Utter heartbreak flashed across Leo’s eyes before he blinked it away. “I need your help. I’m worried there may be something hidden, like with the four soldiers in the city. I need you to tell me what you see.”
Evelyn’s stomach lurched at the prospect of describing the king’s corpse to his son. “Okay.”
Leo led her closer to the river, but his eyes never left the ground. “Is there only one body?”
“Yes,” Evelyn said. “Just him.”
“Does he have any other injuries?”
Other than being impaled? Isn’t that enough?
“Um…” Evelyn took a few steps to the right side and then the left. “There’s blood on his head. But I can’t tell why. He’s too high up.”
“Is there anything else that stands out? What about on the ground or nearby?”
Evelyn glanced around. “No, everything else seems normal.”
General Savatier arrived then, obviously trying to maintain composure while observing the scene. He was a bit disheveled; his jacket wasn’t buttoned and his shoelaces had been hastily tied.
“Prince Alexander.” The general bowed. “Captain Fontaine filled me in. There’s no hint as to who did this?”
Leo shook his head, not making eye contact.
A guard ran out the front doors and bowed clumsily, catching his breath. “Sir, we’ve found something upstairs.”
“What is it?” General Savatier asked.
“Blood. In the king’s bedroom. There’s a lot of blood. And—” The guard gagged and held a hand over his mouth.
Leo rushed inside, General Savatier and Evelyn at his heels.
Gods, what could be worse than what’s already outside?
They hurried up to the fourth floor, then veered left and entered the king’s apartment at the end of the hall.
The bed was drenched in blood. Splatters of red painted the floor and walls. Two small spheres covered in gore sat together on the left side of the bed.
Holy fuck. Those are King Gerard’s eyes.
Leo stumbled out of the room and Evelyn heard vomit splash on the hallway’s marble floor. General Savatier stared at the bed in horror.
Evelyn’s attention moved to the dark wood headboard, and she gasped.
Leo reappeared. “What is it? Do you see something?”
“There’s another message,” Evelyn whispered. She wouldn’t take her eyes off the bloody words in case they vanished.
“Like the one you saw before?” the general asked.
“What does it say?” Leo put a hand on her shoulder.
“The kingdoms will fall,” Evelyn read.
Silence fell over the room. The scent of blood was overwhelming.
“Kingdoms,” Savatier repeated. “Plural?”
“Yes,” Evelyn said, trying not to cry.
