Chapter 52
Fifty-Two
SENAN
The hands on the clock above Aeron’s mantle move at a snail’s pace. It feels as if I’ve been waiting forever for the clock to strike the hour, when in reality, it has only been twenty minutes.
My heart breaks at the thought of never seeing Rhainn or Kyffin again, but saying goodbye isn’t an option. If Allette and I are to be safe, we must make a clean break from our old lives and start anew somewhere far, far away.
It’s almost time. Only a few more?—
The door bursts open, the wood cracking off the wall, rattling the framed paintings.
An impenetrable wall of guards waits on the other side. They part, and the king steps into the room.
“What have you done, you selfish fool!” Boris catches the edge of the door and slams it with such force, the boom is sure wake those in the farthest tower.
I need to placate him until I can get out of here. Allette will understand if I’m a little late. She will wait for me.
Boris stalks forward, a vein in his forehead pulsing. “Princess Leeri came to me, claiming that she no longer holds any affection for you. Can you believe that?”
Yes, I can. Still, I say nothing.
“So I ask myself, what has my brother done that is so reprehensible that this woman would go from loving him to hating him in less than twenty-four hours?”
“I haven’t done anything?—”
“Quiet! I know this was you.” He jabs a thick finger toward me. “I know it was.”
So much for letting Rhainn make a match with the Nimbiss princess in my stead. I have no choice but to save myself. “You don’t understand, Boris. Princess Leeri has no wings.”
He drags on his hair, his eyes snapping with rage. “I know!”
“She—Wait… You do?”
“Of course I bloody well do. Why else would I insist on matching her with my most useless brother?”
He knew …
“That woman has no wings, no magic, and no prospects,” he snarls. “I thought: not even a duster can fuck this up. And yet you found a way, didn’t you? You found a way to fuck it all up. And for what? Some Tuath whore?”
My stomach twists. He knows .
“That’s right. I know you’ve been fucking some maid—even went so far as to bring her into the towers and have her pose as one of Aeron’s subjects.”
How the hell could he possibly know? Did Aeron tell him the truth? No. My brother wouldn’t have betrayed me like that.
But Boris betrayed me, didn’t he? Why wouldn’t Aeron?
Boris jabs me in the chest. “Until I fix this, you are not to leave the castle.”
No…
Please, no…
He gestures toward where Bell stands at the balcony door. The man I’ve known for years refuses to look my way as he marches forward and clasps a hand around my elbow.
“Do not let him out of your sight, Sergeant Bell,” the king orders. “If anyone asks, my brother is sequestered until the wedding.”
Bilson stalks into the room a split second later, avoiding my gaze.
“Is it done?” Boris asks.
Bilson nods. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
His lips twist into a malicious smile. “Good.” The king leans in close to whisper in my ear. “If you do not cooperate, your little Tuath whore will meet the wrong end of a blade—and I’ll do it right in front of you so you can watch.”
He must be bluffing. Allette is long gone by now. Isn’t she?
Boris’s dark chuckle sends chills racing down my spine. “Next time, hide your mistresses a little better.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Am I bluffing, Bilson?”
The guard finally looks at me. “No, sire. We have taken Wynn Caelis into custody. She is being escorted to the pit as we speak.”
No no no no…
“You fucking traitor!” I lurch against Bell’s hold, but the bastard is too strong.
What am I going to do? With me locked up in the castle, I won’t be able to save Allette.
The king gives me one last malevolent smile before quitting the room, his guards trailing close behind. Bilson pauses for a moment, then follows as well.
“I trusted you! You scheming, lying bastard! I trusted you!”
The fucking traitor doesn’t spare me so much as a glance as he follows the king into the hallway. If anything happens to Allette, I will never forgive myself.
Think, Senan .
There must be something I can do. I refuse to accept that this is the end, yet as I stare out the wide bay windows toward those vengeful stars, all hopes of escape vanish. If it’s the only way to ensure Allette’s safety, then I’ll marry the fucking princess.
Bilson said Allette was sent to the pit. That means there is still a chance for her. My life may be over now, but hers doesn’t have to be.
My head snaps up, meeting Bell’s narrowed gaze. “I need your help.”
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, sire. But you must marry the princess.”
“I know. I know I must. I have accepted my fate.” I will marry the woman and move to Nimbiss where I will die without the antidote. But I will do so willingly as long as I can be assured that Allette will be safe and cared for. In a matter of weeks, she will have her tower back, and I have already transferred funds into an account reserved for her alone.
I just need to get her released from the pit.
“What I need is for you to save her.”
His brow furrows.
“To save Allette.”
Bell’s eyes close and his head starts to shake. “When are you going to let the past go? You saw her body. Allette is gone.”
“She isn’t gone. She has been stuck in the human realm all this time.”
Bell’s jaw drops, his gray gaze searching. “You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
“Where is she now?”
“If the king was telling the truth, they just arrested her and threw her into the pit.”
The color leaches from his face as he stands there, staring at me as if I’m speaking ancient Scathian.
“You must help Allette escape,” I beg. “She has done nothing wrong. There is no one else I can trust with this. Please, Bell.”
He remains still as a statue. I hold my breath, expecting him to deny me.
Instead, he nods. “I want gold. An entire chest full. And I will need to resign my post. After defying the king, I can never return.”
“Does that mean you’ll help?”
He nods once more. “Don’t worry, sire. I’ll save Allette.”
A broken sob tears through my chest. He is going to save her. She will be all right. “I’ll have someone bring your gold to the Nag’s Head. Do you know it?”
“I know it well.”
My guard stalks toward the balcony, but before he crosses the wards, I call him back. My eyes burn with tears as I take one last look at the man who will save my girl. “You’re a good man, Eason Bell.”
“Thank you, sire.” He tips his head, offers a farewell salute, and then disappears into the night.