Chapter 21
I’d called and left a message for Flora Merriweather right after I’d finished the chocolate orange mini cake, which was a culinary triumph of chocolate and orange, but she’d yet to get back to me. That struck me as odd. Not that she hadn’t been in but that she hadn’t yet returned my call.
I’d have thought she was dying to talk to me and get my input on the big day. Maybe she was in a meeting or whatever royal event planners did. I was thinking about calling her a second time when the door chime rang.
A footman had arrived with the citizen registry. It was ten huge books. Thankfully, they were on a cart. I wheeled it into the living room as my phone rang.
It was LeRoy. I smiled as I answered, taking a seat on the couch. “Hello, there.”
“Princess Jayne, how is the most wonderful princess in the North Pole?”
“I’m great.” I was also the only princess in the North Pole, but so what. “How are you?”
“I am dying to show you the dress I’ve made for you.”
“Already? That was fast. I can’t wait to see it. I should be able to come in tomorrow, maybe around ten?”
“That would be fantastic. Will you be bringing Prince Jack? I will close down the shop again for you, no problem.”
“I’m not sure yet.” I knew what I wanted to do, but I’d have to check with Sin first. “How about I call you back when I know?”
“That’s just fine. I look forward to hearing from you.”
“Great, thanks. Bye.” As I hung up, I heard the front door open. It had to be Sin. I hopped up and went to see him.
He and his dad were coming in. I met them between the kitchen and the dining room. Anson was carrying four bags of cat treats. I was super happy to see that.
I also noticed Anson had a tall, Styrofoam cup in his hand. The Sugar Shack logo and name were emblazoned on the side in red. Apparently, they’d taken another trip there without me.
Sin smiled tentatively. “Hey, babe. I have good news, and I have bad news.”
I lifted my brows, eyes on the cup. “Is the good news in that cup your dad’s holding?”
He laughed. “It is. This is a toasted marshmallow eggnog milkshake, and it is most definitely for you.” Anson held the cup out.
“You are a fantastic husband. Thank you.” I took the cup and had a sip. I never would have put toasted marshmallow and eggnog together, but it was next-level delicious. The boost of sugar made me think that the bad news couldn’t be that bad. “What’s the rest?”
He glanced at his dad. “We think someone messed with the brakes on the crawler in the hopes that we’d wreck.”
I almost dropped the milkshake. “What?”
He and his dad told me the whole story. I felt sick to my stomach. “What would have happened if you hadn’t gone into town? Or your dad hadn’t been with you to conjure up that giant pillow? Nice use of your skills, by the way, Anson.”
Ever the showman, he took a bow. “Thank you.”
“I don’t like this at all. Someone is making this personal.”
Sin went into the kitchen and took a seat, resting his crutches against the counter. “It was always personal. Someone is trying to mess with Naming Day, a day that is all about JJ and the furtherance of the royal line. There’s no other way to see it.”
Sipping my milkshake, I sat next to him. Anson stood on the other side of the island. I didn’t know what to do or say. This was not good.
Anson looked at his son. “I should go check on Mom.”
I understood. “Thank you for intervening today.”
“Happy I could,” he said. “If you need us, you know where we are.”
Sin nodded. “What time are you guys leaving for the theater?”
“Around six.”
Sin touched my hand. “Can we get them some security? If someone is already targeting us, they could definitely target my family.”
“Yes, absolutely. I’ll call Ezreal right now. I’ll make sure there’s a crawler with a driver to take you there and pick you up.”
Anson put his hands up. “You don’t have to—”
“Yeah, Dad, we do,” Sin said. “If you don’t want to tell Mom and Aunt Zinnia what happened, just tell them the extra security is protocol.”
“I don’t want to lie to them, but I don’t want them to worry either.”
I understood that. “It’s just for while you’re out. You’re perfectly safe inside the palace.”
Sin grunted. “I’m sure Delton thought that, too.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I’m sure he did. Snowballs, this sucks.”
“Hey,” Anson said. “Sin and I are just fine. The crawler wasn’t even hurt.
The police have it now. They’re going over it for any signs of tampering and evidence, by the way.
No, this is not a good situation, but I have faith in you two.
And the police are looking into Delton’s death as well, aren’t they? ”
“Yep, although I don’t know if Constable Larsen’s made any progress.” I should probably check in with her, see if she’d learned anything.
“Well, don’t give up hope.” He patted my shoulder as he left.
I took a sip of my milkshake and looked at Sin. “I can tell you’re shaken up.”
“I’m mad,” Sin said. “This needs to end. What do we need to do next?”
I looked back at the couch where my laptop was.
“I made a list of the names from the photos you took, but the citizen registry just got delivered, so I haven’t had a chance to look people up yet.
I can tell you that everyone who came to see Delton in the last week was interested in resources about Naming Day.
I’m guessing it’s going to be just like Crispin said.
That they’re all going to be reporters and teachers. ”
Sin looked unimpressed. “You really think whoever killed him actually requested material? They had to know that would put their name on a list.”
“Could be some of them used an alias, but that would be easy enough to figure out when we start looking up the names. So long as they’re in the registry to begin with.
Also, I find it hard to believe that Delton’s death was planned.
I think the killer only meant to strip all mentions of Janvier’s name from that book.
Delton was just in the wrong place. I guarantee you, if he saw the killer rip those pages out of an archive resource, he would not have been quiet about it.
He probably confronted them and paid the price. ”
Sin’s gaze shifted. “Freezing someone’s heart to the point of frostbite must take a lot of magic.”
I considered it. “No personal experience, mind you, but I would think so. Especially against another winter elf who also had magic.”
“Delton had magic?”
I nodded. “Sure. All winter elves do to some extent. You know that.”
“I guess I just wasn’t thinking about it like that. Would the magic that killed him be the kind of thing you or your dad would be capable of?”
“Yes. But there’s no way he was killed in some kind of attempt to frame us. Too many people can vouch for our whereabouts. Our alibis would be watertight.”
“I wasn’t thinking that. More like … it’s a level of magic only a Frost would be capable of.”
I stared at him, my mind whirling. I was so shocked by what he was suggesting that my next question came out as a whisper. “You don’t really think Janvier is back in the North Pole, do you?”
“No, no,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m sure if your father’s estranged, frozen-out sister had returned, it would be the talk of the town. Juicy tidbits like that tend to travel.”
“True,” I said. “The NP is a lot like Nocturne Falls in that regard. Small towns, huh? They love their gossip. But then what are you suggesting?”
“That someone is trying to make it look like Janvier’s back. Maybe it’s someone who hates that I’m not a winter elf and they think by creating this illusion that she’s returned, they can scare us off of having Naming Day. That would be an issue for JJ, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah.” I sat back, had some more milkshake, and thought about the repercussions of that. “He won’t be considered a legitimate heir to the throne until the ceremony. It’s also considered the day the royal powers are passed on and secured within the child being named.”
“Is Naming Day something that can be done in private?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. It’s done in public as a way of proving the child being named is the true heir. Doing it privately would mean people would have a genuine right to question his lineage. It would seem like we were trying to hide something.”
Sin let out a soft curse. “I’m sorry, Jayne. If this really is my fault—”
“No, stop that. If someone is doing this because you’re not a winter elf, that’s their own stupidity and you are not to blame.
” I put the milkshake down to cup his face in my hands.
I smiled at my incredible, handsome husband.
“You and JJ are my life. I love you more than words can say. We’re going to figure out what’s going on, who’s behind it, and put an end to this garbage as soon as possible. ”
He took a deep breath, exhaled, then leaned in and kissed me before touching his forehead to mine. “You’re not just saying that because I brought you a milkshake, are you?”
I snorted. “No, but it didn’t hurt. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, you know that? You and JJ.”
“I love you.” Sin leaned back. “How is my boy?”
“Full of milk and napping, but I’m sure he’ll be awake and in need of a diaper change soon, so you came home at the perfect time.”
He laughed. “Listen, in all seriousness, until this thing is solved, I don’t think you or he should leave the palace.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but I have a dress fitting tomorrow with LeRoy, and I am not going to stop preparing for Naming Day. JJ doesn’t need to come. He can stay home with you. I won’t be gone long.”
He frowned. “You’re not going alone, are you?”
“I don’t have to. I could invite my mom and yours.”
“Could you also take a palace security guard with you?”
I tipped my head to one side. “I thought about that, but wouldn’t that just announce to the entire town that I’m scared of something? You remember the kind of magic I’m capable of, right?”
A reluctant smile bent his mouth. “Okay, good point. Could you take my aunt, too?”
“Sure, but I’d better invite mine as well then. Can’t have anyone feeling left out.” I got up to get my phone. It was time to make some calls.