Page 59
The guard nods, and I don’t miss the way his hands tremble at his sides. How long will it take before my father’s legacy no longer precedes me?
When I turn to make my way to the guest wing, there’s a messenger waiting for me, looking just as nervous to be in the way.
He should be. I’m impatient to get to Mylah. Nervous about her being alone after this. I don’t want her to think I’ve left her alone out of callousness.
“What is it?” I bark, a little too loudly.
The messenger blanches, swallows, and says, “Sir. You are needed in the urgently in the throne room.”
It’s the third time I’ve heard that word today, and I am really, really starting to fucking hate it.
***
Kellen is a flutter in the throne room. The other advisers stand against the wall, like always, but this time, my sister is sitting on one side of the table, her arms crossed, her expression stony.
“What is it?” I ask, still carrying the plate of food in my hand. Scowling, I set it down on the table.
“Sir—” Kellen starts, but I hold a hand up to him despite the fact that I just asked him to speak.
Turning to a servant in the doorway, I order, “Bring breakfast to the captive omega in the guest quarters.” The maid nods once, turns to leave, but before she does, I add, “And the entire collection on Kault settlement from the library. And anything else she asks for.”
The maid gives me a confused look, but nods again anyway, and turns quickly to complete her tasks.
“What is it?” I ask again, turning back into the room. “What’s going on?”
“Sir,” Kellen says, his voice low and hard. It’s not often he speaks like this. “We need to discuss this business with your sister.”
“I am sitting right here,” Aurora mutters.
“What business?” I ask, remembering only just after that my sister was kidnapped that night, too. Fucking hell—being with Mylah has made me forget everything. “Sorry.” The advisers look shocked to see me apologizing to an omega, even though she is my sister. I ignore them and sit across from her, giving her my full attention. “Are you okay? Are you ready to talk about what happened?”
Aurora’s face goes a little sideways, confusion peeking in, and Kellen nearly bursts out, “
“The omegas were not taken that night! They left on their own—Aurora here found a way for them to get out while avoiding notice by the regular patrol.”
First confusion. Then, slowly, a slight fury starts to rise within me. I turn to look at my sister, almost not believing it. “And why would she do that?”
Kellen shifts on his feet, a sheen of green over his face. “She designed it to take the other omega for an illegal operation.”
Illegal operation.
That explains the stirrups, the filthy doctor’s coat on the man I killed.
“Aurora. What is he talking about?”
She stares defiantly past me. I slam my fist on the table a little harder than I mean to. “Look at me when I’m talking to you!”
Aurora shifts her gaze back to mine, though because she wanted to or because I compelled her, I’m not sure. Her voice is dripping angry sarcasm. “Big strong Alpha king. We get it!”
“Aurora. Did you do it?”
She just stares at me. Not denying is enough of an admission.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” I seethe, standing and pressing my hands against the table. “You could have gotten Mylah killed!”“…Mylah?” Aurora asks, tipping her head, as though thinking for a moment. “Oh—your omega captive? The woman you’ve kept locked up in the guest quarters? Is that who you’re talking about?”
I grit my teeth, raise my gaze to the advisers behind her. Aurora is smart. She knows exactly what game she’s playing at here.
But what she doesn’t know is that I don’t care anymore. I’m going to claim Mylah anyway, just as soon as I can talk to Noemi.
