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“I’m not insulted,” I promised her. “I’m very thankful for you, Shay. I don’t have any experience working in a hotel.”
I didn’t tell her that I had no experience working anywhere at all, but Shay didn’t appear bothered by my confession.
“That’s what Hanover is for,” she reassured me. “But be warned—he can be a bit of a prick. Actually, he’s a full-blown sadist, but…” She shrugged.
“I’ll be okay,” I told her firmly.
She stopped before a set of elevators and pushed the “up” button, and the door opened immediately. An awkward silence fell between us as the elevator rose.
“Do you want to do this?”
I glanced at her curiously. “Of course. Why are you asking that? Are you worried I can’t do this job?”
“I’m sure you can do anything you put your mind to, Liana.”
My eyes narrowed. “Then why are you asking me?”
She shrugged. “You seem cut out for better things.”
I balked. Did she know who I was?
“I’m not,” I muttered. “You don’t know me.”
I bowed my head and blinked, willing away the overwhelming sadness that threatened to break me as the elevator landed on the third floor. I worried about the gathering darkness around me and whether I would be able to control it in my current state of mind. My powers had never been tested with such distress before.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and reminded myself who I was.
I am Liana, a maid with no family. The sooner I accept that, the sooner this dark cloud will lift from my head. All I need is time. Time will take away this awful hurt inside me.
I couldn’t afford to threaten my wavering security here, at least not until I had some money to move on. For now, I was no one, and I would have to learn to be content with that.
Chapter3
Cade
For ten days, there had been no sign or word of Zephy from the guards, a fact that I found inconceivable.
“How?!” I raged, storming through the palace to howl at the Royal Guards. “You are the best in the kingdom, or you wouldn’t be employed here. How could she have escaped you with barely a head start?”
“She appears to have gone into hiding, Alpha,” Ryland explained, hanging his head in shame as his underlings nodded in agreement.
I didn’t accept the answer and slammed my fists against the desk in my office for effect. “Then you go into every household, every storefront, every motel, and find her!”
“They can’t do that, Cade,” Aradia countered. “You’re not a tyrant. This isn’t the dark ages.”
My head jerked up, and I glowered at the enchantress. “You’re acting as if you don’t want her found.”
“I want her found as much as you do,” she replied evenly, refusing to rise to my anger. “But you can’t simply run into private residences without cause. You’re not being rational right now.”
“Then knock on doors and ask for permission to enter on my behalf!” I barked back. “Those who are loyal to the kingdom will let you in.”
“Those who are loyal to the kingdom won’t be hiding Zephyrine,” Aradia commented dryly.
I hated her at that minute, but as usual, she was right. Wherever Zephy had ended up, she was not being hidden by those loyal to the throne. No one would risk offending me.
“Your locator spells aren’t working?”
“She has a blocker on,” Aradia explained.
