The Power of a Mate

III: Chained

"I don't, but I'm not going to deprive my best friend of something that will never be mine."

As we conversed for the next half hour, I had long forgotten the questions that I had wanted to ask. As I was about to ask the most important questions that had yet to be discussed, my father's phone broke apart the fluidity of our conversation.

He asked me to step out of his office as he took the call, which did not sit well with me. My mother followed me out of the room, saying that she needed to visit some guests that had arrived earlier that day. I reached out and grasped her wrist to which she quickly turned around.

"Will you tell me what you were speaking of later once you're done introducing the guests to our home?" I asked.

She glanced away from my face, her eyes wandering along anything, but my gaze. She was hiding something from me.

"Are you telling me everything, Mom?"

"Of course! You're right. We have to talk later," Mother said in a rush.

She did not put my nerves at ease, but rather intensified my suspicions. Mother's fake attitude did not go unnoticed either. She turned around once more before she left and spoke,

"Meet me tonight at the fountain."

She left me standing alone in the spacious hallway as she quickly escaped my piercing gaze. I nodded my acceptance of her temporary answer. As I watched my mother's retreating figure, I decided to head to the dungeons to retrieve information from the criminal that we brought back in pieces.

As I traveled through the castle, the faint comforting murmurs of the girls that pitied Victoria rang loud in clear in my ears. I rolled my eyes at the seeming perpetual cries of what I thought to be my friend. I hoped that she did not smell my scent as I was sure that she would attempt to kill me again.

I ignored the protests of the guards as they tried to restrict me from entering the prison chambers. I glared at the guards when they grabbed my arms, so in a few moments they laid on the ground, unconscious. I punched in the code of the security system.

The thick, metal door swung open and shut tightly as I stepped through its threshold. I scanned every cell as I searched for the Fendrel criminal. We had captured a variety of creatures over time; some were immortal, though others had withered away.

As the pallid light led me down different hallways, I had finally found the limbless beloved of Victoria. The Fendrel had healed and was no longer a puzzle in need of solving.

I inserted the key into the door, unlocking the cell. I stepped into the dimly lit and sparsely furnished room. The Fendrel's eyes were sunken as he took in my appearance. He shuddered as his gaze met mine. I stepped towards him, but he shrunk away from me.

He darted up from his relaxed position against the stone and silver encrusted wall. We made the chambers with material that would ensure to keep anything contained. I placed my hands in front of me, showing that I did not wield a weapon nor did I display harm.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I need to talk to you," I spoke slowly, hoping he would not betray the ounce of trust that I had given him to keep his mouth shut.

He did not move as my gaze encouraged him to speak.

"I'm astonished. When was the last time you killed someone? Four hours? Is that a new record?" His voice was raspy, though his sarcasm was clear.

"I want to know of all your colony's secrets, plans, and communications with allies. Do you understand?" I said politely, witholding my temper that flared at his disrespect.