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Yasmin laughed. “Why ever would it be your fault, child? Did you kill her?”
“I might as well have,” Nicolette choked out. “I’m the one who announced there was evil in the castle and that the priestess could detect it. It only goes to show that whoever possesses the dark magic heard about her and killed her before she could discover who he was.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” I told her. “No one forced the murderer to take her life but he himself. None of this is on you.”
“What will High Cliff’s repercussions be on this?” Soren asked, glancing between Caulder and Allera. “She was one of their holy priestesses, was she not?”
Allera seemed too shaken to answer. She merely shook her head repeatedly and hugged herself.
Brentley stepped close and wrapped his arm around her shoulders in support. “I’m sure either Urban or Allera could send a message to their father through pigeon,” he offered. “If they explained what happened, then there could be no misunderstanding or blame cast on Donnelly.”
“Yes. Yes, of course.” Allera nodded and wiped at her eyes. “I’ll send the message myself this afternoon. Father will understand. After all our troubles with dark magic from the Graykey clan in Lowden during that war, he’s well aware of the destruction that comes with such evil power.” She rested her cheek on Brentley’s shoulder. “That poor woman. And all she wanted to do was bless our union.”
“I know, my dear. I know.” Brentley kissed her hair and then smoothed it down her back.
I felt another ache of longing tear through me. It must be nice to have a spouse who held and supported you when you felt down. I glanced Soren’s way, but he only rolled his eyes and sighed over their affectionate display.
“I really don’t want to stay around the castle, now,” Allera announced. “Not while I know someone sadistic enough to kill a pure, innocent priestess is wandering about unchecked.”
“We’ll go, then,” Brentley assured her. “We’ll spend the entire day in Mandalay.”
“I’d rather you go too, my love,” Caulder murmured to Yasmin, touching her cheek. “I’ll even send the leader of my army along with you to keep you all safe.” When he sent a guard off to fetch Urban, Soren sighed.
“Well, if both my wife and the High Cliff bastard are going, then I should go too.”
“But who’ll be around to protect you?” Yasmin was busy asking Caulder.
He merely smiled and pressed his lips softly to hers. “I’ll keep a dozen guards around me at all times.”
“Two dozen,” she insisted.
He chuckled and kissed her again. “Two dozen, it is.”
And so we waited for Yasmin to change into a walking dress and for someone to find and retrieve Urban, who’d snuck off to watch the soldiers train as well as help instruct their progress, even though he’d been forbidden to lift a sword. When he finally strode up to meet us, something in my chest loosened, glad to see he was alive and okay with my own eyes.
After hearing about the slain priestess, I pretty much wanted everyone important to me within sight at all times.
His gaze sought mine, as if he were chec
king on my welfare for similar reasons, before he turned to everyone else, huffing out a sound of surprise when his sister plowed into him for a hug and momentarily knocked the wind from his lungs.
“Did you hear about the High Cliff priestess?”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I did.” His brows drew together in troubled concentration. “It was a bold move from the dark magic bearer. Up until this, he’d remained hidden and stayed under detection. But I think now that we know he’s here, he’ll be more prevalent and open, which means he’ll be much more dangerous, too.”
“How do we stop him?” Nicolette asked, shifting closer to me and taking my arm as she sought solace.
Urban sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I have some ideas on that, but first we actually have to find out who he is. Until then, anything out of the ordinary must be treated with great caution.”
I nodded, thinking that was good advice.
“So, what will you do once you find him?” Soren asked as we waited just inside the barbican for the queen to finally join us.
Urban shook his head, only saying, “I’d prefer not to say, just in case something gets out to the bearer of dark magic himself.”
Soren whirled to him in outrage. “Are you saying you don’t trust me?”
Urban sent him a quick, bitter smile. “Nothing personal.”
