"You! What have you done to his majesty!" The councilman barked out, spit landing on Adina's face.

Adina blinked, her ears ringing. The shattered pieces of the teacup sparkled at her feet…and Thorne was gone. Hauled away. Unconscious.

"What?" She croaked out, her mind just beginning to catch up to what happened.

"What's wrong with the king?" She stammered, tears clouding her eyes instantly as the image of him falling replayed in her head.

"Answer me, girl! What did you do to his majesty!" Lord Carter barked angrily, gripping tightly around Adina's arm.

"I didn't—" she croaked, her throat dry, heart pounding against her ribs like it wanted out.

"You didn't? You handed him tea and after he took a sip of that cursed tea. He fell unconscious. You must've done something to him," Lord Carter snarled, turning to face the rest of the people. "See! This is what happens when you give lowlifes a chance. Can you see? She's his majesty's personal maid, and we all saw him drink her tea and fall. What does that mean, huh?" Carter barked out.

"I told you all this girl is cursed! She is bad luck. She brought her bad luck between the king and me, and now…see what she's done to him."

"Speak up now! What have you done to his majesty!" Another councilman growled.

Adina's head was spinning. What did she do to him? Nothing. She did nothing! Thorne is her mate. Why would she ever hurt her mate?

Adina shook her head, her tears falling freely now. Thorne had fallen down. He was unconscious. Something was wrong with him. "No, no, no, no. I didn't do anything," she said firmly, swallowing hard.

"I need to be with him. I need to see him," she rushed out, turning to leave, but Carter's hand on her wrist tightened, and he pulled her back sharply.

"Are you mad?" He snarled, "Who are you to see the king?" He spat out, dragging her back with such force that she stumbled.

"I'm—" her voice cracked. "I'm his—"

She stopped herself. What would saying it do? Who would even believe her?

"I need to be with him," she whispered, her voice trembling. "He needs me. He's my—"

"No!" Carter barked, his voice echoing across the room. "You will go nowhere near the king until we find out exactly what you gave him."

Adina looked around, desperate and panicked. "I gave him tea!" Adina cried out, wrenching her wrist from his grip. "The same one he drinks every morning, I swear it!"

"And now he's on the floor, foaming at the mouth!" another noblewoman snapped. "The king has never collapsed before. What did you add? Hm? Did you brew him death with your little hands?"

The woman scoffed, "I knew she was too good to be true. His majesty had never trusted a maid, but he did this one. Safe to say she was sent by our enemy." She spat out, "This is what comes from letting an outsider into the palace."

Adina's legs weakened. Her ears were ringing loudly with the noise Thorne had made before collapsing. Her throat burned. Her nails dug into her palms as she fought to stay upright.

"I love him," she said desperately, looking at them all. "I would never—never—hurt him."

"And who are you to love the king? You must truly be mad."

"Guards!" Carter growled coldly.

"Detain her. She is not to be allowed anywhere near his majesty."

Two guards stepped forward.

"No—please—wait—" Adina's voice broke completely. She tried to move, tried to rush past them, but they grabbed her arms roughly.

"Thorne!" she screamed, her heart ripping open. "Let me go! I need to see him!"

No one listened to her. Instead, they mocked her as she was dragged out of the hall. The last thing she saw before they dragged her away was the blood on the floor where he'd fallen.

_________

The air was thick with fear, panic, and most of all chants.

Thorne lay still, sprawled across the bed, his skin ghostly pale, shirt soaked in sweat. His lips were tinged with grey, and his eyes, even though shut, were gradually growing black.

"His pulse is there, but it's faint," one healer muttered.

"He's not bleeding. There's no external wound or internal damage," another muttered.

Thessara didn't speak. Her hands trembled slightly as her brows drew tighter.

"Lady Thessara?"

She didn't answer for a long time, and then she stepped forward. Thessara's brow was furrowed, her palms hovering over Thorne's chest. She shut her eyes and concentrated her energy on her palms, trying to reach the essence of his soul.

She flinched back with a sharp gasp. Eyes wide. "I can't reach him," she whispered.

Everyone in the room stilled, as though a cold deadly silence enveloped them.

"What do you mean?" Caelum asked, his voice low and firm.

Thessara snapped her gaze at him. "Something is horribly wrong, beta. His soul. It's not there. I can't feel him no matter how much I call out to him."

Caelum swallowed hard, fists tightening at his sides. "What does that mean? Speak clearer, Thessara."

Thessara shook her head, "I— This only happens when— when there is an interference with black magic."

Someone inhaled sharply.

"Black magic? Are you certain, Thessara?" Caelum asked, his brows furrowed.

Thessara looked at the king once more and nodded. "I'm more than certain. The blackness around his eyes, the grey in his lips, his skin is cold yet he sweats a bucket. This isn't a mere illness or poison. His majesty has been spelled with black magic."

She stepped back from Thorne's unconscious form, wiping the sweat off her brow. "I've never seen anything like this. Not even in the old records."

Caelum's throat bobbed. He turned away from the bed, running a hand through his hair. "Gods."

"We must—" Thessara is cut off by the door opening and the head councilman stepping in. His gaze fell on the king first and then the beta.

"What is wrong with his majesty?" He asked.

"His majesty is ill," Thessara said quietly, hands folded tightly like she didn't want to reveal what was going on to the man.

Carter scowled harder, "Do not play tricks with me, woman! What is wrong with the king of the realm?"

Caelum stepped forward, frowning. "You will speak with respect to his majesty's aunt and that too in the presence of his majesty," he spat out firmly.

Carter's eyes narrowed, "Beta.."

"Head councilman Carter."

Carter stared at him for a couple of seconds more then huffed. "We do not have time for this. His majesty's health is more important. I think it's best you inform me of his majesty's diagnosis."

"His majesty has been spelled, and that too with black magic. The healers are doing everything in their powers to help his majesty and remove the spell on him."

Carter shook his head, "If only his majesty had listened to me, then he wouldn't be in this predicament." He tsked.

Caelum bristled with anger. "We do not know yet who did this to his majesty. Speculating is just—"

"What do you mean we do not know? Who else will cast such a heinous spell on his majesty? We were all there and watched it happen before our very own eyes. We saw it."

Caelum frowned, "What are you insinuating?"

Carter looked at Caelum dead in the eye. "His majesty's personal maid cast the spell on him," he declared.

"What?" This time it came from Thessara. "Adina would never!"

"Adina would and she did!" Carter barked angrily. "That pesky little thing has you all wrapped around her fingers, that you are blind to the truth." He tsked again. "Open your eyes and see what is right in front of you. The girl brought him tea, and after taking a sip, he collapsed. How much more do you need to see? She spelled his majesty."

Thessara stepped forward, lips drawn tight. "And how exactly would she have done that, Lord Carter? Do you have any proof beyond your own paranoia?"

Carter's jaw ticked. "I don't need spells to see a snake for what it is. That girl is trouble."

"Adina has served his majesty loyally—" Caelum started.

"Enough!" Carter barked. "Loyalty means nothing if she's working against his majesty. We've let her into this palace, into the king's chambers. She had access no one else did!"

"And that's your problem, isn't it?" Thessara hissed, her voice cracking for the first time. "That she had access to the king."

Carter scoffed, "Oh, come off it. The king let her in too close, and now she's done what she came to do."

"She didn't," Thessara growled, eyes burning now. "I know what it feels like when someone has malice in their energy. I've known Adina since she first came into this palace. She's never once harbored ill intentions toward Thorne. She's incapable of hurting him—"

"She's already done it," Carter interrupted. "Open your eyes and see. Our king lays unconscious. The kingdom needs its king, and the realm needs its leader. And until the king is conscious and safe, she should be locked away."

Caelum stepped forward, blocking his path. "You will not give orders here."

Carter met his gaze with a cold smile. "I already have."