Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Emilie
I woke the next morning to the sound of the door slamming shut.
“What the hell was that?” Cyrus asked in a sleep-distorted mumble.
I didn’t have to look over at the couch to know that Jade had left the room. “Glad to see she’s as pleasant as ever this morning,” I said, pulling up the blanket to shield my eyes from the light shining through the window.
Ladon huffed a laugh. “What time is it?”
His voice was low and husky, and it was enough to pry my eyes open to search for him.
I found him in the same position I’d stared at in the dark while drifting to sleep last night.
But now I could see that he was shirtless, lying on his stomach with one arm wrapped around a pillow, his muscular back and biceps on display.
Before I could get too lost admiring his body, Cyrus sat up and interrupted my thoughts. He got out of bed and looked out the window, yawning as he turned back around. “Just a little before sunrise. Gods, I slept like a rock last night. I don’t think I woke up once.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ladon’s body go rigid. I hoped that my cheeks wouldn’t betray me by turning pink. It was hard to tell if Cyrus was serious or if he had secretly woken during our quarrel and was challenging us now. But when he didn’t press further, I released a breath.
He walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
Ladon pressed up onto his forearms and craned his neck to stare at the bathroom door. “That was weird.”
I nodded. “Do you think he heard anything last night?”
Ladon mulled it over before shaking his head. “No. I know my brother. If he overheard anything, he would’ve been direct about it. He’s not the type to eavesdrop anyway. If he was awake, he would’ve joined in the conversation while it was happening.”
He dragged himself out of bed, and then he was hovering beside mine. He placed his hands on either side of my shoulders, bending down to give me a kiss. “Good morning, princess.”
He retreated, and I sat up, stretching my arms over my head until my joints popped.
Before I could get out of bed, Cyrus returned from the bathroom. “So, what is the plan for today?” he asked, buttoning the shirt he had just put on.
Ladon and I exchanged a look. I hadn’t even considered how we would convince Cyrus and Jade to join us on an outing to the townhome. How could we tell them about our new lead without giving away our adventure together?
“I have a confession,” Ladon said, and I froze. “Last night after the two of you went to sleep, I went for a walk.”
My jaw went slack, and I blinked rapidly, surprised that Ladon would flat out lie to his brother. I supposed he was doing it to protect me, but it still caught me off guard. I snapped my mouth shut and did my best to act as if this was news to me.
“I came across a rogue bounty hunter—drunk and carrying on about the Lemaire family. Seems he was expecting a payment, but it never came.”
Cyrus looked confused. “And you didn’t come back to tell us? What else did you find out?”
“I considered returning to the inn, but he started walking away. I followed him on my own and watched him enter a townhome a few blocks away. I think we should start there.”
Ladon looked at me—a silent plea to go along with his story and a request to back him up.
I shook off my surprise. “I think that’s a smart idea. Very lucky of you to run into him.”
“I agree,” Cyrus said. “Although I don’t approve of your wandering off on your own. What if something had happened?”
Something had happened. Just not to Ladon.
My eyes fell to my hands, and although the blood was gone, I could still feel Devyn’s death on my hands. I would never be able to forget the sound of his lifeless body falling into the sea.
“I was fine, Cyrus. I am more than capable of defending myself. Don’t forget that I am the High Commander.”
Cyrus shook his head. “I know you are a skilled warrior. But you could’ve been outnumbered. You’re not invincible—a fact that we are all too aware of.”
Ladon couldn’t argue with that. “You’re right. I’m sorry for going off by myself without telling you. It won’t happen again.”
“Thank you. Now, about this townhome. What else can you tell me?”
“Not much,” Ladon admitted. “I didn’t stick around long enough to investigate further. It was late, and I didn’t want to barge into a room full of enemies.”
“At least you had that much sense.”
Ladon’s jaw clenched, but he accepted Cyrus’s remark without comment.
“The two of you should get ready,” Cyrus continued. “I’ll go find something for breakfast.”
Ladon nodded, and so did I.
But before Cyrus could make it to the door, it opened and Jade came in carrying a brown paper bag that smelled like sausage and herbs.
“Jade,” Cyrus said. “I was just about to go get breakfast, but I see you’ve done it for me. Unless you only brought enough for yourself.”
Jade snarled, but it was exactly the type of thing I would’ve expected from her—to go out for breakfast without considering the rest of us. She placed the bag on one of the end tables and opened it, pulling out three different trays.
I stretched to see what was inside. The first held sausage like I’d guessed while the other two had potatoes and eggs. My stomach growled.
“I brought enough for everyone,” Jade said in an oddly polite tone. It was a stark contrast to the way she’d spoken to us yesterday. Did she regret the way she’d behaved? Probably not. She didn’t seem like the type to live with regrets.
I dressed quickly and then helped myself to some food and water. Cyrus filled Jade in on our plans for the day, but he missed the way she looked between Ladon and me when Cyrus recounted the fictional story of Ladon’s excursion. I held my breath and waited for her to correct him, but she didn’t.
As soon as the food was cleared, we headed into town. Ladon led the way while I pretended like I didn’t know where we were going—which was half true since it had been late and I hadn’t thought to memorize the steps we’d taken to get to the townhouse.
When we arrived, Cyrus looked up at the residence with squinted eyes.
I followed his gaze and took in the building for the first time.
In the daylight, I could see that it was three stories tall, with windows spaced evenly and framed with burgundy shutters.
Planters hung outside of each window and vines covered part of the facade.
“Should we knock?” Cyrus asked.
Truthfully, I didn’t expect anyone to answer since no one had last night. But neither Ladon nor I could say that without exposing his lie.
Ladon cleared his throat and climbed the small set of stairs leading to the front door. He knocked a short melody and then waited. When no one came, he knocked again and took a step back.
“Maybe they aren’t home,” Cyrus suggested.
“Or maybe they’re dead,” Jade countered.
I nearly choked at her bluntness, but she was likely closer to the truth than Cyrus. Something shady was going on in this home, and we already knew that Devyn wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.
Ladon didn’t respond to either of them. He wrapped his hand around the doorknob and twisted, but the door didn’t budge.
Jade moved over to the window on the left and peered inside through a small crack between the curtains.
“Do you see anything?” I asked.
“Nothing. Just an entry parlor with empty seats and a junk-filled table.”
The front door swung open, and we all turned our heads. Ladon was standing with a key in his hand, crafted out of clay that matched the color of the dirt beneath my feet.
“Did you just…”
“Door’s open,” he said, taking a step inside.
Jade followed him without a second thought while Cyrus looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.
Inside, the entry hall and adjoining parlor smelled like dust and wet carpet.
The house was old and hadn’t been well-maintained.
There was a fireplace where charred logs sat and ashes had spilled out onto the floor.
The table Jade had mentioned was overflowing with books, pamphlets, and letters—she wasn’t kidding about the junk.
“Hello?” Cyrus called out. “Is anyone here?”
I moved through a doorway that led into a long hall.
Both ends were dark, so I had to guess which way to investigate first. I chose the right.
The floors creaked beneath my feet, but otherwise I didn’t hear a sound.
The walls were covered with peeling paint and a random assortment of hangings.
I stopped to study one and discovered it was a map of the sea between Lourova and Wyland, with tiny ships drawn on blue waters.
As I kept moving, there were multiple iterations of the same map, and I had to study them for a few moments to find the differences.
Then I saw it—the ships were drawn in different patterns, seemingly pointing toward various routes that could be taken from continent to continent, keeping in mind the currents and shallow or treacherous waters.
At the first door I came to, I knocked before gently pushing it open.
The room was dark, but I noticed a window nearby, and I pulled the drapes open to allow sunlight to roll in.
Dust billowed from the draft of the curtains, and I began to wonder if this home had been vacant for longer than I’d first imagined.
No one had been here last night, but when was the last time someone had occupied this residence?
The room I’d discovered appeared to be some type of meeting spot.
A large oval table occupied the center of the room with half a dozen matching dark wooden chairs.
Cabinets lined the wall to my left, and I walked toward them, hoping I’d find something useful.
Unfortunately, they were empty except for a box of old linens and a few chipped coffee cups.
Maybe this was simply a storage room for abandoned odds and ends?
The parlor was empty when I returned. I called out, “Ladon? Cyrus?”
Looking down the hall, I ventured to the left this time and found a winding staircase. Perhaps everyone had gone upstairs.
I reached the first landing and called, “Jade? Are you guys up here?”
Cyrus’s head popped out of a doorway, and Jade was right behind him. “Did you find anything?”
I shook my head. “You?”
“No,” Cyrus said. “There are two bedrooms and a bathroom on this level. All of them look like they haven’t been used in weeks. Let’s go to the third floor and see if Ladon’s found anything useful.”
Jade walked past me and climbed the stairs.
I turned back to Cyrus. “Are the two of you friends yet?”
“The day we become friends is the day I will have to step down from the throne because my mental capacity will be questionable.”
I laughed.
Cyrus pointed to the stairs. “Shall we?”
I made my way to the third floor with Cyrus at my back. Hopefully there was something of use upstairs, or this would all be for nothing. We’d be right back where we started without a hint of where Reyna had gone or if she was still in the harbor somewhere.
I was so distracted that I didn’t notice the warped wooden step. It fell out from under my feet the moment I stepped on it. My heart dropped, but Cyrus had his arms around me before I could fully comprehend what had happened.
I looked up at him, and his face was close enough to see the golden specks in his green eyes. His lips curved into a grin, and I felt a wave of heat—not like the searing desire I felt for Ladon, but like a burning allergic reaction. My skin felt too tight, and it was suddenly hard to breathe.
His embrace was too soft. I knew he only meant to save me from falling down a flight of stairs, but the way he held me felt romantic. It felt intimate. And if Ladon saw us right now, I feared what this would look like.
Reaching for the handrail, I pulled myself up and out of his arms, steadying myself on the next step, which was sturdy and reliable.
Cyrus sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I asked, unable to face him.
“I don’t know. This is all so… weird. I’ve never had an ex-fiancée before. I don’t know the proper protocol.” He laughed, and it did little to settle my discomfort. “I’ve also never had to court a woman before.”
Finally, I turned to see him still standing a few steps lower than me, so our eyes were level. “What do you mean?”
He put his hands on his hips, and his brows pinched together. “I, uh… I’m trying to give you your space, you know.”
I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat. Everything about this situation was making my skin itch.
“I’m just hoping that if we take things slowly—if you have more time to heal and work through your trauma—maybe we could figure out a way to move forward. You already get along with my family so well, and I couldn’t ask for a brighter, smarter woman…”
Cyrus began to ramble while I tried to process what he was saying.
He hadn’t given up hope for us. But there was no us.
There never would be.
I stood in shock, trying to find the right words, but thankfully I was saved from my struggle.
“We’ve found something,” Ladon said from above us.
I looked up the stairs, relief flooding me.
Ladon studied me, tilting his head, and I could see the question on his face.
Is everything okay?
No. It absolutely wasn’t.