But he couldn’t deny that flirting with her was like stepping onto the battlefield. Strategy could only get him so far. The rest was giving himself over to the dance of the fight and hoping he could keep up.
Always chasing, never disciplined, his uncle loved to growl. Aidon supposed he was right in a way. He was a general, after all. And while that came with obeying orders and giving commands, it didn’t change the fact that there was something in his blood that craved adrenaline.
There was a particular thrill that came with battle. And Aya …
She felt a lot like the excitement of violence.
But before he could act on the tingling beneath his skin, there was someone at their table, clearing their throat. A City Guard. Aidon’s eyes narrowed as he straightened.
‘What is it?’
‘It’s Helene Lavigne, Your Highness. She’s been taken.’
43
The cobblestones were caked with blood.
Aya pulled up short outside the white townhouse, home to Councilor Avis Lavigne and his family. The door hung off its hinges, giving an unobstructed view to the entryway where upended chairs and shattered crystal littered the space.
It was as if Avis’ daughter had tried to fight her way out.
‘Gods,’ Aidon breathed as he took in the mess. His grave face said enough: they’d be lucky if Helene was alive. Members of the City Guard had cordoned off the area, but it didn’t stop anxious townspeople from craning their necks to catch a glimpse of what was going on. ‘This is a nightmare,’ he muttered, his frown deepening as his sister pushed through the guards.
‘Vi and I heard Claire Lavigne’s screams from the art studio,’ Josie said when she reached them. ‘I’ve just got her settled in one of the healing shops down the street. She’s in shock.’
‘But you didn’t hear Helene?’ Aya asked. Josie shook her head, and Aya turned back to the front stoop, her eyes scanning the entryway again. Whoever broke in was strong. Not necessarily Zeluus strong but … strong enough to leave a path of destruction in their wake. And they obviously didn’t care about covering their tracks. As if they were leaving a message.
‘Where’s Avis?’ Aidon asked, his voice low. Josie nodded her chin to where the councilor stood, his face purple as he berated one of the City Guards.
‘What can I do?’ Josie asked, but Aidon was already in motion.
‘Go home.’ He turned to Aya, his expression hard. ‘Make sure she gets there safely.’ Josie went to argue, but Aidon wouldn’t hear it. ‘I don’t know who they’re targeting. This was a bloodbath, Josie. Go home. Now.’
That voice … it wasn’t the warm baritone Aya had grown used to. It was the voice of the general.
‘Come on,’ Aya said, tugging lightly on Josie’s arm. ‘This is about to become a scene.’ There were more townspeople gathering behind the Guard, and their eyes had found the prince and princess easily.
Josie silently fumed as they walked back, her lips pressed into a tight line. She remained silent until they arrived in her suite, where Josie immediately took up a steady pacing as Aya settled on the turquoise quilt of her four-poster bed.
‘You’re angry,’ Aya observed.
‘He says he doesn’t agree with our uncle. He believes me perfectly capable to serve in the forces. And yet at the slightest hint of danger, he sends me home. And he askedyouto escort me, so clearly he must think me incapable of handling myself.’
Aya didn’t want to think too much on the fact that Aidon had trusted her with his sister’s safety. She couldn’t take a moment to consider what that might mean; not now, not with Josie’s building fury.
‘Have you shared this with him?’
Josie waved a hand, the gold rings on her fingers catching the bright light of the candles flickering in the chandelier. ‘In passing.’
‘Perhaps it warrants a more serious conversation.’
The princess hummed noncommittally, her gaze troubled as she finally sank into a vibrant blue armchair across from Aya. ‘Things like this don’t happen here.’
The words settled heavily between them.
Aya’s fingers twitched, seeking the comfort of her blades. It had taken everything in her to leave the Lavigne house and accompany Josie back up to the palace. But she willed that buzzing in her veins to settle, willed her face to stay calm as she turned over the facts again.
This wasn’t just a kidnapping. This was a statement.
