Destined for Disaster ✔️

Chapter 51

"There's an explanation for this," Ryleigh said, but even she didn't sound convinced.

"Don't bother," Austin said, and there was something in his tone that prevented her from trying. He turned and disappeared into the house.

A servant hesitantly appeared in the mansion's entrance, holding two simple dresses. Ellis nodded at him and took the clothing, after which the omega hastily retreated again. He gave the clothes to Jade and Ryleigh, who tugged the fabrics over their heads in silence.

"Do bother," Ellis said. Ryleigh knew he was disillusioned – they all were. He'd trusted her to have told the truth at last. More than that, he really didn't like that he, in his ignorance, had sent an incomplete account to King Alder.

She stared at the entrance, even though Austin had long since left her view. She shook her head and trained her gaze on Ellis. His face was lined with annoyance, and she found much the same look on Julie and Conall's faces.

"Let's go inside," she said.

Ellis nodded and led the way, the others trailing after him in complete silence. He took them to the parlour. 

Jade lingered in the doorway. She glanced around her, at the room's lavish furniture and fancy woodwork, and whistled through her teeth. "Don't think I've ever been in a house this big." She let her fingers run over the edge of a cabinet.

"Come sit," Ryleigh said. She had dropped herself on the sofa. Jade looked up and crossed the room towards her, craning her neck to look at the ceiling as she went and nearly walking into the coffee table. "How did you find me?"

Jade sat down, crossing one leg over the other and hooking her hands around her knee. She tilted her head a little, eyes hopping from Ellis, to Julie, to Conall.

"Perhaps you could tell us what's going on first," Julie said. "I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm more than a little confused. You said it was just your father and you."

Jade drew in a slow breath, the skin around her eyes tightening. "I can't believe you've told them what you are," she linked Ryleigh.

"I had to."

Jade turned her head just enough to be able to glance at Ryleigh. "I find that hard to believe."

"Are you guys linking each other?" Ellis said. "Perhaps you'd like to have that conversation out loud? We're still waiting for that explanation."

"I was protecting her," Ryleigh said.

"I wouldn't have needed protection if you had just kept your mouth shut," Jade said.

"I will show you my memories in a bit, then you'll understand why I had to. Look, Ellis. You were already sending that letter to Alder, and I honestly wasn't sure he wasn't going to execute me. Imagine if it were Carry. Would you have given her up like that?"

"You wouldn't," Conall said, when Ellis failed to answer. He leant forward, studying Jade. "So, are you a mind-controller?"

Jade turned her attention to him. He met her gaze calmly, though with a hint of concern in his eyes. She watched him, growing more amused as he grew more uncomfortable.

"Yes. I take after my father."

"Only you're prettier," Ryleigh said.

"I'll say," Conall said.

Jade raised a brow, but said nothing.

"Really?" Julie said, her eyes flicking upward.

"What? She knows what I'm thinking anyway. Might as well say it."

"Back to the matter at hand," Ellis said. "What else did you lie about, Ryleigh?"

"Nothing."

"I'm not sure I believe you."

Jade uncrossed her legs and scooted forward. "Are you sure you want to give a lecture about lies, Alpha?"

"Jade," Ryleigh said, shaking her head. "He's earned the right to be cross with me. I've put these people through a lot the past month."

"From what I'm reading, they didn't exactly make it easy for you either. What is it I'm seeing about you taking an arrow for the pretty boy?"

"I'll explain later."

Conall bent towards Julie. "Hear that? She called me pretty."

"Could you do us a favour and not read our minds?" Julie asked. She made an effort to sound authoritative, but it was plain to see she was actually highly uncomfortable.

"Why? Do you have something to hide?"

"We can't turn it off," Ryleigh said, stabbing her elbow in Jade's side. "Or at least not efficiently."

"There's only two minds in this world I don't read, and that is my father's and my sister's," Jade said.

"So you can turn it off."

"Not exactly. My father knows how to use his magic to counteract mine. As for Ryleigh, she knows how to block my powers. But don't worry. It takes a lot to faze me."

"Stop freaking her out and start telling me how you found me," Ryleigh said.

"Right." Jade sat back and crossed her legs again. "I'm a bit confused about how much you've told them."

"Everything."

"Yet you never mentioned me."

"I did mention you. I just told them you died. Just tell me."

"It was really easy. We could have found you ages ago – well, we did – but we wanted to give you time to come back on your own. Only you didn't. We thought you would, since you usually do. After a while, Father decided to use his powers to contact you. He managed to reach you, but there was something in the way. You physically couldn't come back. We figured you were locked up somewhere, which led us to the Royal Prison. That was two days after you left."

"Wait, you knew she was there all that time?" Julie asked.

"Of course. So we had a dilemma. Break you out and risk spoiling our secret, or leave you in there for a while. Father decided on the latter. Figured you needed a lesson."

"He thinks spending a month getting silvered in the Royal Prison is a lesson?" Conall asked.

Ryleigh chuckled – a wry chuckle birthed from irony, not humour. "And boy did I learn it."

"We're Shadow Walkers," Jade said. "We're tough on our children. It makes them strong."

"Strong? She was a breath away from death when she got here," Ellis said.

"We wouldn't have let her die. We kept an eye on her."

"But then you would have known when Austin took her out of prison," Julie said.

"We did."

"You've known I was here since the beginning?" Ryleigh asked.

Jade shrugged, frowning. "Did you doubt that?"

"Why wait this long?" Conall asked.

"Curiosity and caution." Julie glanced around her. "We wanted to see how you would fare here. Besides, the lesson wasn't over. Father wanted to see how you would react to his calls. Wanted to see if you would escape, even with your mate here. You didn't."

"I tried."

"I believe you. I also believe you could've tried harder."

Ryleigh paused for a beat. "So why today?"

"It's time to come home." 

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A/N: A short chapter, but one that gives some much-desired information. The Shadow Walkers don't mess around when it comes to punishments, that's for sure. 

Thanks for reading!