I took a deep breath and squeezed Aunt Maddie's small hand in mine.
We were currently waiting in front of the council room I had been in yesterday. Today, though, we'd only be speaking with the royal family.
Everything she had confessed to me last night was still reeling in my head and I wasn't sure how much more I could take. Judging by Aunt Maddie's silence this morning at breakfast, she had a lot more to tell. I glanced over at her and saw that her eyes were already on me. She bore a worried look on her face.
"Indigo, please try to understand the things I tell you in there. They won't all be easy to hear, and it will be a lot to take in. I want to apologize to you now for not telling you sooner. You've been ready a long time, it was me who was scared."
She grasped my hand tighter as Aislinn appeared to open the door for us. She gave us an apprehensive look before opening the door wide enough for us both to slip through.
The atmosphere of the room was much more relaxed than yesterday; as the large platform had been pushed back against the wall and in its place were two large sofas with a dark, wooden coffee table between them. On the table sat two cups of steaming tea.
King Ruben was seated in the middle of the larger sofa, with Queen Stella by his side. Von was on the edge of his seat, and Valen was behind them pacing back and forth. Aunt Maddie and I sat ourselves across from them and King Ruben gave us a friendly smile.
"Good morning, you two. I hope your talk last evening was enlightening."
"It was, thank you your majesty," I replied to him. He gestured to the cups on the table.
"We had the kitchen brew these up for you two. They help to ease a troubled heart."
I picked up the cup in front of me and inhaled it's strong scent. It was spicy, but also fruity at the same time. Nothing like any other tea I had ever smelled before. I took a tentative sip. To my surprise, it was delicious. Aunt Maddie was more cautious than I. She raised an eyebrow.
"What's in it?"
I was shocked at her brash question. I gave her a wide-eyed warning stare, but King Ruben just chuckled. Something in the tone of his voice, made me feel a little off and warning bells chimed in my head.
"You're more perceptive than I gave you credit for, Maddie," he told her.
"You're right. It's a special blend, created here in DarkBlood and only used in special occasions. Like today, for instance."
My heart began to race and my head began to feel cloudy. My body was hot as the blood rushed through my system. I clutched at my head in discomfort.
"I apologize for the unpleasant effects the tea can have on one's body," he continued while looking at me.
"It's a worthy side-effect though, to guarantee we know the truth."
My eyes met his in horror. He'd drugged me? No wonder there were only cups for the two of us. Aunt Maddie let out a breathy growl.
"I told you I'd tell you what you wanted to know, there was no need for truth serum. Indigo certainly didn't need it. This'll be the first time she's hearing of this as well."
She pressed her lips into a hard scowl. King Ruben narrowed his eyes at her.
"Regardless, I'm not taking my chances. Drink," he commanded while gesturing toward her cup again.
She raised her lip at him and I was worried for a moment that he would retaliate, but she slowly brought the cup to her lips and took a small sip. She grimaced as the effects hit her as well.
"You don't have to drink much for it to work," King Ruben explained.
"So that will be plenty for now. We'll give you both the antidote when this conversation is over."
He nodded his head toward Aislinn, who went and locked the door. I bristled at the action. I thought he trusted me.
He stared deep into Aunt Maddie's eyes again.
"So then, let's begin. Start from the beginning. I want to know it all." I could see the gears turning in Aunt Maddie's head. She was struggling to answer.
"Be more specific," she panted. "I need a starting point."
"Let's start with Indigo's parents."
Aunt Maddie closed her eyes before relaying the same story she had told me last night. By the end, silent tears were rolling down my face. King Ruben rubbed his strong chin while he thought for a moment.
"Is this all you know of them, Indigo?"
I nodded my head at him. He pursed his lips and swore under his breath, clearly as disgusted with my father as I was.
I looked at Valen and Von. Their faces held identical expressions of surprise and disgust. King Ruben looked at Aunt Maddie once again.
"Tell me about Indigo's powers."
Her breathing hitched. She knew she had to come clean about them today, but I could see the internal war that was raging inside of her. She locked her eyes with mine for a moment before beginning.
"For as long as it has been known, the Murray family bloodline have been direct links to Selene, the Moon Goddess herself."
Gasps were heard all throughout the room, and my jaw dropped. She continued.
"Every generation, one daughter in the bloodline is chosen. The one who possesses violet eyes," she gestured at me, "is Selene's Earthly warrior. She is here to bring balance. There have been times where powers never emerged for some, because the light and the dark were at peace. For many generations before my mother, there was never a need. It was when my mother was born that the world was thrown back into chaos. She fought for Selene valiantly, directing her will wherever she was needed. She perished in battle, shortly after my sister and I were born."
A dark look crossed over Aunt Maddie's face.
"These powers consist of elemental manipulation. Once Indigo finds her mate and unlocks her full potential, she'll be able to call forth on her powers whether she's in wolf form or not. She'll be able to control the air, weather, earth, and fire. The fact that her powers have emerged in her so young is worrisome. It means the energies are shifting and Selene is beginning to prepare her for war. She will receive messages in her dreams as the time grows closer."
I could feel my face paling and my hands began to shake violently. The room was so silent you could here a pin drop. I started counting to myself in my head, one.. two.. three, but I couldn't stave off the panic. My breathing accelerated as I began to hyperventilate.
I sprung up from the sofa, sloshing tea all over the floor and began pacing back and forth. I was pulling at my hair as I desperately tried to understand what Aunt Maddie had just said.
I was a direct link to the Moon Goddess? How is that even possible? If that were true, why was I treated so badly all of my life? Did my father ever know? What was going to happen now?
The questions kept running circles in my mind until I felt a pair of strong hands grip my arms to stop me from pacing.
I looked up to see Valen, the concern evident on his face. He brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
"Are you okay?" I began to shake and tears began to fall, hot and heavy down my face.
"No," my voice cracked.
"I'm not okay at all. Maybe I'm going into shock? I just don't understand. How could I be the Moon Goddess's warrior? I was nothing back in my old pack. I'm barely anything here. I'm not brave, confident, or noble. There's no way I can do this."
Panic siezed my heart once again. Von was up in a flash, standing behind me and rubbing soothing circles into my back.
"Indigo, that's not true at all," Von said in a strained voice. Valen nodded in agreement.
"You are incredibly brave. Going to check out the suspicious wolves on your own? It may have been a little stupid at the time, but it was a brave thing to do. You wanted to protect your pack. You wanted to protect us." I looked up into his eyes as the tears began to slow.
"And," Valen continued. "You're the best warrior I've ever seen. You're more noble than half of the force. For Goddess sake you tried to help Celia up after you kicked her ass, even when you suspected our history. There's no one more fit for this, than you."
The warm pad of his thumb wiped the remaining tears from under my eyes. I gave them both a small smile.
"Thank you. I can always count on you two to bring me back from the ledge."
Valen intertwined his fingers with mine and led me back to the sofa, where they both seated themselves beside me. It was comforting to have them both so close. I looked to Aunt Maddie.
"I understand why you didn't tell me. With my mother's fate, you were scared. I get it." She let out a sigh of relief and pulled me into her arms.
"One more question," King Ruben said. Aunt Maddie nodded at him to continue.
"The prophecy my sons told me about. It mentioned a mate. I'm assuming the prophecy is about Indigo, correct?" Aunt Maddie nodded her head once more.
"It was written long before my mother was born, and she was the first of the two with violet eyes to perish. Indigo is the third born into an unsteady world since it was written. It's only right to assume that." King Ruben rubbed his chin again.
"What does her mate have to do with anything?"
"Her mate will help her bring balance back to this world. He will keep her grounded and keep her from straying too far into the dark. Just because she's a direct link, does not mean there are not forces out there that are waiting in the shadows to sway her direction. Once Indigo has completed whatever it is Selene needs of her, a child will be born that will forever change the world."
The room was silent once more. I glanced over at Aislinn who had a hand over her mouth and tears streaking her cheeks. I wished I could comfort her.
"Do you truly think one of my sons is her mate?" He asked Aunt Maddie, seriousness laced in his voice.
"I do," she replied firmly.
King Ruben nodded at her, before gesturing at Aislinn. "Please bring the antidote in for Maddie and Indigo."
"Right away, your majesty."
Aislinn returned quickly with two vials filled with golden liquid. I raised an eyebrow at her.
"I promise you won't have any side effects this time," she told me while not quite meeting my eyes.
That's when it dawned on me. I sprung up again and whirled on Valen and Von.
"You all knew he was going to drug us?" I asked in disbelief.
None of them could look me in the eye. Instead, they stared at the floor. I scoffed.
"I can understand King Ruben not totally trusting me or Aunt Maddie, but you three? You know me in and out, better than anyone has ever known me before. You couldn't have warned me? Or done something to change his mind?" Valen opened his mouth to speak, but Von beat him to it.
"Indigo, it was a royal order. We don't like it anymore than you, but we couldn't just disobey.." he trailed off as he saw the anger inside me building.
The weather outside had changed from sunny to stormy in an instant. Rain began to pelt the windows and thunder rumbled through the sky, shaking the castle walls.
"Calm down, sweetie," Aunt Maddie tried to tell me as she put a hand on my arm. I shrugged her off.
"I can't believe you three," I spat. Sienna was pacing in my mind now, hurt just as I was.
"Enough," King Ruben boomed.
I turned and snarled at him; Sienna's hackles raised. He growled back, low and menacing. It was laced with authority and an underlying threat, telling me to back down now.
Lightning struck just outside of our room.
"Permission to go run," I ground out to King Ruben.
He studied my shaking frame for a moment, before his agitated stance softened and he nodded.
"Permission granted."
I tore out of the room and down the hallways, breaking open the entrance doors. I sprinted to the edge of the forest and didn't stop to change before I shifted, tearing apart the fabric of my clothes. I could hear my name being called, but I didn't turn to look back.
I had to get out of there before I lost control.
Author's Note:
Whew, lots of questions answered in this chapter, but even more to come I promise!
What do you think of what King Ruben did? Was he right in drugging them? Did Indigo overreact when she learned that the people she cared about most knew what was going to happen? Do you think she'll be able to forgive them before war breaks out?
Don't forget to vote and comment!
Xoxo,
CrimsynIris