I sucked in a sharp breath, my lungs feeling too tight. Dread sank low, pooling in my stomach. I swallowed down my nausea, my hand gripping my chest. “Do they know who did it?”
Daelan’s eyes met mine, and he shook his head. “They are still searching for who or whatever could have done it, but we have never seen anything like it before. It was like it dug until it reached the bed.”
I opened my mouth but quickly closed it. I didn’t even know what to say. Tremors threatened to take over my body, but something told me, in the far corners of my mind, to stay quiet, to keep that dream to myself.
Movement behind Daelan caught my attention, and Ambrose appeared at Daelan’s side, his face twisted with fury. “Dress yourselves. We are leaving. Now!”
Chapter 15
Ambrose
Arianna finally climbed into the carriage, her face still pallid from the early morning. She had followed me, rushing just steps behind when the guard banged on our door and led us to Lowell’s room. She vomited all over the floor once we entered, the tang of blood and death still fresh in the air. I had almost joined her when I saw Lowell's lifeless body lying there, mutilated. His face was still frozen in an endless scream.
I had never seen something so grotesque. No animal or creature that I knew of could have caused that. Nothing from the body was missing; everything except his chest was still intact. Unease spidered down my back. My mind recalled the moment I left his office just past midnight. I had felt something then, something that didn’t quite belong to the estate. It was just a flicker. A dark intrigue that only lasted for a millisecond before it was gone. I had waved it off, believing it came from Lowell, but now…
“Who will the title pass on to?” Arianna asked softly, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“I don’t know,” I growled. Arianna paled further, and I sighed. Her fear flooded the carriage, and I reminded myself to rein in my irritation. Taking hold of her emotions, I pushed asoothing calmness toward her. Her body relaxed, and I stretched out my hand to her. “I apologize, my love. I didn’t mean to lose myself. Come here.”
Arianna hesitated, and I pushed more of that calmness to her, letting it kindle within her and grow. Her eyes were lined with silver when she crossed the carriage, sitting in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her close. “I don’t know who it will pass on to,” I said softly. “It was supposed to go to his firstborn, but that bitch of a wife stole his heir away. We still haven’t found them. Not even a rumor or whisper of where they could have gone.”
“Why didn’t I know this?” Arianna breathed, her eyes widening.
“I wanted to keep it quiet. Only Samian, Lowell, and I knew. I tasked Samian with looking for her, but his search has proved useless so far.” My lip curled back as I remembered Samian’s latest report. As always, there was still nothing, not even a fucking whisper of her or that runt of hers.
“Surely, they will come back now. They must, right? To give up a title like that would be foolish.” Arianna shook her head.
“Not unless she wants the city to fall. Who knows, she could have been the one who caused his end.”
Arianna shivered against me, leaning her head against my shoulder. “No one deserves a death like that. No one.”
I reached up, letting my knuckles softly graze against her face. “We will find out who did it, my love. Don’t worry.”
You’ll never find out who. Never find out. Never. You’ll never find out. Who did it? Who did it? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who?
I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to taste iron spilling over my tongue, cutting off that fucking voice. It was growing louder, more constant every day. I could feel myself slipping closer to insanity.
I took a steadying breath, leaning back against the carriage wall. Arianna’s even breath told me she was asleep, her body becoming heavy. I rolled my eyes and lifted her from my lap, setting her down in the seat beside me. She stirred for a moment, but sleep took her once more. The foolish chit.
The time passed quickly, and the trip felt shorter than our journeytothe Thanlyl Estate. My thoughts were so tangled up in Lowell’s death that I had forgotten my discomfort from traveling. Each of the servants told the same story. The maid and butler went to his room to wake him, only to find his body and the blood. But every one of them had a mix of unspoken glee and secrecy that wafted off them. None of them knew who did it, that much I was sure of. There was no guilt, no smug triumphant sentiment that hung about them. Just that sickening joviality that their master was finally gone.
I was half tempted to arrest them on the spot. To punish them for relishing the fact that he was dead. But I knew I couldn’t push the rabble too much. Arresting them all would have made the public wary of me, instead of begging for my aid against the ‘rising’ Seelie Court and rebellion taking their land and resources.
No, the servants I took during dinner would be enough.
But the title still posed a problem. Lowell needed a replacement, and his cunt wife hated me. I couldn’t count on her to follow my wishes or my rule, though killing her and that bastard of a son wouldn’t be a problem—if we ever found them, that is. Icouldraise the position of one of my own to take over Lowell’s title, letting the public know of his wife’s disappearance, but there was still the question of who I should choose. One who would follow me no matter what.
A smile rose on my lips, and I glanced at Arianna's sleeping form, her golden hair falling around her face. Osric Fenleth died just before his dream of becoming a lord had been realized. Hehad quickly risen through the court, enough to hold a small title, but never became one of the council or the inner circle. But putting Arianna in chargewouldmake her ascent to the throne easier, and her remaining family would celebrate their father’s lifelong dream coming to life.
I let out a soft laugh, careful not to wake my future bride. A plan was finally growing and taking shape, so impressive that even I was surprised.
My blood heated thinking about how Arianna would thank me later—what she would do to please me.
The carriage halted to a stop, and I peered out the window, my thoughts of Arianna’s mouth—her sweat-slicked body—fading away. Neat and tidy, the palace courtyard loomed before me. The guards pushed the captured servants toward the dungeons, while Hale and a line of palace servants waited patiently for me at the entrance.
I nudged Arianna, pulling her out of her sleep. Gasping, she quickly sat up, blinking away her fatigue. Meeting my gaze, she smiled softly, taking hold of my hand. “I apologize for falling asleep, my love. Your warmth was just too comforting.” She giggled, lifting a graceful hand above her mouth to hide her smile.
A pinkish blush rose on her cheeks, and I forced myself to smile back. “It’s alright. It was a tiring morning for all of us.” I opened the carriage door, stepping out first before helping her onto the stone path. “Would you like to join me in the dungeons? Or would you rather return to our room to rest?”
