Chapter 188

Violet’s POV

I watched as Theo and Owen greeted one another at the bottom of the stairs Owen had made sure everyone watched him descend. Our current king’s flare for the dramatic was tactless at best and a red flag at worst.

I couldn’t hear what Theo was saying as I waited patiently between Kincaid and the Vainthotts, but Owen was making sure everyone could hear his side of the conversation.

“I always make time for family!” he bellowed with a pleasant grin. Most people knew there was at least a little animosity between King Owen and his brother. I wondered why Owen bothered pretending otherwise.

“Where are the bride and groom, anyway?” Owen visibly scanned the crowd, werewolves all shrinking as his gaze moved over them. “Excuse me while I go wish them life-long blessings.”

With a snap of his fingers, Owen’s wife and a few stewards followed the king off to the side to find the bride and groom who hadn’t yet arrived at their own party.

It’s an act! Theo’s voice filled my head.

And not even a good one, I agreed as the room slowly returned to mingling. Kincaid moved to hand me my glass, then made a show of realizing it was empty.

“Excuse me!” he called to a passing server. “Another glass of champagne for my Alpha, if you please.”

We had to be careful about not making it seem like I was drowning my sorrows while still making it look like I was drinking alcohol.

No, I mean he didn’t know Eva and Nora were sisters until I mentioned it just now. I think he’s going to confront Lucas about it.

That stopped me in my tracks long enough that Seraphine started chatting up an approaching noble person as a distraction, while Kincaid pulled me aside and pretended to whisper in my ear. I scanned the room, watching as Owen’s wife’s dress disappeared around a corner.

“Yes, you’re right,” I said in a mock-whisper to Kincaid in response to whatever he might have just whispered in my ear had he actually said anything. “We’ll call them right now out of consideration.”

With my excuse to leave the room, Kincaid followed me dutifully in the wake of King Owen’s entourage. Once we were in the hall by ourselves, Kincaid whispered, “Plan?”

“Working on it,” I replied while Theo filled my mind.

Need me or Bennett?

Send Bennett into the hall to stand guard. Keep Eva occupied as well as anyone else who tries to follow us.

As we came to the first intersection in the hallway, I slowed down, flattening myself against the wall. Kincaid remained behind me, making sure no one was following us. I quickly reached between my cleavage and flipped on my recording device because technically, I was wearing something beneath this dress.

I quickly chanced a look around the corner and saw the hem of Owen’s wife’s dress disappearing once again around a corner. Dropping a magically manifested wildflower on the left side of the intersection so Bennett would know how to find us, I hurried down the hall as quietly as possible with Kincaid on my heels. At the next intersection, I manifested another wildflower to drop on the right, but before it left my hand, the sound of footsteps approaching from around the corner caught our attention.

The corner I had watched Owen’s wife disappear behind.

There was no time to retreat or think of an excuse. I merely threw my hands up in front of us with blind faith, the wildflower in my hand disappearing.

It was one of King Owen’s stewards who appeared in front of us – then passed right by us as if he didn’t see us at all. He posted up, leaning against the wall across from us, glancing in both directions every few seconds.

The last thought I had had before the steward came around the corner was to make us invisible. Apparently, my magic was doing the trick.

I didn’t dare move my hands, my muscles tensed as I let my magic flow through me. I had gotten to the point that I craved the release when I trained every morning. I could feel how using my magic was restabilizing me.

In some ways, it felt more natural to use it than to not.

I turned, silent as a grave, to look at Kincaid. Eyes wide in fear and confusion, he looked pointedly at my hands then back to my face where I imagined I wore a similar expression. I shrugged as much as I could without moving my hands too much, then motioned for us to get moving.

I had never tried whatever this invisible shield thing was before. I had no idea how it worked, if it also blocked out sound, or how long it would last, among other factors. And if we suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of the steward, his eyewitness account would easily get me exiled for the use of magic.

Stepping as quietly as possible, we inched around the corner. Just before the hallway with the steward left our view, I noticed Bennett’s head quickly pop around the corner on the other end. Thankfully, the steward didn’t notice, but Bennett clearly saw the steward as he kept out of sight.

Into the next hallway, a door opened as Lucas’ familiar voice snarled, “What?” In the hallway outside the door, King Owen stood imposingly, the other steward and his wife behind him. I enjoyed the view of Lucas’ face blanching as we approached, apparently still invisibly, from the right.

“Oh, your Highness, my apologies. What can I do for you?”

Lucas’ tux was half on, his hair a complete mess. Nora appeared next to him, her white dress a little off kilter, though her hair and makeup were on point. Both of their faces were flushed from the activity they had clearly just been partaking in.

It was a prime opportunity for Owen to make a biting remark, but he didn’t take the shot.

“What can you do for me?” he spat. “You can explain to me this instant why I had to find out from my creatin of a brother that Eva is Nora’s sister.” He pointed an accusatory finger at the bride who proceeded to take a half-step behind Lucas.

Not that Lucas was much good in a fight unless he drugged his opponent.

“You said I could choose whoever I wanted as long as she was willing to go along with the ruse.” Lucas lifted his chin to appear more confident, but his voice came out small and nervous.

“So what? Now you’re coming after the crown?!” Owen’s face was growing so red, he looked like he would pop.

“Your Highest Majesty,” Nora piped up, though she stayed partially behind her fiancé. “If I may, it was my idea.”

Owen blinked slowly, making it clear that he was no less angry, he had only redirected the feeling. Nora shrank but managed to keep speaking.

“You said you could secure Darkmoon for us. You guaranteed it. When that fell through, we needed an alternative.”

I couldn’t believe that I was recording all this.

“The crown?” Owen accused again, and Nora immediately shook her head.

“We would never dream of stealing from someone who has given us so much. I only hoped that the status of being legally related to the royal bloodline would afford us the comfortable lifestyle we had expected from Darkmoon.”

And then my arms began to shake, and I could feel my magic giving out.