Chapter 92: Saving Ayla
"I couldn’t care less if she died. What else can you tell me about my father?"
The stranger regarded Willow with angry eyes.
"Do you really think you are safe?" he asked her.
Willow frowned.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"The girl who tried to poison the princes’ mate is your friend, is she not? From what I have heard."
Willow nodded slowly.
"Yes, we are friends but how exactly does that make me unsafe? I have done nothing wrong and I most certainly did not see that coming."
She breezed to the mirror beside her and surveyed her neck. Bruises etched itself all around it.
Fucking Cassian.
She had been so sure he was going to kill her. The anger in his eyes and the way his hand had closed around her throat.
And Damon just stood there.
"If she succeeds in killing Ayla, she is going to hang and so will you."
Willow looked at the man behind her.
He was still masked.
After her business with the princes in the hallway, she had come into her room to see him waiting for her. It said so in his note that he wanted to talk more about her father and now he was instead talking about Ayla.
Willow scoffed.
Everything, just somehow had to revolve around the cunt.
"I did nothing wrong" Willow repeated, turning around to face him.
"But will it matter, Willow? You have done nothing but make Ayla’s life a living hell. Would it be so far fetched that you would be involved in killing her?"
The rogue king saw the fear flash in Willow’s eyes and he smiled internally.
"My father..."
"Your father would not be able to do a thing for you if Ayla dies. He may prevent you from facing punishment for her being poisoned in the first place but if she dies, you will hang alongside your best friend and Ares would never be yours."
"He would never be hers either. Besides, even if I could have him, he is my stepbrother..."
"And he is also hers, is he not? I do not hear anyone complaining about it."
"But they are fated by the moon goddess herself. Who would dare utter a protest?"
"Exactly" He smiled, nearing her. "The trick to getting Ares back, dear Willow is making sure the moon goddess approves your bond."
He reached for her shoulder, trailing a finger up until it curled around a strand of her blond hair.
"How?" Willow whispered.
"I can help you with that but..." The rogue king murmured, standing behind Willow now and look at her through hooded eyes. "You cannot have that if Ayla dies."
"Why are you so concerned for her?" Willow pouted, folding her arms across her chest. "She is nobody, you know and even you cannot seem to stop speaking about her."
Willow turned around so she was staring up at him.
"Who are you? Let me see what you look like." she reached for the mask covering his face but the rogue king stopped her, holding her wrist in place.
"Not yet." he smiled.
Willow sighed, turning back to the mirror. Her eyes surveyed the redness that was her throat.
She knew this man was right.
Cassian had strangled her and just on a hunch that she was responsible for what had happened to Ayla. If she died, she would for sure be killed and even her father would not be able to save her.
"Fine. I will take you to see Celeste but you need to follow closely behind me and you need to keep your head down while I speak to the guards."
The rogue king did as he was bid, kept his head down as they made their way to the dungeons and although the guard were suspicious about letting him pass, Willow’s explanation of him being an assigned guard to her ever since what happened assuaged their fears.
They made their way to the far end of the dungeon where Celeste had been thrown.
The rogue king could make out sniffles coming in that direction.
They stopped in front of the cell and he saw the girl.
"Celeste" Willow whispered.
The girl ceased crying, raising her head up, surprise in her eyes.
She scampered to her feet, reached the cell doors and grabbed Willow’s hands through the bard.
"Willow" she wailed. "You have to get me out of here."
"I cannot, friend. How could you?" Willow accused.
"How could I?" Celeste stared at her friend. "You know what she is. I thought we..."
"We?" Willow chuckled. "Celeste, I never asked you to kill her."
"But I thought..."
"You thought nothing, friend. You did this on your own without my guideline or knowledge. Do not think to involve me in this."
Celeste face crumpled.
Only then did she glance behind Willow, taking in the masked man in the coat, covering half of his face.
"Who are you? What is this?"
Willow glanced behind her before saying.
"He needs to speak to you."
She took a step back, making way for the rogue king to approach a confused and wary Celeste.
"Hello" He stared at her for a moment then his hand snaked into the cell, grabbing her by the throat and squeezing.
Willow gasped.
"What are you doing?" she cried out, lunging forward.
"What did you give her?" the rogue king questioned, ignoring Willow’s panicked clawing of his outstretched arm.
"I don’t know." Celeste gasped. "I don’t know what it was."
"You don’t know?"
"No, I don’t. I just asked for something from a roadside seller. I asked for something that kills dogs because that is exactly what that cunt is... a fucking dog."
The rogue king squeezed tighter, Celeste wheezed, her eyes going back into her head.
"Let go of her" Willow gasped. "You are killing her!"
The rogue king hesitated for a moment before he released Celeste who stumbled backward, her eyes wide with panic.
"How dare you put your hands on me?" she managed between gulps.
"Be grateful that is all I did." the rogue king muttered.
He turned to Willow who now had fear in her eyes.
"Let us leave now"
Willow drew in a shaky breath and nodded.
"How could you let him touch me?" Celeste screamed to Willow as they walked away from her.