Chapter 215

Karmen came out, dressed in a shirtwaist dress garment with short sleeves, a modest neckline, and a skirt that fell below the knee. The bust was rounded but not particularly emphasized, and the waistline was belted. The shirt dress had decorative pockets and buttons down the front of the dress. 

“With the jacket or without?” Karmen asked, holding out a coat that coordinates the dress that was made out of contrasting fabric but lined with the dress fabric. The jacket was boxy fashioned and had wide lapels, wide shoulders, and numerous pockets.

“The speed we will be going at might be a bit chilly so with the jacket,” Phoebe said, wondering why a woman that stays in the middle of nowhere would have the need for a two-piece, ‘her dress, yes, but the jacket?’

“Did your guardian take you out often?” Phoebe asked.

“We went to the Dinner in town on Sundays after church,” Karmen said.

“Church?” Phoebe asked, wondering why supernaturals will want to go to church.

“Yes, church,” Karmen said.

“I take it you already packed a suitcase?” Phoebe asked.

“Nope. I am only going to meet my family and then you will bring me back here,” Karmen said.

“So, your guardian will come back here?” Phoebe asked, hopefully, as she knew Gabriella won’t be happy with the little information she had.

“No, he said we will never see each other again,” Karmen said, sounding sad.

“So, after bringing you up for twenty years he is just leaving you?” Phoebe asked, half angry.

“Why are you so angry about it? You are not the one that lost a father figure,” Karmen asked with a frown, confused at Phoebe’s tone.

“Why didn’t he return you to the higher council sooner? Your father and the whole pack have been searching for you for many years,” Phoebe said.

“I don’t know. Every time I asked, he just told me that I am better off here,” Karmen said, slipping on shoes with a little of height.

“And now it is?” Phoebe laughed in disbelief.

“No, I don’t think it is. He looked worried but said he knows that nothing will stop me,” Karmen said. “I had a choice: leave with him or meet my family and never see him again,” Karmen said.

“So, it was more your choice than his,” Phoebe pointed out.

“I guess. Can we go now?” Karmen asked, no longer wanting to talk about it, walking out of her house.

Phoebe followed her outside and waited for her to lock up.

“Promise me that you will bring me back here when I ask you to,” Karmen requested.

“I promise I will bring you back here when you ask me to,” Phoebe promised with a reassuring smile.

“Promise you won’t tell my family about this place,” Karmen requested again.

“I can promise you, but I am fated to one of the royal brothers, one of your uncles, and the moment he is in my head he will know and so will the King and Queen, your grandparents,” Phoebe said.

“Is there not a way for you to block yourself from him?” Karmen asked.

“Yes, but fear automatically opens our minds to each other,” Phoebe explained.

“Then don’t get scared,” Karmen said, with a small smile. “I am ready,” she said.

Phoebe picked her up, and before long, they arrived at the castle. “I didn’t think I was going to be back so soon,” she laughed as they walked up to the castle doors.

“Why didn’t you let me know you found another one? We could have prepared,” Prince Mano said, looking at Karmen, wondering whose daughter she was, knowing she was family as she had his mother’s eyes.

“I told you before, I want to un-mate,” Phoebe reminded him as they walked into the dining hall where everyone was having dinner.

“Smells good in here,” Karmen remarked.

“Please tell me she is my daughter,” Prince Kurt said, standing up, followed by the rest of the royal werewolf table.

“Yip,” Phoebe said, smiling, mirroring Prince Kurt’s big smile.

“Granddaughter,” Queen Lana stepped in before Prince Kurt could embrace her.

“On to the next shining new granddaughter,” Jeanette said under her breath, hooking her arm into Phoebe’s and walking her out of the dining hall. “Get me out of here,” Jeanette pleaded.

“So soon?” Phoebe laughsed.

“The queen is up to something.  She insists I un-mate with Mateo but at the same time, she insists he should come to the council. Actually, she already ordered it, but he refuses,” Jeanette said, worry in her voice.

“If the King and Queen summon us, we don’t have much choice. If he does not come, it will be a reason for them to call him a traitor and have him killed. They had AEmily’s whole family and friends slaughtered because Prince Deacon disobeyed them,” Phoebe explained.

“I will rather be on the run than her have Mateo killed,” Jeanette said.

“I take it you have fallen hard for him?” Phoebe said with a smile.

“At the end of the day, it seems that you are the only one that ends up finding us by chance, so what are the chances that they will find us if we go on the run?” Jeanette asked.

“So, Mateo is just going to give his pack up and run off with you into the sunset?” Phoebe asked as they walk into the garden.

“We can go to Poland, Germany just invaded and, well, my guess is that it will initiate World War II in Europe,” Jeanette said.

“Why the hell do you want to go to a country that is at war, and how do you even know this?” Phoebe asked with a frown on her face as they walked through the sunroom.

“Mateo knows everything about everything, and he knew Germany was going to invade Poland. He kind of was part of the plan,” Jeanette said.

“What? Why?” Phoebe asked, more questions building up.

“It is a known fact that the supernatural tries to avoid human wars at all costs. I know how to survive a war, and so does Mateo. We have been doing it for the past three years in Spain,” Jeanette reminded her.

“A civil war is not the same as a world war, Jeanette,” Phoebe said, opening the door to the garden.

“Mateo and the pack are already on their way to Poland. Please, just take me,” Jeanette pleaded.

“You know, the moment I link with Prince Mano again, his parents will know where to find you and besides, you just met your father and Prince Kurt will be heartbroken,” Phoebe explained.

“I wrote him a letter and left it in his room under his pillow,” Jeanette said.

“Jeanette, I can not leave Karmen here. I made her a promise. If I leave here tonight, stealing you away and they realize it was me that helped you, I won’t be able to return for Karmen,” Phoebe explained.

“Does she have a fated mate in danger?” Jeanette asked, stubbornly.

“No, but she does not plan to stay,” Phoebe said.

“But won't they see where you take her?” Jeanette asked.

“They will so I am still figuring that one out and I just hope that Queen Lana does not use her authority to will herself into my mind before I found a way to hide my bloody secrets,” Phoebe said, walking down the path of the garden with Jeanette's arm still interlocked in hers.

“Stay for the night. I will find out what my enchantress friend can do for me,” Phoebe said.

“Just force Prince Mano to un-mate. It is not as if you are into men,” Jeanette reminded her.

“If I do it before knowing how to protect my mind from the King and Queen, they will know something is up,” Phoebe said.

“Fine. I have to go retrieve my letter from my father’s room before he finds it,” Jeanette said before rushing off.

‘Princess Freda, are you near Gabriella?’ Phoebe mind linked Princess Freda.

‘No, she and your grandmother are busy practicing some spells; your grandmother being the test subject.’ Princess Freda mind linked her back.

‘Please find out if she knows any spell that can help me hide things in my mind from others, like Queen Lana and my fated mate,’ Phoebe mind linked before walking towards the castle’s sunroom.

‘She can. I already have such a spell over my mind. I show people what I want them to see.’ Princess Freda mind linked her back.

‘Great, thanks for letting me in on it only now,’ Phoebe mind linked sarcastically.

‘No need for sarcasm,’ Princess Freda mind linked, rolling her eyes.

‘Can you bring her to meet me halfway? It will cut the 4-day trip in half. I don’t want to leave the two red-heads here alone for too long,’ Phoebe mind linked.

‘Ok, will send you the location soon,’ Princess Freda mind linked.

Later that evening, Phoebe checked in with Karmen, “Everything still, ok?” Phoebe asked, standing at the bedroom door, looking in at Karmen sitting on the bed.

“Can you believe they have kept this room and updated according to my age? In the hope of my return?” Karmen said, smiling.

“Yeah, I know, I grew up here,” Phoebe said.

“I wonder how my guardian knew that my name was Karmen,” Karmen said, looking at an engraved musical box.

“Perhaps your baby blanket had your name on it,” Phoebe suggested, even though she thought it was because Karmen’s guardian was a were-raven.

“I know I should not get attached, but I can not help myself. My father seems like such a great person,” Karmen said.

“He is, when he wants to be,” Phoebe said, smiling.

“I don’t want to stay longer than a week; don’t want to get too attached,” Karmen said.

“Ok. I will be gone for a few days but will see you before the week is over,” Phoebe said, turning to leave.

“Where are you going?” Karmen stopped her in her tracks with a question.

“To meet a friend, but I promise, I will be back before the week is over.  Whatever you do, don’t let anyone into your head.  Even though parents are linked to their children naturally, Prince Kurt won’t be able to mind link with you because the natural bond was broken for such a long time,” Phoebe warned her.

“Ok, see you soon,” Karmen said, falling back onto her bed, admiring the flower detail on the ceiling.

Phoebe sniffed Jeanette out and knocked on her bedroom door. “Can I come in?”