Daughter of the Red Dawn (The Lost Kingdom of Fallada) (10 page)

“Don’t mind him,” said Jake as he came up the staircase behind her. He clutched the same brown leather volume he’d been carrying earlier. “Wil doesn’t understand that you need time to digest all of this information. He’s always
been one with a taste for adventure, diving headfirst into things without thinking.
His
impulsive
nature is responsible for most of our adventures.
”

Selena was not about to get into another discussion about her so-called destiny. Instead of addressing Jake’s statement, she gestured toward the metal grate covering Titus’ prison.

“How long is he going to stay like that?” she asked.

“Titus is a shape-shifter and can transform at will, but the dart we shot him with is filled with a very potent
Fae
potion. It renders him helpless and unable to shift until the dart is removed.”

Selena gasped. “You mean you left it in him? He must be in terrible pain!”

“He is the enemy,” Wil said as he joined them. His pipe was gone but the scent of tobacco still remained as he approached. “Or have you forgotten that you were almost
h
is dinner?”

“I don’t believe that he wanted to hurt me. I think that if you remove the dart, he would transform back into a human.”

“For the time being,” Wil consented. “Do not underestimate him, he is dangerous and you are not yet strong enough to fight him off should he decide to attack you again.”

“I don’t think he had a choice.”

Selena stepped forward, her eyes locked on the prison carved out into the ship’s deck. Wil’s hand clamped down on her arm, surprisingly strong.

“Everyone has a choice.”

Selena shrugged him off and continued forward.

“Based on what you’ve told me about Eranna, I don’t think that’s the case here.”

The brothers followed silently, flanking her on either side as she approached the grate and knelt down beside it. The brig was no more than a small square hole in the deck, just big and tall enough to trap the massive beast lying inside. His eyes were open and glowing red in the darkness of the brig. He was curled up on the floor, whimpering and
lapping at the wound in his hip with his large, pink tongue. A silver dart stuck up out of the fur and Selena could see teeth marks around it from his efforts at prying it loose.

“Can he remove it himself?” she asked.

Wil shook his head. “There is a special instrument for removal. One of us would have to do it.”

“When will you?”

He shrugged. “I had not planned on it until we reached Goldun. I must consult Queen Adrah in regards to his fate. We cannot take his attack upon you lightly. Your father will call for his blood.”

Selena stiffened. “No
!”

Red eyes swiveled upward and focused on her. Selena felt fear rippling up and down her spine, but calmed when
she
realized that Titus’s whines had increased. She frowned as
they
increased to full-fledged yips and barks.

“Well I’ll be,” Jake whispered, bending down over the grate beside Selena. “He’s trying to communicate with you, Princess.”

“What’s he saying?”

“I do not know.”

“Then take the dart from his hip so he can change back. I know he won’t hurt me.”

“I don’t think—”

“Am I Princess of Damu or not?”
s
he interjected, shooting her narrowed gaze at Wil.

The old man arched a silver brow and nodded. “You are.”

“Then open that grate and bring me the tools. Keep your stupid gun handy if you feel threatened, bu
t I am going to talk to him.”

Jake chuckled. “Yes,
y
our
Highness.”

It didn’t take long for Wil to locate the tool—a strange-looking instrument that looked like a pair of forceps—and for the two brothers to lift the heavy metal grate and slide it aside. Selena thrust the gleaming forceps into her back pocket and threw her legs over the side of the square hole. It wasn’t too deep for her to jump down. Hopefully Titus wouldn’t eat her before she got the dart out of his leg. As if he’d read her mind, Wil stepped forward and thrust his silver pistol into her hand.

“Do not hesitate to use it,” he
said,
his mouth a grim line.

Selena nodded, thrusting the gun into the waistband of her jeans and covering it with her shirt.
With one last look back at Jake and Wil, Selena vaulted over the edge and landed a few feet away from the wolf. His head came up as she dropped beside him and his eyes bored into hers, glowing with silent intensity. He did not move from his spot, but watched her closely as she stepped forward slowly. She retrieved the forceps from her pocket and held them out for Titus to see.

“They didn’t want to let me come down here,” she said gently, hoping not to startle him by moving too quickly or speaking too forcibly. She wanted answers and Selena believed that there was more to Titus than met the eye. Something was motivating him, compelling him to do the things he’d done
,
and Selena had every intention of finding out what.

“I told them that I had no reason to believe that you would harm me once you shifted back to your human form and I hope you won’t make a liar out of me.”

Titus lowered h
is
head and Selena took that as a sigh of acquiescence. She closed the distance between them quickly and knelt beside him, inspecting the dart embedded in Titus’ thick pelt. Her fingers ran over
his
soft fur and she smiled.

“You’re so beautiful,” she said gently, as her hands ran up over his mammoth shoulder and toward his head. He whimpered and thrust his head beneath her stroking hand. Selena giggled and ran a hand over his head and ears. In response, he licked her hand with his rough, hot tongue. Selena wrapped her arms around the wolf’s neck and pressed her face against his neck.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered as she nuzzled the soft fur. If not for the fact that he was
in
pain, Selena could gladly curl up against him and
sleep comfortably on his fuzzy pelt. “I’ll get you out of here. I don’t know how I know this, but I believe the best of you
,
Titus. I know that you didn’t really want to hurt me.”

He lowered his head again, this time resting it in her lap. Selena forced her gaze away from his face and concentrated on the dart in his hip. It took a few minutes of poking and prodding, but eventually Selena had the dart removed. Once pulled from Titus’ fur and skin, the dart disintegrated into a silver powder right before Selena’s eyes.

“Well?” she asked, staring into Titus’ red eyes. “What now?”

Titus turned and began licking at the wound on his hip. Selena gasped, leaning forward on her hands and knees to watch as the injury disappeared right before her eyes
;
leaving no evidence behind, save for a few drops of blood. Selena leaped to her feet and moved back against the wall behind her as the wolf rose to his feet.

He lowered his head an
d
shuddered
as his body began to contort and change shape.
Fur melted away and long stretches of pale skin appeared as the wolf shrunk into the boy Selena remembered. She blushed and looked away when she realized that he was naked, but not before she caught a glimpse of a broad chest, slender waist
,
and abs ridged with lines and bulges of sinewy muscle.

“Here
,
kid,” Wil grumbled as he tossed something into the hole. Selena turned just in time to see Titus’ naked body disappe
aring into the confines of a coa
rse wool blanket. He watched Selena intently, his ethereal eyes practically glowing in the moonlight streaming through the opening above them. Titus drew in great gulps of air, as if struggling to breath. His chest heaved and his nostrils flared as she took a tentative step toward him.

“Selena,” he said between breaths
.
“
Where are we? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“I’m
fine;
it’s my grandmother you hurt.
”

“
Damn it!
I’m so sorry.”

Selena could see that he truly meant it as he sunk to his knees on the floor. He pulled the blanket more tightly around his shoulders and sighed.

“We’re on board
The Adrah
and on our way to Fallada,” she said. “Do you know who Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are?”

“Of course I do. Everyone in Fallada does.
I’m certain they mean to turn me over to
the
Fae
once we reach Goldun. It’s no more than I deserve.”

Selena crouched beside him. “Maybe they won’t. If you tell me why you did it, maybe I can reason with them. I know you didn’t want to, Titus. I saw it in your eyes right before you attacked me.”

Titus shook his head. “I didn’t want to, but I had a choice. I thought I didn’t, but maybe I made the wrong one and now Eranna will kill me because I could never hurt you.”

“Please, just tell me. I don’t know how much pull I have in Fallada but they say I’m a princess. I might be able to speak on your behalf or something.”

Titus smiled. “Yes
,
you are a princess, inside and out. How could you ever forgive me for what I’ve done?”

Selena shrugged. “I’ll find a way for you to make it up to me, wolf boy. For now just tell me what kind of trouble you’re in and I will do everything I can to help you.”

“It’s my parents, Selena. I’m sure by now the Grimm brothers have told you of the conflict between the
Werewolves
of Mollac.”

She nodded. “They said that the wolves are divided, pack against pack, some on Eranna’s side and others
running away
. They say that because
y
our eyes are red, you are one of Eranna’s drones.”

“That is only partially true,” Titus said. “I became one of her servants, but only to save my family. We had plans to leave Mollac once we realized that Eranna had grown too powerful
to avoid any longer. Some families offered their services to her to save their own skins, or because they really believed in what she was doing. The others escaped to Goldun to find refuge within the realm of the
Fae
. My family left too late and we were captured by Eranna’s other hunters. She
has taken my
parents and sister
prisoner
. She
promised to free them if I traveled to the world of men and killed the princess of Damu. That’s you, Selena. You know the rest.”

Selena felt pity and fierce protectiveness washing over her. She couldn’t explain it but something inside of her roiled savagely at the thought of Queen Eranna using Titus the way she had. Something in her wanted nothing more than to see the woman thrown down from her iron tower in disgrace but there was only one way for her to see it done and Selena wasn’t even going to consider it. Joining the war was out of the question.

Get Gram healed, go home,
she reminded herself inwardly.

“You should tell Wil and Jake your story. They may not be so quick to turn you over to the
Fae
if they know the truth. In fact, I think the
Fae
should be able to help you find your family.”

Titus shook his head, his eyes wide. “Eranna keeps them prisoner in her iron fortress. No
Fae
can enter.”

Selena lifted her head, resolution gripping her in an unstoppable hold. “Then I will help you.”

~*~

“Princess, it is out of the question.”

“Says who?”

“Say I, and Queen Adrah when she learns of your plans. You are far too valuable to Damu and all of Fallada. You cannot go traipsing about
Eranna’s lair looking for a family of
Werewolves
, when you should be preparing for the battle fulfilling the prophecy.”

Selena sighed, burying her face in her hands. She had left Titus in the brig after their conversation and was now in the ship’s galley with Wil and Jake, who had offered her a warm drink. Who knew that flying through space would prove to be so cold? Selena sipped the hot tea they’d given her gratefully, warming her hands on the tin mug.

“Maybe you guys didn’t hear me the first time. I am not going to get involved in some crazy war I don’t have any stake in. After my grandmother gets well, I want to help Titus and then go home.”

“Damu
is
your home,” Wil insisted. Jake sat beside him, staring at her silently. “Whether you
like it or not, that
is where you belong.”

“I’m not having this argument right now and I’m pretty sure I don’t need anybody’s permission. If this Queen Adrah won’t help me then I’ll find my father and
he’ll
help me.”