Page 53 of Fire & Ice

"Good. I know that the spell was supposed to make me forget that I love you," I replied, "but the one thing I could never forget- was your face."

Chapter 49

Beau

As Tempest and I stepped through the grand doors of the court, all heads turned toward us in anticipation. The King's eyes glinted as they scanned over us before him, while the Queen sat regally on her throne with a stoic expression, her keen gaze trained on her son. Marcus followed close behind, taking in every detail of the council chambers.

My father swirled his glass of blood. "I understand that the traitors have been dealt with," he uttered gruffly, halting any conversations that had been taking place around the room. His eyes flickered between Tempest and me, waiting for us to share what had happened.

I began as I reached into my pocket, producing the ring and necklace from within and held out my hands for my mother to inspect. "Yes. In addition to the weather anomalies, they attempted to place Tempest and myself under some sort of spell using these trinkets to make us forget about one another and to fall into desire with them instead."

The queen stared at them intently, waiting for a deeper explanation.

"My Queen," Tempest began, her voice surprisingly steady despite what she had just endured, "Sara and Charlie had a plan to make Beau and I fall in love with them. They used some sort of spell to erase Beau's memories of me and then Sara used that ring, and well Charlie used that necklace to try and make us succumb to them. It did not go according to their plans."

Tempest's words hung heavily in the air as everyone listened intently. Even my father was taken aback by this news. Silence permeated the room until the king broke it as he stood up abruptly, his chair creaking beneath him, and let out a low growl. "They wanted you to forget everything that you had with one another and make you fall in love with them? Mates separated by the false whims of magic... This situation with the North and their sun-born prince must be dealt with expeditiously." He commanded sternly, "Marcus, I want you to see to it!"

"I have already placed two of my finest on it and shared Prince Beau's instructions with them," Marcus replied confidently.

My father nodded curtly at Marcus's words as my mother slowly rose from her throne, her face pale and her hands trembling as she addressed the room. “Everyone leave. Beau and Tempest, please stay behind so we may have a moment in private."

One by one, the court bowed and filed out of the chamber, an uneasy silence lingering after they had gone.

The queen bit her lip as she looked back and forth between Tempest and Beau, considering the dire consequences this could have had on their kingdom.

"As soon as Marcus figures out the last loose end, this will be over and done with," I stated firmly. "For now, I want Tempest to rest."

The king shook his head, and muttered to himself, "Unbelievable..."

"It could not have been easy for you," my mother finally said as she walked toward us enveloping us both in the warmth of her arms.

My mother pulled back with a weak smile, nodding up at me in approval, "some have already called you the most powerful vampire in our kingdom. When tested and without the presence of your mate, you have immense power and heart. You didn't shatter under the pressure and succumb to Lost Love's Curse. I'm proud of you, my son."

"Thank you, mother," I grinned. "That means a lot coming from you."

"You are welcome," she said as she turned to Tempest, pulling her into another hug. "I'm so glad your parents had to leave on council business before this occurred and that you are back safely before the missive could even reach them. You truly are an important pack of this family and I'm glad you're okay."

“Thank you," Tempest said with a weak smile.

Continue Story at Chapter 50 on page 363

Choice Two

Burn It All To Ashes

Chapter 40

Tempest

Charlie gazed down at me, eyes gleaming. "There's something I want to show you," he said. "Something that might take your mind off all this for a while. Do you trust me?"

I hesitated. I didn't fully trust Charlie—or anyone for that matter—not after what I'd witnessed with Beau and Sara.

Charlie stared down at me, his eyes alight with something I couldn't quite place. "There's something I want to show you," he said. "Something that might take your mind off all this for a while. Do you trust me?"

Glancing away, I felt unease settling like lead in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to believe in Charlie, but Beau and Sara's betrayal still lingered heavily in my mind. How could I know if what Charlie was asking wasn't part of some hidden agenda? He had already kept so much from me, changed so much from the young gifted he had been at academy. But it didn't matter anymore—not when everything else seemed to be crumbling around me.

"Yes," I said softly, voice barely more than a whisper.

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