“Royden?” I called over my shoulder.
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“How much do you know about the creatures that came for me last night?”
Ahead of me, Betsee squeaked, and a spike of worry pierced her aura. I fell more behind the lady’s attendant so as not to scare her further.
Walking beside the warrior, I asked in a quieter tone, “How many total were sent? Do you know?”
His brow furrowed. Unlike Kole, it was quickly becoming obvious that Royden didn’t hide his emotions. “I’m not sure I’m at liberty to say, Your Highness.”
“Says who?” I asked pleasantly and tacked on a smile for good measure.
His frown deepened, and he scratched his chin. “Actually, come to think of it, I suppose I wasn’t forbidden to discuss that particular detail with you.”
I beamed. “Wonderful. In that case, how many?”
“At final count, we burned twenty-eight last night.”
My jaw dropped. “Twenty-eight? That means that twenty-eight fae were turned into thosethings?”
He nodded. “Correct.”
“And does the Council know anything more? Who those fae were? Where they came from? How they became infected? Or what they’re hoping to accomplish by catching me?”
“Those are all very good questions.”
I strengthened my smile and said playfully, “And are they questions you’re about to answer?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up, but he shook his head.
I sighed but wasn’t willing to give up yet. “Are you forbidden from answering that? Or would you do me the honor of telling me what you know?”
“Unfortunately, regarding those details, yes, I am forbidden.”
My smile disappeared entirely. “May I ask on the order of who?”
He looked ahead, and while he didn’t say anything, his silent nod to our surroundings said it all.
“I see. So myparentsbelieve that I’m best left in the dark. They don’t want me to worry as the Imperial Council will undoubtedly figure it all out eventually.” I gave a helpless shrug. “Meanwhile, I’m to stay beside a warrior at all times and not to concern myself with such things while being locked behind palace walls.”
He winced but offered a reassuring smile. “Something like that, Your Highness.”
“Other than how many were in the maze last night, are you able to tell me anything else about what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, but no.”
We breezed around a turn, and a disturbance in the air fluttered my hair in his direction.
His chest rose in a breath, and for the briefest moment, his step faltered. He walked a bit closer to my side, then inhaled. A moment passed in which he studied me while our feet continued tapping along the wide hallway’s floor, then out of the blue, he asked, “Have you and Kole been getting along?”
I started at the abrupt change in topic. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I asked if you and Kole have been on friendly terms?” A slight edge filled his tone.
I side-eyed him just as Betsee guided me to a new hallway. The lady’s attendant had her four arms pinned to her sides, and she glided purposefully ahead of us. I was pretty sure she was humming as well, likely so she wouldn’t overhear any further frightening details.
“He’s been pleasant,” I replied hesitantly, but it wasn’t lost on me that Royden had just inhaled my scent and then asked about Kole. My mind flew to that and began to dissect it, but I told myself I was overreacting. Kole and I might have done intimate things that morning, but surely if Kole’s scent had been lingering on me, it would have fluttered away by now.
