Page 96 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown

“Who are they?” I ask. “Why were they talking to you? Why didn’t they kill you guys as well?”

Flynn shakes his head and points at me. “You need to be careful. You need to be extremely careful with what you do and what you say. Promise me.”

“Be careful with what?” I draw my head back and look at him like he’s crazy. “You aren’t making any sense. What is going on? How did my father really die? Why are you telling me to be careful?”

Flynn grabs hold of my hands and gives them a little squeeze. He looks around the room before his eyes settle on me again. “The prince. Be careful around the prince and what you do and say. Promise me that.”

“I promise,” I reply.

I already am careful around him. I don’t trust Prince Archie and anything he does or says. I get the same feeling I get around my sister, and it’s not a good one.

“What happened to my father?” I ask. “It wasn’t an accident, was it.”

He shakes his head. “It wasn’t. The prince had him murdered and made it look like an accident.”

Tears pool in my eyes at those words. I would have never questioned Flynn if it weren’t for Kieran telling me to. How did he know?

“The prince showed up out of nowhere and told us not to say a thing about it being murder,” Flynn explains. “You need to go before they discover you know he was murdered. They are watching me. I don’t want any of us to end up dead. Be safe.”

I stand, not knowing what to do next. What can I do? Prince Archie is powerful, and I am just a commoner. I hold no power anywhere. Flynn pulls me into a short hug before walking me to the door.

“Thank you,” I mutter, not knowing if I really feel grateful.

I don’t dare look around the town as I walk back to the house. What if the prince is looking at me right now, wondering what I’ve learned in that house? I don’t want to give anything away.

The closer I get to the house, the more I start to feel the tugging in my stomach.

Kieran.

Wrapping my arm around my stomach, I don’t look up to meet his eyes. I don’t want to get him into any more trouble.

I stop in front of my house and take a deep breath. I desperately want to look back at Kieran, tell him everything he said was right, but I push open the door, closing it behind me.

CHAPTER 27

“What are you going to do?” Skylar asks.

I shrug. There is nothing I can do. The prince made it clear I am not to go hunting or else there will be other consequences. I didn’t think Prince Archie was serious, but I should have known better. I should have paid attention and not done anything foolish.

Maybe then my father would still be alive.

“It isn’t your fault,” Skylar whispers, placing a hand on my shoulder.

We’re sitting at the same picnic table where the prince told me not to learn anything. I didn’t think he was going to kill my father. Maybe make it to where no one would buy from him or us.

“But isn’t it?” I ask. “I knew and yet I was still learning. How could he have found out? I was so careful when I left to go to the forest to practice. I made sure no one was following me.”

Skylar shrugs and looks away. It doesn’t make any sense. The only people who knew were Kieran, my father, Skylar, and Mother. Those were the only people who knew and I know none of them told the prince what was happening. They wouldn’t have done that.

“It wasn’t your fault. I probably would have done the same thing,” Skylar says. “We aren’t going to let men tell us what to do.”

“Right.” I scoff. “If the men were ordinary, but Prince Archie isn’t ordinary. He’s the prince, and I can’t do anything against him. You know that, and I know that. Everyone does.”

“But maybe you should put him in his place. The prince has to know he can’t get his way every single time,” Skylar points out.

I look at Skylar like she’s grown two heads. “You can’t be serious?”

She looks at me, confused. “What do you mean? Of course I am. I think it would be good for Prince Archie to know that he can’t get everything he wants in life. You should show him that.”