“Yes, it is.” Killian gave a mock bow. “Appreciate you taking the time to speak with me, Healer.”
Hokda only rolled his eyes and shooed Killian away.
CHAPTER TWELVE
FOR DAYS, KILLIAN had poured over any information he could collect on Fayren: his habits, his interests, and his relationships. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
Fayren lived a truly mundane and boring life.
He’d looked into what Hokda had told him previously, going over statements and records from all of Hokda’s apprentices. None held anything that would rouse suspicion.
Loran sighed and slid down on the sofa in Killian’s office, the document he was holding held up above his head, his feet kicked up and propped against the wall.
They’d found nothing—nothing—that could tie Fayren’s actions back to anyone in the palace. His friends and fellow kitchen staff claimed they’d noticed nothing out of the ordinary, Fayren did as Fayren always had.
Useless.
The sun sank quickly in the sky, night came earlier with the change of the season. Netyere would never truly get cold, neither in autumn nor winter as they sat on the horizon, stuck in a perpetual cycle of a long spring and then a long summer.
Warm as it was, evening patrols were often accompanied by drizzling rain or a light mist in the air. Killian never minded it,he’d always enjoyed the rain.
A knock sounded at the door and Dantel stepped through. He was twitching, a bead of sweat on his brow. “Captain. Lieutenant.”
Killian put down his scroll. “Dantel, this is unexpected.” Then, “What’s wrong with you?”
Dantel cleared his throat and spoke slowly. “You have a visitor. At the palace gates. Said it’s urgent.”
“I don’t take visitors, you know that. Send them away.”
“I tried, but…” Dantel’s face pinched. “But…”
“But what? Spit it out.”
“He said his name is Kade. And that you’d know him because he’s your…brother.”
A scroll clattered to the floor. Loran scrambled upright, his mouth open in shock. “Brother?You have a brother?”
Forcing himself to not react, Killian stayed seated. He fixed his face into one of cool indifference. “You’re sure that’s what he said?”
Dantel nodded. “Yes.”
Killian swallowed. “Lead the way.”
Stopping at the door, Killian pushed against Loran’s chest, blocking the lieutenant from squeezing past. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m coming with you, obviously. There’s no way I’m going to miss this. I didn’t even know you had a brother! Since when have you had a brother?”
“Since he was born,” deadpanned Killian. “No. No, I need you to stay here. If it really is my brother, I’ll need you to take my duties for the night.” He ignored the way Loran groaned. “I may need some time, something could be wrong.”
“I could help!”
Killian lowered his voice. “Thisis how you can help me. I’ll introduce you to him later.”
Giving, Loran grouched, “Fine.”
Killian’s arms were crossed tight across his chest as he stared Kade down like a prisoner.
”I sold the vineyard,” Kade confessed quietly. He twisted his hands together. “The house. It’s gone. It’s all gone.”
