Missing

Killian’s POV
“Why aren’t they here yet?”
I was beyond anxious. It had been almost three days since Rosalind was taken. I didn’t realize how much she had meant to me until her disappearance.
When the ultimatum had arrived barely hours into the kidnap and subsequent search for Rosalind, I had wanted nothing more than to give them what they wanted and have her returned to me that very instant.
But there were annoying things like procedures and council meetings that had to happen first because I wasn’t crowned King yet alongside my brother.
Once that happened, the first thing I would do would be to get rid of the council and do things at my own pace.
The council has wanted to wait them out. Call the rogues’ bluff so to speak in Arthur’s exact words.
“Who do they think they are? They only have one princess elect, we can get another, we will not negotiate with terrorists that put our palace in jeopardy with their witchcraft.”
I glared at him. If it had been his daughter that they had taken instead of Rosalind I doubted he would be singing the same tune.
In the end, it had been Cillian who had made a cool-headed compromise between both of us even if I knew he had to be even more frustrated than I was.
We would agree for now and use the opportunity the demands would give us to find out the best way to attack these people. We knew nothing about these people or their defences. We couldn’t attack what we didn’t know.
That was when we had agreed to their terms on the second day and sent them our reply by hoisting a white flag like they had asked us to do.
Hours later, another letter was delivered to the palace stating that Rosalind would be returned today.
It was almost noon.
“Calm down Killian.” Cillian said steadily.
Since her disappearance, he had been the embodiment of calm and common sense so much so that I would doubt the sincerity of his feelings if I hadn’t been there at his
engagement ceremony where he refused to mate with Adelyn, uncaring about the backlash from the council.
Once again I was in awe of the control Cillian had over his emotions. I on the other hand for someone who I had always boasted of being heartless to Rosalind was unable to function in her absence.
I let out a low growl as I glanced at the clock again. “I’ll find them and kill them all if they lied. I’ll rip the entire world apart if I have to find her.”
Cillian patted my shoulder.
“So will I but for now let us remain hopeful.”
I nodded then the door to the receiving hall opened, a guard coming in.
“Princess Rosalind has arrived.” He announced.
I took a step to head outside and bring her in when Rosalind stepped in.
******
Rosalind’s POV
I looked at Killian and Cillian, unable to believe that I was seeing them again.
Before I opened my eyes after my encounter with the Rock of Surrender, I could hear different conversations.
“I can’t believe she survived.”
“I haven’t felt a psychic blast that strong before. If she hadn’t been alone…she might have killed everyone around her.”
My eyes fluttered open at that sentence then promptly shut back because of the intensity of the lighting around me.
“Estella, she is awake.” I heard an unfamiliar female voice call out then I heard the quick movement of footsteps towards me.
“Close the blinds and vacate the room. I will speak with Rosalind alone.”
I heard the closing of curtains then I tried opening my eyes again. It was better. Much better this time.
And I could see Estella sitting next to my bed. Her hair was pulled back in a simple low ponytail with no braids and her clothes were very casual.
“How are you feeling, Rosalind?”
Did she actually sound concerned?
“Like I was run over by a car.” I straightened in bed and looked at her. Really looked at her. Why was she here?
Was it because I had been hurt or because I had survived? Right, if I was here then it meant I had survived the Rock of Surrender. Which meant I might have magic. I could practice witchcraft like these rogues.
“Why are you here, Estella? Come to torture me because no one wants to bail me out? You sure took your sweet time.”
She only looked at me.
“The princes agreed to the terms for your release.”
I looked at her shocked. They had taken so long that I had already lost hope.
My eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“What did you ask them for?”
“You will find out soon enough.” She said cryptically. “But before that, you must decide.”
The way she said it put me on edge.
“Decide what?”
Estella leaned in.
“If you want to stay or leave.”
Had touching the monolith affected my ears? Was that even an option? I would get to see Cillian and Killian again. I would get to see if Bast recovered from his ailment. Why on earth would I want to stay?
“What sort of question is that? I want to return home.” I said hotly.
Estella arched her brow. “Are you aware of what you have done? Come.”
She outstretched her hand to me, I hesitated before taking her hand feeling unsteady as I got up from my bed.
“Look, I’m not sure I can walk very far.”
Estella looked amused. “Who said anything about walking? Brace yourself.”
Then I felt the strangest sense of displacement like that moment when you think you are at the end of a staircase in the dark but there is one more and it feels like you are falling but landing all too soon in the same second.
It was like that but amplified and I didn’t know when I closed my eyes but when I opened them we were in front of the monolith.
Only it wasn’t black anymore but a radiant white. I didn’t know what to focus on. The fact that we had travelled kilometres in the blink of an eye or the fact that the monolith now looked this way when just last night it had looked completely different.
I recalled Estella’s earlier words.
Are you aware of what you have done?
I looked at her with my lips parted. “Did I do this?”
“You did even more.” Estella’s blue eyes blazed with passion. “Every telepathy on here felt you awaken. You have the kind of power that hasn’t been seen in centuries.”
Did I? I still felt weak and breakable. Someone else must have come here last night. I couldn’t have been the one who did all this.
Estella must have seen my indecision and fear reflected in my eyes because she took my hands in hers.
“You are one of us. This is your place. Can’t you see that is why despite having a strong personality, you are an omega? You can learn to harness your power and become an unstoppable force. No one will be able to look down on you. Ever.”
I felt uncomfortable. Power, force. That wasn’t who I was. I pulled my hands out of her grasp.
“No, that isn’t right. I am an omega… I… River said that to have powers I need to be a pureblood. If I was a pureblood, why would my parents leave me in the districts?”
I shook my head. I didn’t care. All of this no longer mattered, I wanted to return to the world that I knew.
“You know what, Estella, I don’t care. I don’t want any explanations or power. I just want to go home.”
Estella laughed harshly. “Home? What do you think they will do if they realize you have magic in the palace no less? They will kill you the way they have killed wolves who have magic.”
A chill went up my spine as I realized that she was telling the truth. If the council that wanted me dead for being an omega that dared win the Princess Trials found out that I had magic as well, it was straight to the gallows for me.
“If you stay here, you will be among your own people. You have until noon to decide, think about it.”
At noon, I decided. I chose them.
“Don’t forget. You can’t tell them about the time.”
I didn’t quite understand the mechanics behind it seeing as I had declined further training but somehow the rogues, pureblood weren’t just in a different place but time moved differently here as well. So while I had been here for close to two weeks, barely three days had passed outside.
I nearly rolled my eyes. Even if I wanted to speak about this out-of-time thing they had going on I couldn’t. There was a geas – a safety precaution of sorts – following any and everyone that came here. No one couldn’t speak of the time factor or the entrance and exit points – not that I knew them. But attempting to do so would cause discomfort, pain and eventually death.
River was still speaking. “If you ever change your mind, we will be in touch.” River said.
He was the one assigned to take me back. After I declined the first time, Estella seemed so disappointed by my lack of ambition that she didn’t come to see me off.
“I won’t.” I smiled at him. “Though I’ll miss our training.”
River laughed. “Training? You need to do more than run around before you can claim to have undergone training.”
I glared at him. “I take it back. I will not miss anything about you.”
River smirked and took my hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you as well.”
Then he lingered and kissed the back of my hand. To my surprise, I felt sparks at the touch of his lips on my skin. A sudden thought occurred to me. If I had met him, them, before Cillian and Killian, would I have left?
I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
What was done was done. I would forget that I once dabbled with magic. I would forget the white monolith. I only needed time.
“Rosalind!” I returned to myself as I heard Killian call out to me then to my greatest surprise, Killian swept me off my feet as he hugged me tight to himself.
A laugh escaped me at the unexpectedness of the hug. I could see Cillian over his shoulders and he was smiling as well and I felt like asking him to join this hug.
I was finally home. Finally back with my men.
But did I feel like I was missing something?
******
I was alone with Cillian and he was giving me the updates of what had happened in my time away.
“They asked for open trade and you gave them?”
When Estella had told me that they had made demands the last thing on my mind had been open trade and amnesty for all wolves that could practice witchcraft.
I had just automatically assumed it would be something nefarious. I guess one shouldn’t always judge the book by its cover.
“You were missing, if they asked us for the kingdom, we would have given it to them.” Cillian said seriously and my heart melted at his words.
Now I understood how they would be in touch. They now had a free license to enter our city.
“Thank you.” For his kind words, for his part in bringing me back because I knew it wouldn’t have been easy to convince the council.
Cillian took my hands in his and his hazel eyes searched mine.
“Did they treat you well? Did they hurt you?”
He must have been so worried.
I shook my head. “No, I was treated well.”
“Good.” Cillian released a low sigh that I felt all the way through me. He kissed the back of my hand and I shivered.
If I had felt a spark at River’s touch, I felt like someone had run a live wire through me at Cillians.
He reached out and cupped my cheek, his eyes soft, warm and full of love for me.
“I thought that I lost you.”
He kissed me briefly on my lips before pressing his forehead to mine. “I love you, Rosalind. I can’t live a life that doesn’t have you in it.”
My eyes fell shut.
“Me neither.” I whispered.
I would do anything to keep him even if I had to deny my magic and live like a weak omega.
When I left Cillian and went to my room, Killian was waiting.
“Where are you coming from?”