Serpenti

by Brooke Sivendra

  She inhaled a shuddered breath. “How is the Queen doing?” she asked, then quickly added, “Sorry, I’m probably not supposed to ask.”

  “Thank you for asking,” Asher said, keeping himself calm. “She’s stable, and she’s fighting. The doctors tell me that’s more than I could ask for at this stage, but I just want her to wake up.”

  Mrs. Stevens gave a sad smile and then blinked, like she was far away. “My husband did say something strange last night. I didn’t think much of it until just now. He said, ‘Santina is bleeding from the artery.’ I assumed he meant because of the war—you know, that we’re surrounded by war, and there are talks of you going to war with whoever killed your father. I’m sure you know this . . .” she rambled, her voice trailing off.

  Asher didn’t know what to make of Mrs. Stevens. She seemed nervous and uncomfortable, but he was hyperaware that she was traumatized and would not be herself today—and wouldn’t be for possibly many months, or years, if her husband didn’t return. Having the King standing in her home surely wasn’t helping matters.

  “What did he say?” Jesse asked as he approached them.

  “Santina is bleeding from the artery,” she repeated hoarsely.

  “Okay,” Jesse said calmly, but Asher saw something in his eyes. A flicker of something, but then it was gone. “Mrs. Stevens, I’d like to arrange for a team to come over and search your husband’s office. I want to make sure we don’t miss any clues that will help us find the men who did this, and find your husband.”

  “Sure, whatever you need,” she said.

  Jesse looked to his watch. “Can you pack a bag now? I’d like to take you to a hotel. I don’t want you to stay here alone.”

  A tear ran down her cheek. “I suppose. Yes, I can,” she said, turning away from them and heading up the stairs.

  Jesse pulled out his phone and walked back into the office. He spoke quietly but Asher heard him organize the hotel reservation.

  “What does bleeding from the artery mean?” Asher asked quietly.

  Jesse’s eyes darted to the hallway then back to Asher. “It’s a phrase our military uses when the source of danger is coming from a source close to home. In the case of Santina, it would mean the danger to Santina is coming from a Santinian.”

  Asher narrowed his eyes.

  Alistair.

  “Don’t we know this already?” Asher asked slowly.

  Jesse looked into his eyes. “Yes, but the colonel shouldn’t have.”

  Asher paused. Of course the colonel shouldn’t have—surprise had flickered in Jesse’s eyes, and not because of the phrase, but because someone else knew. What else had the colonel known?

  “Right,” Asher said, looking over the office again. “Do you think they found what they were looking for?”

  “No. I don’t think they did . . . If they had, she would be dead,” Jesse said.

  Asher’s eyes widened. “What?” he asked, a hushed whisper.

  “They were interrupted by something,” Jesse said. “Half this room has been searched carefully—items crooked and out of place. The other half is a mess—items strewn all over the floor and cabinets. My guess is that they would’ve interrogated Mrs. Stevens next, but for some reason they didn’t have a chance. If luck is on our side, we might find what they were looking for.”

  Asher felt like his luck had run out long ago.

  Abi

  Abi stared into his bottomless black eyes. Even through the television screen they appeared bottomless—like a deep well. It was unnerving, and she was sure he used that to his advantage when he wanted to.

  Rachel and Lenna were sitting on either side of her, and Daniel was sitting beside Rachel. Her eyes landed on the crystal clock on the desk—the King’s desk.

  “We’re going to show you a series of photographs. Please let us know if you recognize any of them,” the cute-looking man with glasses said. He’d been introduced as Samuel, but Abi didn’t think he looked like one.

  “Henry Walter,” Abi, Rachel and Daniel said in unison.

  Samuel nodded.

  The next image flashed on the screen and Abi’s teeth ground against one another. “That’s my doorman, occasionally,” Rachel said.

  “He was a guard at my cell in Adani,” Abi said.

  Samuel nodded again.

  A third image flashed. It was the guard who had sat inside the cell with Abi.

  The same pattern continued as the faces of another ten or so men flashed onto the screen.

  Abi felt eyes watching her, and noticed both James and Samuel were eyeing her carefully.

  “Does this man look familiar?” James asked.

  Abi took another look.

  “No. Who is he?” Abi asked, searching through her mind for a name, but there was nothing familiar about him.

  “Lamberi,” James said.

  Abi’s jaw fell open. IFRT had never been able to find an image of him. How had they found it so quickly?

  “Are you sure?” Abi asked. “He’s impossible to find.”

  “We’re sure,” Samuel said. “We don’t know where he is, but this is him.”

  “Huh,” Rachel said under her breath beside Abi. “He looks so . . . normal,” she eventually said.

  Abi had to admit he didn’t look like the monster she’d envisioned, either. But that was the thing about dangerous people—sometimes they looked as gentle as kittens.

  “How did you find him?” Abi asked. “We’ve been trying to source an image of him for years.”

  Samuel cleared his throat. “We have access to some databases that you don’t. While we have an image of him, his location is a different matter. We were able to track his whereabouts until two days ago. He hasn’t resurfaced since.”

  “Where was he?” Abi asked.

  “Visiting Henry Walter,” James said. “Henry was found dead a few hours later.” He smirked. “Sometimes criminals do us favors.”

  James continued. “But what concerns us is this: our early intelligence suggests Henry Walter was the man behind your kidnapping. So, Lamberi killing someone who works for the Adani officials tells us that he is not afraid—and that he is furious that you escaped. We’re very concerned about just how furious he is.”

  “This isn’t a surprise,” Abi said. “These men are not used to having things taken from them. They do the taking, not the other way around.”

  James nodded. “Exactly. And he is going to try to take back what he considers to be his.”

  Silence fell over the room. James’s words didn’t surprise her—she’d known it was a high possibility that Lamberi would retaliate—but the conviction in his voice was undeniable. He spoke as if it were as inevitable as the sun rising tomorrow.

  “What do you want me to do?” Abi asked. “I won’t sit around and wait for him to attempt to take me or retaliate against Santina as punishment.”

  James sighed softly, crossing his arms. “At this stage, the best thing we can do is keep you safe and hidden in the palace. If he enters Santina, we need to make a plan. Until then, the best thing we can do is strengthen security and continue to collect intelligence.”

  “Do you think he will retaliate against Santina?” Abi asked, watching them carefully, but their faces revealed nothing.

  “Anything is possible,” James said, “but ultimately his focus will be on you.”

  “And Asher,” Abi said, speaking the words James hadn’t said. “They all referenced me as ‘Asher’s girlfriend.’ I don’t want Asher to pay the price for this mess.”

  James chewed on his cheek and seemed to be choosing his words. “Abi, what happens next is not your fault. Your captivity aside, the Kingdom of Santina has grave issues. While I don’t like the fact that you were taken hostage on the same day as Asher’s coronation service—I don’t like coincidences—we can’t, at this stage, determine that they are connected other than you being mentioned as Asher’s girlfriend. Your business is risky, and it’s possible that IFRT did something to infuriate
Lamberi and he organized this as retaliation against IFRT. Sure, Adani officials are involved, but we don’t know why. Did orders come from their king, or has Lamberi infiltrated the government officials? Until we have the answers to these questions, we sit on our hands. I know you won’t like this, but if you want to make things as easy for Asher as possible, do what we tell you: stay in the palace. Don’t communicate except via the cell phone Jesse gave you. Don’t access your email.” He gave an odd smile. “Actually, we’ve blocked you from your email, so you can’t be tempted to make that mistake.”

  Abi’s jaw fell open. She wasn’t exactly sure what was on her face, but James seemed to expect it.

  “If you make one wrong move, it’s very possible you’ll end up in Lamberi’s arms and Asher will pay for protecting you. Everything we’re doing is in your best interest, and Asher’s. We’re not going to ask for your approval, as that’s not how we work. I don’t think you’ll like—actually, I know you won’t like—how little control you have. But this is the way we work, and it’s why we’re successful.”

  Abi nodded reluctantly, but her mind was still reeling with ways she could help. She couldn’t act on anything, but maybe she could suggest ideas and work with them.

  “Lenna,” Samuel said softly. “Do you know this man?”

  Lenna inhaled as her jaw dropped open. Her eyes doubled in size and she began to shake.

  Abi looked to the screen, holding her palm out as if to give them a minute.

  “Lenna, look at me,” Abi said.

  The girl shook her head.

  “Lenna, it’s okay. That man can’t hurt you, but I need you to tell me who he is.”

  “He no hurt me,” she said quietly. “He . . . my . . . father.”

  Abi’s head snapped back to the screen. How in the world . . . “Why are you showing her that?” Abi asked not hiding her anger. She was shocked they’d been able to find out who Lenna was and obtain a picture of her father so quickly, and she hardly understood why they would show that to a young girl who had been ripped from everything she’d ever known.

  “We needed to see Lenna’s reaction,” James said without a hint of apology.

  “For what?” Abi demanded.

  “Because we need to make sure King Asher stays alive,” James said, matter-of-factly. “That means that everyone, you included, is being researched and monitored. I won’t apologize for this, Abi. Much is at stake, and this is our job.”

  Abi raised her eyebrows. “I’m not asking you to apologize, but perhaps think about the delivery next time. Lenna was brutally taken from her world and now you flash an image of someone she has only seen in her dreams in front of her and—”

  James nodded and held out his palm as if stopping traffic. “It was a test and there was no other way, because it’s very hard to test people if they’re prepared. It was necessary,” he said, gently but firmly.

  Abi’s jaw jutted out. “What did you learn from your test?”

  “That it’s been a long time since Lenna has seen her family,” James said evenly, but there was much more in his eyes.

  Samuel said something under his breath, but Abi didn’t catch what it was, and then James nodded. “We’re finished for today. Thank you for your time,” he said, looking at Abi with careful eyes.

  The screen went blank.

  Abi sighed and returned her attention to Lenna. “Are you okay?”

  “Is he alive?” she asked in a voice that indicated she only wanted to hear one answer.

  “I don’t know,” Abi said. “If he is, we’ll find him.”

  She hesitated before nodding. Abi understood: home was not the place Lenna remembered. War changed everything, and if Lenna went home, she would be forced to face the wreckage of her family. Sometimes it was easier to live in denial.

  “I’ll speak to them and we’ll get more information,” Abi said. “Then we’ll make a plan.” Abi didn’t want to make any promises yet because she knew she had to be very careful right now, but if Lenna wanted to go home, Abi would make that possible at the earliest opportunity.

  Rachel put a hand on Lenna’s shoulder. “But for now, you’re late for class,” she said with a wink.

  Lenna smiled and her big eyes shone. “Sorry, Miss Rachel.” She stood and moved toward the door.

  Rachel stepped forward, carefully pulling Abi in for a hug. “We have a lunch date, don’t forget.”

  “Of course. I’ll check in with Asher and then maybe join you and Lenna before lunch,” Abi said.

  “How’s he holding up?” Rachel asked quietly.

  “Actually, better than I expected,” Abi admitted. The man she’d seen last night sounded nothing like the man she’d spoken with after Noah’s death. Abi knew he’d had some time to process Noah’s and his father’s deaths, but only a few days. The pain was still raw—and would be for a long time—but Asher was coping.

  The corner of Rachel’s lips turned up. “That’s our king,” she said. Her eyes darted behind Abi and Rachel’s cheeks tinged pink.

  “What about the King?” a voice asked behind Abi.

  Abi smiled, turning to face Asher.

  “Nothing, Your Majesty,” Rachel said with a slight giggle before she excused herself.

  “Were you talking about me?” Asher asked with a smile as he strode toward her.

  Abi put on her poker face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Your Majesty.”

  Asher chuckled as he cupped her face and placed a quick kiss on her lips. “How did the meeting go?”

  Abi didn’t know where to begin. “Good. I think.” Her eyes darted toward the screen, wondering if they were somehow still watching her. “They know things, Asher. The men who held me captive, a photo of Lamberi, Lenna’s father . . . It’s crazy how much intelligence they’ve been able to gather already. And it’s all accurate.”

  Asher nodded slowly. “That’s why they’ve been hired. Jesse assured me they’re the best in the world.”

  “Based on that meeting, I’m not doubting that statement,” Abi said.

  Asher’s stomach rumbled. “I need to eat. I couldn’t stomach anything this morning.”

  Abi nodded. “Can we eat outside? I need some fresh air. I’ve never been in one building for so long; although, this is like a complex of interconnected buildings, so I suppose it doesn’t really count.”

  Abi positioned her crutches and took a step forward. Asher walked patiently beside her.

  “How is your ankle this morning?” he asked.

  “Better, actually. Hopefully I’ll be off these things tomorrow. The doctor came to dress my back and was pleased—the wounds are showing no signs of infection,” Abi said.

  She let Asher take the lead. She had no idea where they were going, but in that moment she realized this was their future. She would let him lead, and she would trust him even when their destination was uncertain. That didn’t mean she would be a wallflower, though. Regardless of any title she carried, she would always be Abigail Bennett at her core.

  “This is my mother’s favorite garden,” Asher said as he led them to an outdoor setting. It was a reflection of everything that was Santina: a slice of modern in a traditional world.

  “How many gardens does she have?” Abi asked.

  Asher chuckled. “I mean, this piece of garden. They’re all one garden, I suppose. In spring, before the heat of summer became too strong, my parents ate breakfast here every morning.”

  Abi stole a sideways glance. Asher’s eyes were raw with pain, and then he shook his head slightly, as if shaking the memories from his mind.

  A palace servant arrived carrying a tray of coffee and sweets.

  Abi leaned her crutches against the white outdoor sectional and sat down. Asher sat beside her, stretching his legs.

  “How did this morning go?” Abi asked gently.

  Asher shook his head. “As well as it could’ve. I think Colonel Stevens knew something about the people who murdered my father.”

  �
�Has his house been searched?” Abi asked.

  “The new security team is there now, but I’m worried he took it to the grave,” Asher said, pouring two cups of coffee.

  “Well, if there’s something there, I’m sure they’ll find it,” Abi said, thinking of the meeting she’d just had.

  Asher lifted her chin and brought his lips to hers. He moaned as she ran her tongue over his.

  He smirked. “God help you when your back is healed.”

  Abi laughed. “Is that a threat?”

  He looked at her with heated eyes. “Don’t encourage me, Abi. My self-control is still replenishing after last night.”

  He ran his fingers through her hair and little bumps spread over her skin. In that moment, they were just Asher and Abi, and she loved it.

  A spread of food arrived and Abi salivated at the plates of eggs, fruit and muffins. “Is this how you eat every day?”

  Asher gave her an odd look. “Like a hotel buffet? No. I just thought that after everything that’s happened it would be nice to have a quiet breakfast together. Don’t get used to this,” he said with a chuckle. “When I said my parents had breakfast here every morning, that usually consisted of coffee, toast, and a newspaper.”

  “Your father read the paper every day?” Abi asked. She wondered why. Media reports were often critical of the royal family, and they were also biased and could be untrue. Why would the King subject himself to that every morning?

  Asher nodded. “He said that regardless of whether the news reports were accurate, he needed to know what was being said so that he could understand Santina’s views.”

  Abi chewed on her lip. “I don’t know, it sounds a bit like torture to me,” she said as Jesse emerged from the garden.

  “Ash, your mother is awake. She’s asking for you,” Jesse said.

  Asher

  Asher strode through the hospital hallway, almost running.

  Security guarded the entire wing, and as Asher looked over their faces, he recognized none of them. They stepped aside as he approached the door.

  “Your Majesty,” one said with a nod.

  Asher nodded in return, but he didn’t care for pleasantries right now. He wanted to see his mother.