Chapter 43
MAE
“What do you mean, Marik took her?” If Etta was from House Serpent, powerless or not, the question would have spewed venom.
“I said exactly what I mean. Marik took her before Asmo could get her.” I unbuckle the shortsword sheath from my hip and let it drop to the ground.
Etta takes a measured step toward me. “You’re telling me we traded her jailor for another? And now we have no clue where she is and no clue what he’s doing to her?”
A groan works its way from the very depths of my soul. “Yep,” I say tersely.
“What happened.” The question isn’t a question, so much as a demand.
“I would recommend watching how you speak to your queen.” Asmo’s voice slithers through the room.
Etta turns her cold gaze to Asmo. “I’m speaking to my sister.”
Asmo takes a step toward Etta. “And my mate.”
Etta doesn’t back down. “My. Sister.”
I open my mouth to speak for myself, but Asmo looks down at her like she’s something that flaked off his boot. “Your family threw her aside until you died and the kingdom needed her. Don’t speak to me about how she’s family. You barely know her. And she is your High Queen. Treat her as such.”
Etta’s stance falters, but she recovers quickly. She turns away from him without another word and looks at me, but her eyes have softened.
Behind her, Asmo explains, “Elle and Marik were both running away from Cora. From what it looked like, he wasn’t forcing her to do anything she didn’t want to do.
I called for her and she reached for me, but Marik had already begun the funnel.
” He shakes his head—confusion or frustration, I can’t tell—and unfastens the hidden weapon holsters along his chest and thighs.
“I think Marik was trying to get her out. They disappeared from the ballroom, after…kissing.”
Etta’s eyebrows shoot up. “Kissing?”
“If I know my brother, it was a ruse. Everything he does is calculated. It looked like he led her from the ballroom to get her alone.”
Etta rubs her temples as she mulls over the news.
Asmo and I finish racking our weapons in silence, the weight of tonight hanging between us heavily.
Our first act as High King and Queen, a failure.
The training room door opens. The rest of the rescue team enters the room, the silence feeling like a tangible thing, the only sounds those of buckles and holsters being removed and weapons being racked.
Holly and Ivan won’t meet my gaze.
Escaping the witches was easier than I thought it would be, but we didn’t make it out entirely unscathed.
Several Lower House members were caught by bursts of dark magic, but they’ll recover.
We downed several witches, groups of hybrids and Fae working in tandem as units.
With Marik and Elle taking out the guards to the nearest exit point, we were able to get out quickly and funnel away.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than I expected.
We got lucky this time. They weren’t expecting us. They won’t make that mistake again.
“Take the wounded to the healers. Let’s debrief in the meeting room,” I call, then storm from the training room.
“Princess,” Asmo calls behind me. His hand wraps around my wrist and he whirls me to him.
Months ago, I might have pushed him away.
But now, I collapse against him with an exhaustion that feels like it penetrates my bones.
My soul. I’ve been so tired for so long.
I thought we’d have a win right now. I thought Elle would be back with us.
But now, we have no clue where she is and I’ve failed her and I’ve failed my kingdom again and I’m just so, so tired.
Asmo’s arms are anchors that keep me from drifting into my thoughts and drowning. They hold me steady against the riptide of emotions that threaten to pull me under. Even now, the waves rise and threaten to spill in salty tears.
“We’ll get her. I promise,” he mumbles against my forehead.
I allow myself exactly three more deep breaths, then pull myself away, instantly missing the warmth and strength of him. He reaches for me again, intertwining his fingers with mine. He doesn’t let go.
We’re the first ones to arrive to the meeting room, but the others join within moments.
Holly, Ivan, and Basil lean against the wall in silence while Amaris paces in front of them.
Houses Canis and Ursidae sit in respective groups in quiet discussion.
Etta sits by herself, spine straight, hands clasped on the table.
Asmo is the first to speak. His voice comes out calm, but firm. “This is war,” he says, “Let us not forget that. There will be wins and losses. While we did not complete the objective—”
“We didn’t rescue Elle,” Etta interrupts.
Asmo continues like she never spoke. “We still got valuable information. We all made it out alive. Nobody was injured. We helped facilitate Elle’s escape.”
Amaris’s voice is low as she says, “Please explain how you’ve managed to spin this into helping her when you just allowed Marik to escape with her?” Her tattoos begin to swirl, white lines and circles moving like a lazy hurricane. She glances down at them with a frown.
Holly clears her throat. “Marik and Elle were running, then they ran right into Cora and the witches. We were able to fight them and hold them off to allow Elle and Marik time to escape.” She takes a deep breath and continues.
“King Asmo is right—Nobody was gravely injured, and that is a huge success.”
Ivan nods beside her, but the movement is stiff. “We were expecting casualties. Our careful planning helped keep everyone safe. That is a win.”
“And Elle is out of Cora’s hands,” August adds.
Amaris’s gaze turns as sharp as one of the many daggers still on her person. “I agree with Princess Etta. She may be away from Cora, but she’s now with Cora’s lover. Let us not forget she’s still in enemy hands and worse yet, we now have no way of knowing where she is.”
I wish I could sink into the floor and disappear at the reminder. I dig my nails into my palm, hating that I feel the need for pain right now to distract myself and hold it together.
Asmo’s foot twitches against mine. “She is with her mate. I understand my brother is…dishonorable, but her mate is the safest place for her right now. There is no earthly way he would hurt her. His only instinct is to protect her.”
“Maybe physically, but who’s to say he can’t hurt her emotionally?” Holly whispers. “From the scout’s reports, she was barely hanging on. What will he do to her when they’re alone?”
I don’t let the question take hold. “Is there anything we can do to find where she is?” I ask the group.
“I’ll increase the number of scouts we have on patrol, but I’m not sure how helpful that will be,” Etta says. “There’s a lot of land to cover and only so much time. They could be anywhere.”
I turn to Asmo. “Where do you think he’d go?”
He rubs the back of his neck with a frown. “He would want to take her somewhere safe. There’s one place I can think of, but it’s in our court, so I don’t think he would go there. Not with her, at least.”
“It’s worth a shot,” I say.
He nods his head silently, slowly, then stands. “Let’s go.” He offers me his hand, and we leave the too-quiet room behind.
Outside, stars freckle the night sky, white and bright. “Where are we going?” I ask Asmo.
He tears his gaze from the sky above and looks at me, his eyes softening as he does, as if looking upon me is even greater than looking at the stars. “I’m taking you to the place I used to call home.”
The entrance to Squall’s End fades away. The sky grows darker, but the air grows drier, warmer. The wind dies, and Asmo turns me in his arms.
“Welcome to the City of Sand.”
We stand on a cliff overlooking a small city, buildings hewn from clay and stone scattered throughout the small metropolis. The smell of sand and dirt is a far cry from the scent of pine that permeates the High Court.
In the distance, an angry ocean beats against the outcropping of tan rock. Asmo points to a building that spans the cliffside.
“The Vasuki manor.”
Walls of glass overlook the vast expanse of the Sitani Sea. The manor looks intimidating, and my stomach clenches. “Do you think it’s a good idea to visit right now?” I manage to ask.
He squeezes me tightly. “We’re not going there. Not right now. Come on.” He motions me away from the edge of the cliff. Behind us, an entrance to a cave looms, dark and ominous.
Asmo stands at the entrance, one ear tilted toward the interior.
No sound comes from the cave. Just darkness that threatens to swallow us whole.
He waves his hand, and tiny, controlled balls of flames vanish inside, settling along the walls and lighting the path forward.
The air inside is stale, as if nobody has set foot inside for years.
After several minutes of walking, the cave comes to a dead end.
Asmo’s shoulders drop. He turns to me with a somber expression.
“They’re not here,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair.
The cave is mostly empty, save for a couple of dusty blankets and a wooden box. “What is this place?”
His smile is sad. “This used to be our hiding spot as kids. We always came here to escape Mother and Father. They have no clue it exists, so I thought maybe it would be his safe space to take Elle.”
Well, now I feel like a piece of shit thinking about the privileged Serpent twins in their glass house on the sea, who had to come to this empty, desolate cave to escape their parents. Although Willa—Cora—betrayed me, at least I had a safe home.
“It’s…”
Asmo snorts. “Yeah, it’s bare.”
“Did you used to bring girls back here?” I ask, eyeing the dusty blankets.
“Is that what you’re thinking about, princess? Me with other females?” He raises an eyebrow suggestively. “Because I’d love to tell you all the ways I’ve pictured you with other males. But, another time.”
My cheeks flame. He grabs my hand with a chuckle and leads me from the cave, summoning wind to douse each lantern that flickers with his black flames.
His suggestive comment replays in my head, but I don’t bring it back up.
It’s absolutely not the time to think about me, him, and certain other High Princes.
In bed. I make a mental note to bring this up later, maybe when I’m back on the throne. If I ever make it there.
“Az?” I whisper.
He squeezes my hand. “Hm?”
“What do we do if we can’t find them?”
We walk in silence for several steps. “We will, princess. I promise you.” Truth in every word.
“But how do you know?” I ask as we step out of the cave and back to the cliffside.
He chews his lip as he surveys the city that sprawls beneath us. “I have a trick up my sleeve…” I quirk an eyebrow. “But we’ll need to go into the manor.”
My stomach quivers. The manor feels intimidating. “Wh—Do you think that’s safe?”
He nods. “Yes. Mother and Father will still be at the ball. I can funnel us in and out.”
“What if someone sees us?”
“There are hidden passageways that we can take.” He turns me toward the manor. “Look, the only lights that are on right now are the outside lanterns, and there are four guards stationed by the entrance, which means nobody’s home.”
I bite my cheek as I survey the Serpent manor. But he’s right. The rest of the building is dark, but it won’t be for long. Word will have gotten out about the ball, and this could be our only chance.
“Fine,” I say.
He turns me to face him. “Are you sure? We can funnel back to Squall’s End now, and I can return without you.”
“No, I’m not sure. But where you go, I go.”
His hand is warm against my arm as he pulls me to him. The warm air stirs around us, the cityscape below vanishing. Darkness surrounds us as Asmo funnels us into the den of vipers.