CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE

Rory's POV

"Alright, so how did you end up here, Alex?"

She looked nervous but determined all the same, and I was eager to hear her story. I needed to know we could trust her. Her eyes never met mine, but she spoke clearly.

"I am a member of the Sire's kitchen staff at their downtown apartment complex. About a month ago, I was assigned the job of delivering meals to a werewolf who was red status. That basically means that the prisoner is considered dangerous.

Naturally, nobody else was willing to accept the task, so they pushed it off on me. I couldn't understand at the time why the wolf was red status, since every time I saw him, he was quiet and kind. He never spoke to me, but he would nod in thanks and always made sure his trays were set by the door for me when he was done.

But I really noticed something was wrong when I came in to deliver his lunch and his eyes were red and puffy. I knew he had been crying, making me question what he had done to earn his sentence."

"Do their prisoners typically have reasons for being there?" I asked, surprised.

She nodded.

"Usually they are imprisoned for harming vampires. Some of them are prisoners of war, and a few are in there for cheating the casinos. It's true that the Sire and his Queen are beyond cruel to their prisoners, but I had yet to see an innocent one."

"Until Bastion. How did you know he was innocent?" I asked curiously.

"Well, one day I was running some errands in town. You know, getting groceries and the like. Well, I was selecting our daily produce and I overheard a couple of vampires whispering about the King who went missing. I didn't know that there was another King besides the Sire, and I knew he wasn't missing, so I sort of followed them around for a minute, hoping to hear more. They mentioned something about the wolf King being seduced by Annalise, and I just knew it had to be him."

I leaned back on the sofa, moving my thumb to stroke my chin.

"And you confirmed this?" I directed at Dylan.

He nodded.

"Yea, asked for a description and she nailed it, right down to his seal."

I nodded at Alex to go on.

"I recognized the two vampires' uniforms as belonging to the ARIA and decided to do a little searching there. So I called and told my chef that I would need to try another store for green onions and and would be back a little later, and he bought it. Then, I followed the two employees there and told them that I had information for them. That's when they brought me to Dylan. After I explained what I knew, he brought me here."

She snuck a peek at me, meeting my eyes for a moment before turning away again.

She was nervous, but nothing she said seemed to be a lie so far.

"Why? Why help him? Why help us? You know they could kill you for your betrayal."

She flinched, but straightened her back.

"I know that. I have worked for the Sire for six years already, and I know a lot about how they run just by watching closely. I've been able to turn a blind eye so far because of their beguiling, but for some reason, it wasn't enough anymore. I knew deep down that keeping quiet would be a huge mistake. The man—King Bastion—was suffering on a deeper level. I could see it in his eyes. They were torturing him. I knew he needed help."

So Dylan hadn't divulged much to the girl beside him about being a King. Nothing about Aria or the twins. That was good. Even though I was pretty sure we could trust her, it wasn't smart to get a human involved in all this.

I turned to Dylan. "Okay, so what next? What's the plan?"

He jumped, cocking his brow. "No way, man. I'm no good at that shit. Get Brett or your dad in here."

I snarled. "We don't have time for that. I'm afraid if we don't get him today, they'll learn that they can't use him anymore and kill him."

That's when it hit me. "You." I pointed at Alex. "Are they still hosting a Valentine's Gala at the Metro?" Her eyes lit up and she nodded.

"Yeah, tonight at six. They do it every year."

"And Bastion, what kind of guarding does he have?"

"They don't do guards, but I know his door is biometric. Only me and the bosses can get in. But I can't access it outside of meal times." Shit.

"Okay, when is his dinner?"

"Five thirty."

"Fuck. What are the chances that the Sire will still be there at that time?" She furrowed her brow.

"He normally leaves an hour early for events hosted by him. But my concern is the cameras. They are monitored, and if someone were to see me sneaking him out..."

Of course. They would alert him in a heartbeat. But they shouldn't be expecting us to strike yet. They don't know Aria's given birth, and if the pattern repeats itself, Bastion shouldn't be visited by the Queen until early morning. If we kill any of their men, they will take that as a reason for a more severe attack. But wait...

"Do you deliver to the security room?"

"No, but their food gets made in the same kitchen at the same time." Her eyes widened as if suddenly realizing my implication. "If I could slip something in their food that knocks them out, they won't be able to report. But, they'll still know it was me."

I gave her a soft smile. "We would protect you. This is a huge service you have done for our kingdom, and it would not go without reward. Dylan."

"Yeah, I got you. Getting ahold of a drug like that is easy, babe. Give me an hour and a grand."

I nodded, thankful for once that he had shady ass connections.

"Alex, I'll need you to slip Bastion a note in his tray. Something simple to let him know to be ready. That way, as soon as the guards knock out, he can run."

"Wait, I won't be going with him?"

"No, I want you safe first. No offense, but you'll be a hindrance more than a help. I just need you to make the path for him. Leave his cell door open on purpose. Give him a countdown—let's say, two minutes—to give you time to leave, then he can run for it."

"How will he know he can trust me?" She made a point. He might think he was running into a trap.

"On the note, include the words, 'Our twins are here.' He'll know that you have talked to one of our kingdom."

She nodded, and I glanced at my watch. We had nine hours until our plans went into play. I had some work to do if I wanted to ensure his safety. I had to make sure that everyone here, including Dr. Drake, was ready for his arrival.

I would also need to talk to Jesse about their bond, to see if there was anything we could do to reinstate it.

I sent Alex and Dylan away to do their jobs, leaning my face into my hands with relief.

"Thank you, Lord Lysander," I said aloud.

"You're most welcome, King." I jumped when I heard his response.

"Holy shit! I mean, sorry. You scared me." I placed my hand over my rapid heart. The man from earlier appeared totally different, so much less intense than the god I saw earlier.

He was leaning casually against the wall, barefoot, with nearly glowing blue eyes. He let out a deep and masculine chuckle, and I furrowed my brow.

"No need to apologize. Sorry if my sudden makeover startled you. I don't always look like a reaper ready to steal a soul. Special circumstances and all that. Anyway, I came to make a suggestion."

I cocked my head in utmost curiosity. A suggestion from a god was surely to be followed.

"Sure."

"Don't ask my sister to repair their bond."

I flinched, shocked at the cold way he delivered his request.

"What? Why not?" How could he possibly ask that?

"Well, if you are Aria's only love, you will finally be able to make her your bride. Their relationship will fall apart without the bond. Bastion has a doubting heart. Wouldn't you rather not have to share her?" My jaw dropped, and I could barely form my thoughts into words.

"No. How could you suggest that? Do you have any idea how much Aria loves him? Even if I did accept their love fading, I would still never have all of her to myself, because there would always be a part of her missing. She needs him!"

I knew that I was yelling at a god, but I didn't give a shit. He was supposed to be supporting our kingdom, not trying to tear it apart. Who the hell did he think he was?

The asshole only smiled at me, responding with a simple, "Interesting."

Then, he vanished.

What the hell was that? I tried taking deep breaths to settle my rage, but it wasn't working.

I was appalled.

Not only would I bring Bastion back to her, but I would do anything it took to restore their bond. Even if they didn't need it for their love, they didn't deserve to lose it either. I refused to let the Sire King crush us like this.

I was tired of being passive. It was time for me to act.