Chapter 19
Nineteen
ALLETTE
The woman on the other side of the door is the last person I expected to see, especially outside Kumulus City. What the hell is Braith doing here?
Braith launches herself at me, throwing her arms around my shoulders, sending me stumbling back. “I cannot believe it! I thought for sure he was lying.”
I pull the door closed behind me and step into the hallway. “Thought who was lying?” What is happening?
She draws back with a grimace. “Prince Pleasant.”
Aeron stomps up the stairs, his favorite scowl contorting his features. “That’s rich coming from you.”
“I am perfectly pleasant to people with manners,” she shoots back.
As far as I can tell, Aeron doesn’t have any of those. Didn’t I tell him that Braith wasn’t fond of pretentious assholes? Was it really that difficult to pretend to be nice for one bloody conversation?
“You see her,” Aeron mutters. “ Now will you tell me where Jeston is?”
Braith plants her fists on her hips, glowering right back at him. “That depends. Are you going to tell me why you need him?”
Despite the delay, I love her even more for being so loyal that she wouldn’t give over Jeston’s whereabouts to Aeron simply because he’s a prince. “We can trust her.” Braith would never betray me.
Aeron scrubs a hand down his neck, his gaze imploring. “I don’t think?—”
I don’t care what Aeron thinks. He doesn’t know Braith like I know her. I trust my friend more than I trust “Prince Pleasant.” I throw open the bedroom door, take her by the hand, and drag her into the room.
Senan waves at us from the bed, a smile on his face.
Braith lets out a squeal and leaps back. “Heavens above.” Her hand flies to her chest. “I thought the prince was off on his honeymoon.”
Senan’s smile fades.
Braith’s fingers strangle mine. “What’s going on, Wynn? I mean, Allette. Last I saw you, they were hauling you off to the pit.”
“It’s a long story, and I swear I’ll tell you when there’s more time. Right now, we need your help finding Jeston. Senan isn’t well. We need a very rare fae medicine to heal him. The king thinks he’s dead so we cannot let anyone at the castle know.”
“And you think Jeston can help?”
“He managed to find us the antidote the last time. We need him to do it again.”
Braith whirls on Aeron, her eye blazing. “That wasn’t so hard, now, was it?”
Aeron sneers at her.
He is such an ass. It’s a wonder he and Senan are related at all and a miracle that he came to our rescue. From what I’ve seen of the man, he hardly seems capable of empathy.
“ Now can you tell me where to find Jeston?” he grits through his teeth.
Braith offers him a saccharine-sweet smile. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll bring you to him myself.”
One more piece of this intricate puzzle falls into place. Here’s hoping Jeston will come through for us as well.
Aeron suggests leaving straightaway, but the poor man looks like he’s ready to fall over. I insist he eat something first, and then try to rest for an hour or two. It would do us no good for him to fall ill before we can find Jeston. Plus, that gives me time to catch up with Braith and hear all about what happened with Prince Pleasant.
Such a perfect name for Senan’s brother.
Aeron stalks back out into the hallway, taking the key with him and locking the door.
“What a prick,” Braith mutters with a shake of her head.
“I’m sorry. I told him to be nice to you, but I’m not certain he knows how.”
“He definitely doesn’t.”
A moment later, the door flies open, and Aeron slips inside, his silver eyes wild. “There are royal guards downstairs. At least six of them.”
My blood runs cold.
Cursing, Senan stumbles to his feet. “You must’ve been followed.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Then how do you explain a bunch of fucking guards downstairs? Do you suppose they’re on holiday? Visiting the seaside for a bit of relaxation?” Senan grabs his shirt.
We don’t have time for arguing. We need solutions. “The two of you can bicker later. What are we going to do?” The window in here is too small to climb out of and the only other exit leads to the hallway. Six guards are far too many to fight off, especially with Senan at death’s door. Our best bet is to throw them off our scent. “Even if they followed Aeron, that doesn’t necessarily mean they know why he’s here, right?”
Senan and Braith both nod while Aeron stands there like a scowling plank.
“So, all we have to do is convince them that he’s here for something besides hiding us.” Then they’ll leave, and we can go find Jeston.
“I can think of one reason Aeron might visit the bay,” Senan says with a pointed look at his brother.
Aeron’s jaw pulses. “No fucking way.”
“If they believe you’re here for that , they’ll not bat an eye.”
Must these men be so damn cryptic when time is running out and our lives are at stake? “Here for what?”
Senan finishes tying his laces and reaches for his coat. “This village has a reputation for its brothels.”
That could work. “We can convince the guards that he’s here for pleasure.” A good plan—at least I hope it’s a good plan because it’s the only one we have.
Senan nods. “You and I can hide in the closet while Braith and Aeron?—”
“Just a minute. You want me to pretend to share a bed with him ?” Braith scoffs, backing toward the door.
Sneering, Aeron crosses his arms over his broad chest. “As if they’ll believe I came all this way to rut with you .”
“Scathian pig. You would be so lucky.”
Aeron bares his teeth, looking far more likely to bite off her head than kiss her.
An ear-splitting bang explodes from down the hall. Screaming erupts and men shout.
The king’s guards are coming, and if this doesn’t work, we’re doomed.
“Please, Braith. I am begging you. I would offer, but one of them might recognize me from the portal.”
Although her eyes narrow at Senan’s brother, she bobs her head with a curt, “Fine.”
Jaw flexing, Aeron starts unbuttoning his shirt and taking off his boots. “Fine.”
Senan and I dart into the tiny closet, but instead of closing the door, he suggests leaving it ajar, making it less likely for the guards to come and inspect it. Aeron tosses his shirt onto the floor, and Braith’s overskirt follows a second later. Senan drapes them across our legs and feet as we press our backs against the wall.
“You’re squishing me,” Braith mutters.
“I am not,” Aeron growls back.
“Don’t put your leg there.”
“Quit harping.”
Senan and I cling to each other, scarcely breathing as our only hope continues to squabble and bicker in harsh whispers like an old married couple. More shouts echo from down the hallway, growing louder and louder until?—
The door bursts open.
Braith’s scream tears through me, and I have to press my hand to my lips to keep from crying out.
“What is the meaning of this?” Aeron roars.
A man clears his throat, his voice trembling, “Sire, we…I…”
“Spit it out,” the prince demands.
“We are here under the king’s orders.”
“What is so important that the king interrupted the leader of a foreign nation in his own bedroom?”
“You must forgive my intrusion.”
Senan goes stiff as the walls around us. I recognize the droll voice from the night at the portal.
The king is here .
“It appears my sources have been misinformed,” Boris drawls. Boards creak. Men mutter. Boots shuffle.
What sources? We didn’t meet anyone besides Bilson at the portal, and if he betrayed us, the king would know for certain why Aeron is here. What reason would anyone have to follow Aeron from the castle?
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Aeron doesn’t sound the least bit cowed by his brother’s presence.
“Is that any way to speak to your king?”
Poor Braith. I sincerely hope she still considers me her friend when this is all over.
“She’s a pretty little Tuath,” Boris says. “If you want to know what real power feels like, I’ll be more than happy to show you once my brother is finished with you.”
What a bastard. I don’t care if he is the bloody king. He has no right to speak to her like that—to anyone.
“Get out, Boris.”
And I thought Aeron sounded angry before. He sounds downright murderous now.
The men stomp out of the room, and the door closes with a resounding bang .
There’s shuffling outside the closet, and the springs in the mattress groan. Senan and I wait for Aeron to collect his shirt and Braith’s skirts before emerging. They both refuse to meet our questioning stares as they don their clothes in silence.
When I offer to help Braith with the laces on the front of her dress, her hands drop. Her flushed cheeks are the only color on her face. “I am so sorry. I had no clue the king would be here—or that he would speak to you so abominably.”
Her soft sigh fans across my cheek, her gaze flicking toward Aeron. “It’s hardly the worst I’ve heard.”
Aeron yanks on his laces, his eyes narrowed at his boots. When he finishes, he crosses over to the far wall and draws the curtains aside, peering out into the murky gray. “The guards have taken up posts outside.”
Of course they have. Heaven forbid they make something easy on us. “How are we supposed to escape now?” We might be safe for the moment, but we cannot stay here forever. Not when Boris is already suspicious, and the clock is ticking.
Braith fluffs her hair, freeing the ends from where they were caught inside the high neckline of her wool gown. “I know a way.”
Aeron rolls his eyes. “I’m sure they’re watching the back door too.”
“I never said we were going out the back, did I, you pillock?”
“Where?” I ask, hoping to stop their bickering before it starts again.
Braith’s small, mischievous smile gives me more hope than I’ve had in a long time. “Come with me and I’ll show you.”