It seemed as though I had the morning to myself, so I embraced the lack of a bodyguard and made my way to the castle.
It felt strange to have no one walking with me as I strolled the corridors of the dormitories and down the winding set of stairs. Sebastian would be pissed if he knew I was escorting myself to the castle without a guard. The thought made me chuckle.
Sawyer and I never further discussed what he let slip about Sebastian, which was for the best. I’d been trying not to think about it, not wanting to get my hopes up. If my calculations were correct, Sebastian should be arriving back to Caelestis tonight. I was optimistic that I’d hear from him when he returned, but didn't get my hopes up over that, either.
A gust of frosted air smacked me in the face when I stepped outside. I shivered fiercely, frost crunching under my feet as I crossed the lawn. There was no denying that winter was among us.
I hiked through the barriers of icy air that left my cheeks raw by the time I reached the kitchen. The drastic change in temperature caused my skin to sting, so I grabbed a cup of tea and settled on a warm breakfast pastry, then secured myself an empty table that just happened to be near the secret soldiers' housing entrance.
“What are you doing here?”
I looked up from my breakfast to see Sawyer standing over me, baffled.
“I could ask you the same thing,” I replied through my mouthful of food.
Sawyer sat himself across from me, one eyebrow raised. “What are you talking about?”
“I waited for you for over an hour. When you didn't show, I took advantage of it and came here to get breakfast.”
“Sebastian didn't show up?”
“He's back?” My heart calmed in knowing that he made it home safely.
Sawyer’s face transformed from confused to concerned. “Shit,” he muttered, setting his elbows on the table top. He rubbed his hands over his face and released a groan.
“What's wrong?”
Sawyer glanced around to make sure no one could hear us. “Sebastian doesn't always handle this stuff well.”
“What stuff?”
He leaned in closer and whispered, “Performing an execution.”
I almost spit my food out. “What?” I said much louder than I intended.
Sawyer shushed me. “Quiet, Willawood, you're drawing attention to us.”
Peering eyes surrounded us.Screw them.
“He told me he had tooverseethe execution, not that he would be the oneperformingit,” I whisper-yelled back.
Sawyer didn't say anything more. He just sat twiddling his thumbs.
“Well, do you care to elaborate a bit, Sawyer, or do you plan on leaving me hanging here?”
“It’s not my information to give.”
“I don’t give a shit. Spill it. Now,” I demanded.
He leaned back against his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “Seb’s father has been making him do this kind of thing ever since he was a kid.”
“What kind of thing?” I leaned across the table to make sure I was understanding him correctly. “Killing people?”
Sawyer nodded.
My hand found my mouth, blocking out my gasp.
“King Hawthorne forced his child to murder people?” I understood that killing was unfortunately one of the responsibilities that came with the title of being a soldier, but as a kid?
