Chapter 41 – Kian
Chapter Forty-One
KIAN
Catching Raelyn with Dylan made me see red.
That pompous prick. I still haven’t forgiven him for trying to steal her away from me.
I trusted him. I thought he was my friend, and he found a way to ruin everything.
On top of our history, his father keeps trying to undermine my work as the Shadow, but so far, I’ve stayed two steps ahead.
Dylan should have stayed in Sillamae. I’ll make him regret looking at my wife the way he did and for even trying to lay a finger on her. My only consolation is that she seems to have forgotten him as well.
Once my father finishes shredding me the way he does best, I return to my wing, looking for Raelyn. We obviously need to talk . . . That kiss. I harden at the thought of it. We absolutely need to pick up where we left off. The sooner the better.
Our rooms are completely empty, and a prickle of fear runs down my spine. Something isn’t right. Where in the hells did she go?
I decide to check the library when Sera comes frantically rushing into the wing. “Your Highness!” she yelps. “You need to come quickly. It’s Princess Raelyn.”
Fuck.
“Take me now,” I command, and she runs back out the door.
I follow her up to an unused wing of the palace, growing more anxious with each step. Why would Raelyn be up here?
“Is she okay?” I ask as we race down the hall. Sera is impressively fast.
“I’m not sure, Your Highness. I can’t get her to wake up.”
Fear sluices down my back, and I pick up my pace. I need to get to her. I need to save her.
Sera leads me into a dusty old bedroom, and my heart nearly stops. Raelyn is on the bed, skirts hiked about around her hips, head lolled to the side, and lips parted.
Rage overtakes me when I spy Dylan crumpled on the floor, an old paperweight next to him. If he isn’t dead, he’s about to be. How dare he lay a hand on my wife.
Sera is trying to wake Raelyn, but she’s completely unresponsive. I kick Dylan, and he grunts. Not dead yet.
“I’ve got her,” I say, cradling Raelyn in my arms. Her unresponsive state makes me think she’s been drugged, which only fuels my anger, but what was she doing here to begin with?
“Go find a palace healer, Sera. Better yet, have them send for Margot,” I command as I rush Raelyn out of the room. I’ll deal with the asshole later.
Sera runs off ahead of me, and I carry Raelyn back to our room, laying her gently on our bed.
“Please wake up, love,” I say, carefully tucking her hair back and trying to fix her clothes. I feel completely helpless. I should have been with her. I should never have let her leave the gardens without me, but my father . . . I curse under my breath.
Her breathing is shallow, and her skin looks extra pale. She’s slowly gained color since going out in the sun, but now she looks almost sickly. What was done to her? I continue squeezing her hand and praying to the gods, to anyone who will listen, that she will wake up.
I vaguely hear the door slam open before Sera and a healer enter the room.
“Please move out of the way, Your Highness,” the healer says, waving me away as she gets close to Raelyn, smelling her breath and listening to her heart.
“Someone was sent to fetch Margot,” Sera says.
I breathe a sigh of relief. There’s no one I trust more.
Trying to stay out of the healer’s way, I pull the bell to ring for Giles.
“There’s some discoloration around her mouth,” the healer muses. “Do we know what she ate or drank before this?”
I helplessly shake my head, looking to Sera. “Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I did not.”
“What were you even doing up there? How did you know she needed help?” My words come out in a rush, and she looks almost frightened. “I promise, you’re not in any trouble, but anything you can tell us would be helpful.”
Sera looks around the room hesitantly. “Can you guarantee my family’s safety?”
“Of course.” I don’t even hesitate to reply.
“I saw Lady Astoria wandering about the palace, and she looked up to no good.”
I frown. Rae’s stepmother?
“I followed her up to the abandoned wing but tried to stay out of sight, so I didn’t hear much, and then Lord Havordshire came out into the hall, and I ducked behind some curtains.”
I nod for her to continue.
“At some point, they came back out into the hall, and I heard the lady say that Raelyn wouldn’t remember anything before Lord Havordshire took her to the bedroom.”
Was someone messing with her memory . . . again?
“I had to wait for Lady Astoria to leave, and then I followed him into the room. I had to do something. Things were clearly amiss.”
“Thank you for intervening,” I say. “Gods only know what he would have done if he’d had more time.
Sera visibly shudders. “I d-don’t think . . . he was able to . . .”
“It’s okay. Take a deep breath.” I try to be reassuring, even as my rage boils beneath the surface. “Do you think you can take Giles and my guards up to the room you first saw them enter? Maybe there is something there that can give us a clue as to what they poisoned her with.”
Sera nods emphatically. Just then, Giles comes in, brows furrowed. “Is everything all right, Your Highness?”
“Please get at least two guards and accompany Sera upstairs. Dylan Havordshire should be unconscious, and I want him taken to the dungeon immediately. Someone needs to assist Sera and search for clues. I’ll let her explain.”
“Yes, sire,” Giles says immediately. “And if he’s not there?”
“Find him.”
I turn my attention back to my wife, who lies completely still on the bed. “Can you tell me anything?” I ask the healer.
She takes her hands off Raelyn and turns to look at me. “Until we know for sure what drugged her, I am hesitant to treat her. Her heart sounds weak but is not faltering, and she is breathing well. The best thing we can do for her is find out what she drank and mix up an antidote.”
I run a hand through my hair, wondering if I should tell the healer of her heritage, if that will help anything, but then her secret would be out. Luna help me, what should I do?
“Thank you,” I say. “Is there anything we can do for her now?”
“Just try to keep her comfortable,” the healer says. “I’ll go fetch some fresh water and be back soon.”
I nod and return to Rae’s side, picking up her hand.
Suddenly, it comes to me. My blood. Would that help her?
Or should I carry her out to the sun? But if Lady Astoria had anything to do with this and there’s a chance she’s aware of her true heritage, it’s quite possible she did something to stifle her powers.
The last thing I want is to cause Raelyn more pain, so bringing her to the sun is out, but perhaps my blood could save her.
I pull a dagger from my boot and slice into my thumb, sliding it between Raelyn’s lips.
“Come on. Drink, love,” I say under my breath.
She swallows, and I sigh a breath of relief, hoping my blood will do something, anything to help her.
Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but her skin appears to flush just a little.
I pull away my thumb and find that it’s already sealed.
Strange. I’m about to cut into it again when Margot comes in with a large pitcher of water.
“Thank the gods you’re here,” I say.
“Anything for you, sire. The other healer filled me in with what she could. Any changes?” she asks as she pours a small glass.
“I don’t think so.”
“Here, hold her up a little,” Margot commands, and I gently lift Raelyn’s head and shoulders off the pillow.
Margot brings the glass up to her lips and slowly tips it back.
Water runs out of Raelyn’s mouth, but she swallows again, and the healer nods for me to put her back down.
She feels for her pulse, and a pleased look crosses her face.
“Her heart rate is regular, so perhaps she can clear this on her own.”
I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. Whether my blood helped, I’m not sure, but I’m not about to risk doing anything more in front of Margot, regardless of how much I trust her.
I’m not sure how much time has passed, but Sera and Giles come back, holding a short tumbler with an amethyst liquid inside.
“We found this in one of the rooms,” Giles explains.
Margot gives it a quick sniff. “Please take it to the alchemists immediately. Hopefully they can tell us what it is and how to treat it.”
Giles nods and disappears again with the glass, and I look to Sera. “Was Dylan still there?”
She fidgets uneasily and nods. “The guards carried him down to the dungeon, I believe.”
“Good. Can you stay with her?” I ask. “I want to see if I can get some answers out of him.”
“Of course, Your Highness,” she replies. “I won’t let her out of my sight.”
“Thank you.”
No one touches my wife and gets away with it. Certainly not Dylan Havordshire, regardless of who his father is.
Making my way down to our dungeon, I let my anger rise up within me.
There will be a reckoning, and one way or another I will get my answers.
If I had my way, Rae’s stepmother would be down here as well, but I’ll have to go about this carefully.
She’s married to one of Father’s oldest friends, and he would not take kindly to what I want to do to that woman.
“Is he awake?” I question the guards as I roll up my sleeves.
“I think I heard him moving around,” one guard replies.
“Fantastic. Is he chained?”
“No. Would you like one of us to go in with you?”
“I’m not worried about him.”
When the door swings open, I step into the room and wait for it to clang shut behind me. The key turns in the lock, and I allow myself a grin.
Dylan is sprawled against the stone wall, his cheek cupped in one hand. He blinks at me in the dim light as I step forward and crouch in front of him.
“I have some questions for you, Dylan,” I sneer. “Please tell me you won’t cooperate so I can make this a little more fun.”
“Fuck you,” Dylan groans.
“What’s that?” I growl. “You tried to fuck my wife?”