Dividing Eden (Dividing Eden #1)(52)
“It’s all right. I know him,” Andreus said as the sweaty, panting boy gave the guard a steely-eyed look and then bolted to Andreus’s side.
“They’re saying someone tried to kill you,” Max said, eyes wide with worry. “I heard that you were winning all the events at the tournament and that you even knocked the Princess into the mud and then when you were running the footrace a man tried to kill you just like someone killed King Ulron and Prince Micah.”
Clearly news of what happened at the tournament had run ahead of his return.
“But they failed, Max, and in doing so revealed themselves. Now the castle guard will be on high alert. Whoever would wish me harm, it seems, has lost their chance.” Andreus put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and urged him to walk up to the castle where they could speak without half the court trying to listen in. But as confident as he sounded, he couldn’t help looking at everyone he passed as they reached the top of the steps and headed through the castle’s arching entrance. Could any of his subjects have something to do with the man with the knife? Were they plotting his death?
“Sebastian said that Princess Carys pulled swords out of thin air and saved your life,” Max reported. “But I told him that wasn’t possible because no one can make a sword come out of the air. Not even Lady Imogen.”
“No one can pull weapons out of thin air,” Andreus confirmed as he veered away from several castle workers who were glancing in his direction. “But someone can pull stilettos out of hidden pockets and kill someone by throwing them with a great deal of skill. Which is what Princess Carys did to save my life.”
“Wow.” Max stopped walking, put his hands on his hips, and cocked his head to the side. “My sister Jinna could hit a rat with a rock at fifteen paces. I wonder if she could learn to do it with a knife.”
The sad, wistful sound that crept into Max’s voice as he spoke about the sister he hadn’t seen in a year struck Andreus. Max knew that even if he saw his older sister again, their parents wouldn’t want her to speak to him. They believed he was cursed.
“Maybe someday you’ll find out,” he said to Max.
Then Andreus allowed himself another thought. Maybe if things worked out the way he and Carys planned, Max’s parents would be happy to have a son who had the ear of the King. Maybe they would welcome him back with open arms. He glanced down at the boy. “Isn’t there something you should be doing instead of talking to me?”
“I was helping carry water to the Hall of Virtues for the fountains they built for the ball, but after I spilled a bunch on Mistress Violet, she screamed at me to get out of her sight so I came to find you.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure there is something else you can do to help out.” As fond as he was of Max, Andreus didn’t want him hanging around when Imogen arrived. Max was too curious and talkative.
And Imogen’s position was perilous. By short-circuiting the Council’s plan to replace the ruling family with another, she may as well have drawn a target on her own back. Andreus would do nothing to further draw the ire of the Council. The idea of losing Imogen when she had finally admitted she was his was unthinkable. Andreus would not take the risk.
Max scrunched up his face with concentration. “I guess I could bring water to the Princess’ rooms. Although someone probably already did that. Ladies don’t like being dirty and she was really dirty after the tournament. She looked unhappy, but the lord walking with her into the castle didn’t seem to mind.”
Lord? Carys had done her best to reach the castle before anyone else. “What lord was walking with the Princess?”
“I don’t know his name,” Max said. “But he looked like a devil.”
“A devil?”
“I know you said devils aren’t real, but I saw a picture once and the huge man’s black cape and red hair looked a lot like it. Devils are the doom.”
Devils certainly were the doom. But so was the only man Andreus could think of who had red hair and might be hurrying after Carys.
Garret.
Carys used to be fascinated by Micah’s best friend. After that last ball, Garret had stayed nearby her chamber. When she finally woke, he stormed into her bedroom to tell her how stupid she’d been. Andreus had tried to get Garret to leave, but he’d pushed Andreus away and shook Carys hard, telling her she had no right to throw away her future. Carys had slapped him. Because she was shaking and weak from the Tears of Midnight wearing off, the strike had little force behind it. Garret had actually laughed at her, and when she pulled away from his grasp, he didn’t go to assist her when she fell backward onto her cushions.
“You are too important to throw your life away, Carys,” Garret had said, standing over her. “Your father and Micah might be blind, but I understand the person you are meant to be. Don’t disappoint me.” Then Garret turned to Andreus. “I will hold you responsible if she ends up like this again. And you will not like the consequences.”
Andreus had put his hand on the hilt of his sword, but before he could draw it, Garret turned on his heel and left. Even though Garret loomed over half a foot taller and weighed a good six stones or so more, Andreus would have welcomed the opportunity to duel his brother’s best friend. He’d always despised him. His sister said it was jealousy that fueled his dislike. And perhaps she was right. Their father had treated Garret as though he were better than Andreus and made Andreus watch when Micah and Garret sparred on the training field.