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“Is this not a celebration?” I declared. “Where is the music? Where are the drinks? What kind of party is this?”
Instantly, the music began again, and couples began to filter back over the dance floor, but there was a heavier air over the festivities, and my mood had soured considerably.
“I have to check on Zephy,” I told Aradia, turning away. I had barely gotten out of the room when Jasper rushed toward me, his face pale and wild. I gawked at him. “Why aren’t you with the Queen?” I demanded furiously. “Get back to your post at once!”
“I came in search of you, Alpha! She—there’s…”
My gut flipped, and I pushed the guard out of the way, sprinting toward the main stairs, knocking down everyone in my way.
“Where is she?” I choked, barely looking back to ensure that Jasper had kept stride. “What happened?”
“Nothing, Alpha!” Jasper panted, keeping up with me. “I mean—she’s fine. Nothing happened.”
My feet barely slowed, but I finally looked at him, my eyes calling for an explanation, which Jasper sputtered out as we continued to run.
“There appeared to be—well, I can’t be certain—”
“Out with it, Jasper!” I snapped. “What happened?”
“There were gift baskets in front of your suite, and the Queen went to eat something inside one of them. Maywin stopped her before she could consume it, but it appeared to be poisoned with ebonleaf.”
I stopped dead in my tracks, my knees almost failing. “Ebonleaf?” I repeated. “That’s a warlock herb.”
He nodded in agreement.
“The basket has been removed and—”
“Who sent it?” I yelled, my cheeks so hot, I was certain they would explode. “Where did they come from?”
“No one knows, Alpha. Half the baskets are without names—”
“Someone tried to poison the Queen and my unborn child, but you don’t know who?” I spat. “What good are the guards if you can’t do your jobs?”
“Alpha…” Jasper whimpered, and Ryland caught up to us.
“You’ve heard,” he muttered. “The tarnished items are being examined, but there’s no way to trace the ebonleaf.”
“Who has access to ebonleaf? It has to have been Sandor! That’s what he was doing here!”
“We’re checking the security footage,” Ryland promised. “If he was up here, we’ll know, but it might be difficult to tell who left what basket with so many.”
“It was Sandor! Even if he wasn’t up here himself!”
“Keep your damn voice down!” Aradia whiplashed, materializing out of nowhere in front of me. “You’ve already found yourself on the bad side of him. Would you like to make matters worse if you’re wrong?”
“How could I possibly be wrong? He was here, uninvited, uttering veiled threats to us about nonpayment—”
“He said no such thing!” Aradia countered.
I brushed past her and rushed onward toward our suites, my entourage on my heels.
“Find him and bring him to me!”
“Be sensible!” Aradia cried. “He’s a warlock, not some servant who will merely leave with his tail between his legs if this proves to be a mistake on your part. Think of the consequences.”
Again, I whirled to confront her. “I’m not wrong! You heard them. It’s ebonleaf. He was here! How much more proof do you need?”
“He has no reason to harm Zephyrine or your heir, Cade!” the enchantress snapped. “Think about it before you do something that makes the situation even worse.”
