Chapter Twenty-Five
Oakley
When I saw Tan calling, I answered the phone right away, saying, “Heya, Step-Daddy.”
He snorted. “Don’t call me that.” He let out a long sigh. “Are you home?”
“No. I’m with Ker, Anton, and the girls. Don’t worry, Anton’s my bodyguard for a few hours. We’re shopping, then going out to eat. Roman might meet us later, but we have to see when he finishes up his meeting with Dad. Why? What’s up? You wanna join us?”
He sighed again. “I… think you need to head down to the tower dungeons.”
Um… what?
“Uh… why would I go down there?” What a weird thing to tell me to do.
“Because… something happened. Gar—your dad, I mean—is being an asshole, okay? Like a big, huge, ginormous asshole. Just… get to the dungeons, and know you have my permission to get him out, okay?”
“Get who out?” What the actual fuck was he talking about?
“Listen, kiddo, I gotta go. Your dad’s coming. Go down there. Now.” He hung up before I could ask him anything else.
What a weird fucking conversation.
But… if Tan was telling me to go to the tower dungeons, it had to be for a good reason.
Who the hell did my dad have down in the dungeons?
Maybe I should call Rome and see if he had any more information.
For fuck’s sake, way to ruin my day out with Ker and the kids.
Ugh.
“Crap.” I looked at Anton. “Did you hear that?”
He gave me a small nod. “Yes. I suppose the two of us should head there now.”
I frowned. “I don’t want you to have to leave Ker and—”
“It’s no problem, Oakley, and I won’t risk you. I’ll escort you to the tower.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded.
“Thanks.” I caught up with Keryth and the kids. “Hey, Ker?”
“Yeah?” He turned around to face me, smiling.
“Did you hear any of that?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Zell was picking out a dress, so I wasn’t paying attention, sorry.”
I waved that off. “It was Tan. He told me to get to the tower dungeons and that I had permission to get him out.” I used air quotes because, again, what the hell?
“Wait. What? Get who out?”
I shrugged. “No idea. He hung up in a rush before I could get more information. But… I think I should go. It’s not like him to send me somewhere unless it’s important.”
Ker nodded and gave me a hug and Anton a kiss on the lips. “Alright. You two go on. But call me later and tell me what’s going on, okay?”
Anton said, “I’ll let you know when I’m on my way home, yes?”
Ker nodded and smiled up at his viramore.
I gave them a minute and walked over to the girls. “There’s an emergency at the tower, guys, so I have to leave. Anton’s coming with me.”
“Aw man, really?” Alsira frowned at me. “I wanted your help picking out a few outfits.”
I pulled her into a hug. “I know. I’m really sorry. Maybe we can go one day this week, yeah?”
She nodded. “Let me know when. Text me.” All the kids had my cell number in case of an emergency, but sometimes Alsira texted me silly videos and things like that. It was cute.
I sent her a smile, then pulled Zellya, Saranor, and Gemma each into a hug before I headed out of the mall with Anton beside me, and I called a car service.
As I climbed into the back of the car, I shrugged on the hoodie I’d just bought—it was always cold down in the dungeons no matter how high we turned on the heat. I double-checked that I had my phone, keys, and wallet in my pockets, and we headed back to the tower.
It didn’t take long to get there, luckily, and as soon as Anton and I were inside, we rushed over to the elevators.
Since I was the king’s kid, I was allowed to use the private elevator that went to all the floors—unlike the public ones that didn’t go to the private residences or the dungeons.
So I held up the magical charm on my bracelet—basically a key—and headed down to the dungeon level.
Anyone without a charm would be denied access down here.
Thank goodness Dad didn’t take any of my access away when he kicked Rome and me off the case.
Anton was quiet as we headed down, and I couldn’t stop frowning, wondering what the hell was going on.
My dad didn’t usually keep anyone down here. The cells were typically used as a temporary holding place until criminals could be moved to an actual prison, or occasionally, they held people my dad and his enforcers needed to interrogate—the cultist from the other day had already been moved.
I’d been one such person held in a cell when Tan had first captured me before anyone realized I was the king’s missing child.
That was years ago, but it felt like a lifetime ago. I’d been such an angry, hurt, and hopeless person back then, back when I’d been living with my mother and her insane cult, back when I hadn’t known what it felt like to be loved.
But now I knew what unconditional love was—I received it every day from Dad, Tan, and all of the family and friends I’d acquired since being set free from the Emissaries of Gepisha’s Iron cult.
I wasn’t sure when the last time I’d been down here was, but it had been a few months. All the auction victims were staying in condos toward the top of the tower, so I hadn’t had a reason.
I was so curious to know why the hell Tan sent me here.
I’d called Roman on the way here, but he hadn’t answered his phone. Ugh.
Nothing had changed. Each cell had a concrete bench built into the back wall with a cushion, blankets, and a pillow on it, a small sink and toilet in the corner, and that was pretty much it. Since they weren’t used often, there was no sense in doing anything more to them.
But the normally empty cells weren’t so empty anymore. Or at least, one wasn’t.
There was a figure lying on the bench in the back of the center cell on the right. I headed in that direction since that was obviously where Tan wanted me to go, and the closer I got, the more my brow furrowed.
Was that… no. No way.
Why in the fuck… why the hell would my dad… what the fuck was going on here?
Anton whispered to me, “I’ll wait by the elevator to give you two privacy.”
I nodded absently to him and stepped up to the cell, saying, “Roman?”
His head snapped over to me without getting up from where he lay on the bench. He took me in and groaned, rubbing his hands over his face.
“Rome? What the fuck? Why are you in there?”
He groaned again, not dropping his hands from his face. “I didn’t want you to see me like this.”
“Like what? Wearing the same clothes you were wearing the last time I saw you like two hours ago?”
“Nooooo…” He let out a sound that was somehow a combination of a groan, a growl, and a whine. I’d give him credit where credit was due—it was a weird as hell noise. “Locked up like a criminal and feeling like crap from being magically knocked out.”
My eyes widened. Who the hell would knock Roman out? And why? Why in the fuck was he in a cell in the first place?
I said, “Pretty sure you saw me locked up in one of these cells before. It was the first time we met, actually. Well, not counting when I was a baby.”
For some reason, that made him let out a strangled laugh that didn’t sound happy at all. He muttered, “A baby.”
When he went on with his groan-fest, I interrupted with, “What happened? Why are you in there? Who abracadabra-ed you?”
“Your dad’s pissed at me.”
“Why? What could you have possibly done in that short amount of time? And why the fuck would he throw you in a cell and magic-knock-out you?” I couldn’t imagine Roman ever doing anything bad enough for my dad to do this. What the hell?
“You don’t want to know.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Actually I do, and you’re gonna tell me if you want me to let you out.”
He finally dropped his hands and looked at me again. “You’re gonna let me out? But your dad’s gonna—”
“I don’t care. You’re not a criminal. You’re his best friend. You’re family. I’m not going to let him lock you up because you two got into an argument or something. I mean, how immature can he possibly be?”
He let out a sigh and pushed himself to sit up. “He’s upset, and I understand why. I mean, I thought he was going to try to strangle me or something, so I’ll take being thrown in this cell over that. I could’ve done without the magical knock-out glitter, though.”
My eyebrows rose. “He used the magic glitter on you?”
“How do you know about the magic glitter?”
I waved that off. “Tan makes me carry it around everywhere I go. I thought he gave you some too? Isn’t it a part of our normal arsenal?”
He winced. “Uh, now that you mention it, he did give me some, like, last year, and I never… um, did anything with it.” He sounded so tired. It made me want to pull him into my arms, but I wasn’t about to open the door until he talked to me. It was the only leverage I had.
“Don’t you keep your pockets filled with all the spells Tan gives us and a bunch of weapons every single day, everywhere you go?” I narrowed my eyes at him. He fucking better be keeping himself protected.
“Well, I do… I just… I didn’t even realize what the glitter was. I thought he was giving me some kind of crafting… thing.”
I snorted out a laugh, shaking my head. “You’re so stupid.”
“Yeah, I am.”
That made me frown because he’d sounded serious, and I’d only been joking. “Hey.” I waited for him to look at me before I continued. “I was joking. I don’t think you’re stupid, Rome. I know you’re not.”
He sent me a small half-smile. “Thanks, Oak.”
I nodded. “Now tell me what happened.”
He dramatically flopped back onto the bench cushion. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because I don’t… I don’t know if you’re ready to hear it. I didn’t think Garrick was either, but if I want to move forward, I had to tell him. Plus, he kept asking me what was wrong, and I just… I had to tell someone.”
“Okay, and now you have to tell me.”
I pulled out my all-access passkey—the same gemstone I used to get down here.
It was spelled to my signature, so even if I lost it or someone stole it, they wouldn’t be able to use it.
Tan was getting really creative with some of his spell work, although I was pretty sure some of that was because he kept reaching out to Delaro Ellwood, one of the most ingenious witches in the world.
I remembered Anton was down here, so I faced him and said, “Thank you, Anton. You don’t have to stick around. Roman’s back on duty.”
He lifted a brow. “How do you expect him to guard you when he’s—”
I lifted my arm, showing off the charm. “I’m letting him out.” After a second, I added, “Don’t tell Dad.”
I was surprised by the big grin on Anton’s face. “Your secret’s safe with me. I don’t mind pulling one over on Garrick every now and then. Please let me or Ker know when you’re home and safe.”
“I will. And thanks again.”
“Anytime, Oakley.” He sent me another smile and a nod, then hit the elevator button. It was already down here, so he stepped on, and I offered him a wave that he returned.
The second the elevator closed, I turned back to Roman.