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“Go,” I murmur, nodding after Arlo.
She just stares at me.
“What? I know you want to go after him.”
She finally stands on shaky legs. There’s something she isn’t saying, but I don’t give her a chance. Instead, I move for the castle doors, letting her decide what to do.
I head back to my office, trying to shut out the events that just occurred, but the manifest for this morning’s shipment is missing, and as Alessia’s presence tugs at the edge of my consciousness, my frustration builds.
Maybe finding Garret and the manifest will get my mind off everything else for a while. I slip out into the corridors, nodding to the guards stationed at each corner. The night air is icy cold, the trees bending in the wind as I cross the inner courtyard. Patrols check in with quick salutes and nervous glances.
After checking his normal posts, I finally find Garret at the southern wall, lantern in hand, as he marks off a list on a battered clipboard. A bolt of lightning streaks the night sky, and he looks up as I approach, his expression tight.
The storm was predicted to move around the island, not cross over it, though after watching Alessia command the elements earlier, it makes me wonder if this weather could be a conjuring of hers. The black, twisting sky feels like the same storm that’s currently fighting for space inside our bond.
“Evening, sire. Patrols have reported in. There’s been no disturbances in the north quarter. We doubled the watch at the main port, as you ordered,” Garret says as he comes to a stop beside me.
“Good,” I say. My gaze sweeps the darkened docks. “And along the docks?”
“Extra men posted tonight. But—” Garret hesitates, lowering his voice. “We’ll need to organize another run to Purgatory Island for supplies.”
I frown. “Why? The supply ship should have arrived this morning.”
He lets out a heavy sigh. “We received a human messenger on a small fishing boat today . . .”
“And the message?”
“Draven intercepted our ship from Purgatory. He’s holding it hostage, my king. Word has traveled about the missing spies. He’s demanding access to search here for his men. I was about to come see you once I was done here.”
A string of curses burns my tongue. “How many of our men were on the supply ship?”
Garret’s mouth tightens. “Twelve, including the captain and three humans.”
I stare out over the dark water as the rain begins to pour, jaw clenched, the weight of a new complication settling on my shoulders. “Alert the guards posted at the docks. No one leaves, no one enters, not until I say. I will have to visit King Xavian to alert him.”
“Alert King Xavian of what?”
“That war is possible. Draven’s ships will have to pass through his waters to get to mine, and I want to know when that happens. Draven won’t simply fly over to attack. If he is going to declare war, it won’t be to get revenge over a few missing men. He wants my kingdom. ”
Garret nods, already moving to obey, and I turn back toward the castle, the night feeling sharper and far less forgiving.
Eagan tries to reach me again. The first attempt is easy to ignore, a gentle prod at the edges of my consciousness that I dismiss without thought.
By the third attempt, irritation replaces indifference. The mental pressure builds until it becomes impossible to focus on anything else, and I open the link just as I step back inside the castle.
“What!”
No answer. Just a pulse of urgency that makes my stomach tighten with concern.
I frown deeper. “Eagan, what is it?”
A flicker of something else bleeds through the link. Not words, not even complete thoughts, just an impression of inevitability, perhaps tinged with resignation. Or maybe it’s amusement. With Eagan, it can be difficult to tell.
The bond shifts abruptly, a pull so strong it makes me pause on the stairs leading back to my office.
By the time I reach my office door, I already know.
She’s here. Her presence is like heat against my skin, like electricity in the air before lightning strikes. The bond hums with satisfaction. I’ve been denying it for hours, and my hand hesitates on the door handle for just a moment before I push it open.
