Prince Darrius

Part 2 Chapter 20

I drop Caitlin and Abbey off in the city where Caitlin asks to be dropped off. I feel hesitant doing it as she is looking paler with every minute that passes. Somehow she manages to stand on two feet as she exits the car with her little sister in tow.

"I will return if I have no other choice," Caitlin farewells me.

"Or if Xavier doesn't come after you first, hey?" I ask, trying to be humorous but Caitlin just frowns instead.

"It's about time I found some freedom for me and my sister, Jennifer," she says, looking as white as a ghost, "Goodbye."

"Bye –" the door shuts before she can hear my farewell and I frown after her as she stumbles along the street with Abbey. I couldn't force her to come back with me and she had every right to her freedom – hopefully she stayed safe.

I stay parked on the curb and decide it is time to call my prince. I hadn't replied to him earlier, it was best I rang up and made sure the palace wasn't in a riot before I got back.

I press for his name and lift the phone to my ear, nervous about when Darrius will pick up. When the phone rings more than three times I start to bite my lip – but he answers just before it goes to voice mail.

"You finally decided to give me a call, did you?" he asks in a low growl, disapproval evident in his tone.

"Is it safe to return to the palace?" I ask.

"It nearly is, Xavier and I along with some other recruits are securing the palace as we speak. We're going to need you back to use your blood to cure them, we're going to need more of Eddrick's blood too. What did you all accomplish on your little mission, Jennifer?"

Oh no, here it was, the question I was dreading answering.

"We went to save Caitlin's sister, Abbey," I explain and he cuts me off almost instantly.

"Oh don't worry, I know what you all went off to do, what was the result?" He sounds suspicious, like he expected me to start admitting how we failed.

"There is some good news and some bad news, what do you want to hear first?" I ask.

"How about you just tell me everything without hesitating, darling," Darrius drawls out, "And then haul your ass back here where I can look out for you and make sure you're not killed."

I can't help but smile at this part, but then instantly frown again when I have to tell him what happened.

"Well, the good news is Abbey is safe, we saved her. Caitlin has gone off into the city to find a way to fix her because she is in some sort of zombie-like condition. I'm sure Meredith can help them if they find her, um –"

"The bad news?" Darrius asks, patiently waiting for my answer.

"Maximus and Isobel were kidnapped," I blurt out, tensing, waiting for his response.

"By whom?" he asks, relatively calmly. Which I didn't expect – perhaps it was the calm before the storm.

I gulp.

"By werewolves," I explain, "You made a pact with them to get Eddrick together, I think they were surrounding the house, keeping it under watch. I don't know why they kidnapped Maximus and Isobel."

"That's not your fault," Darrius says, "They should have asked what was happening, clearly they are all strung up tight about everything that has been happening with Eddrick. Come back and I'll meet you in the palace's garage. We'll figure out a plan then."

I'm suspicious of how calm and reasonable Darrius is sounding. I expected more of a domineering, patriotic, demeaning, angry response.

"Okay," I say, slowly, "You're not angry... ?"