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Shelby hissed somewhere behind her before he too was moving. Rehan’s light never wavered. Rehan didn’t hesitate or hope that Ace would have some control of her impulse. He followed.
Rounding the corner, boots sliding as she skidded on the polished floor, Ace lost her breath as a body collided into her. Her momentum was thrown backwards, her body toppling into Rehan’s waiting arms. His sword was gone, collapsed back into himself, and his hands held her up. He’d saved her from a bruised bottom, that much was certain.
Not the same could be said for who she ran into.
“Ah, fuck.” A man growled from his fallen position on the floor. He rubbed at his back as he tried to stand, his legs immediately spreading into a defensive position. He held his hands at his side instead of fisted in front of him.
Warlock then.
“What are you doing here?” Shelby asked.
Magic sensed magic. Like always called to like. Shelby and the other warlock locked gazes, sensing the similarities between one another.
The warlock did not relax. Instead, the intensity of his bright blue eyes, made brighter in contrast to his golden skin, flicked from person to person. Whatever he saw made him choose his words very carefully. “I am preparing to leave. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.” He stepped forward, heading for the exit long behind them.
With one large step, Shelby stepped into his path, hands relaxed at his sides, head tilted with curiosity. Shelby raised his hands in surrender, clearing his throat roughly. “We mean you no harm. I only have perhaps a question or two.”
I have about a million questions,Ace thought to herself.
Best if you keep those to yourself now, deary.Tamar laughed. The goddess of beauty’s response and nearness made Ace question why she was present at a time like this. Ace looked at the warlock more closely. Black hair was trimmed closely to his scalp except at the top of his head where the hair was long pushed messily away from his face. He had thick dark brows over those sunny day eyes, a sharp nose, a square jaw sprinkled with the shadow of a beard, and he was muscular while still remaining lean. She supposed the warlock was quite beautiful which could explain why Tamar was so readily available.
The warlock’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. He did not respond. Shelby took his silence as willingness.
“Can you tell me why the castle is empty? Where has the queen gone?”
The warlock let out a shallow breath. He shuffled and slouched, fingers fiddling within the edges of his pockets. Rehan stepped to Shelby’s side. The brief movement caught the warlock’s attention, making him snap his head back up, his hands opening once more. Ace watched for the threat of magic to dance along his fingertips. She held her breath silently pleading with him not to fight. She didn’t come here to take innocent lives and she’d rather avoid killing this man if she could.
“Please do not be afraid. I swear it, we truly only seek answers. It is not your life we wish to claim.”
The warlock narrowed his gaze. “Are you hunting the queens?” he dared to ask.
Hunting. That was such a dangerous word. Hunting—implied this was some sort of game. A cat and mouse chase.
How were they even supposed to answer that question? Luckily, Rehan answered for her.
“We are merely looking for an audience.”
Half truths, half lies. The three of them were building their future on the shoddy foundation of falsehoods.
“You’ll find no one here. Queen Ambrose fled yesterday morning; took off on a horse into the woods. She warned the castle staff of an impending war and most have taken their families into hiding, buying out several of the small markets leaving little left for the poor. This is an empty castle.”
“Yes, we can see that.” Ace let out a laugh at his obvious statement.
Her snide remark earned her a dirty look from the warlock. She pushed through the questions of her own anyways. “Why are you here? What happened to the rest of the warlocks?”
“Many of them were taken with the families who left. The rest of us took the opportunity to fight back and several escaped.”
“Including yourself?” Shelby asked.
“Including myself. I’ve only returned to scavenge and look for any signs that perhaps my brother has also escaped.”
Shelby extended his hand. The man placed his palm in Shelby’s and returned the handshake. A rare half smile brightened Shelby’s face. “I hope you find him. And we’re grateful for the information. Please be on your way.”
With another long stride, Shelby left a path open for the warlock to get through. He wasted no time giving only the smallest nod to the trio before hurrying forward with several backward glances. He did not trust them that much was clear.
Ace looked to Rehan. “Is he telling the truth?”
Rehan nodded. “He was more fearful that he would be taken as a slave again. He told the truth.”
