King Tristan was losing control, overwhelmed by all three of his children in danger. His captor was visibly annoyed by the king’s fidgeting. “Get your sister out of here, Rowan!”
“No!” Damien yelled again. “You’ll get us all killed!”
Rowan glanced down at where Evelyn clung to his arm. “What the fuck is happening, Evvy?”
“I’m so sorry,” Evelyn cried.
“I think this reunion has lasted long enough,” Haydn said. “Come here.”
Evelyn shook her head. “Don’t hurt him.”
Haydn cocked his head. “Everything is negotiable, love. But I’m less inclined to be generous when you refuse to follow simple directions.”
She made herself let go of Rowan and approached Haydn. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, then slid his fingers down her cheek and around her neck. His gentle touch smeared blood across Evelyn’s skin.
“My queen,” Haydn whispered lovingly. “Beautiful and fierce.”
Evelyn wanted to vomit on the monster in front of her, in addition to several more violent actions she had in mind.
The man who had been holding Hannah moved forward to restrain Rowan.
“Don’t fight him!” Damien warned.
Rowan fumed but allowed himself to be shoved to his knees next to Hannah. The captor pressed a sword to his throat much more aggressively than he had with the princess.
“You put the dead guards in the attic,” Damien said, his voice calm but firm. “You moved in and out with magic, like you did just now.”
“Yes. It’s also how I acquired gifts for Evelyn.” Haydn lifted the necklace out of her nightgown, and the locket shone with its usual gold and red light.
King Tristan let out an agonized cry. “That was Katrina’s!”
“And I had quite a bit of fun tearing your room apart to find it.”
Father received a report that someone had ransacked his bedroom in Carrowmore. It was Haydn searching for this necklace!
“And that’s also how you got into King Gerard’s room,” Damien added. “That’s how you were able to kill him without being seen.”
“Indeed.”
“How did you do it without waking Queen Camille?” Damien sounded genuinely curious.
Camille’s eyes brightened as fear pushed aside her anger.
“I had help with that, actually.” Haydn pivoted to Evelyn’s side and called out, “Time to say hello!”
Councilor Heinrich and his wife, Tasia, entered the ballroom. Heinrich’s expression was smug while Tasia smiled prettily, her blonde curls bouncing over her shoulders.
“What is this about?” Leo asked.
“Some of you already know that Tasia is from Velletri,” Haydn said. “She controls sleep and dreams. Camille slept through her husband’sbrutalmurder because Tasia kept her locked in a nightmare.”
Camille’s complexion soured and she swayed in place, leaning too close to the sword at her neck.
“Dreams?” Evelyn’s voice was barely a whisper, but it brought Haydn’s attention back to her.
“That’s how we were able to rip Leo out of your bed tonight without waking you,” he explained. Then he added in a low tone only she could hear, “And how I was able to fuck you in my library in Lochmatten.”
Bile rose in Evelyn’s throat.
