by Willow Aster
“Then if we find out Farthing is behind Jadon’s murder attempt, we will be placing blame on you as well.” Luka stands up and walks to the door and knocks for it to be opened. “We’re wasting our time, Jadon. My father wants to rot in here.”
I lean down and get in Catano’s face. “It’s a shame. You’ve aged so much in here. You used to be almost as handsome as your son. Now you look like a shell of that man. Old, shriveled up. Hate will do that to a person. I hope you’re as miserable in here as you fucking deserve.” I grin when he snarls at me and stand up straight.
The guard lets us out and Luka slams his hand against the wall. He turns to the guard and his lip curls as he corners him. “You let me know every guest my father has, every questionable conversation he has, every time he fucking pisses wrong. Am I clear? This is a matter of life and death.”
“Yes, sir.”
Luka backs off, somewhat mollified, and we continue down the hall. As we go out the same door we came in, the sound of an incoming boat gets louder.
“How many people come in through this entrance to see my father?”
“No one has but you since I’ve worked here,” the guard says. “I’ll look at the log.”
Luka motions for me to step in the alcove just out of view as we watch the boat dock and a tall, imposing figure gets out.
When he gets closer, I’m glad we’re hidden because I’d be tempted to strike now, before it’s time. He goes inside and Luka and I look at each other.
“That’s all the fucking confirmation I needed,” I tell him. “What could Caulder Farthing possibly want with your father if they’re not working together?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jadon
Basile and I fly back to Farrow after having dinner with Luka and Eden. All of us are troubled by Caulder showing up at the prison. As much as Luka distrusts his father, to know he outright lied to him yet again, does a number on him. It’s a constant boulder going up to guard your heart when you realize your parents are not who you thought they were. There’s something innate in us that wants to believe in our parents at all costs. I think about my conversation with Kathryn and wonder if I’m crazy to believe her apology.
Luka apologized again and again as he said goodbye and I tried to assure him just as many times that I do not hold him responsible for his father’s sins.
Basile and I sit across from each other and I put my hand over my glass when he tries to pour a second glass of wine.
“Suit yourself,” he says.
“We have to get her out of there.” My teeth are gritted and I look out the window without seeing anything at all.
“I assume you’re talking about the beautiful princess,” Basile says dryly. “Jadon, you are one of the wisest kings I’ve been around; it would be a shame to see you lose your head over a woman.”
“Too late.”
It’s the middle of the night when we get home and I don’t stop to calculate the time difference to Ava. I send her a picture of Caulder.
Did you ever see this man when you were kidnapped?
Ava: No, but I know they weren’t working alone. Who is that?
Nephew to Vance Farthing. He paid Titus Catano a visit today.
Ava: Oh shit. Is that proof enough that he was also behind Father’s murder?
It’s proof enough for me. I know in my gut that he’s behind the attempt on my life. What I don’t know is if the king is behind this or if Caulder is working on his own.
I pause for a moment when the clock clangs four times. Star looks up at me from the foot of the bed and then nestles deeper into the covers. She’s taken to sleeping on the bed with me and I can’t say I mind it.
What are you doing awake?
Ava: You needed me.
I put my head in my hands and exhale the stress of the day.
I love you. We can talk again tomorrow. Sleep. I don’t want you worrying about any of this.
Ava: I always worry about you. It’s hard not being with you right now.
I would be a wreck if you were. The thought that you’re safe and having fun—you are still having fun, right? Gentry is treating you well?
Ava: He treats me like a queen. :) The kind of queen I WANT to be.
Nothing could make me happier. Night, little one. I love you.
Ava: Love you.
Sleep is hard to come by, but I get a little bit after talking with Ava. She has a way of calming me. I miss her every day, but knowing she’s safe is everything. When she was missing, I lived in a constant nightmare.
Pretty much how I feel now with Delilah across the kingdoms in enemy territory. I wonder if she has any idea of how dangerous Caulder is. And I’m not going to rest until I know if Vance is calling the shots or if it’s Caulder…because if it’s Caulder, I’m a lot more concerned for Delilah. With Vance, I at least think he’s going to fight for his life and hers…
Caulder is a wild card who might stop at nothing to become king.
Holy shit. This just gets worse.
I call for Basile to come to the office and when he sits down, he looks more exhausted than I do.
“You okay?” I ask.
He shrugs.
“I’ve never seen you without your—” I wave my hand toward him “—devil-may-care attitude…what’s going on?”
“I can’t reach Chelsea. I don’t know if she thought I was never coming back or if I didn’t call enough…I have been terrible about keeping in touch…but surely she knows I haven’t stopped lo—” He stops and looks at me with wide eyes. He holds out his hands and shakes them. “Enough of that. There’s a good reason I am still single. Women fuck with your mind,” he says, sneering. “I was good to her and she just up and disappears.” He gets up and walks to the window, looking desolate. “What did you need to see me about?”
“Well, I think you should definitely find her, put your mind at ease. She’s welcome to come here, if you’re missing her this much.”
He waves his hand. “I don’t need to think about her right now. We have more important matters to tend to.”
I chuckle and he groans. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
“About as bad as you do for that white-haired princess. We’re a mess.”
“I’m worried about her. The guard on her doesn’t have access to her full-time and it’s driving me crazy not knowing what’s going on. She’s silent…not that I expected her to reach out, but…”
“You hoped,” Basile finishes for me.
“I hoped.” I sigh and smooth a few papers on my desk just to keep my hands busy. “I’ve decided to go to the Sea of Caninsula today. I received a message earlier that King Shua is wanting to strike over his father’s death. There’s been an outcry over Otto and I need to see what I can do to temper that…as you know, my heart is always for peace. But it’s only a matter of time before it’s beyond that. And I’d like to get Delilah out before that happens…”
“If you get Delilah out now, there’s sure to be a war. Who will they hit next? We have to be ready,” Basile says.
“I agree. Which is why at least fifty kings will be meeting with me later this evening in Caninsula. We’ll be discussing strategy and a timeline. Can I trust you to take care of things here while I’m gone?”
“I swear on all that is holy, you can trust me.” He turns toward me and places his hand on his heart. “It’s an honor to serve you, King Jadon.”
I grin at his formality and stand up, pounding him on the back. “Thank you, Basile. With you, I don’t feel so alone.”
I sleep on the flight to the Sea of Caninsula, dreaming about Delilah once again. She’s riding me, her hair brushing against my chest as her mouth parts and she whispers my name over and over. I wake up shaking and hard as a rock. And troubled. Would I even know if something happened to her? I can’t keep doing this for much longer. I should’ve never let her go. I have to think of an alternative for her, something that won’t sink her in danger even deeper. Until then, I can o
nly hope she is holding her own.
King Shua and his sister, Solvang, meet with me first, extending their arms in welcome.
“Your father would be so proud of you,” I tell Shua. He’s not even twenty-three yet and has such a heavy burden overnight since King Otto died.
“My father always drilled peace into us. Peace, peace, peace,” Shua says through a clenched jaw. “He was a good man. We thought he would live forever…” Shua laughs, but it’s pained, hollow. “I never thought I’d be king. We’re a kingdom of stillness, of alhoni-osha—love is first—but this has turned us upside down. Our people want justice.”
Solvang reaches out and takes her brother’s hand. Her brown eyes are sorrowful and it hurts to see the two of them suffering. Her father reached out to me on more than one occasion, asking me to give thought to a marriage between us, but I always refused an arranged marriage. She’s beautiful, but there have never been sparks between the two of us.
I tell them about seeing the former king Titus in his disgraced state and that Caulder paid him a visit. Shua shoots up from the table and starts cursing in his language. I can only make out a few of the words, he spews them out so quickly.
“We have to strike now, show Alidonia that they cannot defeat us. We may be small, but we are mighty—you’ll see how mighty tonight when all the dignitaries arrive. I’ve been working overtime to get everyone here…even some you might not expect.”
“It would have to be well-planned out. I—” I look at Solvang and hope that she doesn’t have any romantic attachment toward me, because this might backfire if she does. “I don’t believe Delilah has anything to do with her family’s madness. I-I’d want to get her out of there before any of this takes place.”
“You have fallen for her,” Solvang whispers. She smiles faintly, but her eyes fill with tears. I’m unsure if it has anything to do with me or is strictly about her father. “I will go.” She nods resolutely. “I will go to her.”
“No, no, I didn’t mean that. You can’t go there—that would be disastrous!” I reach out and take her hand. “We’ll find another way. I just wanted you to know I can’t jump into an immediate war without considering her.”
Shua’s lip curls and he glares at me. “You’re thinking of your dick at a time like this? Our father is dead!” he yells. “He died saving Delilah.” He tugs Solvang’s shoulder and her hand drops from mine. “You will not risk yourself for her.”
“I need to see for myself if she is worthy of King Jadon’s love and our protection. Our father thought she was worth saving…I will find out if he was right.” Her voice is steel and lace, beauty and torment.
Oh God, what have I done?
The meeting with monarchies—some that I’ve never met, others that I’ve known my whole life—stretches into the next day. By the time we get up from our chairs, stretching and exhausted beyond belief, very little feels resolved. We’ve agreed to get our armies ready, and they’ve entrusted me to lead them in saying when we will strike.
We will definitely strike, it’s only a matter of timing.
I can only hope and pray that Delilah will be safely tucked away when that time comes, preferably in Farrow. It feels far-fetched at this moment, but miracles have been known to happen.
Shit, who am I kidding, this is a clusterfuck and the two of us are at the epicenter.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Delilah
Three weeks later…
I spend my days staring vacantly at dress samples, sampling meals and cake like I have nothing better to do than plan my wedding to a man I despise. It’s more evident than ever that my role in this family has always been a façade. What I interpreted as adoration from my father was a master pulling my strings. What I thought was easy camaraderie between me and my cousin was simply him biding his time until he could undermine me and take over the kingdom.
What else have I been wrong about?
I look at the castle with new eyes. My view of Alidonia has even changed. The ocean looks stormy instead of enticing, the cliffs haunt me instead of pulling me in.
I feel like I have shed a part of me that I can never get back, and it is like a raw wound constantly exposed. I long for the quiet simplicity of Farrow, the dark wood of the Safrin estate that felt like a warm hug, the calm Jadon brought every time we were together…until he touched me and calm was the last thing he made me feel. Even now, when I think of his touch, I feel the heat rush through my body.
How can I miss someone I know so little? Someone I spent so few days with…
I wander around the castle aimlessly. My dad and I avoid each other. He might have allowed me back into his household, but I don’t think I’ll ever regain his trust again. And vice versa.
And Avaban. My nose curls in disgust just thinking about him. He sleeps the day away and then comes searching for me when he wakes up, scratching his crotch, his breath reeking of alcohol and sleep. He gets a kick out of annoying me and Caulder eggs him on, loving having someone in the house who belittles me more than he does.
I hear them in the parlor and scurry past the door, not wanting to get stuck in a conversation with either of them. I’m supposed to meet with a designer this afternoon, so I at least have an excuse for getting away.
“Delilah,” Avaban calls.
I roll my eyes and walk backward until I’m in the doorway again.
“Come here,” he says.
“I’m busy.”
He frowns and laughs at the same time, the sound like fingernails against a chalkboard. My contempt for him grows every day.
“I said come here—you think you can continue this stick-up-your-ass behavior for much longer?” He grins and what some would consider a handsome face actually looks hideous to me. “Just wait until I get you in Blorl,” he elbows Caulder and Caulder smirks at me, “you’ll learn to be grateful…among other things.”
“Trying to plan this wedding.” I probably say that ten times a day; it’s at least been a good excuse. “I’m supposed to finalize a dress today.”
He waves a hand at me and walks to the bar, pouring a shot for him and Caulder. He lifts it up to me and downs it. “It’s not about the wedding, it’s about the wedding night.” He laughs at himself and I walk away before I have to listen to him for another second.
My father walks down the hallway toward the living room and I turn in the other direction. Once again, he’s missed Avaban at his worst. I wonder if he already knows exactly who Avaban is. Didn’t take me two seconds to figure it out, and my father isn’t stupid.
“Delilah,” my father says.
I turn around, troubled by how weak his voice sounds. “Are you okay, Papa?”
He puts a hand on his throat and then drops it. “Not feeling the best today, but I’m fine. How are the wedding plans coming? Everything on schedule?”
“We should be ready to go in three weeks. I just have to find a dress.” I don’t know why I haven’t been able to settle on a dress. I’ve seen the most spectacular gowns imaginable. I think that’s the problem. I don’t want to waste anything spectacular on Xang Avaban. “I’m supposed to look at a new designer today.”
Papa nods and clasps his hands together. “Good. Let me know if I can help with anything. I—” A pained look shoots across his eyes and I take a step toward him. He turns and walks the other direction before I get any closer. He’s taken great pains to avoid me as much as possible. I haven’t tried to cross the divide between us myself either—I’m still so angry at his betrayal…so confused about who he even is. I’m waking up—or maybe growing up—and seeing a man who is a stranger…and that terrifies me.
I stare after him, looking for any signs that he might be getting sick again. He’s still so frail; it wouldn’t take much to send him into a downward spiral. I take a deep breath and go to the library, where I’m supposed to meet the designer this afternoon. I settle deep into the coziest chair…it’s too hard to be considered cozy, but it’s the closest thing to it in this ho
use. I find a book and read a few pages before it drops across my chest and I give in to sleep.
I feel the hair on my neck stand on end and I open my eyes, screaming when there’s a face in front of mine.
She clamps a hand over my mouth, her eyes wide, and shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m here with the dresses.”
She motions toward a pile of dresses on the loveseat and I nod slightly. She drops her hand and steps back, assessing me with shrewd eyes. She’s beautiful. Tall with radiant brown skin, her large eyes sweep over me. She clenches her lips together and appears to be trying to read my mind with the way she’s studying me. I sit up and drop my feet to the floor, trying to tame my hair.
It’s uncomfortably quiet and I stare back at her, unsettled. “You look familiar,” I finally say.
She shakes her head and looks around the room, for what? Someone to pop out? I stand up, ready to go out the door and send her away if she doesn’t stop acting so weird.
“Wait,” she whispers. “I’m sorry. You’re very beautiful.”
I can’t place her accent, but her words are lilting and melodic. “So are you.”
She steps closer and still doesn’t lift her voice beyond the whisper. “Is there a place we can go that we’re sure isn’t being recorded?”
I pause, unsure of what to make of her, whether I should trust her or not. “My room,” I whisper back.
She nods and steps back. I walk to the door and she picks up the dresses, following closely behind. When we reach my room, I shut the door behind us and put my hand on my hips.
“You’re sure it’s safe in here?”
“I’ve thrown away all the recording devices I’ve been able to find. It’s probably safer in the bathroom.” I go in there and she follows me, waiting until I turn on the water before she starts talking.
