Damien made her wait in the hallway while he checked that nothing was amiss in her bedroom.
“So, how is your first day as a queen going?” he asked sarcastically after allowing Evelyn to enter.
“I thought it would be more exciting,” she quipped.
Damien pulled her into a tight hug. “I know you won’t relax, but try to rest. Leo will be here as soon as he can. Until then, you need to trust your guards to help you.”
“Of course.”
He drew back and held her shoulders. “I mean it, Evelyn. Simon told me they found you screaming in the attic, which is absolutely not where you should have been this morning.”
She huffed. “I’ve already heard that lecture from Leo.”
“And I’m saying it again because you are a stubborn brat. Rory and Simon can’t protect you if they don’t know there’s a problem. Ifanythingis even possibly wrong, you need to tellthem. I don’t care how little it seems. If you see a shadow in the corner or hear a rustle under your bed or you get a damn headache, tell them about it.”
“You’re making me paranoid.”
“Promise me, Evelyn. Or, gods help us, I will assign them to stand in this room with you instead of staying in the hallway.”
“I promise!”
Damien let out a breath and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll check on you later.”
Once he left the room, Evelyn retrieved her locket from her nightstand. Its familiar presence around her neck was comforting. Then she wandered to the window and watched the waves for a few minutes.
I’m home. I’m okay. I’m safe. Damien is here.
But my husband isn’t.
She tried closing her eyes, only to regret it when images of mutilated guards flooded her mind.
I should take a bath. Maybe that will make me feel better.
When Evelyn entered her bathroom, a heart-stopping scream erupted from her for the second time that day.
55
Move
Rory and Simon burst into Evelyn’s room at the sound of her screaming. They didn’t struggle to locate the source of her terror.
Another dead guard was lying in the bathtub, propped up in a sitting position. An eerie stare came through his cloudy pupils. Just like the others, his throat was slit and symbols were carved onto his bare chest.
No. This isn’t happening. Not here.
Evelyn’s whole body vibrated with panic, feeling as though she had been dropped into a half-frozen river and dragged out again.
Rory’s shock only held for a moment before he moved Evelyn into the hallway. He backed her against the wall and stood protectively in front of her, then yelled orders at the guards outside Hannah’s room.
“Evelyn,” Rory said with forced calm. “Did you see anyone? Did you hear anything?”
It took all of her focus to shake her head.
“Evelyn!” Damien shouted from down the hallway.
She heard his footsteps approach, but she couldn’t meet his gaze.
Those eyes.
