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But Prys holding this knowledge bode ill for Beth. The innocent girl was caught in a web of deceit that would cost her life, unless I acted now.
Around us, the candles guttered, shadows dancing. I slipped a hand under my tunic, gripping the dagger’s handle, waiting for the scene to play out as I knew it would.
The Prince’s cruel eyes glinted as his words bit like steel. “What proof do you have?”
The man seemed to want to crawl into the hard stones below him. “I met a Fae from the Haf territory last night who wanted to recruit me. I deceived him and returned here to bring you the tidings before it is too late.”
Prys pulled his sword, making it sing as he brought it down in a perfect arc. The former guard’s and my gaze met, and I knew when he realized what was happening. The expression of terror was balm to my soul, payment for the danger he had placed on my mate’s shoulders.
I nearly lost my composure when I realized what I had called her in my mind. Mate. When had that happened?
A wet sound pulled me violently back into the moment. The man’s eyes stayed wide open as his head teetered on the neck for a moment. Then it fell, bouncing on the floor with a sickening thud, spraying its gruesome content as it rolled.
The other male in the room, the captain under whom the dead man had once served, paled until his face resembled cheese curds. But he clenched his teeth and stayed silent, knowing full well that any movement, any utterance, might mean his death as well.
The prince ignored me and spoke to the captain directly. “Go to the dungeons and bring me my niece’s head. I want it mounted on the palace gates, together with this vermin’s.”
He kicked the headless corpse viciously. I had expected the order, but hearing the words, fear clenched my chest until I could barely breathe. This was it.
It was time to kill the bastard prince and his henchman, then hope I would reach Beth in time to free her. I had no chance of getting away, but that was no longer important. Saving my mate—that was the only thought on my mind.
I was about to make my move, to cut his throat, when there was a commotion outside the room. Quickly, I removed my hand from the dagger I’d been ready to pull from my tunic.
A guard barged into the room, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. “Your highness. The prisoners have escaped.”
I blinked, taken aback by the unexpected news. Hope blossomed so suddenly, I barely hid the tight smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth.
The prince’s face turned an alarming shade of red. “Give me details. Which prisoners?”
In an eerie repeat of the dead man’s motion, the guard fell to his knees, his eyes widening at the sight of the bloody remains. His voice sounded faint, and he shook so hard, he barely managed to get the words out. “Your niece and a human prisoner, called Than.”
The prince’s fury boiled over and he thundered, clutching his bloody sword tighter. “How did this happen?”
As the guard stammered excuses, my lips twitched with relief. She had gotten away, and she was no longer alone. I had not seen that coming, but I did not begrudge her the company. As long as she was safe, what was one more to the party?
“Find them!” Prince Prys barked at the guard, his eyes blazing with fury. “Leave no stone unturned.”
The man got back on his feet, bowed hastily, and dashed out of the room. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. The situation had turned again: I needed to keep Prys alive. Only by knowing details of his plans could I protect Beth.
I wanted to snuff out the bastard’s life, but I knew I would follow him soon after into the void, leaving Beth with no protection. Her survival depended on me finding her.
An icy shiver of dread gripped my neck. She had proven again and again how little prepared she was to survive our world. And now she was out there in Gwerin’s wilderness, with only a human to protect her.
The atmosphere in the room grew denser with each passing second, the tension seeping into my very bones. I closed my eyes, struggling to calm the storm within me. A chill wind blew in through the open window, rustling the royal banners. Black clouds approached from the distance.
Prys turned to me, his words laced with venomous rage. “You. Enforcer. I will overlook your failure to rid me of that vermin. But my niece must die now. Find her, Bleddyn. Hunt them both down and end this, once and for all!”
I dipped my head, the taste of betrayal bitter on my tongue. “It will be done, my prince.”
The lie came easily, my thoughts racing ahead. I would find Beth, get her to safety. The rest could come later.
Prys gestured to the captain of the guard. “Take him with you. Let his knowledge aid you.”
A surge of cold fury rose in my chest. The captain was to be the enforcer’s handler. And then no doubt my executioner. I met the man’s gaze head-on, the anger clear in my eyes. I would not yield to another Fae’s sword that easily. Best he knew that now.
As I turned to leave the room, I was so tense, every sound and scent magnified tenfold. The whispers of the courtiers beyond the door were like deafening roars. The sweet perfume of the royal gardens clawed its way into my nostrils, suffocating me.
Prince Prys’s voice sliced through the silence one last time. “Remember, Bleddyn. Failure is not an option.”
