“What?” Theo twisted to look at him as he turned and then turned again, guiding the car into a little alley between two tall buildings. They weren’t far from the palace—another thirty minutes or so—but there was nothing in this area of Ranei that should have required Isaac to stop. Theo took a slow breath, centering himself like Galen taught him. “My uncle’s orders.”
His door was yanked open and strong hands gripped his shoulders and pulled him out into the alley. Theo swung. He wasn’t going down without a fight. If he had any say in it, hewasn’t going down at all. His fist connected at the exact moment he registered Galen’s angry dark eyes.
Galen’s head snapped back and a feminine voice cursed. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Theo?”
He turned, nightmare slow. Meg. “You’re supposed to be on a plane.”
“Yeah, well, plans changed.” She smacked his arm and slid between him and Galen to check his friend’s jaw. “Any loose teeth?”
“I’m fine.” Galen picked her up and set her aside so he could turn to face Theo fully. “Stupid move, letting Kozlov take you somewhere you didn’t want to go.”
Yeah, it had been. He glared. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
“You’re not king yet, and I stopped being your head of security when we went into exile together. I don’t take orders from you.” He opened the back door and waited for Meg to climb in, and then he followed her and shut it with a snap.
Theo stared. “What are you doing?” When Galen ignored him, he jerked open the back door and leaned down, getting in his friend’s face. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“You need witnesses. I’m titled. Meg’s a civilian, but she works as a second witness.”
“Gee, thanks,” she murmured.
“Hush.” Galen turned back to him. “Phillip doesn’t care about the truth. He cares about being the puppet master behind the next king. He’ll kill you if he thinks he can get away with it.”
Theo clenched his hands to keep from reaching into the backseat and strangling the man he loved. “That’s wonderful, Galen, I most certainly hadn’t thought of that. Just like I hadn’t thought to arrange to have the entirety of the sitting Parliament at the palace waiting to witness the evidence I’m presenting.”
Galen gave him a long stare. “Be a shame to make them wait.”
He wasn’t going to get them out of this car without an all-out brawl. Theo looked at Isaac, but the other man seemed to find the steering wheel intensely fascinating. “You’re going to be punished for this.”
“Can’t wait.” Galen crossed his arms over his chest and nodded at the front seat. “Shall we?”
“I’m going to throw you in the fucking dungeon.”
Meg leaned over to peer out the side windows, taking in the city. “Kinky.”
Galen snorted. “That threat would be a lot more effective if the dungeon hadn’t caved in and been walled over about fifty years ago.”
“Don’t you dare say another word—either of you.” Theo turned around to face the windshield and pressed his fingers to his temples. Walking into this confrontation with them was out of the question. How the fuck was he supposed to keep them safe when neither Galen nor Meg seemed that concerned with following his expertly-reasoned orders?
The drive to the palace felt like it took ten times as long as it should have. Isaac parked in one of the lots several blocks away and led them into the apartment building that was manned entirely by security staff. No one looked directly at their little group, which told Theo all he needed to know—everyone was waiting to see how things fell out before they declared their allegiance one way or another.
He didn’t hold that against them.
This wasn’t their fight.
Isaac used his fingerprints to open a padlocked door that led down a narrow set of stairs. Theo had frequented this path more times than he could count as a teenager, usually with Galen by his side. Whenever palace life got to be too constricting, the large rooms filled with too little air and too many needs, they’d sneak out and spend a few hours walking the streets of Ranei. Theo’sfather always sent someone to shadow them, but he’d given them the freedom they needed.
Fuck, he missed his father.
Ghosting their way through the tunnels that ran beneath the palace grounds felt like walking back in time. He half expected to come out the door at the end and find his father in his study, glasses perched on the edge of his nose, embroiled in some ancient history book. Theo rubbed a hand against his chest, as if he could physically draw away the pain blossoming there.
After his father died, everything happened so quickly. Phillip’s coup. The exile. The plan to reverse the exile and retake his birthright.
This chapter would be over soon.
For better or worse, he’d have to deal with the consequences.
A hand on his arm drew him back to the present. Meg looked up at him with those pretty hazel eyes, her smile warm. “You aren’t alone, Theo. I get why you sent us away, but that’s not what this is. We’ve got your back.”
