“Why weren’t the guards in the ballroom drugged?” I asked.
“They weren’t allowed to eat until after the dance was over. That was the earl’s orders. He didn’t want them to be distracted from protecting his guests. I’m sure some of them stole food from the party, but that food wasn’t drugged.
“Not everyone was going to eat at the same time, and we knew that there was a chance only a few guests would wait to eat. That’s how it usually works at these events. That’s also why the hors d’oeuvres weren’t drugged; not everyone would eat them, and it would be at all different times. If a handful of guestssuddenly passed out after eating, we risked giving our plan away. We believed if we took out at least some of the guards, we could beat them, but it didn’t matter.”
“No, it didn’t.”
The room fell silent; Ellery’s fingers dug into my chest before she released me and sat up. When her eyes met mine, she didn’t have to say it. I knew it was time for me to go, but I didn’t want to leave her.
“I’ll be safe here,” she said, “but you have to go.”
I rested my palm tenderly against the bruised side of her face she wasn’t holding ice to. “What about him?”
“What about me?” Callan asked.
“They could be hunting you right now, and your presence here puts her at risk.”
“I don’t want that. I’ll leave. I have to meet my sister anyway.”
“I won’t have you walking freely around Tempest. You know too much aboutus.”
His forehead furrowed as he stared at us. “Why would I tell anyone about this? You got us out of there.”
“I’ve seen a lot of immortals tortured over the years; you’d be amazed what they’d reveal to make it stop. The smallest, most inane details, that couldneversave them, would tumble from their mouths. Whywouldn’tyou tell them about us?”
“I’ve been friends with Ellery since we were kids. I would never do anything to hurt her. Can I say the same about you?”
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Ryker
“What thefuckdoes that mean?”I snarled.
Callan’s eyes widened, but determination shimmered in them as they held mine. “It doesn’t seem like you have her best interests in mind by keeping her your dirty little secret. I’m guessing your father wouldn’t approve?”
I had to admit that, for a musician, the man had giant balls. It was too bad I was about to rip them off.
When I growled and started to rise, Ellery placed her hand over my heart to stop me.
“Ryker, don’t,” she whispered. “We’re not fighting here andnotnow. Please.”
The please did me in, but I didn’t relax into the sofa again as I glowered at the lute player until he lowered his eyes.
“It’s not like that, Callan,” Ellery said. “You don’t know all the details, but I promise you, it’s not like that.”
“You don’t have to promise him anything,” I growled.
“Ryker,” Ellery breathed.
I finally tore my attention away from the musician to her. “It’s unsafe for him to stay here.”
“But this is where he’s going to stay,” she stated. “I don’t think anyone will come. I was one of the guests, and my mother was killed, so why would they come here?”
“Someone else might have seen him pulling you off that floor. They might think you were together.”
“If they did see us and ask me about it, then I’ll tell them I escaped him, as many others did. If someone comes here, I’ll open a portal into the Revenant Woods for him before I open the door. We’ll have plenty of time for that, and once he’s free of here, he’ll stay where I lead him to.”
She looked pointedly at Callan, who said, “I’m certainly not wandering around the woods on my own.”
