Chapter Six: The Poisoned Cup

"Arrest?" I repeated, stepping away from the soup tray. "I haven't even left this room!"

"Lady Lyra was found collapsed in her chambers five minutes ago, coughing up blood," the lead guard said, his hand resting on the hilt of his heavy silver sword. "Her maid said you offered her a poisoned bowl in the dining hall. The elders want you in the dungeon."

I clenched my fists. Lyra was clever. She knew I had exposed her poisoned soup in front of the whole court. So, she took a tiny sip of her own non-lethal poison to make it look like I had retaliated. It was a classic high-born scheme, and these guards were taking the bait.

"I didn't poison anyone," I said, keeping my voice dead calm. "Look at the tray on my table right now. It’s laced with sweet-root. Why would I poison her when someone is actively trying to paralyze me?"

"Tell that to the council," the guard barked. He stepped forward, grabbing my arm tightly to drag me out of the room.

Before he could pull me into the hallway, a dark, heavy shadow blocked the doorway.

The three guards instantly let go of me and dropped to one knee, bowing their heads low.

King Kaelen stepped into the room. His cold blue eyes swept from the guards straight to the untouched tray of soup on my table.

"What is the meaning of this commotion?" Kaelen growled, his deep voice vibrating through the stone walls.

"Your Highness," the lead guard stammered. "Lady Lyra has been poisoned. The council ordered us to secure the rogue"

"The council does not give orders in my castle," Kaelen interrupted coldly.

He walked past the guards, stopping right beside my table. He reached out with two long fingers, dipping a tiny silver pocket knife into my soup. Within seconds, the silver turned a dull, dark grey.

Kaelen’s jaw tightened. A wave of suffocating Alpha pressure rolled out from him, making the three guards sweat on the floor.

"She didn't poison Lyra," Kaelen said, looking up at me. "Someone in this castle is trying to eliminate my Pawn before the trials even begin. And they are using Lyra as a distraction."

"Then who did it?" I asked, looking Kaelen straight in the eyes.

"The elders," Kaelen replied smoothly. "They want an Omega out of the way so a high-born female takes the throne. They know you are dangerous."

He turned back to the terrified guards on the floor. "Get out. Tell the council that Valeria stays in my quarters under my personal supervision until the trials start tomorrow morning."

The guards didn't argue. They scrambled to their feet, bowed quickly, and practically ran out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

I let out a long breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Your personal quarters? Is that supposed to make me feel safer?"

Kaelen stepped closer to me, his tall frame blocking the light from the fireplace. "It keeps you alive. In my room, nobody touches your food, and nobody comes near your throat."

He reached out, his warm thumb softly brushing over the fresh black Pawn crest on my neck. A sudden spark of heat shot straight down my spine, making my breath catch in my chest. For a second, his cold eyes softened as he looked down at me.

"Get some sleep, Valeria," he murmured, his thumb lingering on my skin. "Tomorrow, the Trial of Mates begins. The first test is in the Obsidian Forest. You will be hunted by ten of the North's deadliest warriors."

"I used to hunt Marcus's enforcers for fun," I said, forcing a brave smile despite my racing heart. "Ten warriors won't stop me."

"They aren't the problem," Kaelen said, leaning down so his lips were just inches from my ear. His deep voice sent a shiver straight through my body. "The forest is built on ancient illusion magic. It forces you to face your deepest, darkest fear."

My heart dropped like a stone into my stomach.

My deepest fear wasn't dying. It wasn't freezing in the snow, and it wasn't the Northern warriors.

My deepest fear was Marcus... and the horrifying truth of what really happened the night our father died.

Kaelen pulled back, looking at my pale face. "If you break inside the forest, your mind never comes back. Are you still ready?"

Before I could answer, a loud, unnatural screech tore through the night air outside my window.

The glass shattered into a thousand sharp pieces. A massive, shadowy creature with glowing red eyes and long, pitch-black talons burst through the window, lunging straight for my throat!