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My father gives me a side-eyed glance, clearly unimpressed with my quick actions.
“You didn’t answer my question, Captain,” the king barks at me and stops pacing.
What am I supposed to say?Yes,this happened under my watch,but we have turned up nothing in our search so far?
My father responds before I can come up with a worthy answer.
“There was no stopping this, my king. We both know who stole from you,” he declares.
Their eyes lock and understanding shows on the king’s face. Neither of them says a word.
“Who? Who would be so audacious to steal from here? What did they want so bad and why?” I ask as they both eye me, but neither answer right away.
After a moment, the king lets out an exaggerated sigh, and I see his shoulders fall slightly. He paces the dais again, but at a more leisurely pace this time.
“They stole an amulet from my personal collection,” he finally answers.
I narrow my eyes in confusion. The king’s rare-trove safe only opens for him and holds his most valuable possessions.
I start, “That isn’t possible. How—”
My father cuts me off, “Umbra, that’s how. Those damn thieves opened a portal into the safe and took the amulet. The only person capable of entering and exiting without being seen is King Asher with his adveho ring.”
Hatred fills my veins at the mention of the dreadful King Asher of Umbra. Better known as the Umbra Brutus, he’s a monster forged in darkness and released upon this realm to destroy it. If he is indeed behind this, we are all doomed. He’s a hooded figure with coiling pitch-black shadows, a voice of nightmares, and a grip as cold as death. His ruthlessness knows no bounds.
“What would he want with an amulet? What’s so special about it?” I ask.
There must be great significance to this item. A simple amulet would hold no value. Unless King Asher took it to prove a point and is gearing up for something bigger. He gets off on messing with people’s heads. This could have been an intimidation tactic to show us that there is no place beyond his reach.
“It was a family heirloom, and it means a lot to our king. King Asher was probably made aware of this and took it. I’m sure his goons will be by within the week with his ransom demands for its return,” my father answers while scratching his palm.
Why is he lying about this? A new pit opens in my stomach. My father is up to his schemes again. This can’t be good.
“What is your order, my king?” I ask, wanting to hurry this conversation along so I can get back to duty.
I need to figure out what Asher wants with the amulet and what my father is hiding.
“We wait for now and see what Asher has to say for himself. I’ll have a message sent to him at first light. We’ll reassess in a few days,” King Leopold replies, and I nod in agreement.
“We’ll report back any findings we come across. Thank you for your time, my king,” I say with a bow and leave the throne room.
My whole body is tense and in knots. Rubbing my shoulders, I try to release some of the tension as I walk back to find Nathaniel, but it does nothing.
I should return to the apothecary and see if the healer has anything that could help me relax. While I’m there, I can see if she’s made any progress on finding a new potion that will clear the mind haze that has persisted in the month since my night with the barmaid. I have gone back to see the healer twice since my first visit after that night. Each time hoping a different elixir will clear the fog, but none have restored my memories. The haze veiling them has only lifted enough for me to see silhouettes with no discernible features.
Stepping through the front doors of Brightwick, I find Nathaniel in the courtyard scanning the grounds. He watches the guards scour the village below, looking for any evidence of a thief.
I stop beside my lieutenant and friend.
“They find anything?” I ask, even though I’m certain they haven’t.
If it was King Asher who stole the amulet, we won’t find any evidence. The king of Umbra and his mercenaries are known for their sneakiness. They could be beside you, and you’d never know. Just a perk of being in the favor of a shadow god.
“Nothing yet. What did the king and general say?” he asks, not taking his eyes off the guards.
“They think it’s King Asher,” I reply, and he cocks his head toward me with raised eyebrows.
“They are the only ones who could get in and out undetected. But what’s the catch?” he asks, and I try to keep my face as neutral as possible.
