Page 25 of Polestar (The Global Paranormal Security Agency #3)

TWENTY

T here was no sense of time in the dungeon cell that they forced Magnus back into.

All he knew was that if he didn’t find a way out, he’d die.

And that he stank.

When he wasn’t plotting his escape, he was fantasizing about a hot shower with Ana. His Ana.

As soon as he ensured her safety. And he would, because he’d rip the world apart to find her. They would be reunited.

And when they were, he was going to take them both straight to the shower where they’d cleanse one another, and he’d worship her as he’d done the night before they flew out of Ireland for Barentia.

Only this time, he’d find all the little places he’d missed the first time.

Magnus never thought he’d find a mate. A true mate.

And a fragile human one, at that.

She fit so perfectly in his arms.

Their energies sparked similarly to how their bodies moved like they were made for each other.

Right from that first moment.

There was no way in all the frozen hells of the northern wastelands that he was going to find and then lose her.

First, he had to get out of here.

The metal tumblers in the lock clicked several times before dropping into place with a final clunk.

Magnus sighed and got to his feet, preparing for whatever came next.

The door didn’t swing open like it had on previous occasions.

It drifted open, slow, tentative.

He grit his teeth, willing it to open faster.

What now?

A figure finally poked his head around the corner, expression uncertain.

“Elias?”

“Father.” Elias pushed the door open the rest of the way, staring at Magnus, eyes flitting over the manacles and chains securing him to the wall.

The young man’s eyes registered shock and sadness before quickly turning to fury.

“How dare they chain a member of the royal family?” his voice cracked as he surged forward.

“Which I no longer am, Elias,” Magnus’ own voice was calm and steady in the face of his son’s outrage at his predicament. “Not as a banished one.”

“Banished or not. You’re still blood,” he growled.

Magnus’ heart soared with pride as he studied his son’s face. His whiskers were starting. Patchy on the youth’s smooth skin.

“Even if you are just here to spy on us.”

Magnus’ heart plummeted. “I came to sign the register.”

“Why would you spy on us? For who? Mother says you can’t be trusted.”

“Since your mother is certain of these things, I’m sure she can answer your questions.” Magnus glanced toward the door, half expecting her to come and send Elias away again.

“She isn’t here. She left as soon as the guards confirmed you were chained and locked away.”

Gone? Where would Ulla go? Why?

“And you’ve come down here. Why?” Magnus said, redirecting his thoughts to his son while he still had time to talk to him.

Elias shrugged. “I remember you. From before you left.” He sighed, then cast Magnus a furtive glance. “I never could quite believe the things mother accused you of.”

“I’m not surprised she spoke ill of me to you.”

“She didn’t. Not really. I, uhm, used to eavesdrop when she met with Grandfather. She would demand I stay in my room, but I never did.”

“Like when you came to see me in the registrar’s office.”

Elias nodded.

“I see.”

“She said you had spies sneaking around Barentia and that you would push Grandfather to give up the throne so you could have it. She said you were cold and calculating. That you were abusive during your marriage and would be again, should you be allowed to return.”

“She said I was abusive?” Magnus gaped, then laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Elias demanded. “There’s nothing amusing about abusing your wife.”

“No, Elias, there isn’t. And I wasn’t.”

Elias glared at him imperiously. “Explain. I want the truth. I’m tired of everyone hiding everything from me. I’m not a child anymore.”

Magnus considered this.

“No, you’re not. And I saw that my fath—the king is very ill. You may ascend much sooner than I could have ever imagined.”

“The truth. About mother.”

“I never abused your mother. She would lose her temper and injure herself while striking me.”

“You pushed her to it.”

“No. I simply did not rise to her impulsive, unrealistic demands. I would not cooperate, and she would frustrate herself.”

After a few moments considering this, Elias nodded.

He isn’t blind. Thank the Gods.

Should I ask?

Magnus swallowed, chewing over the words.

“What happened to your grandfather? How long has he been ill?”

“I-I don’t know. I don’t know what’s happening.”

“Hasn’t the shaman been able to do anything to help him?”

“The shaman is dead.”

Magnus’ heart skipped. “Dead? And no one has replaced him to ensure the king’s strength?”

Elias shook his head. “Do you think Havard has something to do with it? Do you think he’s betrayed us?”

“Why would you think so?” Magnus straightened his spine, mind racing.

The boy shrugged. “He’s been… different. Different since Grandfather became ill.”

“Do you know where your mother went?” Magnus said, bringing the conversation back to Ulla.

“No. Maybe.”

“And she went with Havard and the other guards?”

“No, she went with Yvan.”

“Yvan? Yvan Gorbinson, the stonemason?”

“No. Yvan Putinovski. Mother’s human magician that she brought back from Grandfather Matochkin’s court after you left—were banished.”

“The king allowed a human magician in his stronghold?” Magnus gaped again.

“He’s mother’s trusted… friend. She was lonely, and he keeps her entertained with his tricks and illusions.”

“Illusions?”

Awe slid across Elias’ face. “Oh yes! He can create such wonderful images. Fill a room with beautiful colors, or make you believe you’re in a place you’re not. Even make himself seem invisible to the eyes.”

“What else can this human magician do?”

“Oh, I have no idea, but he’s very good at alleviating boredom. Or was, before mother had satellite television brought to the stronghold.”

“What?” Magnus paced to the end of his chains, palms to face. “Forgive me, Elias. Did you say satellite television?”

“Yes, of course. Once the electricity was installed and proved to work, she arranged for other comforts.”

Magnus glanced back at the light bulb. “What other comforts has your mother brought to Barentia?”

Elias smiled now. “We have internet from a satellite. The humans use snowmobiles to get around the island.”

Humans plural? Snowmobiles?

“This doesn’t make any sense. How long has all of this been going on?”

“Maybe a year or two? It took some time to have the work done to build the windmills and solar panels and run all the wiring through the stronghold.”

“And your grandfather allowed all of this?”

“I think so?”

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Magnus said again as he resumed his short-strided pacing.

“He banished me for trying to encourage him to bring twenty-first century technology to Barentia.”

“Mother has done a lot to negotiate with him and on his behalf. She arranged it all with this company that specialized in remote environmental access. They’ve done so much work, Grandfather gave them use of the smallest island at the northeast end of the archipelago.”

“I see.” But he didn’t, really. Magnus’ hands shook as he drew deep, steadying breaths. “Your mother arranged all of it?”

“Yes.” Elias frowned. “She told him all about how this same company installed infrastructure all across Grandfather Matochkin’s territory with brilliant success.”

“And your grandfather didn’t object to the idea of humans coming here?”

“Any outsiders that came into the stronghold were closely guarded by our men. Otherwise, they did most of the work outside.”

“And they stay in Barentia?”

“Mostly at the base set up on the little island. But they periodically come onto the island proper, to train our people on how to do the maintenance.”

Magnus snorted.

Un-fucking believable.

“What?”

Magnus just shook his head.

Bjorn Thornsson was so adamant that the island’s borders remain closed—technological benefits or not — that he argued pretty damned hard with Magnus over it.

Having humans here—outsiders here — was what pushed him to banish Magnus. He was so paranoid about allowing anyone in. And now they were crawling with outsiders.

I guess he saw reason.

But not about me, apparently?

I’m still condemned to the mercy of execution.

Magnus dropped his head, shoulders bowed. The chains scraped on the stone floor.

He distrusts me so deeply, he would see me dead.

How did I fail him so badly?

He lifted his head, leveling his gaze at Elias.

Ulla has won. She has everything she could ever want or hope to have. She has my son. My father. The regency. The power to implement human comforts.

What’s left?

Only direct rule.

Ice slid down his spine.

She wouldn’t… would she?

No. She wouldn’t. She at least had enough brains to understand that Barentians would rip her a part if she dared try to take it—even if something were to happen to Elias…

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

Magnus blinked.

He came here to find out how Aksel had ended up beaten to the edge of death, on a trafficker ship, with a tattooed sigil. And Havard, his father’s personal guard.

Ulla had practically confessed to giving Ana over to them.

So this base that Elias mentioned had to be their center of operations. Hadn’t it?

How far will she take this?

Does she want to rule Barentia herself, or destroy it?

“Father?”

“You shouldn’t stay here.”

“Mother doesn’t know—.”

“Barentia. You shouldn’t stay in Barentia. You’re not safe here.”

Elias’ gaze turned suspicious. “Are you insinuating that I can’t trust Mother?”

Careful Magnus.

“You can’t trust her friends.”

“They’re nothing. We’re polar bears. They’re powerless against us.”

Sounds like something Ulla would say.

But Magnus had seen a lot in the decade since he left Barentia. Too much.

“They’re not powerless, like you say. They did a lot of damage to your Uncle Aksel.”

“Uncle Aksel? What do you mean? He’s gone to visit Grandfather Matochkin for a few weeks.”

“He’s unconscious and under critical care.”

“Wha—what do you mean?”

What do I tell him? Dear Gods, I never wanted to drag Elias into this madness.

He studied his son’s face.

Not a child. Not anymore.

“Elias, I work for an organization that counter-acts human traffickers. I’ve been tracking them for years. These traffickers use a sigil to subdue and control some of their victims. When we found Aksel, he has a tattoo on his throat. Just like Havard.”

“So, you did come here to spy on us,” Elias’ voice cracked as he paced back toward the door, hands curled into fists, cheeks flushed.

“Elias, these people—these friends of your mother’s—have stolen a lot of people from their families.

A lot of people. We’ve only rescued a fraction of those that were taken and sold around the world.

These human friends are not powerless. They hurt Aksel.

They’ve marked Havard, your grandfather’s personal guard. What else have they done here?”

“Mother wouldn’t let them—.”

“She might not let them, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t try if she contradicted what they wanted. And those men set up on that little island you mentioned. I’m pretty damned sure that’s what they’re really doing. You’re not safe here.”

Elias stared at Magnus, chest rising and falling.

“You’re just trying to trick me. Turn me against Mother and Grandfather.”

“If my pack is still here and I think I saw Ana drop it before she ran, you’ll find my satellite phone. Get yourself out into the clear, use it to call my team and they’ll come and take you away to safety. Away from this group.”

“You said they sell humans. So? What do I care?” Elias lifted his chin, eyes glittering.

“You don’t mean that.”

He shrugged, his face full of defiance.

“Leave me,” Magnus said. “Just leave me alone.”

“I have the right to be wherever I want and—.”

“Get out,” Magnus roared. He drew a breath, paused, then continued, voice so low it was barely a whisper. “Ulla gave my Ana to those traffickers. You refuse to listen to reason. I want to be alone in my last hours before I’m executed. Just leave.”

Wide eyed, Elias backed out of Magnus’ cell without another word.

Magnus doubted anyone had ever raised their voice to him, let alone roared in his face.

Right then, he was too heart-weary to care.

He slid down the wall and dropped his head in his palms.

He’d failed on all fronts of his mission. Lost everyone and everything—including his life.