Billionaire Quadruplet Alphas

Sunday 27th September, 2020

Holly

I slipped away before the Prince woke up. Once in the hallway, I tread as lightly as possible. I did not trust many in the castle. Without His Highness doting on me, I was just a peasant in their eyes, replaceable, disposable, collateral damage. The chambers of the Winter Fae Queen were on the highest habitable floor according to my grandfather. The floor above that was the tip of the highest tower.

There were no bed chambers there. His Highness told me a most unbelievable tale, that he had crashed through the window of the highest tower of this castle. That added weight to my initial idea. Instead of meandering through endless guard patrols trying to go up the Queen’s chambers, I should go down to them. From the highest tower. That was where Helena the Heaven Born came in.

Star

I wanted to tell the Quads about the conversation I had had with Jamie but I was enjoying having worry-free time with them for once, especially when it came to Jonah and Noah. Sure, I was worried but they were not. Noah actually laughed and Jonah was acting laid back. Ignorance really was bliss but I did not want to wait too long to tell them. In the huge dining hall, at breakfast, my father was there with a few Fae nobles and rich werewolves who were staying at the castle. Now was as good a time as ever.

“I have to tell you all something,” I said.

Everyone froze and looked up.

“I…talked to Jamie the last day we were in Viper Moon at the hotel,” I began.

“Ok,” said Jonah, prompting me as I paused.

“What did she say?” Asked Noah sharply.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“She said that she had magically tied up Mrs Plastique,” I said hesitantly.

“But she was gone,” said Zaya.

“Someone must have helped her escape,” said Noah, more to himself than to us, the realisation dawning on him.

“Yeah…Jamie said someone with significant magical talent must have helped Angie’s Mom undo the binding. There had to be a fourth person working with Brink, Angie and her mom,” I concluded.

“Angie’s Dad?” Suggested Eli.

“No,” came my father’s gruff voice with a sigh. “I asked my best friend, Harper’s adopted Dad, to have someone locate Mr Plastique. Apparently, he had been on a business trip or at least that was the story that Angelique and her mother put out.”

Everyone was focused on my Dad now. I sensed something shocking was coming.

“The investigation produced some results but I was waiting a little while to tell all of you…giving you some time to not think about what you went through,” said Dad, looking at me apologetically.

“What is it?” I asked anxiously.

“Mr Plastique did not go on a business trip or at least he did not get a chance to go. He had one scheduled but never showed up. The hotel he had booked confirmed that and the people he was meeting with did too. He was a no-show with no explanation until…”

“Until what?” I asked, my anxiety building as my Dad stalled.

“He was found dead on the Plastique’s estate,” said Dad. “Someone murdered him.”

Jonah breathed in sharply. Noah seemed as though the gears in his mind were turning. Zaya g*****d and Eli sighed.

“Any suspects?” I asked.

“Mrs Plastique of course or someone connected to her…” said Dad.

“Angie’s Mom was rumoured to be having an affair…several actually,” admitted Jonah.

“You ever saw any of the guys?” Asked Dad.

“No,” said Jonah, shaking his head. “But Angie and her Mom were really good at hiding those things…I mean Angie was with Brink the whole time and I had no idea.”

“Yeah but that could be because your mind was always on Star,” said Noah. “You might not have noticed Angie behaving strangely or signs that she was cheating because you didn’t care.”

“She cheated on you with Harper before Star came into the picture,” blurted out Zaya.

“Zaya!” Snapped Eli.

“Sorry, we need to put everything out on the table and examine it,” said Zaya.

Eli sighed. “Yeah, Harper told me,” said Eli.

Dad frowned.

“Thank goodness for Holly,” grumbled Dad. “Angie as a daughter-in-law? I’ve suffered enough.”

Holly

I made my way out of the castle as quickly and quietly as I possibly could. The Lingering Lotus was within my possession though I would not need it just yet. I found Haven the Hellish and Helena the Heaven Born making eyes at each other in the courtyard.

“You have a suitor here at the castle as well, I see,” I said to Helena.

She sniffed and snorted. I interpreted that as a laugh. Haven watched me with curiosity but kept his distance, stretching and folding his magnificent wings in the early morning sun.

“I need to go to the very top of the castle,” I whispered to Helena.

She was aware of this already. It was strange how I had befriended a dragon. I remembered it quite vividly.

Flashback (One Year Ago)

Even if I could steal the Lingering Lotus, how would I just storm the castle successfully? They would throw me in the dungeon if I marched right up to the gates and demanded an audience with the Queen. They would try me for treason if I spread knowledge of her falsehood far and wide. I still needed more for my case against her. I needed to be absolutely sure of her true identity. Father had called Grandfather a madman. He said the old doctor was afflicted with senility. He used his age to discount all of his ideas as ramblings, but the same accusations in Grandfather’s diary began years ago, almost two decades in the past.

I was so lost in my own thoughts as I strayed from the village, I did not realise I was entering Dragon Territory. I bumped right into something hard and rough. I braced my palms against it. I marvelled at the bright red…scales. I looked up and the dragon roared. I shut my eyes, knowing that running was futile. The False Fae Queen would reign forever. I waited for the pain of its dagger-like teeth or the burn of its fire. Neither came.

I peaked upwards again. The red dragon was retreating. I gasped. I looked around, still shaken. Another dragon was approaching. This one was female. I was not sure how I knew that but I knew it with such a certainty. She was beautiful. Her scales dazzled me. I could scarcely look upon her. She came as close as her peer had been and sniffed me. She nodded to the red dragon and he snorted angrily but flew away. What had she told him? What did my smell mean to her?

The dragon walked me out of their territory. I was still too scared to attempt to ride the dragon. For some strange reason, I knew I was not meant to be her rider though she might let me ride on her back if need be. It was a puzzle to solve but my head was already throbbing.

“I am Holly,” I said as we approached my village.

I did not want to alarm the sheltered Fae there so I thought we should say goodbye at this point. The dragon wrote in the snow with her claw. I was not surprised. Dragons were ancient creatures, brilliant of mind though they had a certain savagery.

“Helena,” I read. “Helena the Heaven Born. That is beautiful!” I exclaimed.

Helena seemed pleased.

“Thank you so much Helena the Heaven Born,” I said in earnest as I bowed before her.

End of Flashback

I knew what she had smelled now. Dragons knew their riders by smell and perhaps they knew their riders’ mates as well. She had led the Prince right to me. I got onto Helena’s back with some help from Haven who used his snout to nudge me upwards. I gripped onto her scales.

“Ready,” I said nervously.

I was not the best dragon rider so I had to count on Helena to steer herself with some feeble instructions from me about where I would like to land. Helena took off, flapping her sparkling wings. I realised that she was the opposite of inconspicuous. Haven would be less noticeable but then again, a dragon was a dragon. They would both be noticed perching on the castle’s towers but that was allowed so hopefully no one spotted me on her back. Helena neared the highest tower. She curled herself around it so that I could walk right across her back to the window. I did just that and found it shut tightly. It was a floor-length window with stained glass. Beautiful. Locked. I sighed. I focused my Fae magic on the locked window, imagining it opening for me. I felt the desperation with which I wanted to expose the imposter. I thought about my grandfather and how I wanted to make him proud, even in death. He had not finished his task and I needed to finish it for him. I thought about Harper being in danger because he was the only person who could take the throne from the imposter. The last thought did it. I heard the click of the lock and the windows flung themselves open. I grinned happily. Fae magic was emotional whereas Witchcraft involved self-control, practice and academia.

I climbed into the tower. I had asked Helena to give me an hour. There was a huge clock tower in view of the courtyard. I felt a sense of panic as the dragon flew away. There was no turning back at this point.

The tower was filled with random artefacts, all strange and unfamiliar to me. I found a door that led to a winding tiled staircase. I crept down it, hoping that the Queen would be asleep or in the dining hall. I found myself in a hallway. The painting on the wall nearby was of an Ice dragon causing hail to rain down on a village. The farmers depicted below were overjoyed. I realised why. The village had been experiencing a drought and this was the dragon’s way of blessing them with water. They all had their pails held up to the heavens. The inscription said Ellipse of the Earth Ends Drought. All the paintings were of dragons of the Fae and the good deeds they had done. I was so intrigued by them, I almost did not hear someone coming.

I ducked into a corner where a table with flowers had a long table cloth. I hid under it. I watched two attendants to the Queen walk down the hallway. One was new based on their conversation.

“Her Majesty is very secretive. That’s the first thing you should know if you intend to work here. When she says get out, she means it. She needs a lot of solitude,” said one.

“Why?” Said the other.

“No one knows, not even her lady’s maids. They get ordered out of the room too at these special times,” explained the first.

“That’s strange…” said the new attendant.

“Don’t question it,” snapped the experienced one. “You’ll get yourself dismissed or…you’ll disappear. The last inquisitive attendant went missing.”

Their voices echoed down the hallway until they faded to silence. I crawled out from my hiding place. I focused my energy. My Invisibility Spells were a bit shaky but I had to do my best. I watched my own hands fade away as I walked to the far end of the hallway towards a set of double doors. The double doors burst open almost hitting me. I jumped out of the way as three lady’s maids in elegant floral gowns picked up their skirts and all but ran down the hallway. I quickly slipped in while the doors were still open. As soon as I had done that, they slammed shut. Someone had done that magically. I was in a huge high-ceilinged room. The Winter Fae Queen’s Chamber. It was lavishly decorated in white gold and pale icy blues. The furniture was white and designed to look like frost covered branches.

“Imbeciles,” said a shockingly deep voice.

I almost jumped out of my skin. I looked straight ahead. I realised why I had not noticed her before. The Queen’s robes, wig and crown were so intricately designed that it blended into the decor. Her bejewelled and heavily embroidered dress was icy blue and white like the room and her blond hair was extremely pale. It was in a foot hair elegant undo with the white gold crown on its pinnacle. The queen gently removed her crown, then her elaborate wig. She stood and shed her robes. She went over to her floor-length mirror. She was clad in a simple plain white slip. Her hair was blond and long and a bit wild under the wig. She looked at her own reflection with disgust. I watched her in awe. Her face was…bubbling, as though the skin was a pot of boiling water. She seemed to grow in height before my very eyes. I watched and waited with bated breath. Dark hair replaced the blond locks and her pale skin became olive. Her body changed from waif-like to heavily muscled. I clutched my own mouth to stifle my gasp. The imposter was a male werewolf. A chill crept through me. Oh no. A werewolf.

“I know you’re there,” he said, sniffing the air. “I can smell Harper all over you.”

I was trembling. It was useless to run. The doors had locked themselves with magic. My invisibility fooled the Fae but werewolves picked up scents regardless.

“I guess this is ideal come to think of it…killing you first as his perspective Luna will leave him weak and vulnerable.. You’ve also brought back the Lingering Lotus. If I didn’t have to dispose of you, I’d hire you,” he said with a cackle. “You’ve just made my job easy, Holly.”