Loren surveyed his guard, the same brown eyes he had always known watching him with carefully reserved caution. They had not exchanged more than a handful of words since the attack on the castle, as Loren had not left his suites in the nights following. Rather than meet with his military council right away, he needed to search his own memories and determine which information would be most valuable to them.
The one thing he had made sure to have collected were the few scraps of paper Ariadne had hidden in her dress. In his blind fury, he had made the grave mistake of burning the book she had come to steal and shredded the ancient pages she had managed to tear out.
Now he pulled the carefully reassembled bits from a box beside his throne and studied them again. “Mywifeattempted to abscond with some pages from a book.”
“It appears that way,” Nikolai agreed, taking Loren’s proclamation as leave to stand at the foot of the dais. He did not, however, look at the salvaged paper.
“Tell me,” Loren continued, “how those beasts were able to break into my castle, enchant your Queen, and steal her away. Again.”
Nikolai opened his mouth to speak, appeared to think better of it, then said, “May I speak freely, Your Majesty?” When Loren waved him onward, the King’s Sword continued, “If I may be so bold… She did not appear to have been stolen. Her blatant attack against Your Majesty makes it appear as though she were acting of her own free will.”
“I disagree.” Loren sat forward again, leaning heavily on his elbows. “I believe it all to have been a ploy by the dhemons to use her naivety against her. You saw her that night in the forest—she was desperate to escape their hold.”
A nod from Nikolai. “Perhaps. Or perhaps she is a better actress than either of us could have predicted.”
“If there is one thing I know about my wife,” Loren rumbled, “it is that she is nothing short of terrified of those monsters. They have taken control of her mind.”
Of this, Loren was absolutely certain. He had seen her the nights following her abduction and subsequent rescue—seen the ghost they had made of her after that long week in the mountains. Most of all, he had seen the fear at the Vertium ball.
The Vertium ball.
That had been a pivotal point for Ariadne Harlow. Only now did Loren see and understand the connection. The Spring equinox had been the night Azriel Tenebra was introduced to the Harlow sisters as their newest personal guard. It was also when everything about Ariadne had changed. She grew more and more impudent in the weeks following. More and more daring.
Less and less frightened of vampires’ greatest enemy.
The longer Loren considered it, the more it made sense. His mother and her gossiping band of Caersan women had been correct in one thing: Ariadne had some strong fae magic controlling her.
“There was a moment,” Loren said after a beat, “I cannot recall. Ariadne ran from me. I pinned her, then…nothing. Why did I awake on the floor in the midst of a battle?”
Nikolai cocked his head but never looked away. “By the time I reached you, Your Majesty, you were unconscious. Dhemons had already arrived, and I had just enough time to prevent them from delivering the killing blow.”
“An odd sequence of events,” Loren said with a frown. “What has become of the castle guards on duty that night? I wish to have them questioned along with the one who did not get taken, Miss Dodd.”
“At once, of course.” Nikolai nodded. “Miss Dodd has been confined to her rooms since the night of the incident. She hasbeen most cooperative, and, I am certain, willing to assist in your endeavors to uncover the truth.”
“Most excellent.” Easing back against his throne, Loren held out the scrapped paper. “Have the royal historian analyze these. I wish to know what the dhemons want.”
Nikolai took the pages and bowed. “At once, Your Majesty.”
Before the King’s Sword could depart, Loren held up a hand. “Draft a report of what happened that night. I wish for our military and the people of Valenul to know of the Queen’s kidnapping as well as the attempt on my life.”
Something flashed in Nikolai’s eyes before he bowed again. “Do you not wish to question the castle guards before we send out a report?”
The corners of Loren’s mouth curled into a genuine smile. “You are my most loyal friend and ally. I trust you above all others.”
“I am honored.” Nikolai placed his fist over his heart, then turned on his heel and exited the throne room.
Whether or not Loren’s assumptions regarding Ariadne’s allegiances were true, he knew one thing for certain: he would have Ariadne by his side again, and he would teach her to be the doting wife she was always meant to be.
Teatime no longer felt the same for Ariadne. The nightly ritual of gathering in the Harlow Estate’s drawing room with Emillie and, on occasion, friends had the same odd fog about it as a distant dream. Settling into the couch cushions inAuhla’s makeshift library alongside Emillie, Revelie, and Margot made the entire tradition seem almost a game of make-believe.
Still, they did their best. The kettle of tea sat at the center of their large dhemon-made mugs and a plate of fresh rolls alongside a small scoop of butter. Both had been made by the lycan, Ben, who had taught Ariadne to knead for their Noctium celebration.
The thought made Ariadne’s heart ache. A lump rose in her throat as Emillie offered her a small plate with a buttered roll. She took it and looked away. It was the feeling of a small, soft hand sliding over hers that brought her attention back.
“Grieve.” Margot’s voice, quiet and strong, was all she could make out as the tears blurred her vision.
“Ari?” Revelie’s voice. “Are you alright?”
