I can hear his low conversation with one of the guards outside—clipped, urgent commands that make my stomach twist with anxiety. When he returns, his expression is carefully controlled, but I can feel his fury radiating through our bond.
“They’re checking now,” he says, his hand finding the small of my back. The touch is possessive, protective. “Don’t worry.”
But I am worried. What if I imagined the whole thing? What if I’m losing my mind?
“What’s going on?” Lucian’s voice cuts through my thoughts. He’s watching us with sharp eyes, his arm still wrapped protectively around Astra as he kneels by her chair.
I take a breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Your Majesty, I think I saw Zane in the rose garden when Astra and I were on our way here.” The words come out less steadily than I want. “He was watching me through the window. But I’m not certain if it was real.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re sure or not,” Lucian says immediately, his voice taking on the commanding edge of a king. “We’ll verify either way.”
“I’ve already sent guards to investigate,” Seth adds, his hand moving in soothing circles on my lower back. “We’ll know soon enough if he was there.”
Astra’s face goes pale. Her hand instinctively moves to her stomach, protective of the life she just learned about mere minutes ago.
“There’s something else,” I say quickly, needing to get it all out before I lose my nerve. “Something you all should know about my meeting with him yesterday.”
Lucian’s eyes sharpen. “What happened?”
I tell them about Zane’s request—how he asked about my lunches with Astra, how he suggested meeting closer to where she’d be. “He was very interested in my schedule with the Queen.When we meet, how often, where.” My hands twist together. “He wants access to Astra. I’m certain of it.”
“That bastard.” As the words slip from Astra’s lips, Lucian’s expression darkens dangerously.
“I’m banning him from the palace,” he says, his tone flat and final. “Effective immediately.”
“You can’t.” Seth’s reply is calm but firm. “Not without evidence. Not without causing major problems with the Council.”
“I don’t care about the Council—”
“Lucian.” Astra’s hand on his arm stops him mid-rant, though her own fear is visible in her trembling fingers. “Seth is right. We need to be smart about this.” She takes a breath, some of her color returning as she sits up straighter. “Besides, even if Zane does get too close to me, I can stop him. You know I can.”
The three of us all nod at the reminder of her unique power, which she discovered only about seven months ago: the ability to control a shifter’s wolf. It’s how she saved herself back then, how she proved she wasn’t helpless.
But Lucian’s expression doesn’t soften. If anything, it grows more tense.
“No.” His decision is absolute. “There’s still so much about your ability we don’t know, Astra. We don’t know its limits, we don’t know if it works on everyone, and we certainly don’t know if it will work while you’re pregnant.” His hand moves to cover hers on her stomach. “I won’t take that chance. Not with you. Not with our child.”
Astra opens her mouth to argue, but Lucian continues, his voice quieter but no less fierce. “Please. Let me protect you. Let me keep you both safe.”
The plea in his voice stops whatever protest she was about to make. She nods slowly, her eyes softening.
A knock at the door interrupts the tender moment between them. A guard steps in, his expression troubled. “Commander, we searched the gardens thoroughly. We found no sign of Lord Radrick.”
My heart sinks. So, I did imagine it. The shame burns hot in my chest.
But the guard continues. “However, we did find traces of red powder in several spots near the rose bushes where Healer Selene reported seeing him.”
Seth inhales deeply beside me. “Red powder?”
“Yes, sir. We collected samples.” The guard holds up a small vial filled with crimson dust that sparkles in the light. “It matches the substance we found at the site where Lord Radrick was attacked.”
The room falls into a tense silence.
“That doesn’t mean he was actually there,” Lucian says slowly as he stands, his analytical mind working through the implications. “The powder could have been placed earlier. Or it could indicate something else entirely.”
“But it’s the same substance,” Seth argues, his grip on my back tightening. “That’s not a coincidence.”
“No, it’s not.” Lucian’s expression is grim. “Which means, whatever Zane’s plan is, he’s using that powder as part of it.” He turns to the guard. “Bring the samples to the warlocks,” he commands. “They’re already investigating the substance. This will give them more to work with.”
