Chapter 173: Defense and Not

Nimue took a deep calming breath as Basil let out a mournful sob. The air began to warm slowly around them as the path between their world and the afterlife closed. She should have known when her first evocation yielded nothing that Olivia was going to be another troublesome spirit.
She hoped Basil would be able to recover and accept the truth in time.
“No… mother…” Nimue’s heart twisted with grief as she calmed her powers and Basil’s hand tightened on her ankle. “Why? She… She lifted it.”
“She was prepared to sacrifice you,” she said solemnly.
“She lifted the curse, Nimue! You didn’t have to!”
Nimue looked down at him, “She only did so to save her existence, Basil. That was the test. It wasn’t about remorse towards what she’d done to your father… it was about what she did to you.”
His eyes welled with tears as she set her staff aside, allowing it to hover in the air.
“She was never your mother.”
She kneeled beside Basil, placing a glowing hand near the dagger in his chest as he fell unconscious with tears still streaming down his cheeks. She felt terrible, but she was bound by the rules of the spirits and they had seen no true remorse in Olivia. It happened fairly often that spirits are so corrupted by their obsessions and desires while they were alive that their souls were corrupted.
Hopefully, when her soul was recombined with other lost souls in the void, she would be a better person.
Laurel couldn’t believe her eyes. Adolph’s face was just as shocked, but he seemed better. Maybe he looked a little tired, but the strain that she’d been seeing in him wasn’t there. The hazy darkness that colored the bloody undercurrent of his scent was gone. The curse was gone.
“Adolph, you—”
She gasped as a sharp pain went through her and the folds of her gown grew wet and warm as the water ran down her leg.
Adolph stiffened and he looked at her.
“The… baby.”
Adolph staggered to his feet as the white vanished around them and his sister rushed into the temple followed by several others with a cot. The night had come though it had been the early afternoon when they had started the séance.
Laurel stumbled and allowed them to get her onto the cot as the barrier around her faded.
Adolph hurried over to them and reached for an end of the cot. His sister stopped him.
“Stay with your son,” she said, meeting his gaze with glowing moonlight eyes. She smiled. “Your love will be fine, dear wolf. I am glad you are free.”
Adolph felt the request like an order from the goddess. Despite that, he hesitated before dropping his head and letting someone else grab the last end of the cot and pick her up.
“Please… take care of her.”
He took in a shuddering breath and watched them leave before turning back to where Nimue was working on Basil. He was still, a shallow pool of blood had spread around him. Light danced around the blade. It was a standard-issue dagger for recruits, just long enough to puncture a vampire or werewolf’s heart if necessary.
He slipped into his pants and came to kneel beside him, watching her work quietly. He had never seen a Wiccan heal anyone, but that wasn’t what was pressing on his mind.
There was something in the way she moved around Basil. There was a warmth in her tone and treatment. She stroked his hair gently, shaking her head with something like fondness in her eyes.
“He’ll be in pain when he wakes,” Nimue said softly. “It shouldn’t be long before he wakes. I just have to—”
“Do you love my son?”
Nimue’s head shot up to meet his gaze, wide and shocked. Their gazes met for a moment before her lips twitched. Her eyes seemed far too old for her face.
“I am… fated,” Nimue said, “Though perhaps one day it could be love.”
Adolph sat back, dumbfounded. His mate was his reincarnated former daughter-in-law. His son’s mate was a Wiccan with the power to heal and summon dead spirits.
The Raymond line had always been blessed, but he was beginning to wonder if there wasn’t also some sort of curse running through the line.
He sneered at the thought of a curse. He had meant every word he’d said to Olivia. He’d make sure she was remembered as nothing more than a traitor then not at all. He’d scrub every trace of her he could out of his life.
Basil let out a loud groan as the blade finally slipped free of his chest. He was still pale, but he opened his eyes as waves of golden light drifted over him.
“What…I…” He flinched, “Nimue, you--!”
“Don’t you ever do something so stupid again!” Nimue said, “Reckless, foolish, rushing in when you know nothing about the magic of spirits! What if I couldn’t have healed you?”
“Then the curse would have been broken, and—”
“Don’t be stupid!” Nimue cried. “If you died, your father—”
“What did you do to my mother’s soul?” Basil asked, his voice cold and biting as he glared at her.
Nimue lifted her head, “I let her be judged.”
“Liar!” Basil said, “My mother—”
“Anchored a curse in you,” Adolph said. Basil shut his mouth and looked up at him. His blue eyes were hazy and wet. He looked so young and vulnerable, but he needed to accept the truth of the matter.
He thought of the portrait that hung in the portrait hall of lunas of Olivia and decided he would give it to Basil and let him decide what he wanted to do with it. So long as Adolph never had to see it again, that would be enough for him.
“I understand that this is hard to accept,” Adolph said. “I can even understand you being upset with me, but Nimue saved your life and mine. You have no right or reason to be upset with her.”
“But—But she—”
“Olivia was willing to let you die for her grudge against me,” Adolph shuddered at the thought. “She was willing to die for her obsession and she did. No matter how horrible that truth is, it is true…”
Adolph sighed, “Had I known a decision I made years ago would come to put so many people in danger like this, I would have simply let the throne go to Raven and Henry.”
Basil’s eyes watered. His jaw trembled, and he tried to sit up. Adolph placed a hand to his chest.
“Stay here with Nimue,” he said. “She will… probably let you know when you’re good to move again.”
Nimue nodded and Adolph looked at him, “You have my blessing… and my gratitude, Nimue. I will send someone out to attend you.”
Nimue’s eyes widened as Adolph stood. He smiled at her.
“I am not the man my ancestors were,” Adolph said and turned, “I simply want him to be happy, and I owe you my life. I’m sure the life of my son is equivalent.”
Her lips twitched, “Your life is already forfeit. You can’t bargain with it anyway.”
He chuckled, “That is true.”
He left the temple and headed back to the castle, slipping into the tattered remains of his shirt and putting his sword back on his belt.
As he walked down the stairs, he sighed.
If he never faced another ghost or evil spirit in his life, it would be too soon. He hustled into the castle and up the stairs towards the birthing room on their floor.
“Your Majesty?” Chasel called from down the hall. He hurried towards him and Adolph smiled at him. “Are you… I mean…”
“I am fine, Chasel,” Adolph said, “Perhaps now, we might have enough peace that you will find a mate.”
Chasel chuckled, “Sure. Maybe. I assume you’re headed up to see the luna?”
He nodded shakily, “Have you… heard anything?”
Chasel scoffed, “Lily is beside herself with excitement and worry in even turns. She’s been babbling nonsensically since she was brought it. I didn’t stick around to try and decipher it through the door.”
He nodded towards the stairs, “Though it seemed to be going just fine.”
Adolph nodded, thanking him and heading towards the stairs. It felt as if he was saying a prayer with each step.
He should have never agreed to let Laurel come to the séance. What had Olivia done to her? Had it hurt the baby? Would they be alright? Had the barrier protected her completely?
What if it hadn’t?
He reached the door and took a deep breath. There were no screams of agony. He didn’t hear much of anything as if there was no one inside.
The door opened suddenly and his sister smiled up at him. She shook her head with a little wry smile.
“Are you coming in or not?”
Adolph nodded and straightened his spine.