Page 59 of A Monarch's Fall

“Shut up!” I warned him, preventing him from finishing his insult against Selene. “You don’t know the first thing about her. Keep your mouth shut about her,” I warned him, breathing heavily through my nose.

“Whoa,” he said, holding his hands up. “I guess rumours are true then,” he continued.

“What rumours?” I asked, trying to keep focused on him and his stupid face as I climbed the last of the stairs to the landing of the second floor.

“That you’re like some sort of sex-bloodslave, and she has you brainwashed with enchantments. But Grandmother said they had fixed that…” he trailed off.

“Fixed how?” I asked.

“And we reach the second floor, you didn’t need help after all,” he said, ignoring my question.

“Fixed how?” I asked again, grabbing his elbow and turning him to face me. I couldn’t feel Selene; more than that, I felt empty. The hole in the centre of my chest was cold and foreign, and suddenly, I began to question if it was the result of not a problem with our bond but of something Lady Flores had done to me while I slept.

“Hey, you’re hurting me,” he complained.

“Fixed how, Jack?” I repeated, digging my nails hard through the fabric of his top.

“What the fuck, get off,” he tried to wrench his elbow from my grip.

“Answer me,” I hissed, refusing to release him, a hot anger rising within me. “What has been done to me?”

I heard the door of the landing we were on open before a throat was cleared behind me, but I was too consumed by anger and a need for an answer from Jack.

“Mable helped to protect you from any enchantments you were under. She placed protective enchantments to break any others already placed upon you and prevent you from being influenced by outside sources,” he squeaked out, looking at me wide-eyed.

Selene’s protective enchantments had prevented me from fully experiencing the bond; was whatever Mable had done to me affecting the bond further now?

The throat was cleared louder, and I released Jack and frustratedly turned to whoever was interrupting.

“May I ask what’s going on here?” A woman, tall with jaw-length brown hair, one side tucked behind her ear, and a strong, imposing build, asked.

“Jack was just explaining that when I was unconscious and unable to consent, someone took it upon themselvesto place enchantments upon me,” I answered. Jack shifted uncomfortably on his feet beside me.

“It was for your own good,” he defended.

“I’m not a child, I decide what’s good for me or not,” I snarled.

The woman nodded, “Can’t say I disagree. I’m Sergeant of Squad Eleven, Kathrine, I prefer Kat.” She held her hand out to me.

I stepped forward and gave her my hand to shake.

“I think I’m here to see you,” I said.

She smiled.

“You can leave us now, Jack,” she instructed.

“Fine by me, you’re crazy,” he said as he barged past me, and I almost lost my balance.

Kat reached out and firmly gripped him by the shoulder, stopping him from leaving.

“I don’t care whose son or grandchild you are, you never speak to a member of my squad like that and,” Jack lurched forward, bending in half at his waist and squealed, twisting in pain as she expertly pressed something in his shoulder-neck region, and took hold of his arm pulling it behind his back and him into an upright position again, “if you ever so cowardly assault anyone in my presence again, I will break something of yours,” she warned.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he cried out.

She released him with a shove towards the stairs.

“Get out of here, your behaviour will be going in my report,” she said.