivia's friends if she
came peacefully. We've rooted out the traitors. None of this is
necessary!"

"I don't care what you promised the girl.
I've given you an order. Obey it!"

Calder's hand loosened as he squared his
body. "No."

The King looked shocked. "What did you
say?"

Calder turned his head and whispered, "Get
ready to run. I'm sorry Liv."

But before Calder could turn back around, I
was lifted off of the floor with a startled scream as the collar
pulled me skyward. I held on tightly to the metal ring as the King
shook his outstretched hand back and forth, dragging me through the
air like a rag doll.

"You forget that I can hear her thoughts boy!
But you're in luck. I've changed my mind. I think I'm just going to
kill your new friend instead. I can always get a werewolf from
Black Bear for my gardens."

The King's hand closed and the collar choked
me again. With darkness clawing at the corners of my vision and the
sound of my own blood thundering in my ears, I watched Calder
charge the King with his sword drawn.

The King dodged Calder's wild swings with
ease before knocking the sword from his hand and striking out at
Calder's chest with his spear-like fingers. The chest plate Calder
wore seemed to stop the blow for a moment, but only a moment. The
King's fingers sank through the metal and into Calder's chest as
the younger vampire screamed in pain.

My body convulsed as I tried desperately to
breathe. My head pounded but through the pain, a single thought
formed as the darkness threatened to overwhelm me. I saw the
vampires from earlier stare in shock at my appearance. The
distraction that saved Calder's life.

I filled my head with the thought of train
whistles and car alarms. Fire drills from when I was a child and
the sound of nails on a chalkboard. The King's hand slapped against
his head and I fell from the air. I tasted blood as I struggled to
smile. As my lungs filled with air and my mind cleared, I continued
the mental assault.

"Now Calder!" I yelled as I filled my
thoughts with car crashes and honking horns.

With a strike to the King's elbow, Calder
freed himself and slid across the floor to pick up his sword. The
King held out a hand to stop him, but instead of thwarting the
strike, the sharp sword took the hand clean off.

My mind went blank as I watched Calder strike
with brutal efficiency. The King regained his senses but it was
already too late. Calder's sword took the King's other arm off at
the shoulder and with a backswing, the older vampire fell to the
ground, missing his left leg below the knee.

The King was screaming and Calder was calling
to me while I stared dumbfounded at the carnage in front of me.
Body parts littered the floor and Calder leaked blood from five
jagged wounds in his chest. He was holding out his hand and trying
to wave me over.

"Liv! Come here!"

I moved slowly to his side and looked down at
the broken King at my feet. He was pushing himself away from us
with his one good leg while leaving a bloodied smear across the
otherwise spotless floor.

Calder pressed his sword into my hand but I
didn't close my fingers around the hilt.

"You have to kill him Liv. It has to be
you."

I stared at him with wide eyes. "What are you
talking about? Why can't you do it? I can't kill someone!"

"You are bound to him! If you kill him or he
kills you, the other lives! We don't have much time Olivia. Kill
him now and I will keep you safe."

"I can't! Damn it I can't do this!"

"This is the way of our world. It is bloody
but it has to be done!" Calder took me by the arm and pulled me
over to the King. He planted a boot against his neck and pressed
the sword back into my hands. But he didn't let go. Instead, he
wrapped his fingers around my hands and held me tightly.

"Close your eyes Liv."

I shut them tight and with a sudden jerk,
Calder pulled my hands downward. I heard a choked gasp below me,
and then Calder let go of my hands. I stepped back and the sword
slipped from my fingers. When I opened my eyes, I saw the silver
weapon standing upright, buried halfway to the hilt in the chest of
the King. It was over.

I could hear distant screaming and banging
against the large wooden doors of the throne room. Calder pulled me
up and looked into my eyes.

"Olivia, I need you to trust me right now. Do
you trust me?"

I nodded, unable to form words.

Calder took my hand and turned it palm up
before taking one of his pointed nails and pricking each of my
fingers until a bead of blood formed on each. He repeated the
strange ritual on his own hand, then pressed our bleeding fingers
together. It felt like my fingers were on fire as he held our hands
together.

Calder closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"By the grace of Thiea, I pledge myself to you." He opened his
eyes. "Now you Olivia. Say the same words."

Calder's eyes filled with fear as I stared at
our hands, then the bloodied King, then back at the door. What was
I doing?

"Now Liv! Say the words!"

"By the grace of Thiea, I pledge myself to
you," I said.

Warmth spread through my hand then down my
arm before engulfing my entire body. The feeling burned away my
worry and filled my head with nothing but happy thoughts. I had
only the vaguest sense of Calder pulling me along towards the empty
throne as blissful waves rolled over me.

The doors opened and a dozen armed men burst
in. They all wore the same uniform as Calder, and each was armed.
They formed a semi circle around the throne as Calder slowly sat
down. I stood by his side as he spoke to the gathered guards.

"I am Calder, son of Orman. Hear my words and
obey your new King!"

The gathered guards dropped to their knees
and bowed their heads.

"Clear the throne room," he said with a
commanding voice. He pointed towards the remains of the old king,
"And dispose of that."

Without a word, the guards mobilized and did
as Calder asked. I watched with idle curiosity and a dopey smile on
my face. I didn't care what was going on right now. Whatever Calder
had done with his little finger jabs had filled me with glee.

As the guards left and the doors closed,
Calder sagged against the throne and held my hand.

"So what was all that?" I asked with a smile
on my face.

"We are safe for now. I'm sorry for
everything Olivia."

"Sorry for what?" I asked as I swayed back
and forth. I felt so good right now.

"For tricking you."

"That's okay Calder..."

He looked at me and grabbed me by the chin. I
tried to focus on his face as he pulled me close, but Calder kept
splitting into multiple images. I laughed and pressed a finger
against his nose. "Boop!"

Calder sighed and pulled away. "You're drunk
on magic. Do you even know what just happened?"

I shook my head from side to side. Pleased
with the head rush the sudden movement caused, I did it again and
giggled.

"It was the only way I could keep us safe.
When you killed the King, you became Queen. I need you to
understand that. We are married now."

I closed my eyes and nodded. "That's fine.
Fine fine fine. Are you hungry?"

"Olivia! Listen to me. We are married. It was
the only way to keep us safe. Do you understand?"

My happy mood was wearing off. Something was
gnawing at my thoughts. A name flitted in and out of my head as I
stared at the handsome vampire in front of me. I ran my hands
through his hair and gawked at the lightshow that followed.

Who is Sam?

My head started to pound. Calder was still
talking but only a few of his words made any sense.

I love Sam.

"Olivia! I need you to listen! We are
married. Please say something!"

My eyes focused and I stared at Calder,
comprehending his words for the first time since I'd spoken that
strange promise earlier.

We are married.

I looked at my finger tips and studied the
small holes in each of them before I looked back at Calder. "What
did you say?"

He smiled slowly and held my hand as he
spoke. "It was the only way to keep us safe. I'm sorry Olivia, but
we are married now. You are a Queen."

Ohh no.