Gleam (The Plated Prisoner 3)

Chapter 37

AUREN

I tell Slade everything.

About Digby, about how he went missing before the attack of the Red Raids and how I’d thought he was dead. Dead just like Sail.

I tell him about Rissa too, our plans to escape that keep changing, from trying to find a secret passage to deciding to leave during the ball and take Digby with us.

After I go over everything with him, he finishes getting dressed and brings me to the meeting tent where his Wrath are already waiting, and he has me relay everything to them too.

When I’m done, Judd exchanges a look with Osrik, running a hand over his yellow hair thoughtfully before he says, “It’s possible Midas doesn’t actually have Digby.”

“It’s definitely possible that he’s lying,” I agree. “But...I can’t take that chance. I need to find him.”

“How much of the castle have you searched so far?” Osrik asks from across the table. We’re in the same positioning that we were back when I thought I was a prisoner in their army, only this time, Slade is sitting next to me.

“Not much,” I admit. “The few times I’ve been able to look around, I’ve had to stick to the places that weren’t guarded. There’s an antechamber that connects a bunch of passages, one of which goes to the library, but when I searched the rest, they didn’t lead me any closer to finding Digby.”

Everyone looks at Lu, and she shakes her head. “I’ve checked them. She’s right.”

Osrik crosses his thick arms in front of him, tongue flicking his lip piercing as he looks at Slade. “He’s gotta be in the dungeons.”

“That was my thought as well,” he replies.

Judd tilts his head at Lu. “You been down there yet?”

“No,” she says. “I’ve been keeping to the top passages of the castle, mostly familiarizing myself so that I can get a handle on everything in case Midas tries to off Prince Niven. My time has been busy with making sure he doesn’t end up dead.”

I blink in surprise. “You’ve been guarding the prince?”

She shrugs, her leathers crinkling along her shoulder. “The last thing we want is for the little twit to be killed off and Midas have an official hold on Fifth Kingdom.”

That makes sense, considering I wouldn’t put it past Midas for a second. “What about Queen Kaila? Do you think she’s in danger?”

The Wrath look contemplative, but it’s Slade who answers. “We aren’t sure. Midas always has plans, but I don’t think he intends to assassinate her. Even if he tried to make it look like an accident, there would be whispers. She is much loved in her kingdom. I doubt it could happen without repercussions.”

I wish I could help and say that I knew what Midas’s plans for Queen Kaila are, but I have no clue.

My gaze goes back to Lu. “Do you think you can find him? Digby, I mean?”

“If he’s in the castle, I can find him,” she replies with certainty, her brown eyes full of promise before flicking over. “Rip?”

Slade nods. “Yeah, go ahead and pause your watch on Prince Niven and focus on finding the dungeons to search for Digby there.”

“What about the prince?” she asks.

He tilts his head in thought. “So far, no move has been made against him, but I still want him watched. Judd, can you take over?”

The man nods. “I got it. I’m no Lu, but once I’m in, I can keep an eye on him.”

I should probably feel guilty that I’m messing up their plans and taking Lu away from watching over the prince, but I can’t bring myself to. Just the sliver of a chance that she could actually find Digby and get him out makes my chest go tight with hope, a band around my ribs that binds every breath.

“Alright, I’ll start searching for Digby later tonight. Tired guards are easier to work my magic on,” she explains.

“You can get started after you get Auren safely back into her rooms,” Slade tells her, and she nods in reply.

Osrik scratches his shaggy brown beard. “How about this saddle, Rissa?” he says. “Is she trustworthy?”