“Not at all,” Wyatt almost snapped. “We understand. We just don’t understand why Alex wouldn’t have read the fucking file before coming here.”
“He’s an idiot,” Rafe said flatly. He ran a hand through his hair. “Announcing Skye will send my mother into a spiral.”
“Why?” I asked. “And no offense, but why do we care?”
“The Princess is on thin ice,” Wyatt muttered, still staring at the empty floor. “The Gulf especially isn’t happy with her. If Skye is claimed by the Royals, the citizens of the Gulf might have something violent to say about that.”
Oh, my God. Politics were not my jam. I knew enough from growing up with a social-climbing family Chain, but this type of shit…
“That makes no sense–”
Skye cut me off. “It does. The people don’t want the Princess to be the queen on her own. A lot of people are already in favor of the line passing over her and going directly to Rafe. Me being from the Gulf means they’ll have the support there, too...”
Skye trailed off, giving Rafe a look before chewing her lip.
I didn’t understand that look, either. Skye never made me feel stupid, but Rafe and Wyatt did all the time. Unintentionally, of course, but it worried me. A small, insecure part of me felt like Skye might see how much smarter they were compared to me, and she’d decide she didn’t need me anymore.
Skye was perfect, though, so she knew I was spiraling, even if she didn’t know why. She sat down on the nearest barstool and held a hand out to me, and I shyly took it, letting her pull me into her side for a hug.
I nuzzled my face against her hair while she spoke. “Withsupport from the Gulf, the courts could decide to pass the Crown over the Princess directly to Rafe.”
“That, and…” Wyatt trailed off, looking to Rafe who sighed in resignation.
“I wasn’t being funny before. My mother is not well. Her only affinity is telepathy. She’s slowly losing her mind. She doesn’t trust herself to even shield her own thoughts anymore.”
Wyatt looked at Rafe like he hadn’t known that detail.
“So…the Princess isn’t just a woman…she’s nuts.” I said, summing up all the issues people would have with her.
“Yes, and she’s incredibly tone-deaf. She asked for my counsel on how to appear less so and she’s refused all of my suggestions.” Rafe ran his tattooed hand through his hair, then looked at Wyatt sharply. “What else?” he demanded.
Wyatt blew out a breath, and I wondered how the hell Rafe had known he had something else to say.
“I don’t like that comment Shafer made,” Wyatt said. “About Sensors locked in a dungeon.”
“That hasn’t been sitting right with me, either.” Skye admitted, and Wyatt looked at her like she was the sun come out after a storm. “It’s not a figure of speech. I think…he was being literal.”
“Yes, and after witnessing my father and the Crusader exit the dungeon in the Palace, I’m feeling…twitchy.” Rafe said.
Me and Skye had matching faces of shock as Rafe pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I promise, I wasn’t keeping this from you, I just didn’t know what it meant yet,” he explained.
“Right, and I’m an idiot, so I wouldn’t be able to help you figure anything out.” Skye snarked.
Wyatt barked a laugh while Rafe looked genuinely upset.
“Darling,” he started, but Skye only shook her head before looking away. Rafe’s eyes grew wide, and he looked like he might fall to his knees in front of her.
“We’ve been down to the dungeon,” Wyatt said quietly, taking the attention off Skye. “We didn’t see any Sensors. And we sure as shit didn’t see any Trackers.”
“When’s the last time you looked?” Skye asked.
Wyatt and Rafe fell silent.
“Yeah, and how deeply did you look?” I asked. “Because a couple kids running around a dungeon isn’t real searching.”
Skye’s phone buzzed, and she pulled it out to the side to view the screen without letting go of me.
