‘She’ll be fine,’ said Lancen, but Bear couldn’t settle unless he saw for himself.
‘If she’s in any danger, you’re to take me to her at once,’ he told Raven, who nodded his response.
Wynter was back, a large leather tome in her hands that she quickly placed in front of Elbar.
Elbar’s white eyes were on one corner of the grimoire, her senses on the pages she flicked through. ‘Ah, here we are.’
‘Do you need us to help?’ asked Wynter.
‘No. Just be quiet so I can concentrate. There is a lot of magick in the south, making it harder to break through, but it’s doable, as I know many who watch the War Zone come from the south.’
‘How do you know?’ asked Raven.
Elbar gave a small shrug. ‘Rich people live there, and you’d have to have money to wager on the Zone. Now, hush. Let me do this.’
Bear sat at the table, his chin pressed firmly into his steepled fingers, trying to control his breathing, as he knew that no matter the vision, he had to stay calm enough to focus on his next move.
The table started to shake as Elbar muttered words no one understood, her hands hovered over the grimoire, her head dipped, then her chin jolted upwards and a white blur appeared in the centre of the oak wood, bringing everyone to their feet to peer down at the table, the vision appearing.
‘That’s Mitch.’ Lancen gasped, leaning closer. ‘His father made him one of our personal guards just before I … left,’ she added quietly. ‘He’s in my sister’s bedchamber.’
Bear was only interested in seeing Scarlen. ‘Where is she?’
Scarlen walked into the vision. Her hair loose, her dress blue. She stood by the door to the veranda, staring out to the sea, then Mitch came up behind her.
‘You had a rough night,’ he said. ‘Are you sure you’re fine?’
‘Tired, but okay. You’ve been fussing all morning.’ Scarlen patted his arm with affection.
‘What do you remember about last night, Adoria?’
Her smile was small, then faded altogether as a wash of confusion came over her. ‘I went to bed. Didn’t I?’ She was frowning at him, but he was staring into her eyes as though searching for something.
‘May I ask you a strange question?’
Scarlen blew out a quiet laugh. ‘Now I’m intrigued. What do you want to ask?’
Mitch’s shoulders rose and fell. ‘What do you know of the prison Horstal?’
Her brows knitted, amused. ‘That is a strange question. Well, I know what everyone else knows. It’s a prison. Why? Do you know someone who has been sent there?’
He shook his head. ‘A friend of a friend, so I wondered if you had any information on the place.’
‘Sorry, but I don’t. I’m probably the last person who would know anything about our kingdom. It’s not as though I get out much.’
‘Have you been anywhere recently?’
Scarlen looked to the sea. ‘The beach.’
Bear huffed, his heart racing. ‘What’s going on?’
Lancen replied. ‘She’s had her memory taken, and Mitch knows. He’s trying to coax it back by using hints. I’ve seen it done before.’
The vision in the table disappeared in a snap, and Bear slammed his hand on the spot. ‘No. Bring it back.’
Elbar inhaled deeply, then closed her grimoire and clutched it to her chest. ‘I don’t have the energy.’
Wynter placed her arm around Bear, and he appreciated her effort to comfort him, but it had little effect on his thrumming heart. ‘It’s all right. We saw for ourselves she is well.’
