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“I wouldn’t hold your breath,” Seraphina muttered, but she still rested her head against my shoulder for just a moment. It was going to take work, but if my sister were going to be stuck in the capital, I’d make it a little less awful for her to live in.
Chapter 3
Kai
After our meal, I ended up escorting Seraphina back to her wing, where she wanted to make sure all the last-minute touches were added to her, Darla, Ayla, and Halle’s gowns. I was quite surprised my sister’s servant wasn’t beside her, as sometimes Halle seemed more shadow than actual physical being, but my sister had her off running errands.
I was proud of Seraphina for being brave and doing something so social without her shifter-shaped security blanket, but I knew better than to say it out loud. I didn’t want to make her self-conscious.
Once I dropped her off, I headed back to my wing. I wanted to go into Ayla’s rooms and check in on her, but I found myself delayed by more tasks and questions, enough so that by the time I made it back to my wing, servants were going about their midday cleaning, watering plants, and delivering lunch fare. It boggled my mind that it’d taken so long for me to do something as simple as eat with my sister, walk her to her rooms, then return to my own quarters, but such was palace life.
I was not going to miss that whenever I got back to Canid. Life at the fort could be hectic, draining, and even soul crushing at times, but it felt so much more honest and productive. More meaningful.
Withholding a sigh, I went to my quarters, determined to finish going through the reports. I didn’t feel like I was any closer to figuring out what was going on with the erroneous bits of data I was spotting, but I was like a dog with a bone.
The hours began to drift away as I settled in, and although my thoughts returned to Ayla repeatedly, I figured it was best to let her rest. Hopefully, once the sun had sunk into the sky, and the palace was quiet, I’d be able to slip away into her quarters and spend some quality time with her.
Granted, thinking about what we’d do then certainly made it hard to concentrate on errant requisition reports, but just when I was going to peek in on my mate, a knock sounded at my door.
It was a particular knock—one I knew as well as my own name. Crossing to the door, I opened it to reveal Darla and Oren looking a little worn but otherwise pleased. That was a good sign.
“May we come in, sir?”
“Of course,” I said, more than excited as I stepped aside to let them in. “Maybe I’m being presumptuous, but it seems like you’ve found something.”
I always hoped they’d find success, yet I hadn’t particularly expected it, and not on their first jaunt out. If information about the Shriek was so easy to find, he wouldn’t be such an enigma.
“I found something, sir. It’s safe to say I definitely won this round.”
“It’s not a competition,” Oren shot right back. To anyone else, it sounded like a terse exchange, but I was sure I was hearing him flirt with the psychic right in front of me.
“Oh, please. Everything is a competition, and if you don’t believe that, you’re a misled fool. A sexy misled one, but a fool nonetheless.”
I cleared my throat, however, not willing to waste another second. “As much as I hate to interrupt this truly engaging repartee, if you’ve found something, I’d like to hear it.”
“Right. Sorry. So, I was mind hopping across the eastern noble’s quarters when I found a thread. You would not believe how many people walk around here with their thoughts just out for the taking. I would put money on only a tenth of the population owning inhibitor bracelet or mental protection.”
Psychics weren’t exactly common, and even fewer could just page through thoughts like Darla.
“So, I managed to find a name, with a little more sleuthing and hard work. There’s this shady old vampire named Tomas living just outside of the capital.”
“Tomas?” I echoed. “Only Tomas?”
“Hey, I’m a prolific psychic, not a miracle worker.” She paused. “Granted, I’m a little bit of a miracle worker because we managed to track him down. He wasn’t the most forthcoming, but when I casually mentioned the Shrouded Shriek, I was able to pick up a whole lot.”
“You could read his thoughts?” I’d been told undead immortals could be difficult to read.
“Not quite, but I could tell he knew more than he was saying. and something must have tipped him off, because after that, his mind slammed shut around me like a bear trap. Couldn’t get anything out then.”
“Hmm, and did he kick you out?”
“No. He asked what we wanted, and so I told him. Figured there’s no point in lying to someone who can hear your blood pumping through your veins. He said he was willing to tell us everything he knew.”
“For a price,” Oren added. “A rather steep price, if Darla is correct on the desire she read from him.”
Of course, it couldn’t be that simple, but I was so emboldened that I didn’t care what he asked for. As long as it wouldn’t endanger anyone, I would make it happen. It was worth it to break Ayla’s curse.
“What was it?”
