“I didn’t expect you to catch on,” he said. “You weren’t supposed to be a part of that.”
I clamped my mouth shut. Did my own brother just call me stupid?
“It’s why I pushed for the queen to pair you with Ace.” His gaze slid over to my partner. “I assumed you would both be too caught up competing with each other and focusing on the murders, you wouldn’t pay attention to where I was, who I was with or what I was doing. I hid everything in plain sight.” He paused and tilted his head at me. “It helped that you thought so little of my aspirations.”
“Now, it’s obvious you think very little about my intelligence. I’m pretty sure you just called me stupid for the second time,” I said. “And how can you blame me for calling out your partying? Was that an act this entire time?”
He shrugged and looked away. “You always claimed I was more about the party than being a part of something. And that’s what I wanted. I wanted you to think of me that way.” Paul swallowed. “But this isn’t about you at all. You weren’t supposed to be involved.”
“You said that already, but did you tell that to the hunters who shot at me?” I snapped.
He squinted at me and pressed his lips together.
Whatever. “Well, I’m involved now. Where’s Nala?”
“Nala is safe. Despite what you might think, I would never hurt her. I had her returned to Perga. Once Ryan finds her, he’ll take good care of her. He always does.”
I released a long breath. Nala was safe. And better yet, she wasn’t here at the camp. “What about us? What do you plan to do with me?”
“You’re going to have to stay here for the unforeseen future,” he said. “I can’t have you ruining things. The royals will pay for everything they’ve done. A new order will rise and then you will be free to benefit from what I have created.”
“Excuse me?” Exactly what gave him the authority or audacity to determine my fate like this?
“This is what I’m meant to do. This is my power, Em, not yours.” Paul nodded at one of the guards behind me. “Lock her up again but do a better job searching her this time.”
“You can't just lock us up indefinitely.”
“You’re right.” He stood up and straightened his shirt before stepping to the side to push his chair in. “Ace will be executed tomorrow. He’s become more trouble than what he’s worth.”
“What?” I choked out. “No.”
Paul walked around the table to approach me. He gently reached down to cup my face, “I was not responsible for the previous attacks on you. There was a…miscommunication. But while I can’t stomach the idea of hurting or killing you to ensure your silence, I have no such qualms about silencing Ace. He burned whatever friendship we had when he left without word all those years ago. I never forgave him, but I know what he means to you, even if you don’t. I’ll give you tonight to say your goodbyes, but come morning, whether you’ve made peace with it or not, l will tie up this loose thread.”
He dropped his hand and walked away without looking back.
13
They didn’t bother with the shackles or chains this time. Instead, they opted to lead us both into a small cage with iron bars for walls. They hadn’t bound us. Paul acted like it was a huge favour. What exactly did he expect? That me and Ace would thank him for his magnanimous generosity and start heavy petting the moment they closed the basement door? Nothing like impending death to put you in the mood.
Gah.
“It’s going to be okay,” Ace said, his deep voice rumbling as the iron bars closed in around me. We had already tried the lock picks. Neither of us could contort our bodies enough to reach the lock on the outside of the cell.
“You’re going to be executed tomorrow. Pardon me, if I disagree.”
“There was a time when you would have been glad to hear the news,” Ace said.
I shook my head. I might’ve despised him, loathed him, but the hatred was fueled from the pain of rejection. I’d never wanted anything bad to happen to him. I just never wanted to see or speak to him again.
Big difference.
Ace watched my face before tilting his head. “Not even a little?”
“Okay, maybe a little maiming or dismemberment,” I admitted. “But not actual death.”
He smirked.
“In my defence, you were a total asshole.”
