A Curse of Shadows

CHAPTER TWELVE

ASHER

As we enter through the castle’s back entrance, I take Isla up a private set of stairs that leads to a different section of the castle. Fewer of the staff frequent this area and I’d rather they not see us in our wet clothes, coming to their own conclusions about what we were up to.

I steal a glance at Isla. Her eyes, wide with wonder, dart around, absorbing every detail of her unfamiliar surroundings, almost as if none of this is real for her yet. I shouldn’t be surprised, given this version of my mate has never been in this section of our home, but a part of me hoped that once we came back here, more memories would begin to appear to her.

“You can use these stairs anytime you’d like,” I tell her, placing my palm on her lower back as we exit the dark hallway. “You’ll encounter fewer people this way if you’d like to remain unseen.”

When Isla looks up at me, her gaze is full of excitement and curiosity. “Are there secret doors in this place? Hidden hallways or rooms?”

I chuckle because those were always her favorite part and I’m surprised she hasn’t found the one in her room, even if by accident. “Yes, I’ll show you one right now, actually. In your own room.”

She claps her hands excitedly, then tugs animatedly at my arm. “Where? I looked everywhere in there.”

My smirk only grows. “Right this way, Princess.”

Her eyes roll at my use of the title, and she groans. “I don’t feel like a princess.”

I wrap an arm around her, pulling her close for a brief moment, reveling in the warmth of her body that reminds me of a love I thought I’d lost for good. “You never did before, either, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Wait.” She freezes in the middle of the hallway, coming to a complete stop just before we get to her room. “If we’re both from here and I’m a princess and you’re a king, are we…?”

Her hands cover her stomach and she looks like she’s going to be sick, but I quickly ease her worries. “We’re not related, Isla. Your father was a king in his past life. Since he didn’t have any heirs before his death, the crown went to the next wolf blessed by the gods. Still, your family retains its royal bloodlines.”

“So, your gods choose who the ruler is? The people have no say?” She doesn’t seem very impressed with that information.

“Yes and no,” I tell her as we keep walking. “Once before, a king was overthrown and the one who took his place was a vile creation, causing so much mayhem, our entire country went to war. Yet he had the support of more than half our people.”

“The Great War that separated the islands?” she asks, opening her door. “Cain mentioned that to me before.”

So much for hoping that was just something she remembered.

“That’s right,” I tell her, stepping inside her bedroom. “When the lands were separated, new rulers were chosen, none of them blessed by the gods. It wasn’t until the next wave of leaders was born that the gods resumed their selection process. It was up to us to listen. There are books in the royal library I can show you if you want to learn more before going to Lunara Academy.”

She nods, peering intently around her room. “Yeah, that would be good. Now what about this secret passage?”

Taking my time, because I’m enjoying her eagerness, I walk to the left side of her room and start at the corner, placing my hand over the wall, gently gliding it over the surface as I move. “Hm, it’s been so long. I’m not sure I actually remember.”

She smacks my shoulder playfully and practically growls. “Don’t play with me.”

Gods, I haven’t had this much fun in centuries. For so long, I’ve been nothing more or less than the stoic king, doing his best for his people. Doing anything that didn’t further my kingdom was never on the agenda.

Having Isla here makes me feel like I’m twenty again, carefree and in love. I shouldn’t open myself up like this—it’s a risk that could ruin me—but even if she still chooses to leave, I might as well die. I won’t survive losing her a second time, so there’s no point in holding back any longer.

“You were lying, weren’t you?” She huffs, standing by closely as I make my way down the wall, lightly touching the surface with my fingertips.

“It’s here somewhere,” I muse, knowing that as soon as I get past the closet door, I’ll find what I’m looking for.

Placed between the closet and bathroom is a small, hidden door, not even two feet wide, that leads to a set of stairs that will eventually end at an exit to the backside of the castle, but they also go to every floor within the castle, ending on the basement level that hasn’t been used in eons.

Her foot begins to tap incessantly, so I decide to put her out of her misery. I grab the thick, white moulding, circling the carving for the hidden switch before pressing the disguised button. A quiet click sounds and the small section of the wall pops free.

“Holy shit,” Isla mutters, trying to move around me. “Where does this lead?”

I grin and look right into her bright stare. “To my room.”

“Oh.” She casts her eyes away.