Chapter 219

Phoebe set off right away to go get Karmen before anyone realized what was going on but when she got back to the castle Prince Mano intersected her again, “out for a night walk in the garden?”

“Yes, need some fresh air,” Phoebe lied, laughing nervously.

“You said you will be quick this afternoon, but then I didn’t see you again until dinner,” Prince Mano reminded her.

“Let’s go talk in your room,” Phoebe said, having an idea as to how she can at least save Prince Mano, not caring what her grandmother said about him.

Inside his room, she immediately started to kiss him, but he pulled her off him. “what are you doing?”

Phoebe ripped his shirt open, making the buttons fly. ‘Great he is not wearing a shaman neckless,’ she thought, relieved.

“Go outside, block your mind from everyone, and shift into your wolf form. Run until you can’t run no more, and where you rest, stay for five sunsets before returning,” Phoebe compelled him.

Prince Mano looked confused at her for a moment before doing as he was compelled.

‘Hopefully by tomorrow morning when they realize that Jeanette, Karmen, Prince Mano, and I are gone the King and Queen will send their sons after us to rescue us or something,’ Phoebe thought, sighing with relief before leaving Prince Mano’s room.  Phoebe sneaked past the sleeping guards outside Karmen’s bedroom, into her room.

“There are guards outside,” Karmen whispered.

“I know,” Phoebe whispered back, walking over to the doors that open to a balcony. Karmen followed her.

Phoebe picked her up, “Brace yourself and hold on.” Phoebe leaped off the balcony and started running immediately. 

“Promise me you will never return to the higher council,” Phoebe pleaded when they arrive at Karmen’s home.

“Why?” Karmen asked.

“Because they will just marry you off or use you to make babies; they don’t really love you,” Phoebe said, hoping it will hurt her enough to keep her away, as the last thing she wanted is for her to return to the castle and find her family dead.

“My father loves me,” Karmen protested.

“He is ruled by the King and Queen,” Phoebe warned her.

“Will you come to visit me?” Karmen asked.

“I don’t know, I hope so, but promise me that you will find someone to spend the rest of your life with.  Make some babies and forget about the higher council,” Phoebe asked her before embracing her.

“I don’t make promises I cannot keep, but I will do my best,” Karmen said, smiling.

Phoebe went straight to the house that was near the higher council where she last saw her grandmother and Gabriella and was relieved to see them still there.

“Don’t look so relieved. We are still waiting for a few members of our little army and Princess Freda,” Queen Zuberi said, smiling.

“What is the plan?” Phoebe asked, wondering how they are going to take on a hundred supernatural.

“We are going to set the werewolf free, and he will rip the vampires apart. One bite from him is deadly for a vampire unless it is a natural-born vampire, like us,” Queen Zuberi said.

“They can just compel him. Perhaps he is already compelled. How else do they keep him locked up?” Phoebe asked.

“You cannot compel a Werewolf like you can a Lycan. Silver weakens them, and from what the raven told us, he is being held down with silver restraints,” Queen Zuberi informed her.

“I thought were-ravens were on the side of the Lycans and that the original werewolves are the cause of the were-ravens going extinct, so why is it helping its enemy?” Phoebe questioned.

“It is not helping the werewolf. The were-raven was just warning us about the original werewolf, not knowing that we are going to set it free,” Queen Zuberi said.

“Are you sure? I thought they can tell the future,” Phoebe said.

“They can only tell the future if it is going to have a direct impact on them,” Queen Zuberi explained.

“So, setting the original werewolf free whom you believe is King Maken’s brother from another mother, free is not having a direct impact on the were-raven’s future so I guess it won’t be the end of the world then,” Phoebe said, relieved.

“Correct, now rest your pretty head as I need you to have full strength and awareness,” Queen Zuberi ordered.

***

Phoebe woke up on the couch where she was sleeping, the sun shining through a gap in the curtain on her face. Phoebe stretched her body out before standing up. ‘Guess I will make some breakfast since I am the first one up,’ she thought, walking to the kitchen. After inspecting the cupboards and the fridge and finding nothing, she realized that they obviously do not plan to stay long as Gabriella needed to eat. Phoebe went to the bathroom to wash her face and hoped there was something to brush her teeth. After splashing some water on her face and brushing her teeth with her finger, she listened for a moment. ‘Something is not right,’ she thought. 

‘They tricked me,’ she realized when she opened the first bedroom door and found it empty.

“Gabriella? Grandma?” she called out, not expecting an answer.

Phoebe walked into another room and saw a note on the bedside table.

“My darling granddaughter, by the time you find this note, a week would have passed since I told you to sleep. If you are reading this, then it means our plan went wrong, and most likely we are either dead or locked up in the dungeons. Please don’t go to the council. If I am not able to kill them, then you won’t be able to either. Go live your life. Go find Michelle and live a happy life. I love you and you are all that is left of me, your father, and your mother,” Phoebe read the letter in a whisper, tears flowing down her face. Phoebe pressed the letter against her chest before sinking to the floor.

Phoebe does not know how long she was crying on the floor and when she could cry no more she got off the ground and walked back to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face again, “it is not over,” she said, looking at herself in the mirror, thinking that they might still be alive and if they are she will go find Emily to help her set them free.

Instead of speeding to the higher council, she took a slow walk, as the council was not that far. While walking to the council, she wondered how she will explain her absence for the past week and fearing the worst but hoping for the best. ‘if they are alive, I can still save them. I wished I believe in something so that I can pray right now for help.’

The first person she saw was Prince Mano. ‘Thank goodness he is still alive,’ Phoebe thought, watching him walking over to her.

“Phoebe, where have you been? Did you know that your real grandmother planned to attack the council? You must have known why else did you compel me to leave? Where are Jeanette and Karmen?” Prince Mano asked one question after the other, furiously.

“Where is my grandmother?” Phoebe asked in an urgent tone.

“Which one?” Queen Lana asked from behind her.

“Grandma! You are ok! Please tell me that bitch is dead!” Phoebe asked, pretending.

“She is. I killed her myself,” Queen Lana said, half surprised.

“I should have never left with her back then. All this time, she just used me. A week ago, she compelled me to compel Prince Mano. I woke up this morning in a strange house and immediately made my way over here,” Phoebe explained, holding back her anger and pain. ‘One day I will end you,’ Phoebe thought, embracing Queen Lana.

“Come, come inside, have something to drink,” Queen Lana said, walking Phoebe into the castle.

Phoebe realized that they were not on their way to the Lycan quarters. “Why are we going to the vampire wing?”

“You have been gone for a week, so my guess is that you have not eaten or drink anything and the only thing that is going to speed up your system is blood,” Queen Lana explained.

“I don’t drink blood,” Phoebe said, standing still, realizing she was walking into a trap.

Phoebe was about to speed off when Queen Lana grabbed her by her arm. Shysie stepped into the hallway and compelled Phoebe, “Don’t try to run, obey every king and queen.”

Phoebe grabbed her chest to feel for her shaman necklace, as her hymning was not working.

“Looking for this?” Queen Lana asked, holding the necklace.

Phoebe starts the hyming again, knowing it is close enough, and as long as nothing is between herself and the necklace, the hyming will still lift the compelling.

Queen Lana put the necklace in the pockets of her fitted, short sleeve dress coat, but Phoebe had already managed to set herself free. ‘I just have to pretend for now,’ she willed herself, silently waiting for the next demand.

“Come, follow me,” Queen Lana said and Phoebe followed. Phoebe realized that they were making their way to the dungeons and were burning to ask about her real grandmother. She looked over her shoulder at Prince Mano and realizes that the only reason he wanted to stay mated to her was to have access to her mind, ‘my grandmother was right, I should have listened.’

“Grandma, what is going on?” Phoebe asked instead.

“Stop pretending. I know that you were in on the plan and that you knew all along that your actual grandmother is planning revenge for your father. We saw it in Prince Mano’s mind but chose to keep silent and be ready,” Queen Lana informed her.

Phoebe wanted to rip her throat out but instead bit her tongue.

“Cat caught your tongue?” Queen Lana teased.

“Your day will come,” Phoebe said hatefully.

“Maybe, but yours will come long before mine,” Queen Lana laughed, walking into the dungeons.

“I want an extra guard on her,” Queen Lana demanded after locking Phoebe up.

After Queen Lana left, Phoebe could not help but look around, searching for her grandmother, Gabriella, and Princes Freda.

“You can stop looking. Your grandmother and the enchantress have been dead for four days already,” King Thorvald said, coming into sight, having hidden out of sight when Queen Lana came in.

“Princess Freda?” Phoebe asked, thinking, ‘Surely she would have been back by now.’

“I managed to save her before anyone knew she was here and part of the plan,” King Thorvald said.

“As if I will believe you,” Phoebe spat in disbelief.

“Your real grandmother and her little army walked right into a trap; a trap that you are to be blamed for,” King Thorvald informed her.

“I know, you don’t have to remind me,” Phoebe said, looking at King Thorvald.

“Come, I will take you to Princess Freda,” King Thorvald said, signaling the guard to unlock the cell.

Phoebe wanted to stay, but she knew if she does not obey, he will just compel her, so she followed him.