The Beast And The Blessed

Eighty: Natalie

Natalie's P.O.V.

The tone of the council changed after the announcement that Talia had chosen the other side and that I was Aurora's daughter, making me a descendant as well. They focused even more on tracking the witches, trying to get a lock on them before the battle. If we could take them down, the vampires would be no problem.

But the magic that was protecting them, hiding them, made it almost impossible to fight them in battle.

No one had brought up Talia again, but I could see the anger and disappointment in everyone's eyes. Especially Charlie's. She seemed to have a connection with the witch and had been excited to see her. For the rest of the night, the princess looked crushed. She and her brother had mastered masking their emotions, but even she couldn't hide how upset it had made her to hear of the treason.

I kept glancing at Killian in the mirror as we prepared for bed, but he was void of emotions. The eerie feeling that had settled over the castle only worsened when the sun went down.

”Bound...darkness...runs free."

The low and deep voice barely reached my ears, and I looked up at the mirror, watching as Killian rinsed the soap from his hair through the glass shower wall. It was a sight that normally took all thoughts from my mind and left me a desperate mess.

"What did you say?” I called out, hoping to be heard over the running water and thoughts going through his head. Killian opened his hazel eyes, staring at me with confusion as he shook his head.

’I didn't say anything."

I hummed in response as I brushed it off. No one else was in the room, and if Killian hadn't spoken, then perhaps I had picked up someone's thoughts in the pack link. That was even more concerning than if Killian had been the one who said it.

anyone in the pack to have thoughts that contained those words so close together made me feel even more

thought I heard something, but it wasn't clear." I pulled the brush through my hair, biting my lip as I considered the consequences of letting it go unannounced. Killian would need

not the soapy water running down his torso. "Thoughts can never be heard in the pack link. You have to speak to someone, and I've never heard of accidentally tuning into someone else's conversation. What

scan of the room proved it to be empty. "I thought I heard someone talking about darkness and running free, but it

momentarily before looking away to turn off the water. He didn't seem concerned, so I had to trust that

know if you hear anything else." His tone was firm as he grabbed the towel and dried off. I felt dismissed, but at least he didn't

on the subject as he joined me, spooning me from behind and whispering a sweet "Goodnight,

***

I woke, and I sat up as the thick air closed in on me. In the past, when I had felt this, I struggled to pull enough air into my lungs. But

hands gripped the blanket tightly as I turned to Killian. He had rolled

I could see them moving behind his eyelids as he remained deep in

in deep and even breaths. I pushed against his body again, trying to wake him. Only this time, I realized I wasn't touching

my eye, there was a cold barrier between us

left my lips as soon as the thought crossed my mind, only to be confirmed

for a moment before getting out of bed. There was something either my mind wanted me to see, or the owner of the voice wanted me to see. If it could help save my people, I needed to know what it

The voice called again as I reached the hallway and found the guards standing

pull was getting stronger the further down the hallway I went until I stood before the door I had once dreaded. The heavy wood opened on its own, and I stood still as I glanced into the dimly lit room. The ominous feeling I once had associated with the dying or dead was still there, but the body wasn't. Laying on the bed was nothing more that the golden crown I had been wearing during my coronation, the same one

all of the gems had been replaced

to go into the room and take my crown back from the clutches of whatever spirit had brought

right. It was a trap. I just didn't know who or why