“What if King Eidolon knew Prince Sawyer wasn’t the true target? That he’d simply been mistaken for the one who was?”
Callum’s brown eyes narrowed. “Ev… you can’t be suggesting—”
“I am.” I closed my book and turned my body on the cushion, facing him. “Maybe that’s the key to avoiding war altogether. Me coming forward about who I really am.”
“No.” He swallowed hard and touched my jaw with a tremble in his hand. “If King Silas did hire Nocturne, revealing your identity would put you in danger. As Briar said, you could even be used as a peace offering. It’s not worth the risk. I’d fight a thousand battles if it meant keeping you safe.”
“But Cal, I—”
“Stick to baking your muffins, little treasure,” a raspy voice said from the corner before Rowan stepped from the shadows. “Being a hero doesn’t suit you any better than it suits me.”
“Ro.” I smiled on impulse, happy to see him. His expression, however, made that smile falter. “What’s wrong?”
The scent of peaches tickled my nose before Lake stepped into the parlor. Wood shavings flecked on his tunic, a sign he’d been whittling. Maddox and Briar followed closely behind him, both of them fresh out of the bath. The ends of Maddox’s black hair glistened, still damp.
“Good. You’re all here. Saves me the trouble of havin’ to repeat myself.” Rowan plopped down in the armchair near the window and kicked his feet up on the ottoman, withdrawing his flask. He flipped it open and took a hefty drink, his throat working as he swallowed long and deep.
“Ro?” My voice shook.
Much like his hand as he lowered the flask. “There’s a complication.”
“How so?” Maddox asked, crossing his arms. I’d learned it was a defense mechanism. Kept him grounded.
“The mercenary escaped.”
“What?” Briar’s mouth went agape. “That’s impossible.”
“Tell that to his empty cell.” Rowan took another swig, visibly shaken. A rarity for him; he masked his emotions nearly as well as Maddox. “One minute, he was being questioned, and then he was gone.”
“Explain.” Maddox’s jaw tightened. “How does a man just vanish from his cell?”
“It’s a good thing you’re pretty, oh mighty captain.” Rowan rolled his eyes. “There’s this thing called magic. Not sure if you’ve heard of it. It gives people the ability to do all sorts of marvelous—”
“Enough of the sass, thief,” Maddox snapped.
“Magic warding surrounded his cell,” Briar said, paler than usual. “Reign and I put it there ourselves. It prevented him from tapping into his mana and casting spells. So escape was impossible.”
“Then he had help.” Lake braced himself on the back of Rowan’s chair. “That’s the only explanation.”
“Wait.” My heart raced ninety to nothing. “Like someone in the castle helped him escape? But who would do that?”
“Perhaps another mercenary?” Callum’s arm tightened around me.
Maddox shook his head. “Security is too tight. Knights are patrolling every inch of the castle grounds. An outsider would’ve been detected.”
“You were watching the interrogation, correct?” Briar asked. “Hiding within the shadows to listen in?”
Rowan shook his head. “I was told to scout the lower district after Reign detected a trace of mana. When I returned to report to Captain Remy in the Tower, I heard of the escape.”
“Hmm.” I worried my bottom lip. “Kinda suspicious, isn’t it? You just so happen to be sent away on a patrol right when he’s being questioned? Then he escapes?”
“Suggesting that whoever helped him knew Rowan was listening in.” Maddox frowned at the floorboards, arms still crossed. The sleeves of his tunic were fighting for their life as his muscles tensed, pushing against the material.
“Could be a number of people,” Rowan said. “Ever since becoming a member of the Secret Order, ironically enough, my movements aren’t so secret. To the royal knights, anyway. Everything I do within the castle needs clearance. Well. Almost everything.” His topaz eyes shifted to me. “They can’t keep me from watching over a certain clumsy toad when he wanders around the castle grounds.”
I was too nervous to spout off about the toad remark.
The mercenary had escaped. Meaning… he could’ve been anywhere within the kingdom. Tracking me down. I rubbed at the center of my chest, my skin tingling at the memory of the fire spell slamming into me. The electric currents in the air, followed by indescribable pain and the stench of charred flesh.
