Page 23 of A Reign of Malice (Wolves of Lunara #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SLOANE

D asha steps forward, the torchlight casting shadows across her face and highlighting the strain around her eyes and the tight line of her mouth.

For a moment, no one speaks, the drunken haze clinging to the air like fog after a storm.

My nausea retreats, leaving only the heavy sensation of knowing this isn’t just some innocent run-in.

One that has me feeling not as drunk as I did just minutes ago.

“Dasha.” My voice is hoarse. “What are you doing down here?”

Her fingers twitch at her sides, as if she’s debating whether to fold her hands or ball them into fists. “I could ask you the same thing, Your Majesty.”

Estee and Isla sober up faster than I would’ve thought possible, both of them straightening as their warrior instincts kick in. Clara steps slightly in front of me, her stance protective, but I touch her elbow. This isn’t a fight. Not yet anyway.

“I’m supposed to be reporting your movements tonight back to Aeson,” she admits, voice softer than I expected. “But I haven’t.”

That catches me off guard. I exchange a quick glance with Clara, who lifts a brow. “Why not?” I press, unsure if I want the answer.

Dasha’s shoulders slump, and she looks down, studying the uneven stone floor beneath our feet.

“Because I’ve been pretending not to see things for a long time.

If I reported every incident I noticed that might, even in the slightest way, threaten Aeson, half this kingdom would be dead.

” Her voice is thin, almost brittle. “And so would my brother.”

“Your brother?” Isla asks, her brow furrowing. “What does he have to do with this?”

Dasha’s eyes glance up, just long enough for me to see the flicker of fear she’s been hiding. “Everything. Aeson keeps him close. Not as an advisor, but as a warning. Every day I follow orders is another that my brother gets to live. If I step out of line…”

The implication slams into me like a punch to the chest.

“Gods,” Estee mutters. “That’s twisted.”

“It’s Aeson,” Dasha says bitterly. “Everything about him is twisted.”

There’s something raw in her voice, something personal. I step closer, my headache forgotten. “You’re not surprised to find us here. You know about Julian.”

Her breath catches, but she doesn’t show any shock. “Of course I do,” she whispers. “I’ve known since the beginning. I was there when he ordered the runes to be carved into the stones of this castle. I saw the magic they used to trap him. I held the chains that bind him. I saw it all.”

My heart hammers in my chest. “And you didn’t say or do anything? Why? ”

If she tells me Julian did something just as evil as I know Aeson to be, my heart might actually shatter.

“What could I do?” Her voice cracks and her eyes glisten in the low light.

“Aeson made it very clear what would happen if I intervened. To me. To my brother. To anyone I cross paths with should I dare stand in his way.” Her gaze hardens, tears drying before they can fall.

“So I did the only thing I could do. I watched. I kept my mouth shut. And I waited.”

“Waited for what?” Clara asks tersely.

“For someone like you.” Dasha meets my eyes, and there’s a flicker of hope in hers. “Someone strong enough to stand up to him. Someone he couldn’t just kill without consequence.”

I almost laugh, but it dies in my throat. After all I’ve learned, there’s no doubt in my mind that Aeson’s already plotting my death, something to be blamed on anyone else, something that would garner him sympathy.

“Why tell me now?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even, but my words still slightly slur.

“Because you need to understand what you’re up against,” she says simply.

“Aeson isn’t just a king desperate for success.

He’s lost his true purpose as alpha. In his mind, power is the only accomplishment that matters, regardless of the cost. He can’t even shift nowadays, his energy is so uncontrollable.

And that makes him dangerous in ways you can’t yet imagine. ”

I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry because I actually can.

“Just be careful,” she adds. “I can’t help you—not directly.

Not without putting my brother’s life on the line.

But I can look the other way, pretend not to see things, like you stealing Aeson’s blood or visiting Julian on multiple occasions.

” Her voice softens, her gaze flicking between all of us.

“You don’t need to consider me a threat, but I’m not your ally either.

I can’t be. All I promise is to protect your movements as much as I’m able, for as long as I’m able.

But if it comes down to you or my family, I’ll choose him every time. ”

“Fair enough.” This is already more than I expected from her. “What about tonight? What will you tell Aeson?”

“As far as he knows, you’re all sleeping soundly after an exhausting girls’ night.” She glances behind us. “I’ll make sure this is cleaned up, and when the sun begins to rise, I’ll let Aeson know that Isla and Estee have retreated to their rooms. After that, you’re on your own.”

Relief washes over me. It’s thin, but enough for now. “Thank you,” I murmur, the words feeling woefully insufficient.

“Don’t thank me.” Her expression turns grim. “Just don’t get caught. Because if you do, there won’t be anything I can do to save you.”

With that, she turns and slips back into the shadows, her footsteps soft against the stone. We stand in silence, the weight of her confession settling over us like a heavy blanket.

“Well, that’s sobering,” Estee mutters.

“No kidding,” Isla agrees, rubbing her temples. “I think I’ve sweated out half the vodka.”

“We should go back upstairs,” Clara says, her tone leaving no room for argument. “It’s too risky to stay down here.”

I nod, though my heart aches at the thought of leaving Julian behind. But Dasha’s warning rings in my ears. If we’re going to save him, we need to be smart. “Let’s go.”

We make our way back to my room in silence, the earlier laughter and chaos nothing more than a distant memory. By the time Estee and Isla head to their rooms and I enter mine with Clara, exhaustion slams into me like a tidal wave.

“Try to sleep,” Clara says gently, guiding me toward the bed. “I’ll keep watch.”

I want to tell her it’s not necessary, but considering the room is spinning and I’m minutes from passing out, I’m more thankful than ever to have her.

“Don’t forget. You need to get a message out for Estee.” My eyes start to flutter closed. “Aurora. Their healer. Need help.”

Her hand covers mine. “I’m already on it.”

I think I nod, but my thoughts drift off within the next second.

Tomorrow will be here all too soon.

The sun pierces the curtains, each beam of light a dagger straight to my skull. My head throbs with the relentless beat of my own pulse, and every sound—every footstep, every hum—makes me want to crawl under the covers and never come out.

“Drink.” Clara’s voice is soft but firm, and when I open my eyes, she’s standing beside the bed, a steaming cup of tea in her hands.

I sit up slowly, wincing as the movement sends fresh pain through my head. “I hate you.”

“I told you there would be regrets.” She presses the cup into my hands. “This is my special hangover blend. Trust me.”

The first sip is bitter enough to make me gag, but I force it down and then several more until the drink is gone. Within moments, the pounding in my head eases, the fog lifting from my mind. “You’re a witch.”

“Just always prepared as you’ve employed me to be,” she says with a smirk, handing me water next.

As I take the much-needed hydration, my thoughts become clear and the full weight of everything Dasha said settles within me. The gravity of what we’re walking into. The truth that last night, with all its laughter and drunken bravery, can’t happen again.

“We need to be ready,” I say softly. “Did you get the message out for Estee? Aurora might be our only hope.”

Clara sits on the edge of the bed, her expression serious as she nods. “We’ll know soon enough.”

“And if the goddess can’t—or won’t—help?” I ask, but the question is more for myself. My mate’s life is on the line, and I’m running out of time. There’s no more hoping things will work out. Action is needed, and it has to be today.

I refuse to mate with Aeson tomorrow, and I can’t let him banish me from the castle before I’ve freed Julian.

“You always figure things out. Now won’t be any different,” Clara says with more faith than I currently feel.

“Not always. We still lost our land,” I remind her with disgust for myself.

She shakes her head at me. “You were meant to end up right where you are. If you’d solved the problems in Alcaris on your own, you would’ve never learned about Julian. Would you prefer that?”

“Of course not.” I sit up in bed, still dressed in yesterday’s clothes. “I can’t regret coming here, but our people, Clara.” My frown deepens. “I’ve put them at risk. If this comes to a war… I can’t let them die for me. I’m supposed to do that for them.”

Her fingers tighten around my shoulder as she levels her powerful gaze on me. “I know you had a long night, but today’s going to be even longer. I need you to believe we’re going to work this out. You don’t need all the answers now. For the time being, we wait, we prepare, and we do our best.”

I exhale slowly, setting the empty glass aside. “You’re right.”

Aeson won’t beat me. He won’t keep my mate from me. I need to grasp onto the confidence I feel when I’m standing up to him and never forget who I am.

I just hope the price won’t be more than I’m willing to pay.