Chapter 180: A traitor in Emberfall
Ares’ body hit the stone floor hard enough to send another wave of pain through his side.
For several seconds, he simply lay there, his chest rose and fell heavily.
Every breath he took burned.
His hand moved instinctively toward his side. The moment his fingers touched the wound, pain shot through him.
"Fuck." His teeth clenched.
The sword had gone deep...not deep enough to kill him.
He knew that but it would hurt like a motherfucker.
He slowly pushed himself backward until his back hit the cold stone wall.
Blood had soaked through his clothing and armor.
He looked down at himself and then he laughed bitterly.
He had failed...He had fucking failed.
This had been his chance. The one chance he had been given to get Ayla out and he had walked straight into a trap.
Worse than that, he had allowed himself to be overpowered.
Ares closed his eyes, his jaw tightening as a wave of self disgust rolled over him.
He could still hear her screaming and he could still feel the desperation in it as she tried to save him.
His little Omega.
The woman he had sworn to protect.
What kind of mate am I? he thought. What kind of Alpha?
He had promised himself that he would not let her down again and he had told her to trust him.
He shifted, and the movement sent a fresh wave of pain through his side. He bit down on a groan, his teeth grinding together as he pressed harder against the wound. The blood had slowed, but it had not stopped. He could feel it seeping between his fingers.
Ares looked down at his blood-covered hand.
He hated this and he hated himself.
He was supposed to be the Alpha King... the one who people looked toward when things went wrong and he could not even protect himself.
He had allowed Alistair walk him into a trap. One his brothers had called out from the beginning.
His fist slammed against the stone beside him and pain shot through his hand.
He did it again and again until he was bleeding from his fist.
He could not allow himself to think about what Lucius might do to her. If he did, the anger would consume him.
He took a shaky breath.
He needed to survive, get out and find Ayla somehow.
Just then he heard footsteps echoing through the dungeon.
Ares raised his head, his body tensing up as the sound grew louder. He knew who it was before the door opened.
The cell door clanged and Lucius stepped inside.
Ares’ eyes narrowed at him.
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
Lucius simply stared at him, his gaze moved from Ares’ face to the blood covering his side.
"I am sorry about stabbing you." Lucius sighed. "I had to distract our little spitfire."
Ares’ jaw clenched.
"Do not..." His voice cracked.
Pain exploded through his chest as he coughed up blood.
Lucius raised an eyebrow.
"Ouu." He took a step closer. "You really need to get that looked at. It could become infected and those are the worst."
Ares glared at him but said nothing.
Lucius crouched in front of him, his expression was almost sympathetic.
"I can help you." he said. "If you tell me who helped you get into my palace."
Ares’ eyes narrowed.
If Lucius had no idea who had helped them get inside then Alistair had not betrayed them.
But if it was not Alistair...
Who? His mind raced.
Lucius tilted his head, staring at him.
"Tell me and I will have my healer come and take a look at you." Lucius continued. "Contrary to everything that has been going on between us, Ares, I do not want you dead."
Ares’ chuckled.
"I believe you and I can come to an agreement about a lot of things but only if you cooperate with me."
Ares looked up at him, and his teeth were red, and his smile was a thing of pure, cold fury.
"I am going to kill you," he said. "I am going to feed your insides to the crows."
Lucius’ smile disappeared.
"And when I am done, I will make sure there is nothing left of you for anyone to remember."
Lucius considered this then nodded, rising to his feet.
"I will leave you to think about how best to aid our collaboration," he said, turning toward the door, then paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Do not think long, Alpha king. That wound looks nasty."
Lucius smiled and he walked out, slamming the door shut behind him.
Ares’ hands curled into fists.
He had to find a way out of here... he would not let Ayla down again.
...
Lucius walked through the corridors of Emberfall heading back to his study. His expression had returned to its usual calm but his mind was working.
Ares had refused to speak which was expected but there was one thing Lucius knew.
Ares had been brought into the palace by someone and that someone was still inside.
A traitor.
Lucius’ jaw tightened.
He reached his study and opened his door to see Amara waiting inside for him. He did not even want to know how she had gotten in considering the door had been locked.
"Amara" he called out, closing the door behind him. "I believe I owe you my thanks." Lucius said. "For coming to notify me of Ayla’s leaving. If you had not, she would have been gone before I even knew."
Amara inclined her head. "You asked me to watch her. I did not think she was plotting such a thing with Ares of all people. To think she had been pretending to lose her memory. She fooled even me."
"The spell did not work, then?"
"Or it did," Amara said, "and she somehow managed to break through it. I warned you that could be an option."
Lucius sighed.
"Never mind that," he said. "We have a traitor in our midst. Someone let Ares into the palace. Someone who knew the secret ways, who knew our blind spot."
Amara’s brows pulled together. She thought for a moment.
"Willow, perhaps?"
Lucius looked at her.
"Why Willow?"
"She and Ayla have gotten quite close. She must know something."
Lucius shook his head.
"No. Willow would not have known anything about the secret passages into the palace." He paused, and his voice dropped "But I know someone who would have."
"Who?" Amara asked.
Lucius turned to face her, and his smile thin.
"My brother."