He glanced down at her and again, kissed the top of her head. His eyes were glancing everywhere and all over the grounds as rapidly as possible, trying to spot any potential threats before they happened. He noticed the guards doing the same thing. He’d seen enough of the girl Lola had killed to realize who she was. He remembered her from the night he first met Lola. She had been one of Drake’s. She was also, evidently, the third Harvenk spy. The one that got away. As bad as he felt for what Lola had gone through, he was enormously relieved to know she had come out victorious in that fight.

Yes. She had.

The thought came unbidden inside his head. He didn’t really want to acknowledge it but he also knew it wasn’t done yet. It had more to say on the matter.

But how? She fought and not only defeated a werewolf but completely dismantled her. Her corpse looked like the handiwork of a skilled butcher. She was special. He knew that. But what he didn’t understand was how.

It was all very confusing. Other than the weird evidence of some kind of supernatural extrasensory perception, she was completely human. She even smelled completely human. There were no traces of any kind of monster scent to her. Werewolves all tended to smell like a wolf that’s been out in the sun for several hours. Ghouls smelled like rotting meat. Oni smelled like cold. So did shades. Vampires smelled like old dirt, probably because they tended to sleep in dirt from their own graves. Sasquatch smelled like an outdoor animal, usually a bear or some other large predator. He could go on and on but Lola didn’t smell like any of that. She just smelled like…

Lola.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered to her after she shuddered again. “I have you. You’re safe now. I am right here.”

She was still stiff and tensed up but he could feel her arms loosen around his neck the tiniest bit.

“As soon as we get back inside the castle, I want a thorough and complete search of the grounds. I want to know if an ant colony has taken up residence within these walls. You got me?” Russel growled, still angry that a Harvenk spy had managed to infiltrate the Polver stronghold at all. And then to have Lola get attacked at the same time. It was unthinkable. He vowed to make a lot of changes over the course of the next few weeks. “And bring me every sentry and soldier on duty when that woman entered this castle.”

He was looking at Jeffries when he spoke but he was directing his orders at everyone present. Jeffries didn’t say anything, nor did the others, but they all gave him a firm nod.

“Bring them to the War Chamber and come and get me as soon as they have all been assembled.”

Some of the guards surrounding them now looked a little nervous. Russel could bet there were maybe two or three in the bunch that had been on duty at the gates or along the walls as sentries this night. They didn’t look comfortable in the knowledge that the new king was calling them out specifically.

“Any soldier or guard that does not come when commanded, shall be branded a traitor and killed on the spot. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

All of the guards yelled out. They saluted as well.

“I also want it known that this woman, Lola Tarnvol, is under my care and protection. Every one shall treat her as an honored guest and she is to be guarded at all times, especially if I am not with her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards yelled out again.

They spent the next several moments in a long, awkward silence as they continued to hurry toward the gates. Russel couldn't move as fast as he wanted to. It could hurt Lola and besides, with her in his arms, it made running too awkward to be convenient. He wasn’t as worried about her physical health. She was, like the medic said, completely unharmed. Her mental health, however, made him uneasy. She still wasn’t talking all that much and the few words she did say were just that she didn’t remember doing it. And that she was sorry.

“This attack should not have happened at all. And because a Harvenk spy snuck past all of my highly trained military soldiers, I can only assume that either gross negligence or outright treason is at play.”

Russel paused, letting the full weight of his next words hit them.

“And I intend to find out.”