Chapter Twenty-Three
Everyone at the tablerose, Sky stepping in front of Bastian while Saber placed his hand on my shoulder.
“What is the meaning of this?” Aster asked, shoving forward to join Sky in front of Bastian.
The lead guard bowed his head. “Sorry, Your highness. But we’re here on orders from the king. He wants the dragons arrested.”
Aster stiffened. “They’re royal kindreds.”
The guard grimaced. “The king doesn’t care and we take our orders from him.”
I tried to step forward, but Saber’s grip on my tightened. “It’s all right, love. We’ll fix this.”
We’d better.
Bastian stepped out from behind Sky and approached the guards with a placid expression on his face. “Let’s be off then.”
“Bastian.” His name fell from my lips with a tortured gasp.
He looked over at me with a confident smile. “Everything will be fine, little dragon. Stay with them. I’ll be alright.”
Helpless and furious tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall in front of the guards. I recognized one of them and the malevolent look he shot my way.
It was one of the guards who kidnapped me. The guys had searched for them, but we’d concluded the king had had them killed for their failure.
There was a message here from the king. A message saying he no longer cared about the laws or his own children’s happiness. Or the well-being of anyone in Faligrey. He was ready to declare war. On us and the dragons.
Once the guards escorted Bastian from the room, Aster strode towards the door, looking back at me with a torn expression on his face. “I have to go warn Indigo if they haven’t already gotten to Darius.”
I waved at him, wanting nothing more than to lock the door and hide from the world, but I knew we couldn’t. We had to fight this. “Go. Go. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
“Stay here and don’t answer the door.”
“We won’t. Go.”
Whist locked the door behind Aster and my knees gave out, the tears releasing down my cheeks. Saber broke my fall, pulling my back against his chest, his arms wrapped around my middle.
“We’ll get him back, love.”
“How?” My question came out choked and strangled.
He picked me up and sat on the sofa with me curled in his lap. “I don’t know yet. But you saw how he fought. He’s strong. They won’t hurt him. Not yet.”
“You don’t know that.”
Whist growled. “I doubt the king is so far gone he’d injure dragons. Not unless he wants war.” He stalked into the kitchen.
“He does want war. He’s mad. As mad as the king we read about in the journal. Do you think it’s hereditary?” How many Faligrean monarchs had suffered from the same issues?
Saber shook his head. “No. I think they share a weakness that too much power corrupted. You don’t have to fear for Aster or Indigo. They’re strong enough to hand the power responsibly.”
Sky came over and sat next to us, cuddling close while Whist slammed dishes around, cleaning up, frustration pouring off of him in waves.
“Whist. That can wait. Come here. Please.”
He stiffened for a moment, but with a blown out breath, he dropped the plates back onto the table with a clatter and marched over to us, sitting on Saber’s other side.
I needed them, to be surrounded by my kindreds. It made the gnawing wound in my chest ache a little less. And they needed me too. Whist threaded our fingers together and leaned against Saber.
“What are we going to do?” I asked.
Whist kissed my knuckles. “We’re going to wait for Aster and see what information he brings back and we’ll make a plan from there. I hope he got there before the guards did and they can hide Darius.”
“Will it matter?” I asked. Even if they hid him, he couldn’t stay underground forever. And it could cause an even worse backlash.
“The guards will be more hesitant to go against Indigo than Aster since she’s the heir.”
“I hope you’re right.” I wasn’t sure about anything anymore. “Why do you think he didn’t go ahead and come for me?”
Whist sighed. “I don’t know. He still might. So we have to stop this before he can. Maybe it’s because you’re Aster’s only kindred and Indigo already has two others.”
Sky scowled. “Yeah, but Aster’s the spare, so an heir isn’t as important in the king’s eyes. We need to hide her, somewhere the king won’t look for her.”
Whist nodded. “We have a safe house in the capital. Maybe there. Let’s see what Aster says first.”
“I don’t want to hide.” I frowned. Not again. I wouldn’t be hidden away, kept out of danger.
Saber rubbed my arm. “It won’t be for long, love. But you won’t be able to do anything to help from the dungeons.”
He was right. Releasing Bastian was most important. Even if that meant shoving a dagger in the king’s heart myself.
The four of us sank into a tense silence, counting down the seconds until Aster returned. We stroked each other with idle hands, giving and taking comfort with gentle touches, reminders that we weren’t alone.
The lock clicked, and we leaped from our seats, stiff as we waited to see who came through the door.
Aster slid inside, eyes bright with fury. “The bastards got to him. They got Darius too.”
I slumped. “Is now a bad time to mention one of the guards who took away Bastian was also one of the guards who kidnapped me?”