55. Move
Move
Rory and Simon burst into Evelyn’s room at the sound of her screaming. They didn’t struggle to locate the source of her terror.
Another dead guard was lying in the bathtub, propped up in a sitting position. An eerie stare came through his cloudy pupils. Just like the others, his throat was slit and symbols were carved onto his bare chest.
No. This isn’t happening. Not here.
Evelyn’s whole body vibrated with panic, feeling as though she had been dropped into a half-frozen river and dragged out again.
Rory’s shock only held for a moment before he moved Evelyn into the hallway. He backed her against the wall and stood protectively in front of her, then yelled orders at the guards outside Hannah’s room.
“Evelyn,” Rory said with forced calm. “Did you see anyone? Did you hear anything?”
It took all of her focus to shake her head.
“Evelyn!” Damien shouted from down the hallway.
She heard his footsteps approach, but she couldn’t meet his gaze.
Those eyes.
“Is she hurt?” Damien asked.
“No,” Rory said. “But… the bathtub—”
Damien ran into Evelyn’s room. She knew when he’d seen the body based on the expletives that carried into the hallway.
“I searched the fucking room!” Damien yelled when he came out. “I was there five fucking minutes ago!”
“No one came through the door,” Rory confirmed. “Evelyn didn’t notice anything happen inside, either.”
“She can’t stay here. Let’s take her upstairs.”
Rory looped an arm around Evelyn’s shoulders and urged her forward. Evelyn could see that she was walking, but the movement felt disconnected from her body.
How did this happen? How did they get into my room? I was right there! Why didn’t they attack me? Why leave a body just to scare me?
Damien snapped his fingers at a newly arrived group of guards, two men and a woman. “You three! Follow us!”
He led everyone up to the fourth floor and opened a door at the end of the east wing. Rory, Evelyn, and the female guard were ushered inside, while the additional male guards stayed in the hall.
The bedroom was larger than Evelyn’s and decorated in navy blue furnishings. There was a four-poster bed at the far end of the room and a seating area that faced the oversized windows.
Damien pulled Evelyn aside. “Tell me what happened.”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I was going to take a bath and… How did he get there?”
“I don’t know. The room was empty when I left. I swear it.”
“Where are we now?”
“This is Leo’s room. Rory and Viviane are going to stay with you until Leo gets here.”
“You can’t leave me again!”
“I need to help—”
“Damien, please!” Evelyn cried.
This feels like King Gerard’s funeral all over again. I didn’t have Leo then, either. But I can’t handle this on my own. I need Damien.
His expression softened. “Okay.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll stay.”
Not for the first time, Evelyn stained Damien’s uniform with her tears. “I want to go home!”
He didn’t bother to argue that this was her home now. “I know, Princess. I’m sorry.”
When Evelyn quieted, Damien made her lie down on the couch and covered her with a blanket. He sat on the floor in front of her and rested his head on the cushions.
“You look like a family guard dog,” Evelyn whispered deliriously.
Damien snorted. “Go to sleep. I’ll bark if someone comes in.”
She stared at the back of his head, resisting the urge to reach for him.
He stayed when I asked him to. How does Damien listen to me better than my own husband? Leo should be here, but… at this point, I’d rather have Damien with me.
Evelyn assumed sleep would be impossible. But once the adrenaline disappeared, she crashed and dozed off.
Sometime later, Evelyn woke to the sound of voices and a door opening. It took her a few moments to realize where she was, and her stomach dropped at the memory of why she was there.
Damien leaned against a windowsill with his arms crossed. Evelyn rose from the couch.
Leo walked over to her. “Are you okay?”
“No,” she said, anger rising. “No, I’m not fucking okay!”
He stiffened at her tone. “Evelyn—”
“You left me! You locked me in that room with Rory and then sent me away with Damien! You promised you would come back, but instead you put me on a boat!”
“I was—”
“I found another body in my room! Did they tell you that?”
Leo paled. “What? They said another guard was here, but—”
“He was in my bathtub!” Evelyn snarled.
Leo looked at Damien for an explanation.
A muscle in Damien’s jaw tensed. “I searched her room when we got here and there was nothing. Five minutes after I left, he was just there.”
“Bodies can’t appear out of nowhere,” Leo argued.
“Do you think I don’t fucking know that? I checked every corner and closet and under the damn bed. I wouldn’t have left her in that room if I didn’t think she was safe.”
“Why did you leave her at all?”
“Why did you?” Damien yelled. “I brought her back here on your fucking orders, Leo! Why am I babysitting your wife while you pretend to be a soldier? There was zero reason for you to stay behind after Savatier arrived.”
“Is that true?” Evelyn asked. “Were you even doing anything?”
Leo turned to her. “I’m the king. I need to know what’s going on.”
“I’m the queen! Why don’t I get to know anything?”
“You were upset.”
“Of course I was! But you thought sending me to my room like a child was the best solution?”
Leo flushed. “That wasn’t how I meant it.”
Evelyn’s voice dropped low. “You trusted me after your father died. You kept me with you because you knew I could handle it and be helpful. When did you lose that faith in me?”
“I didn’t, Evelyn. I just wanted you out of danger!”
“I think this morning proved that that’s not possible,” Damien muttered.
“This doesn’t involve you, Fontaine,” Leo snapped. “She’s my wife, not yours.”
“And I agreed to marry you,” Evelyn reminded him, “because you promised I would be at your side! We’re supposed to be a team!”
“We are!” Leo said. “I—”
“What do you suggest, Evelyn?” Damien interrupted.
She blinked at the sudden question. “What?”
Damien’s eyes held a challenge, like a teacher who knows his student can find the answer. “You want to be helpful. What should we do next? How do we figure out why bodies can suddenly move through walls?”
Damien’s putting me on the spot… but he trusts me to make a decision. Even more, he’s showing Leo that I’m worth listening to. I’m a queen now! I should have a say in what happens. Leo may not invite me to be at his side, but I still have power. I just need to use it.
Evelyn shifted her thoughts. “The cuts… We need to know what the symbols on their chests mean. They might be a message, or Blood magic, or some other clue as to who is behind it.”
“Good idea,” Damien agreed. “How do we find out what the symbols mean?”
Evelyn furrowed her brows, not especially excited about her next idea. “Lochmatten. Moeller or that really old scholar.”
“Wendell.”
“Yes! They have the most extensive libraries and archives, right? If anyone would know, it would be them.”
“Probably.” Damien cocked his head. “So what’s the next step? Mail a body to Wendell?”
“No. The guards’ bodies need to be returned to their families so they can be burned. Or buried, I guess. But we could create drawings of the symbols first, then take the drawings to Lochmatten to identify.”
“You want to go to Lochmatten?”
“They can’t ignore us if we’re there.”
Damien narrowed his eyes on Leo. “Your Majesty, may I proceed with Queen Evelyn’s plan?”
Leo didn’t answer him. “This is awful, Evelyn. Everything that’s happened is terrifying. You don’t have to be involved. We can deal with it.”
Evelyn scowled. “I’m already involved. I have been since I found the four missing soldiers.
And we should mean you and me, not you and an army.
” She turned away from her husband and faced Damien.
“Send word to Lochmatten that we will arrive tomorrow. Then find soldiers with strong stomachs to sketch the symbols.”
Damien bowed specifically to Evelyn before heading to the door, which was when everyone realized Rory and Viviane were still in the room.
“Do I need to waste time threatening you?” Damien growled at them.
“We heard nothing,” Rory said casually.
“You put up a sound shield, Captain Fontaine,” Viviane lied. “All we know is that the king returned home and the queen is safe.”
“Glad to hear it.” Damien slammed the door on his way out.
Leo approached the guards. “Thank you for watching over Evelyn. Your presence is appreciated. Would you please give us some privacy now?”
Rory and Viviane bowed and left the room.
Evelyn glowered at Leo. “I begged you to stay. You ignored me and you lied to me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wanted you to be safe.”
“This is what you did to your mother, too. Her husband was murdered and you had guards carry her to an empty bedroom. You didn’t even look at her while she screamed.”
Deep betrayal shone in Leo’s eyes. “You can’t compare that day to this one. That isn’t fair.”
“But is that your strategy when something bad happens? Move the crying woman out of the way?”
“No! I know you want to be helpful, but there wasn’t anything for you to do.”
“You don’t know that!” Evelyn hissed. “Even if it’s true, I could still be with you.”
Leo groaned. “Wasn’t it bad enough going into that attic the first time? I thought it would be better if you left instead of going through that again.”
“I should’ve had the chance to make that choice for myself!”
“I was trying to protect you. I knew you would be safe with Damien.”
“I wanted to be with you. I didn’t marry Damien. But maybe I should have!”
Did I really say that out loud?
Leo hesitated. “What are you talking about?”
Evelyn didn’t back down. “Damien tells me what’s going on, even if it’s scary. And he respects my decisions, even when he doesn’t agree with them. Damien didn’t leave me today.”
“I didn’t abandon you, Evelyn! I kept you safe!”
“No, you didn’t! Rory and Damien kept me safe. You weren’t here!”
“I’m here now!”
He is, only because he finished everything else.
I was last on his to-do list. Did he even check my room first, or did he come up here out of habit?
If I hadn’t been on his couch when he arrived at the palace, would he even be talking to me?
I’m not okay being an afterthought. Not when Damien and Haydn treat me as a priority.
“You may be here, but I don’t want to be.”
Evelyn started for the door, but Leo blocked her path.
“Move,” she warned.
“We’re not done talking about this.”
“I am. Move.”
“You can’t just walk away!” Leo commanded. “You can’t do the same thing you’re mad at me for!”
“Watch me.”
What had Leo said that day? “Tell me when you’re mad at me. Or set my boots on fire and I’ll figure it out.”
Evelyn waved her hand toward Leo’s feet. Flames gathered at the tips of his boots. He staggered backward and hurried to get them off. Meanwhile, Evelyn stormed into the hallway.
Maybe I was wrong not to leave with Damien yesterday.