Trotting down the steps, Bastien walked up to Sam. The child didn’t shy away but dropped his gaze as Bastien approached. He noticed that the boy had newly designed crutches made out of what looked like a lightweight metal—probably something Thalia conjured with a little creative magic.
“Sam,” Bastien said, struggling to keep his voice calm and nonthreatening. “Did you see anyone go in or out of Thalia’s house today?”
The boy nodded but wouldn’t meet Bastien’s eyes.
Squatting to get more on the little boy’s level, Bastien put a hand to his shoulder. “This is important, Sam. Thalia could be in danger. Can you tell me what you saw?”
He lifted his head the second Bastien said Thalia could be in danger. “A pretty woman with curly black hair went in first. She had a white basket.”
“First?” Bastien smiled. “Someone else go in?”
“Her cousin. Archer.”
“Did Archer and Thalia come out?”
Sam shook his head. “No one came out, and no one else went in.”
Which meant they bent distance to leave. It made no sense. Thalia would never leave that house willingly with Merrilyn dead on the floor.
Archer must have killed Merrilyn and she appeared to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
But why would he kill her?
And did he take Thalia against her will?
Bastien could only hope that Archer hadn’t abducted Thalia for nefarious purposes—he was family. He wouldn’t hurt Thalia.
Unless…
Bastien stood and squeezed Sam’s shoulder before bolting back into the house. Both Heph and Kieran were looking down at Merrilyn’s quiet form.
Pointing at Heph, Bastien said, “I need you to summon Amell. Tell him that I think Archer is either under Ferelith’s control or he’s working with her, but I’m sure he took Thalia with him.”
“You have to be fucking kidding me,” Kieran growled.
Heph moved into the kitchen, grabbed a bowl and knife, and immediately made an offering to call on the king of the Underworld.
“Kieran,” Bastien said, turning to his brother. “Have someone take care of Merrilyn and then get all forces here ready and moved to Camp Rosethorn. Then travel to each base camp and tell everyone we’re moving out within two hours.”
“To where?” Kieran asked.
“Kestevayne. To save Thalia.” He looked into the kitchen where Heph again scored his palm, squeezing more blood into the bowl. “Bring Amell to Camp Rosethorn.”
Heph didn’t look up from his work but nodded.
And with that, Bastien flashed back to Camp Rosethorn to organize troops for a massive transfer of soldiers to the gates of the capital.
* * *
Within an hour of returning to the base camp, all the heads of the royal houses, along with their highest-ranking officers, gathered in Bastien’s tent. They stood around the table, regarding the map of Kestevayne, arguments flying.
Not about the best method to breach the city, but whether they should go at all. The plan had been to march in two days, and there were still some minor preparations to be made but they weren’t necessary. Certainly not worth the waste of time Bastien knew they didn’t have.
“Are we sure this is Ferelith’s doing?” Baynor Sorin asked for at least the third time.
“No,” Bastien growled in anger. “But it’s a damn good, educated guess. Archer went in and never came out. They’re both missing, and there’s a dead body left behind.”
Kieran added his thoughts. “Plus Archer was with Thalia when the attempted kidnapping took place weeks ago. He’s not been around since then and—”
“He was off to other regions as an ambassador,” Francis Baudin said. He was normally a quiet royal, so his words were a shock.
“What the fuck does that have to do with anything?” Kieran retorted.
“I’m pointing out, he could have gone in that house and bent distance back out before that young woman died. Thalia could have killed her—”
Bastien lunged for the man, clamped a hand around his throat, and squeezed. His voice was low but deadly. “I’m all for us discussing theories, but if I ever hear you imply that Thalia did something so heinous, I’ll end you.”
Kieran quickly pulled his brother off the prince, but it was the D’Amuris royal who said, “We know Ferelith tried to take the princess once. Remove Archer from the mixture completely. Thalia is missing, and she wouldn’t go off on her own. It stands to reason that Ferelith has her.”
“Exactly,” Bastien drawled, sweeping a hand toward D’Amuris. “We need to move at once.”
“But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re not ready,” Baynor Sorin said.
More argument ensued among the houses, the military commanders talking over all of them. Bastien listened with that muscle in his jaw ticking, trying hard to let each person have their say.
The flap of the tent opened, and Heph walked in, searched the crowd, and located Bastien. He maneuvered through, and Bastien bent his head to the older man. “Is Amell here?”
Heph shook his head grimly. “He didn’t answer, but that doesn’t mean he’s ignoring me. It could be that he simply can’t answer. It could be that he’s prohibited. But I think I know why Ferelith wants Thalia.”