I narrowed my eyes at him.We’ll see about that.Surely if Rick brought the handcuffs with him, he meant to use themhimself, not for his son toabscond with them. Though I’d have to find some way to speak to him without Trey interrupting again.
Packing while handcuffed to another person was as difficult as I’d anticipated. Eventually, I stopped trying to help Trey and simply sat on the bed and allowed him to treat my arm like a heavy accessory.
Occasionally, he shot my limp hand a guilty look, but he still didn’t unlock me.
Once everything was packed and ready to go, we returned to the sitting room, where Rick had joined his husband. His dark eyes sparkled with amusement as he spotted the cuffs, diminishing my hopes of finding an ally in him.
They casually chatted with their son as we walked out to the courtyard to meet the others. Asking about the quest, double-checking that he’d packed everything he needed, and assuring him things would be fine at home.
When we reached the waiting carriage, Brendon pulled his son into a hug. Attached as I was, I couldn’t give them any privacy, so I heard every word of Brendon’s goodbye. “No matter what happens, remember that your dad and I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Trey murmured.
Rick stood a short distance away, waiting for his turn to say goodbye. While Trey was distracted, I waved him over. This was my last chance to ask him for help.
He sauntered over to me, an innocent look on his face. “Would you like a hug too, Wilde?”
I stared at him, bewildered. “No. I just need the command word.”
His eyes dropped the cuffs, and his lips quirked. “You’ll figure it out eventually.”
‘Eventually’wasn’t very helpful. “Don’t you want them back?”
“You can bring them back when you bring my son back in one piece.” A dangerous edge sharpened his smile.
A shiver went down my spine at the brief hint of darkness in the affable prince’s face. My former master had never quite mastered the art of a threatening smile. The best he could manage was a sneer.
The threat disappeared as quickly as it came, transforming into a more genuine smile as he pulled Trey into a hug and they exchanged their goodbyes.
Brendon caught my attention and offered his hand. I hesitated before shaking it, expecting another subtle threat. But while his grip was firm, it wasn’t bruising. “Be careful out there.”
Brendon and Rick’s love for Treasure radiated as bright as the sun, and as ready to burn anything that threatened him. Excising Brutus Arnulf from this dimension had been the right decision. Trey deserved to be loved without the complications of someone else’s plotting.
“I’ll keep him safe,” I promised.
Brendon stared at me thoughtfully for a moment before saying, “Thank you, but keep yourself safe too, alright?”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just nodded once.
After everyone finished their goodbyes, we climbed into the carriage. Since I hadn’t gotten the command word from Rick, Trey and I sat on the same bench again, with Delilah squeezed in next to us.
And our quest officially began.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Trey
That Evening
An Inn Along the Road to the Grimnight Forest
Eating Dinner
“What. Are.Those?” Angelica demanded, thoroughly scandalized.
“My ears!” Delilah exclaimed, playing with the furry triangles poking out of her frizzy hair. “And my tail!” She turned around to show off the long, fluffy mass, slapping it across Angelica’s face.
Angelica sputtered and pushed the tail away, glaring at Delilah over the fur. “You’re getting cat hair in our food!”
Delilah hissed, exposing her new fangs. But she sat down and stopped waving her fur everywhere. “I lost my original collar during … a fight,” she stumbled over the explanation. “So my Uncle Rick made me a new one!”
