Blood of the Wolf: The Crown (Mackenzie Grey Book 11), Karina Espinosa [top 10 ebook reader txt] 📗

“No,” I cut Bobby off mid-tangent. “I’m not having any visions. I have to get back to the castle.” I sat up and swung my legs over the cot, bracing to stand.

“Whoa!” Bobby tried to stop me. “Easy there, Princess. You should rest some more.”

I shook my head. “It’s morning. I was supposed to be back by daybreak or else Bash said he would come looking for me. They must be worried.” I reached down for my sneakers and slipped them on slowly. Each movement was at a snail’s pace.

“We’ll send word to Sebastian,” Bobby said placatingly. “But you should really sleep some more.”

I stood shakily and the room spun for a moment before it all straightened. “No. I’m leaving. Now.”

I walked toward the door and opened it, peering down a dark corridor with only one way to go. I headed down the hall with Bobby hot on my heels, begging me to reconsider. My mouth was dry and I desperately needed water. I lost my backpack with all my rations up on that hill when I faced Abaddon.

The corridor led to the center of the temple where the stone bleachers and the altar were located. Fenrir, Raven, and Ophelia were all there with a few oracles milling around.

“What is she doing up?” Fenrir yelled at Bobby once he saw us emerge from the doorway.

“She has a name,” I grumbled. “One you don’t even use, I might add.” I stumbled into the temple, searching for a bottle of water. “Does anyone have some water?” I gasped.

One of the oracles swiftly approached, taking me by the arm gently and walking me to a water fountain. She braced my back as I bent down and gulped as much water as I could handle. I felt as if I’d just come from the desert.

“Are ye all right, child?” Ophelia asked behind me.

I straightened, wiping my mouth and faced her. “Better now, but I should get back to the castle. Bash is probably worried.”

“Wait!” Fenrir yelled. “You can’t leave yet! We need more information!”

I steeled myself for whatever argument I was about to have with the wolf, but I didn’t need to worry about that. Ophelia grabbed my hand and patted it softly.

“Don worry, child. Ye have nothing to worry about.” She smiled and turned to Fenrir. “She cannae have a vision in this state. It’s best to send her home. She must rest—”

“She can rest here,” Fenrir countered.

I was about to go off on him, but Ophelia spoke first. “Are ye keeping the Queen hostage?” She raised a brow.

“What?” Fenrir looked taken aback. “No. But—”

“This is nae the environment for a luna with a child,” Ophelia said. “She must get back to the castle for her own wellbeing. I’m sure ye understand that.” She gave him a knowing look.

Raven smirked, but Fenrir only huffed. He couldn’t argue with the elderly oracle.

“I’ll take her back to the castle,” Raven offered.

“Good,” Ophelia said. “It’s best if she doesn’t roam through the forest.”

Raven and I stepped outside the temple and she opened her arms. “Come on; let me carry you.”

I rolled my eyes and trudged toward her as if annoyed, but secretly I was relieved. I didn’t know if I could survive the trek on foot from the temple back to the castle.

She picked me up as if I weighed nothing and her honeyed, golden wings burst from her back. Before I could utter a word, she took to the sky and we were airborne, flying above Caledonian Forest.

“Don’t take it personally,” she said after a while.

I avoided looking at her since we were so close, keeping my gaze straight ahead. “Don’t take what personally?”

“Fen,” she answered. “He feels at fault for Abaddon’s release, which is why he’s desperate to catch him.”

“Because he released his sister from the Underworld?”

She nodded.

“Was his sister bad?”

Raven sighed. “Real bad. You’re not supposed to speak ill of the dead but … she was a total bitch, too.”

“I don’t get it.” I shook my head and stared down at the vast trees of the forest as they whipped below us. “If she was so bad, why did he set her free?”

She shrugged. “Haven’t you ever wanted to be close to your family? No matter how bat shit crazy they are, you still love them. It’s hard to get rid of that love.”

“I guess,” I murmured, considering the twisted memory of all that Alexander and Ivana endured. I think deep down, Alexander still loved her, or had a semblance of feelings for her in some way. Because even though she betrayed him, and had betrayed him from the very beginning, they still shared moments together that I’m sure were real. That was something he could never forget.

Raven cleared her throat. “Fen won’t hurt your baby, you know.”

I peered over at her suspiciously. “Why do you say that?”

She tried to hide her grin. “Just something for you to think about. Fen is many things, but he won’t hurt a child. No matter what. Keep that in mind.”

Raven started to descend into the open field behind the castle that was bristling with the Queen’s Guards. I saw them pointing to the sky and calling out. Others were running across the drawbridge as we neared and slowly landed on the ground. The Valkyrie carefully set me on my feet and helped me catch my equilibrium.

“Yer Majesty!” William ran toward me with rosy cheeks from spending the night in the cold. “Are ye all right, Yer Majesty? Are ye hurt? Ranulf is on his way.”

“I’m fine, William, just tired,” I said softly as I stared at all the guards in attendance. There were at least fifty of them spread out in the field, just waiting for the command to storm the forest.

“Out of the way! Step aside!” Ranulf yelled as the guards made a path for the old guard to get to me.

“Yer Majesty!” he sighed once he stopped in front of me. “Hells bells, am I glad to see ye.”

I