Beyond the Darkness (Book #1)

Chapter 16- The Immortal King

Julius has been watching the moon rise from his open window for six hours now. The unease in the pit of his stomach wouldn't dissipate.

The nearly full moon was red as it dragged itself over the horizon. Currently, it had returned to its original silver glow. But, it didn't cause Julius to feel any better. Tomorrow was the full moon and he could feel that something was going to happen.

He should have never let the two of them go. He should have just done it himself. His hands tightened around the base of the window. The dark wood creaked under the pressure. However, he knew it was already to late. He would never make it to them in time.

Julius looked at what once was a cursed blood moon. Tomorrow's full moon will be no different. His kingdom will be casted in the same disturbing red glow as last night.

"Julius." A soft yet, dangerous voice called out from the shadows behind him.

The king sighed, he didn't have time to hear her worries about their son. That's all she'd been talking about ever since he left. "Shouldn't you be in bed, Aurora?"

"How can I sleep knowing you knew where our son was this entire time?" She snarled in the shadows of their foyer. "Even though, I see right through your act. You still won't tell me where my son is!"

"He's fine. Now go to bed Aurora." Julius tried to say as calmly as possible.

"You cannot tell me that you aren't worried. I've been watching, you seem more worried than I was." She sounded on the verge of tears yet, to this day, he could never tell if it was real.

"It isn't Felix I'm worried about." Julius turned away from the deceiving queen.

"Don't play games with me Julius. I'm not like that mortal. I see right through you, so tell me, where did you send my son?"

"Are you that quick to doubt Felix?" He gazed back with a hidden smile in his sapphire eyes. "As for where he is, well, that is something I am unable tell you."

He could see that he was wearing down her last nerve. Her features twisted with annoyance. Her snarl never faltered. "And why exactly is that?"

"I am only agreeing with his wishes. Where he went isn't anyone's concerns but my own." The queen looked hurt as Julius calmly explained their arrangement.

Aurora was mostly hurt by the fact that Felix would hide something from her. The queen loved her son with all her heart, that much he knew. However, Aurora's intentions are always changing. She hung her head in what he assumed was shame. Her voice wavered as she spoke. "You're lying."

"I have no reason to lie." Julius hissed at her in the dark. "He shouldn't be gone longer then three months."

"You know, Julius." Aurora spoke so softly but, he could hear her threat. "Felix disappeared around the same time that mortal did. Is that why you wanted to keep it hidden from me? You have always been a terrible liar. How dare you force him to do something he didn't want to do!"

"Felix wasn't forced to do anything. When he left, it was his own choice." The deadly silence stretched between them. It was eerie and so thick he could have cut right through it.

Aurora's voice, sadly enough, was the thing to cut through the murky dark. "Your games are getting old. You are unable to convince me that our son willingly followed that mortal."

Julius smile was full of charm. Many times his queen had tried to deceive him and every time she failed. Tonight was no different from the rest. "I never said that our son followed the mortal, did I? You just assumed that."

"Are you trying to convince me otherwise? Both of them leaving at the same time isn't a coincident."

Julius's sigh was more of frustration than anger. He was expecting questions and he was prepared to answer. But, tonight's blood moon caused his worries to increase. The answers for her would just have to wait. "Even if he did follow Blue, what could you do about it? He wasn't forced and neither was he charmed into going along with her. Which leaves you completely powerless over the situation. You and I both know he does whatever he pleases, even if his intentions are unclear."