“The message is from one of the men you sent to watch the orphanage. Ethan showed up at Ever Haven this morning looking for his sister. When he learned she was gone, he became enraged. They tried to contain him, but he ran. Your men chased him as far as the forest, but then they lost his trail.”
I clenched the note in my hand, crinkling the paper. We both stood for a moment in silence, watching the threesome scour the sand for treasure left by the sea.
“What’s our next move, Bowen?”
“Tomorrow, we move our search to the woods.”
Chapter 19
Bowen
“So, to recap, we got nowhere today.” Gavin slumped into a chair and stretched, crossing his booted feet at the ankles.
Leaning heavily against my desk, I tried to rub away the headache pounding my temples. Earlier, we’d visited the orphanage to get an in-person account of what happened when Ethan appeared looking for his sister. But in the end, we learned nothing new. He was in the wind, either having gone back to the witch or maybe still on the hunt for Annie.
We spent the next hours searching the forest where my men had lost track of Ethan. A fresh layer of snow hampered our efforts, and when evening fell, we had to give up our search.
“Maybe we should send the girl away until this blows over. It’ll give us more time to keep searching,” Gavin said, bringing up the topic we’d been hedging around since yesterday.
I hated the idea even if it made sense. I’d like to think Annie was safest with us watching over her. But maybe she wasn’t. Maybe removing her from the kingdom was the best option.
I sighed. “I’ll think about it. If it becomes necessary, I’ll make arrangements.”
“I’d hate to see the little scamp go, but at least I’d be able to catch up on my sleep.” His grin seemed forced. Gavin wouldn’t outright admit it, but he’d been instantly charmed by Annie. We all had, and we’d do whatever it took to keep her out of harm’s way. Groaning, he pushed to his feet. “Speaking of sleep, it’s late. I’m calling it. We can search again tomorrow if you want. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Silence settled in as Gavin left the room. I dropped into the chair he’d vacated and let my eyes drift closed. It was late, and I should turn in too, but I was restless. So much seemed out of my control, and I’d spent the past few years doing everything I could to maintain control. To keep from falling deeper into that black abyss. Now, all the old wounds were open, and they were healing, but it was painful and terrifying.
In an impossible turn of events, Gavin had become the fountain of wisdom, and guilt ate at me for not telling Liana the truth about her father. It all felt a little too precarious. One misstep, and the building blocks would fall. What if she took Annie and left? Without the two of them, where would that leave me? It was selfish as hell, but I never claimed to be a saint. I just kept thinking if everything worked out, if we found her brother, kept Annie safe, and stopped the witch, my deception would seem tiny in comparison. She might laugh it off as one of my roughish misdeeds.
It was pure insanity, and I knew it.
A muffled sound near the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes.
“Um…excuse me.” Annie stood in the doorway, a threadbare blanket clutched between her fingers. The ends trailed along the floor as she took a cautious step into the room.
“Annie, what are you doing awake? You shouldn’t be wandering around on your own.”
“I had a bad dream.” She sniffled, and I realized she’d been crying. I wasn’t sure what to do. The little girl looked so sad. I opened my mouth to respond but hesitated, feeling wholly out of my element.
“I’ll go wake Liana.”
Annie shook her head, brown pigtails swinging around her cheeks. She walked farther into the room, still dragging the blanket behind her.
It was an odd sort of thing, watching an innocent child cross the threshold to my office. Curiosity and trust were evident in her exploration, and my first thought was thankfully she wasn’t tall enough to reach anything hanging on the walls. The scene seemed to unfold as if I were watching it from above. During my treasure hunting days, having a family was a far-off event that would only hinder my fearless lifestyle. After my last expedition, the idea died altogether. Who could have imagined I’d have one temporarily bestowed upon me?
She stopped in front of me and dug her toes into the floor, looking timid. “Can you tell me a story?”
“A story?” I swallowed against the panic creeping up my throat. Did I even know any stories appropriate for children? “Um, sure.”
Annie beamed and swiped at the lingering tears under her eyes. I gestured to the chair next to mine, but instead, she shot forward and climbed into my lap. I froze as she situated herself into a comfortable position and tucked the blanket between her head and my chest like a pillow.
Almost a full minute of silence passed before she cleared her throat. “Go ahead. I’m ready.”
“Right, of course.” I stumbled over the words, racking my brain for a suitable story that didn’t end in a prison riot or stranding your competition on a desert island. If Liana were here, she’d know what to say. She probably had a million age-appropriate stories full of wonder that would entertain a child. Besides my dubious adventures, what did I have except for detailed instructions on the uses of battle axes throughout history?
I guessed I’d have to make things up as I went.
“Well…” I cleared the hoarseness from my throat.
