Lazarus held his mate in a tight grip as if he was making sure that she was fine. He was shaken to the core when he saw how his sisters planned to kill her. What was wrong with the palace and his relatives? "I am so sorry that this happened to you…" he murmured as he pressed a kiss against her temple.
He made her sit on the bed and covered her with a bedsheet. While Magnus took a deep breath in and walked to the bar to pour a large glass of whiskey, Yul traced back to the ballroom to keep an eye on Olya. Magnus couldn't go there else it would have raised suspicions.
Magnus poured a large glass of wine for himself and for Lazarus. Leaving the two of them, Emma went to the bathroom to change.
Lazarus took the wine glass from Magnus as he scratched the back of his neck. "This is getting too much," he said as he sat next to him on a bar stool. "Why are there so many people against Emma? Why can't they just go on with their lives and leave her?"
Magnus chuckled. "If only wishes were horses." He sipped his wine. "You are the heir apparent. After the way you have tackled Maeve, father is slightly shaken. He shows that he is fine on the outside, but on the inside, I can feel how his heart beats fast when you go near him."
Lazarus let out a humorless laugh. "Do you think I haven't noticed it?" He shook his head. "He is scared but you forget Magnus, he still sits on the throne and that is where the power lies. People of this kingdom bow to that throne, to the king and not to him."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that he has a lot of power behind him. He is supported by a lot of people whether they willingly support him or not. And he takes advantage of it," Lazarus explained.
"Why don't you just reveal that you have marked Emma? That way Emma would be protected even by him," Magnus shrugged.
Lazarus shook his head. "You very well know why we can't do that. Either Emma would be well protected or she will be the target of every manipulation in this palace."
Magnus pursed his lips in a thin line. It was like a deadlock every time they breached this topic. Understanding his predicament, Lazarus said, "Don't worry, this is only till Olya's birthday. Once she turns eighteen, you marry her and I will be free."
Magnus closed his eyes and tipped his head back. "I don't know how I am going to repay your brother. You've done so much for me—"
"Hey!" Lazarus snapped. "Drop it, okay?"
Magnus snapped his head to look at his elder brother and narrowed his eyes and a moment later the two burst into laughter. Emma walked in, drying her hair with a dry towel. "And what are you two laughing at?" she asked as she sat down near the hearth to dry her long hair.
"How are you feeling, love?" Lazarus asked her.
"I am fine, Lord Lorza," she replied with a smile. "You shouldn't worry so much about me. And maybe you should go back to the ballroom."
"Hah!" Lazarus scoffed. "I have no intentions of going back to that stupid place. It is bland without you."
Emma's beatific smile dazzled him and he knew that it was worth all the anger that his father would lash him with after the ball. King Viktor wanted to use this opportunity to tell everyone how he chose Olya for Lazarus. Basically, he would try to make sure that Lazarus married Olya. However, his absence was going to irritate his father a lot. He had danced with Olya at the ball and that was more than enough.
"What are we going to do with Nora and Cora?" Magnus asked.
"Same what we did with Gladys," he said. "But I think with Cora and Nora in the prison, one problem is solved."
"Which problem?"
"The problem of humans missing from the village. These two were behind the disappearance of humans from the village. They were drinking them out dry and throwing their bodies back near the blood forest that surrounded the village," Lazarus said with a sigh. "Terrible and unfortunate. That is why I want the rebels to go down so that vampires don't get thrown into blood lust. Because if that happens, there would be no place safe for humans."
"Will you go to the village to check upon it?" Magnus asked, sipping more wine.
"I will go in a week's time. That will be enough interval for the villagers to see that no more humans are disappearing," Lazarus replied. He turned his head over his shoulder to see Magnus. "I want you and Olya to lie low for the next.
Magnus left them after sipping down his wine and returned to his room only to find that Olya was waiting for him. "Olya!" he was surprised. "How come?"
Olya giggled. "I managed to sneak out. King Viktor was looking very angry though, but I just made myself inconspicuous."
Magnus pulled her to his chest. "Gods, I missed you!"
"I missed you too," she whispered. "I just hope that this period of waiting ends soon."
"It will…" Patience was the key. Only a month and a half and they would be free to marry each other.
A week went by before Lazarus went back to the village. And when he reached there, he didn't announce it. He went to meet the rebel leader, Droggo at his home.
Droggo was taken aback when he saw Lazarus in his home. "Lord Lazarus!" He got up along with Avice. They were eating food with their son. They bowed to him. Droggo looked behind him with caution.
"I am not alone," Lazarus growled. "My soldiers are outside watching the locals, so don't try any of your tricks."
Droggo swallowed down his saliva.
"Did you notice any more humans missing from the village past week?" Lazarus asked.
