CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDS TWENTY FIVE
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CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY FIVE
Talia’s POV
I went to the dungeon not long after speaking with my father and Solon. When I reached the lower cells, two guards stood by the heavy door. They stepped aside when I approached, clearly father had told them in advance to let me in.
Inside, Nolan sat on a bench with his back against the wall. He had leaned back on the stone wall. His eyes were closed, but I knew he wasn’t sleeping.
“I thought you’d be the last person to visit,” he said. He opened his eyes and met my gaze.
“Just because I think you’re a jerk doesn’t mean I want you imprisoned unjustly,” I stated.
“Well then, what do I owe the pleasure of your presence, Princess?” Nolan asked.
“I came because I wanted to talk to you and ask you what the hell you were doing,” I replied. My voice is much louder than I intended.
Nolan studied me quietly, surprised by the sudden outburst. “Do you believe Jason and Michael?”
“I believe in evidence,” I replied.
Nolan stared at me before scoffing. He let out a humorless laugh. “Of course you believe them,” he muttered.
“I didn’t say I believed them. I said I believe in evidence,” I snapped. Nolan didn’t say anything else, but I could tell that he didn’t believe me. “I am being serious, Nolan.”
“Do you really think that evidence matters here? Evidence can’t punish me, and it can’t clear your father either. It’s just words on paper,” Nolan finally said.
“That’s not true,” I said firmly. “If you’re innocent, evidence will protect you. If you’re guilty, it will condemn you.”
“Then maybe you should ask yourself which outcome your father prefers,” Nolan said. “You know as well as I do that, he already made up his mind.”
His defiance tested my patience. “No, that’s not true. If he did, I wouldn’t be down here talking to you.”
“Or he is just appeasing you,” Nolan argued.
“Nolan, just focus. Tell me why you did it. What were you trying to do?”
“There is nothing more to say, Princess,” Nolan stated.
His tone was detached, almost mocking even. It was this tone that erased every ounce of patience I had left. “You sound as if you don’t even care,” I snapped. “You could have killed him.”
“I didn’t,” he said. “You already made up your mind, so what’s the point?”
“The point is telling me why of all options, why did you do that?” I asked.
“Leave, Princess. I already said what I needed to say.” He closed his eyes again.
I fumed. It was as if he was dismissing me. “Then, there’s nothing left to discuss,” I said and turned on my heel before he could respond.
Outside, Della and Marco were waiting near the stairwell. Marco had been pacing, and Della was chewing on her nails nervously.
“Well, what did he say?” Della asked.
“He admitted poisoning my father, but he wouldn’t explain why. He said evidence didn’t matter. It would not protect him,” I replied.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY FIVE
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Marco looked concerned. His brow furrowed and I asked, “What’s wrong, Marco?”
“If this isn’t resolved by tomorrow, I’ll have to summon the Bloodmoon warriors with Alpha Nolan’s order,” Marco answered.
My pulse jumped. “Summon them for what?”
“To intervene,” Marco replied. “If the Alpha King doesn’t clear Alpha Nolan’s name, Blood Moon will have no choice but to attack Silverfang. We will not stand around and watch him be persecuted for something he didn’t do.”
“That’s madness! Blood Moon would start a war?!” Della exclaimed.
“No,” Marco said quickly. “I don’t want bloodshed. I don’t want anyone to be hurt over this. That is why I came to Princess Talia. And please believe Nolan doesn’t want it to come to that either.”
I stepped closer, anger sharpening my voice. “Do you even know what really happened, Marco? Tell me the truth. Was Nolan working with the mad rogues?” I questioned.
“No,” Marco said without hesitation. “He never worked with them. He ordered me to neutralize the toxin before it could be used. We killed a mad rogue years ago at Blood Moon and kept some blood with us.”
“Then why keep it secret?” Della asked.
“Because the King would never allow it,” Marco said. “He forbade all research into that toxin. Nolan disobeyed only because he suspected that the Alpha King was the murderer.”
“That’s ridiculous. The Alpha King would never murder anyone,” Della said.
I crossed my arms, my chest tightening. So that’s it-this was all because Nolan still believed my father had killed his. He had even tried to poison him, to force him to shift in public. The thought made my stomach twist. Humiliation, anger, and worry all tangled together.
“So he was trying to force my father to shift… What does the killer look like in his wolf form?” I asked, my voice sharp.
Marco hesitated. “A pure black wolf… with a white claw mark on its forehead.”
Della exhaled, pressing a hand to her chest. “Thank the Goddess,” she said, “The Alpha King looks nothing like that.”
Relief washed over me too, slow and heavy. I didn’t know how I would have endured it if it had been my father.
Marco looked between us, eyes searching. “You believe me?”
I nodded and said, “I believe you. My father’s wolf is silver and gray. You need to believe me too. So, really, Nolan was just testing to prove he wasn’t the murderer. If Nolan meant to kill him, he would have just done it.”
Marco’s shoulders relaxed, a quiet sigh escaping him. “Then… what do we do now?”
“You’re going to prepare another sample of the detoxified blood, the same kind Nolan used. I want it ready by morning,” I told him.
“Why?” Della asked.
“Because I have a plan,” I said.
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