The surgeon paled, then immediately set to work.
She moved to the corner where Ronan stood with the captain and the small cage that contained their imposter.
The captain took her blood-soaked hand and placed a respectful kiss across her knuckles. “I’m his cousin, Rob. Pleased to meet you, my lady.”
“Princess,” Ronan corrected.
That caught his attention. “Really?”
“Technically,” she corrected. “Members of my family are less than thrilled that I hold the title.”
“Understood.” Rob kept his gaze locked on the surgeon. “Should we summon his sister and brother?”
Ronan passed a frown toward her before he answered. “I’m assuming you mean Candara and Masakage. I don’t think any of the others would care.”
Again, she was puzzled by that. “Exactly how many siblings does he have?”
Ronan shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t really know. Do you?” he asked Rob.
He duplicated the shrug. “At least a dozen half-siblings from his father, but I don’t know if we know all of them or not. With his mother…no telling. Not even sure if he knows them all.”
Wow. Her mother had four children. Her three half-brothers were centaurs from various fathers who were no longer living because the queen had grown tired of them.
Ferox was the heir, but to be honest, she wasn’t even sure if he was still alive given his screw up with King Dash where he’d been captured.
Her mother had been so angry over it that Ferox was persona non grata at court and anyone who mentioned his name risked a homicidal rage from Meara.
Then again, she risked a homicidal rage from her mother for nothing more than entering a room at an inopportune moment.
As did most beings.
“What are we going to do with that one?” She jerked her chin toward the mouse in the cage. “He’s holding Masakage. Or killed him.”
The color faded from Ronan’s cheeks at those words.
Then a dark fury descended over his face. He met Rob’s gaze. “There a place I can freely interrogate the bastard?”
Rob nodded slowly. “Let’s string him up and see what we can learn.”
Gisela took a moment to step near the surgeon again. “Remember…life for a life. Don’t let us down.”
He nodded as he continued to close the wounds. “He will live.”
Xaydin better. Because the one thing she was best at…ending lives. And those were ones she didn’t have a personal grudge against.
One who harmed someone she cared about…
The surgeon would meet with an awful ending.
16
Candara froze as she heard a voice beside her. At first, it was a quiet whisper that was barely audible.
Then it became louder as she focused on the accented voice she knew so well.
Masakage.
It wasn’t like him to reach out to her like this. They normally conversed through mirrors and even then, rarely.
