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“Come in here!” I ordered, ushering her inside before slamming the door in her wake, startling Jasper, who had accompanied her with Wylie at his side.
Both guards appeared rightfully terrified. I still wasn’t sure how I was going to handle them, but I was shaking.
Maywin winced at the sound of the door, jumping in her uniform. She looked as though she wished the stone floor would open up and swallow her entirely.
“You must know where she went!” I hissed, my nose inches from hers.
She recoiled, blinking. “Went?” the maid echoed. “W-what do you mean?”
The surprise on her face was too genuine for her to be acting, but I couldn’t believe that Zephy would simply leave her only real friend behind.
But then again, I couldn’t believe she would leave me, either.
The reality struck me like a punch, and the wind knocked out of me. I slumped onto the bed as Maywin rushed toward me, concern alighting her face.
“Alpha, are you all right?” she mewled, her eyes as wide as plates. “Should I call for…?”
She glanced helplessly at Aradia, who shrugged. “He’s devastated, dearie,” she offered with her usual lack of tact. “Are you sure you don’t know where she went? It’s odd that she’d leave you here, isn’t it?”
Maywin was translucent now, her knees buckling.
“L-leave me here?” she gasped.
“Yes, Maywin. Miss Zephyrine apparently climbed out of a window and snuck off like a thief in the night,” Aradia sighed. “Do you have any idea where she may have gone?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Maywin whimpered. “She only said she wanted to lie down, that the excitement of the day was too much, that she needed some minutes to herself…” She paused. “If I thought she was going somewhere… I would have… I never…” More blood drained out of Maywin’s face until I could see the veins in her forehead.
I thought she might faint on the floor in front of me. That was all I needed.
“Get out!” I rasped, realizing that every word Maywin spoke was the truth. Zephy had not even told her maid, her only real friend in Ironhelm. She had been so desperate to leave, she had kept Maywin in the dark. She’d left us all behind.
“Alpha,” Maywin wheezed. “Please believe me. If I’d known—”
“GET. OUT!”
Sniffling, she spun around and rushed out as Aradia clucked her tongue. I wanted to conjure a spell and unleash the torrent of emotion whirling inside me, but I could do nothing but stare straight ahead.
“You shouldn’t take this out on the maid,” she chided me. “It’s not her fault. She clearly knows nothing about this.”
“Whose fault is it, then?” I shot back, glowering at her. “I just spoke with Zephy this morning. She was excited about the wedding. What changed in the past hours?”
Aradia continued to stare at me with her wise, old eyes, willing me to answer my own question, but I had no plausible explanation for what had occurred.
“Something must have happened,” the enchantress finally concluded in agreement. “Something must have scared her off.”
A loud rap on the door forced my attention away from my thoughts. “I’m not to be disturbed again!” I yelled furiously.
“Zephy?” Sabine called softly through the thick of the wood. “Alpha, is my daughter in there?”
The rest of the blood drained out of my face. “Her parents!” I sputtered in a low whisper. “What the hell am I going to do with them?!”
“I’ll deal with her parents,” Aradia sighed, pushing herself off the door to the walk-in closet, where she leaned. “You see about tracking down your runaway bride.”
“She doesn’t want to be found!” I protested, gesturing at the letter. “Am I supposed to track her down?”
Aradia scoffed at me. “You’re not going to?” she challenged, knowing me too well.
“Zephyrine?” Sabine called out again. “Are you sick? Should I send for a healer?”
