Chapter 247
~ ROWAN
Aria’s car sat in the middle of the woods.
Perhaps sat was too tame of a word because it looked like someone had rammed it straight into a tree. The hood was smoking but the doors were wide open and no one was inside of it.
“Where the hell are they?” I asked but no one responded.
A few of the guards moved around the scene, taking in the accident while the others weaved into the trees around, trying to find any sign of my mate or sister.
“I’m sure they’re close by,” Jeremiah said, but I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince me or himself.
Goddess knows how long they’ve been out on their own and how far they could have gotten in the time it took us to get here. There was so much that could have potentially gone wrong and it was made fucking worse by the fact that neither of them was answering their phone.
“The phones are here!” a guard announced holding up two distinct phones with shattered screens. “I found them on the floor of the car p>
I resisted the urge to fucking scream. “So where the fuck are they? Is there anything from the border p>
Jeremiah shook his head. “The guards are on alert. They’ll let us know if someone passes p>
“And what happens if they’re compelled?” I hissed out. “How will we know then p>
Jeremiah fell silent. He opened his mouth to speak but another voice cut through the air.
“Your Majesty, you have to see this p>
I rushed towards the noise, heart pounding violently in my chest. My skin was buzzing with anticipation and I could not help but feel a sense of hope that perhaps they had found Nyssa and she was alive.
However, as soon as I approached, I knew it wasn’t Nyssa. For starters, I couldn’t smell her anywhere. Only the smell of smoke and dirt clung to the air.
“She’s alive,” a guard whispered, stepping to the side to reveal my sister lying unconscious on the floor.
A part of me felt relieved that she was unharmed save for what looked to be a bump at the side of her head, but the other part wished that she went with the vampires. That way, I wouldn’t have to question her.
“What should we do with her, Your Majesty?” the guard continued.
This was a most unusual situation to say the least.
I would never be able to torture my own sister, but she did have answers and she had committed treason by taking my mate and potentially handing her off to the vampires.
“Take her to the palace. Put her in one of the guest rooms and take away anything she could possibly use to escape,” I said firmly. “I need guards outside her doors at all times and under no circumstance is she allowed out. I’ll handle her later p>
The guard seemed surprised but he nodded nonetheless and after picking up Aria carefully, he left to do as I had asked.
I watched him walk away, and with each step, my insides twisted uncomfortably.
“Will you really be able to question her?” Jeremiah asked softly.
I hesitated for a moment before shrugging. “I’ll have to p>
We spent the next few hours searching for Nyssa and the best clue we got was tire tracks a few feet away from the crash site. The tracks went deep into the forest and towards one of the borders.
Normally, I would have checked it myself, but when I got the message that Aria was awake and kicking up a storm, I knew I had no other choice but to go to the palace.
The guards watched me carefully as I approached the room. Their faces were blank but their eyes contained curiosity and anticipation.
“You may all leave,” I said firmly.
They glanced at each other warily, then back to me.
I swallowed tightly, my hands fisting at my sides. “Did I fucking stutter p>
They bowed and walked off, leaving only a door between my sister and I.
I stood there for a full minute, calming my breathing and mentally bracing for the discussion ahead. Once I figured I was ready enough, I pushed the door open.
Aria stood in the center of the room, pacing with her hands in her hair. She stopped as soon as she heard the door and turned to me. For a split second, there was silence and then she launched herself across the room, throwing her arms around me.
“Thank the goddess you’re here,” she whispered. “They’re holding me like I’m some kind of prisoner and they won’t let me go. I don’t know what the fuck is going on but p>
“I’m going to need you to let go of me… right now p>
She went stiff in my arms and pulled back, watching me with suspicion. “Why the hell are you speaking to me like that? What the fuck is going on p>
I stepped further into the room and shut the door behind me. “You tell me. You know why you’re here p>
She swallowed thickly. “Rowan p>
“Let’s not make this hard, Aria, because I’m in a shitty mood as is and you’re my sister. You know damn well that I can’t hurt you but if anything happens to Nyssa because of you, then there’s no familial bond in the entire fucking world that would save you from my wrath p>
She opened her mouth to speak but no words would come out. She took a step back from me and I saw true fear flash behind her eyes. It was a feeling I was all too familiar with, and the pungent odor drifted through the room, clinging to her clothes and scent.
“Rowan, I p>
I shut my eyes tightly, not wanting to see her beg. “Where did they take her? Who did you give her to p>
“I don’t know p>
“What the fuck do you mean by you don’t know? You came into my house and abused the trust I have for you so you could sell my mate off to the fucking vampires! How the fuck can you not know p>
“I didn’t know what I was doing!” she screamed. “It felt like I was watching it happen from the back of my mind and I only have bits and pieces. I don’t know who I gave her to, all I know is that she’s gone. I’m sorry p>