I didn’t care to ask—I didn't really want to know—what he was going to do next. I looked over the guard’s shoulder at
Nicholas as he strolled into the dungeons and a loud roar came followed by an ear splitting scream.
Chapter 51
NICOLAS
Ornella had refused to go back to her bedroom. I was not in the mood to deal with her excuses as to why she was in the
dungeons to begin with. I was near ready to punish the guard who left her alone, along with the other guards who
disappeared from the room.
Percy insisted I’d keep my cool as I thundered towards the throne room, my three sisters following closely behind. Word
was already spreading within the castle that Ornella was attacked. As soon as the doors were opened, I saw the extent of the
shock she was in, as well as how bloody she had become.
She sat at the throne steps, her head between her hands as she muttered something to herself. I didn’t rush to her aid.
Morgana did, wrapping her in her arms.
Ornella threw Morgana back, shouting, “Don’t touch me!”
Morgana held her hands up in surrender. She turned to face me, her horror mirroring the same horror buried beneath my
rage. I shifted my eyes to Ornella, taking in her appearance.
The bruises on her neck made my blood boil and rage seep through my body. The prisoner, Kathlyn, received her
punishment in the form of her head hitting the stone floor. A mercy in a way. I’d have liked to have tortured her, pulling apart
every bone in her body just for hurting a single hair on Ornella’s head. Again, Percy to the rescue, reminding me a quick death
is better when my wife waited for me.
Ornella’s eyes found mine and a wave of sadness ran down our bond. Our eyes connected, making the tether between us tug
at my body, urging me to step forward. I could not. I couldn’t move. She’d been hurt. It was my fault. I was ashamed of it.
Ashamed that I hadn’t been there to protect her.Again.
“We should get you cleaned up,” April spoke gently.
She stepped forward, drawing Ornella’s attention away from me.
“What were you even doing down there?” Percy asked, grateful he’d taken that from me.
“i—eh—I wanted to…” Her voice was raspy as she swallowed several times, it must have hurt to talk.
“Fetch her majesty a glass of water!” ordered April.
“I wanted to see them.”
“Them who?” Morgana sat at her feet, not daring to move any closer.
“My friends.”