Aaron suddenly reached out and grabbed her. "Enough talking. You're coming with us. The rest of you, get in that room."
Nobody moved. Gerard waved the gun. "Now! Do you really think anyone will hear me shoot down here?"
Sarah grabbed Luke's hand and squeezed. "Go on. I don't want anyone getting hurt."
One step at a time, she watched her brothers move toward the room she had been in. She turned to Gerard. "Put the gun down. There's no need for it. They won't risk me getting hurt."
Over Gerard's shoulder, she saw her mother peek around the corner. Sarah averted her gaze and stared at Gerard. "If I had something to beat you over the head with right now, I'd whack you so hard your body wouldn't be able to keep up with your head." She hoped that her mother caught the hint.
"Aren't you just the little tough guy?"
Kayleigh grabbed the keys from Aaron before she waved at the others. "Get in there. What the hell are you waiting for?"
"Why did you kill Luke's family? Why the king? After all this time, why now?" Sarah really didn't care, but she needed to buy Vinia some more time in case she had gotten the hint.
Gerard refused to answer, so Sarah turned to Aaron. "Did Ardec guess your secret? Was he suspicious of you? Is that why he had to be removed from the scenario?"
"Shut up," Kayleigh snapped. "It's none of your business. Just stand there and shut the hell up."
Sarah lunged at her, but Aaron grabbed her arm. At the same time, a loud crack sounded. Sarah spun around to see Gerard collapsing silently to the ground. Vinia stood behind him with a marble rolling pin.
In a second, Aaron and Kayleigh were secured by outraged Hale boys. Sarah scooped up the gun that had clattered to the floor and pointed it at Kayleigh.
"What are you going to do, shoot me? Like you'd even know how," Kayleigh taunted.
Drake twisted her arm a little harder this time. "You might want to watch your mouth. She's a girl from Colorado. I guarantee you she knows how to shoot that thing. In her sleep."
All the color drained from Kayleigh's face. This time, Luke ran up the stairs, and Sarah heard shouting but couldn't make out the words. Within seconds, the room was filled with guards, and Aaron and Kayleigh were led out.
Luke wrapped his arms around Sarah and held her close. "It's over."
Tears of happiness streamed down her cheeks. "Finally."
Chapter Twenty-Four: Planning the Future
Luke Ardec
As soon as Sarah was safely back in their quarters where she belonged, Luke left her in the care of her mother. He had summoned a diplomat from the Hallowed Vale to his office, and Luke hurried to greet his guest.
"King Lucas, how nice to see you again."
"Rafe, isn't it? I remember you from when you visited my father."
"You have an excellent memory, sir. May I ask why I was requested?"
Luke ushered Rafe into his office. "We have a lot to talk about." He filled the man in on everything that had happened. "You have had an imposter as a king for many years." The nobleman sat and awkwardly drummed his fingers on the desk.
"We're in a most unusual situation."
"Yes," Luke agreed, "you are. You suddenly have no king, and none of his heirs are eligible to rule. You will need to hold an election for your next king. I am willing to help in any way I can, but it would be best if your people stepped up to fix this mess."
"I just don't understand how this happened."
"The man is a con artist. He had spent enough time here to learn the ways. When his father stole the idol and lost it to his brother, the idol went missing. Aaron had no way of knowing where it was, so he maintained his existence here. He was good enough that he flew under my father's radar. How no one figured out that the man was human and not a dragon is beyond me. But it's not just your people. He fooled everyone."
"I'll call together our council, and we'll get an election in the works. It's just mind boggling that he got away with it."
Luke chuckled. "Unfortunately, if you're not looking for a snake, chances are you'll never see one."
