Chapter 172

Adolph's voice was sure and even, but Basil couldn't believe what he was saying. Didn't he understand that they had no way of knowing how long that would be? A few months? A few days? His father was the strongest man he knew, but he wasn't indestructible!

"But father-"

"You'd let Basil be king?" Olivia scoffed and laughed, "You know he's not ready. He won't ever be ready!"

The twinge of pain that went through him took his breath away. He pushed it aside. This wasn't the mother he'd imagined his whole life. He expected his father to say those things, not the woman who died giving birth to him.

He winced at the thought. She hadn't died giving birth to him. She'd died giving birth to a curse. There was no other choice to make.

"Nimue, end the séance."

Nimue said nothing. Whether that meant she couldn't or wasn't going to, he didn't know.

Adolph shook his head, "Your father tried to make that true, but it's not. Basil isn't an idiot. He's young and inexperienced, but that's fixable. He has all the support he needs to grow into the position even if I don't have enough time to teach him everything he needs to know."

He looked down at Olivia as she stared up at him.

"This curse was meant to kill me in the heart of the war and leave Basil without me at your father's mercy But I survived the war," he gave her a cold smirk. "I have a feeling with my wife."

Olivia flinched and he kept going watching her grow more red and furious with each word, "My mate and luna."

"Stop it. That girl isn't-"

"My gift from the moon. My love, I will survive a great deal longer than you think."

"You won't."

"I think," Adolph said, "With the help of the Wiccans, I'll live well into my sixties and watch my unborn child grow to adulthood."

"You won't!"

He glared at her, "Don't doubt me What did you say? I'm the *Goddess-Blessed King.* The *black wolf.* The *shield* of the kingdom. I think I'm more than strong enough to survive your *evil* for a great deal longer and when the day comes that I die, that I lose my mind, or whatever is to happen to me it won't be *you* in my last thoughts."

"Liar. You'll think of me."

"No," he said, "Because I am going to forget you after this. I'm going to pull down every portrait and have them burned. Your name will be erased from history as ever having been my wife. Mark me, Olivia! You'll be dug up and your tombstone will be destroyed. All of your lies will be exposed and you will be remembered as nothing more than a traitor! Then forgotten like you were nothing."

Olivia's face scrunched up. Her eyes flashed with darkness and resentment. How had he never seen such ugliness in her? He hadn't been looking beyond her dreamy eyes and foolish decrees of love.

Olivia growled at him, "You-"

"Basil!"

Adolph turned as the scent of blood filled the air. Laurel screamed in panic and he saw Basil curling forward, his dagger plunged into his chest as he staggered against the altar, bowing forward as his blood began to spill onto the altar.

"No!" Olivia shrieked, "You stupid boy, what have you done?"

Adolph rushed around the altar as Nimue reached Basil and helped him to the ground. She lay him on his back gently.

Basil choked and grimaced, "Really expected it to be quicker"

Nimue shook his head, "Idiot."

"Can you heal him?" Adolph asked, "You have to-"

"No," Basil gasped, looking up at Adolph. "You have to *Laurel.* "

Adolph's heart lurched, and he turned as Olivia shrieked and seemed to grow into a giant whispy version of herself with wild hair and glowing red eyes. She drifted over the altar towards Laurel.

She bared her fanged teeth as Laurel stumbled back against the wall with a protective hand over her stomach. She drew her dagger quickly, aiming it at Olivia's spectral form.

"I'll kill you!" Olivia shrieked. "He'll be mine! As soon as you're dead the curse will take him!"

Adolph's heart lurched. He jumped to his feet and drew his sword, but the wind shoved him back as Olivia lunged at Laurel. Adolph growled, letting the shift take over him until he landed on all fours and leaped towards Olivia. A burst of wind sent him flying back, further angering him.

The edges of his vision began to turn black as he tried to focus. The fever started rising and his heart was racing.

"Adolph will never be yours, you evil, crazy woman!" Laurel yelled, "He's my mate!"

Nimue lifted her staff and stood, shooting a beam of light at Laurel that wrapped around her protecting her as Olivia aimed her clawed hand at her. The necklace from Eden gleamed and added to the brilliance of the barrier. Olivia's claws broke against the barrier of light.

She let out a howl as Adolph fought back the darkness from his vision.

Laurel was okay. She was protected.

"Laurel Miller Raymond is under the protection of the throne of the sun," Nimue said, "Your evil will not reach her."

Olivia beat against the barrier, but it didn't bend. Instead, Olivia's skin seemed to crack with every hit. Above their heads, a large spinning disk of darkness appeared, drawing in the wild winds as Nimue lifted her staff.

"Lift the curse, Olivia Mirabelle." Nimue said, "Let go of your anger and go peacefully into your next life!"

"Never!" Olivia shrieked. "He's mine! I am his mate! He will love me!"

"There is more than one way to break your curse," Nimue said. "I will send you into oblivion, Olivia. Your soul will be shredded and your consciousness lost."

"No" Basil gasped weakly, grabbing Nimue's ankle. "You can't please"

Nimue ignored him, "Lift the curse, or I will!"

"Don't," Basil groaned and choked.

"That woman bet her grudge on your life," Nimue said. "She does not deserve your mercy!"

"mother"

"Oblivion?" Olivia scoffed and let out a haughty laugh. "You don't have the power, little girl!"

Adolph wasn't sure what it was, but he felt the air shake. He turned and looked at Nimue. The glow in her eyes had turned dark like obsidian. His sword lifted from the ground and out of its sheathe. The blade glowed bright blue and grew brighter as it aimed at Olivia. In a flash, it shot through the air, tearing through Olivia's arm like paper.

Olivia cried out in agony as her arm went flying into the dark sphere in a rush of wind.

Olivia's eyes widened in horror as the blade turned in the air and Nimue glared at her.

"Revoke the curse," Nimue said again, "The void already had a taste of you. It will only want more."

Olivia's eyes grew fearful, darting between Adolph and the void. Nimue shift her staff and Olivia was jerked back towards the darkness.

"Okay! I revoke my curse! I revoke it!"

Basil choked, bowing up from the ground as a spectral ghost rose out of his chest and rushed towards Adolph. He flinched but it passed through him painlessly. He felt the fury and raging madness leave him. In its place, there was just a low burning warmth where it had once felt like a raging inferno.

He shifted back into his human form in shock, shuddering and watching the curse get sucked into the void.

Laurel gasped seeing him shuddering and staring up in the darkness in shock. The scent of blood was still in his scent, but she could feel the change in his mind as it was gone.

Nimue's eyes narrowed, "You are a truly evil existence."

Olivia gasped and drew back from attacking Laurel. The darkness in Nimue's eyes and the darkness that hung above them didn't disappear. It swirled, drawing in the mists around the temple's space, pulling Olivia back.

"Wait!" Olivia reached out for Adolph, "You can't! You said-I lifted the curse!"

Nimue glared at her, "I never said anything about allowing you to continue to exist if you did."

"You can't! Adolph! Please, make her stop! Basil! My son-"

"Don't you ever call him that again!" Adolph growled.

"She won't be able to," Nimue said calmly. "The judgment is done."

"What right do you have to judge me?" Olivia hissed, "You filthy witch!"

"I am a child of the sun," Nimue said calmly. "Born on an eclipse. Darkness is no stranger to me. I have seen the darkness in you, Olivia. It is the void who has passed judgment on you."

"Liar! You-No! Adolph! Adolph!"

Olivia let out a long hollow wail, still reaching for Adolph as Adolph went to Laurel and vanished into the dark swirling void.

The spinning disk vanished and the peace that he usually associated with the temple returned.