Ugh.
“Crap.” I looked at Anton. “Did you hear that?”
He gave me a small nod. “Yes. I suppose the two of us should head there now.”
I frowned. “I don’t want you to have to leave Ker and—”
“It’s no problem, Oakley, and I won’t risk you. I’ll escort you to the tower.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded.
“Thanks.” I caught up with Keryth and the kids. “Hey, Ker?”
“Yeah?” He turned around to face me, smiling.
“Did you hear any of that?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Zell was picking out a dress, so I wasn’t paying attention, sorry.”
I waved that off. “It was Tan. He told me to get to the tower dungeons and that I had permission toget him out.” I used air quotes because, again, what the hell?
“Wait. What? Get who out?”
I shrugged. “No idea. He hung up in a rush before I could get more information. But… I think I should go. It’s not like him to send me somewhere unless it’s important.”
Ker nodded and gave me a hug and Anton a kiss on the lips. “Alright. You two go on. But call me later and tell me what’s going on, okay?”
Anton said, “I’ll let you know when I’m on my way home, yes?”
Ker nodded and smiled up at his viramore.
I gave them a minute and walked over to the girls. “There’s an emergency at the tower, guys, so I have to leave. Anton’s coming with me.”
“Aw man, really?” Alsira frowned at me. “I wanted your help picking out a few outfits.”
I pulled her into a hug. “I know. I’m really sorry. Maybe we can go one day this week, yeah?”
She nodded. “Let me know when. Text me.” All the kids had my cell number in case of an emergency, but sometimes Alsira texted me silly videos and things like that. It was cute.
I sent her a smile, then pulled Zellya, Saranor, and Gemma each into a hug before I headed out of the mall with Anton beside me, and I called a car service.
As I climbed into the back of the car, I shrugged on the hoodie I’d just bought—it was always cold down in the dungeons no matter how high we turned on the heat. I double-checked that Ihad my phone, keys, and wallet in my pockets, and we headed back to the tower.
It didn’t take long to get there, luckily, and as soon as Anton and I were inside, we rushed over to the elevators.
Since I was the king’s kid, I was allowed to use the private elevator that went to all the floors—unlike the public ones that didn’t go to the private residences or the dungeons. So I held up the magical charm on my bracelet—basically a key—and headed down to the dungeon level. Anyone without a charm would be denied access down here.
Thank goodness Dad didn’t take any of my access away when he kicked Rome and me off the case.
Anton was quiet as we headed down, and I couldn’t stop frowning, wondering what the hell was going on.
My dad didn’t usually keep anyone down here. The cells were typically used as a temporary holding place until criminals could be moved to an actual prison, or occasionally, they held people my dad and his enforcers needed to interrogate—the cultist from the other day had already been moved.
I’d been one such person held in a cell when Tan had first captured me before anyone realized I was the king’s missing child.
That was years ago, but it felt like a lifetime ago. I’d been such an angry, hurt, and hopeless person back then, back when I’d been living with my mother and her insane cult, back when I hadn’t known what it felt like to be loved.
