(I didn’t see it for myself, but there’s definitely more than the ones we destroyed. He’s also in communication with the Werewolf Brotherhood.)
Michaela gasped. Pure hatred and anger flashed across her lovely young face.
“No…!”
She’d every right to be furious. Both her beloved older brother and her childhood friend and ex-fiancé had their lives derailed by the werewolf curse.
And that curse came by way of the Werewolf Brotherhood.
“Use this, Michaela.”
Rock placed the pencil in Michaela’s trembling hand.
Michaela stopped herself from saying more and furiously scribbled her feelings down on the slate.
(I didn’t think they still existed!)
(I don’t know if they’re the exact same organization. But Lord and Lady Alexis relied on them and received power from the werewolf statue to grant their deepest desires.)
(That being your kidnapping???)
(Sadly, yes. Lord Alexis did it to heal his wife’s broken heart.)
Rock hesitated to write what she had in mind next.
She wanted nothing more than to leave her gilded cage. To ask for help. How wonderful it would be if just one word to Michaela would have her back in her father’s warm embrace and in Ebel’s arms.
But if she left, she’d be letting go of a chance to uncover the truth.
Mustering all her courage, she wrote:
(I’m so grateful you came for me. But I want to stay here a little longer to see what I can find out about the Werewolf Brotherhood.)
Rock handed Michaela the pencil.
Michaela’s eyes wavered and she hesitated to write anything for a long moment. But then she made up her mind like Rock and wrote her reply.
(Ebel would’ve never allowed you to do that. He’ll probably try to whisk you away from here no matter the personal cost because he doesn’t want you to suffer more than you already have. But—)
Michaela’s pencil stopped there, her expression distorting with anguish. She finally pushed through it to write:
(But I want to know the truth. I want to sever the curse that afflicts Brother and Ebel at its root. Those are my true feelings on the matter. I know this is cruel to ask of you, but you are our only hope.)
“That’s not true, Michaela,” Rock reassured aloud, forcing a smile as she took the pencil back.
(I also want to know the truth. As long as those statues exist, there’ll be no end to people like Lord Alexis, who will give up everything in the pursuit of power. This is an opportune moment. Please tell Ebel and my Father to come rescue me after I’ve found some information we can use.)
“Roxy, you…” Michaela’s voice quivered.
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes this time, so Rock silently placed her hands on her cheeks. Understanding she was nearly about to do the same thing she’d warned Rock about, she blinked away the tears.
“I’m sorry. I’m all right.”
Then she glanced over at the dove she’d brought as a “gift.”
(That dove will fly straight back to our house once you let it loose.)
(So, I should release it when I want help?)
(Exactly. But please remember it will only work once.)
(In that case, I’ll let it free as soon as I have something we can work with.)
(When you do, we’ll use all our power to rescue you.)
Michaela marked that promise by looking into Rock’s eyes.
Rock could sense her guilt from her gaze that seemed to both plead with her to do this and beg her for forgiveness. The thing was, Rock was choosing to stay behind of her own volition. There was no need for Michaela to feel guilty.
“I’ve made a very good friend today,” Rock said, hoping her voice would convey how she felt. “I hope we continue to have a great friendship going ahead too, Michaela.”
“Roxy… So do I,” Michaela said with a firm nod. Then she picked the pencil back up and scribbled on the slate, her expression warping with the pain she was trying to keep at bay.
(Do you remember what happened before my brother was cursed?)
Rock blinked in confusion over what she was getting at with that question. Michaela continued to write.
(Brother was acting strange right before it happened. I don’t know what possessed him, but he became obsessed with Ebel and fascinated by werewolves. But what’s even stranger is that after he was cursed and came back to his senses, he said he could only vaguely recall his behavior beforehand and that he doesn’t know what got into him.)
Rock got the chills as she read what Michaela wrote.
Michaela’s expression was equally grim.
(Do you suppose the same thing might be happening to Lord Alexis? Like, what if those statues not only turn people into werewolves but also amplify their desires, making them uncontrollable?)
Her theory fit.
Placido deeply loved Lauretta and was trying to bring her out of her depression. But kidnapping his niece to make that happen seemed too shortsighted and reckless for his personality. That night almost seemed a lie with how good of a husband and lord he was at home.
What if that duality was also brought on by the curse?
What if he was also going crazy like Guido had?
Or what if the same was happening to Lauretta?
It must be stopped. The chain of misery being brought about by the curse must be broken.
Rock’s resolve was strengthened.
Writing took much longer than talking did.
Rock still had a mountain of questions for Michaela. She wanted to know how her father was faring at Mateus Manor, how Iniel’s recovery was going, and how Ebel was handling everything—but there was a knock at the door before she could ask.
Both girls froze for a fleeting moment before Michaela tucked the slate and pencil into her bag.
“Come in,” Rock said only after she made sure the slate was out of sight.
The door opened and Guido stepped in after being escorted there by Danilo.
“It’s time to go, Michaela. It’s rude to stay too long.”
“Aww, all right, Brother.”
Michaela reluctantly stood up.
Rock also rose to see them off, earning an approving hum from Guido when he saw her full figure clad in the pretty deep-green dress.
“Very nice…”
He looked impressed.
When she thought about it, this was the second time Guido was seeing her in a dress. And he was probably too enraged the first time to pay much attention, so it wasn’t strange for him to be surprised this time.
“Brother, isn’t it rude for you to stare so hard?” Michaela laughed at her brother. “Roxy’s future husband wouldn’t approve. I can hear him now: ‘To think you would become smitten by my bride!’”
“I’m not smitten,” Guido promptly objected before boasting, “Besides, you can’t find a more beautiful woman in this world than my sister. Lady Roxy isn’t half bad, but nowhere near on par with Micha—”
“OH, BROTHER!” Michaela fumed, cutting him off, her face redder than a tomato.
It appeared the Linuses were still the world’s closest siblings.
Thanks to them, Rock could truly laugh from the heart for the first time in days.