“So, you just went hiking,” he repeated.
“Just a short one,” she said. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and refused to quite meet his gaze.
“In the middle of the woods. At night. In unfamiliar territory.”
Mallory lifted one shoulder. “I like fresh air.” She tried to be lighthearted but it came out strained.
Jakob folded his arms. She was lying. Every instinct he possessed told him so. After years of diplomacy and deception, he knew exactly what a forced explanation sounded like.
But why would she lie to him?
He stepped closer. “You should have told someone where you were going.”
“I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“It is a big deal,” he said. His tone was much sharper than he intended. “There was an attempted break in tonight with dangerous men on the grounds.”
Her eyes flickered with something but it vanished quickly. “Well, I’m fine,” she said. “See? No kidnappers. No disasters.”
Jakob searched her face and tried to piece together what he was missing. He’d been terrified for her. Absolutely terrified, and yet here she was, calm and composed and pretending everything was perfectly normal.
“Kidnappers?” He wondered if she knew about the Ruecrags. “Why would you think there was going to be a kidnapping?”
Another shrug. “I was just saying…”
“Mallory,” he said quietly, “are you sure you’re all right?”
“Of course,” she replied.
Another lie. He could feel it as clearly as the cold air on his skin. Something had happened. Something she wasn’t telling him but pressing her now would only push her further away.
But for the moment, having her safe mattered more than having answers. Plus, he needed to get her back inside and not stand there out in the open especially if she had expected company.
“Come back to the castle with me,” Jakob said gently. “Please.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”
As they walked together through the silent trees, Jakob kept one hand lightly at her back to guide her home.
Relief warred with unease inside him. He had found her, but the message on that phone still burned in his mind.
She’s back in town. Find her.
Someone was looking for Mallory.
And judging by the fear he’d seen flicker in her eyes tonight, she already knew it.
Jakob just didn’t know why.
CHAPTER 20
Mallory
Mallory walked beside Jakob through the dark forest and pretended to be calm while every nerve in her body screamed.
The path back to the castle felt longer than it had on the way out, as if the trees themselves were leaning closer. She kept her eyes moving between the snow-covered ground, the shadows beyond the trunks, the narrow ribbon of moonlit trail.
Somewhere out there, someone had been waiting for her. She was sure of it.
