Asmo’s foot twitches against mine. “She is with her mate. I understand my brother is…dishonorable, but her mate is the safest place for her right now. There is no earthly way he would hurt her. His only instinct is to protect her.”
“Maybe physically, but who’s to say he can’t hurt her emotionally?” Holly whispers. “From the scout’s reports, she was barely hanging on. What will he do to her when they’re alone?”
I don’t let the question take hold. “Is there anything we can do to find where she is?” I ask the group.
“I’ll increase the number of scouts we have on patrol, but I’m not sure how helpful that will be,” Etta says. “There’s a lot of land to cover and only so much time. They could be anywhere.”
I turn to Asmo. “Where do you think he’d go?”
He rubs the back of his neck with a frown. “He would want to take her somewhere safe. There’s one place I can think of, but it’s in our court, so I don’t think he would go there. Not with her, at least.”
“It’s worth a shot,” I say.
He nods his head silently, slowly, then stands. “Let’s go.” He offers me his hand, and we leave the too-quiet room behind.
Outside, stars freckle the night sky, white and bright. “Where are we going?” I ask Asmo.
He tears his gaze from the sky above and looks at me, his eyes softening as he does, as if looking upon me is even greater than looking at the stars. “I’m taking you to the place I used to call home.”
The entrance to Squall’s End fades away. The sky grows darker, but the air grows drier, warmer. The wind dies, and Asmo turns me in his arms.
“Welcome to the City of Sand.”
We stand on a cliff overlooking a small city, buildings hewn from clay and stone scattered throughout the small metropolis. The smell of sand and dirt is a far cry from the scent of pine that permeates the High Court.
In the distance, an angry ocean beats against the outcropping of tan rock. Asmo points to a building that spans the cliffside.
“The Vasuki manor.”
Walls of glass overlook the vast expanse of the Sitani Sea. The manor looks intimidating, and my stomach clenches. “Do you think it’s a good idea to visit right now?” I manage to ask.
He squeezes me tightly. “We’re not going there. Not right now. Come on.” He motions me away from the edge of the cliff. Behind us, an entrance to a cave looms, dark and ominous.
Asmo stands at the entrance, one ear tilted toward the interior. No sound comes from the cave. Just darkness that threatens to swallow us whole. He waves his hand, and tiny, controlled balls of flames vanish inside, settling along the walls and lighting the path forward. The air inside is stale, as if nobody has set foot inside for years. After several minutes of walking, the cave comes to a dead end. Asmo’s shoulders drop. He turns to me with a somber expression.
“They’re not here,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair.
The cave is mostly empty, save for a couple of dusty blankets and a wooden box. “What is this place?”
His smile is sad. “This used to be our hiding spot as kids. We always came here to escape Mother and Father. They have no clue it exists, so I thought maybe it would be his safe space to take Elle.”
Well, now I feel like a piece of shit thinking about the privileged Serpent twins in their glass house on the sea, who had to come to this empty, desolate cave to escape their parents. Although Willa—Cora—betrayed me, at leastI had a safe home.
“It’s…”
Asmo snorts. “Yeah, it’s bare.”
“Did you used to bring girls back here?” I ask, eyeing the dusty blankets.
“Is that what you’re thinking about, princess? Me with other females?” He raises an eyebrow suggestively. “Because I’d love to tell you all the ways I’ve pictured you with other males. But, another time.”
My cheeks flame. He grabs my hand with a chuckle and leads me from the cave, summoning wind to douse each lantern that flickers with his black flames. His suggestive comment replays in my head, but I don’t bring it back up. It’s absolutely not the time to think about me, him, and certain other High Princes. In bed. I make a mental note to bring this up later, maybe when I’m back on the throne. If I ever make it there.
“Az?” I whisper.
He squeezes my hand. “Hm?”
“What do we do if we can’t find them?”
