The Royal Hunting Lodge
Sophie Reese
I slowly retreated into the background as Christie and Jacques continued to speak. Christie had been unwillingly to stay, but Jacques through patience and persistence had coaxed her into to watching a movie with him in the smaller reception room. They asked me if I wanted to join, but I had turned down the offer. Whatever was happening between them, I wanted it to grow and they could only do that
"Oh no, I'm good thanks. I'm going to stay here and wait for Sally," I replied.
Jacques slipped his arm around Christie's waist and started leading her towards the smaller reception room. At first, she was unsure, glancing over her shoulder at me, but she was soon distracted by his charm. She listened to him intently as he began talking to her about the movie they were going to watch, spinning off facts about the actors and what happened on set. Christie followed him, completely enchanted.
I watched them disappear and found myself smiling. Christie and Jacques... that could work. Christie could be happy with him... unlike Sally, who hated Blood. Poor Sally, how was I going to explain this mess to her? Sinking down into the couch, I drew my knees into my chest and listened to the emptiness of the room. I wondered what would happen to our friendship? Would she still be my friend, or would this tear us apart?
The front door opened and Nico stepped in, dragging Sally behind him. I jumped to my feet, unsure of what to expect. Would she be happy, sad, angry, or worse, indifferent? She yanked her arm out of Nico's grip and spotted me. Her hand rose to her mouth, and her lips whispered my name.
She broke away from Nico and ran to me.
"Sophie, they said you fought a demon! Are you okay?" She asked, running her hands over me.
"I'm fine," I replied.
She smiled, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her forehead against mine.
"Thank goodness," she breathed, framing my face with her fingers.
There was no anger, no hate or sadness. Just sheer relief.
"I was so worried," she sighed. "I thought Luc might have killed you after the accident. No one would tell me anything, I was so frightened."
"I'm sorry - for everything," I replied tearfully. "I tried to get Casper to break your marriage contract with Blood, but it didn't work."
"Hush, now. Don't fret about that, my dear one. You have been very brave."
"Sally, did you know that Casper was King?"
"Yes, I knew he was King... I thought about telling you the truth, but I didn't know how. Please don't hate me. Ever since you were born, everything I have done has been to keep you safe."
"What?" I said, lifting my head up.
"Sophie, I need to speak you about why I converted you. There's a reason and -"
She paused as the front door opened again. We both turned our heads in time to see Blood walk in. I looked at Sally and saw the colour drain from her face. Was this first time she had seen him?
His dark eyes focused on her, as she stood up from the couch, unsure of what to do. Should she run? Yell at him? Fight him? I watched her face as she frantically weighed up the options in her mind. Blood calmly walked towards her, closing the distance like some dark hellish angel.
"Sally," he breathed, reaching out and gently pulling her into his arms.
Her whole body froze, against unfamiliarity of his. For a second, I thought about jumping off the couch and pushing him away from her, but to my surprise, she relaxed into him and lifted her arms up and wound them around his neck. He held her to him, burying his face into her neck and inhaling her deeply.
"I've missed you so much," he said softly.
"I can't forgive you, but I can't bring myself to hate you either," she replied tearfully.
"I know, baby. I feel the same. I can't forgive you either," he told her, gently brushing her hair.
She paused and leaned back from him, "Woah, what did I do wrong?"
"You left me," he breathed harshly.
"Because you married someone else! How could I stay?"
"You could've stayed because you loved me and understood what I was doing for us - for you."
"Oh my God, I can't believe you're still painting yourself as the hero after all these years! You chose money over love, Blood. You abandoned me."
"Then tell me you don't love me. Tell me you can't stand me and you never want to see me again."
Sally groaned inwardly and sighed, "You know I can't. Leaving you the first time nearly killed me. I don't think that I could pull it off a second time."
"You have no idea how crazy I went the first time you left me. I was ready to burn down half of Port Cressida to find you."
"You know I would have never stayed in the city."
"And that is why I didn't touch it. Although, I did think thinking about letting it burn just for the hell of it. I don't think I've felt any kind of happiness since you left."
"Not, even when you found out that your wife was pregnant," she asked.
He paused, slightly pulling away from her so he could look at her face.
"Do you really believe that I could stand to touch a woman who wasn't you?"
She swallowed hard and turned her face away from him.
"I'd rather not think about it, Blood."
"My God, Sally. My marriage to Gwen was one of convenience. We never consummated our marriage, let alone tried to have a child. Do you really think I would have betrayed you like that?"
She paused, tilting her chin up to look at him.
"You couldn't do it, could you? You tried, but you couldn't do it... You're great plan failed."
"Don't talk to me like that."
"Like what, Blood? Like you're a loser?"
His expression stilled and a humourless smile spread across his face. With one hand, he twirled a piece of her black hair around his finger and said, "You always did enjoy kicking the hornet's nest."
She flashed a smile back at him and replied, "Is that what you call 'telling the truth'?"
He pressed a kiss against the jet black hair wrapped around his fingers.
"I've had enough talking for one night. Where's your bedroom?"
He took a step back from her and started to walk towards one of the empty bedrooms. Sally shook her head, "What do you think you're doing Raynard Beaupre?"
"I'm fixing this thing between us, right now."
"What thing?"
"The tension. It needs to resolve itself somehow. As I recall, we were pretty good at makeup-"
"Oh my God, what is wrong with you? Not in front of Sophie," Sally snapped.
"I can't wait any longer. I need you."
She swallowed hard and replied, "Give me three minutes alone with Sophie."
"You get two minutes and not a second longer. I have waited decades for you."
"Fine, but don't think any funny business is going down tonight."
"Sure thing, darling," he replied smoothly.
He walked down the hallway and disappeared into one of the empty bedrooms. Sally shook her head and whispered, "That damn cocky arrogant son-of-a-bitch! Did you see how he blindsided me? He always does that. He waltzes in, like nothing ever happened and expects us to carry on as normal."
"Do you want me to get Nico or Jacques to remove him?"
"No, I need to speak to him...although I doubt we'll do much talking. I've been out of his orbit for too long... he has this power over me that, I can't explain."
"You love him, don't you?"
"He's my mate, that's how it works ...kind of maddening, huh?"
"I can understand that," I replied, thinking about what my own relationship was like with Casper.
"Look, two minutes isn't long enough for what I've got to tell you. We'll talk when we return to court."
"We're returning to court?"
"The royal court, Sophie. The place where Casper rules. This hunting lodge is just one of Casper's many royal residences. His main palace is on the outside of Port Cressida. We will return there after the wedding."
"But, what about Mia and Luc?"
"We are leaving because of Mia and Luc. I hate to be the one who tells you this, but the doctors are unable to do anything for Mia. They think she will die soon and when that happens, an execution squad will assist Luc ending his own life so he can be with Mia in the next."
"That's bullshit, he's got kids!"
"He can't be without Mia. Luc is a telepath and Mia is his anchor. Without her, he's dangerous, even to his own children."
"No, that can't be it... there has to be some other way."
"The children will be returning to court with us."
"No way, this is terrible."
"You have a sweetheart, but Luc is dangerous. I'm ashamed to say it, but this might not be a bad thing. I've felt nothing but earthquake tremors since being out in that cottage. Luc has the potential to kill us all. He's like a nuclear bomb, just waiting to go off."
"That's an awful thing to say, Sal...and I'm not going to allow that to happen. Mia is going to wake up."
"Honey, there are some battles you can't win."
"I'm going to win this one."
"Well, let me know if you need any help. My two minutes are up," she replied, hugging me.
I nodded and watched her walk away. I felt numb inside. Mia was dying... I sank down to the floor and thought about Luc hunched over his wife's hospital bed. I then imagined trying to tell Christian what happened to his mother and father after they died.
I shook my head. No, I wasn't going to accept this. I was going to fight. Mia needed me and I was prepared to go all the way to save her. There was something out there, in that forest, that held the answer. The Wendigo had spoken Mia's name that night, and this evening Christian had gone into the woods by himself... had he been looking for his mother?
The answer was in those woods and I was determined to find it... but first, I needed to sleep and get ready for my wedding tomorrow.