Last Stand (The Black Mage #4)(22)

Where is Nyx? How was she going to fix this? Did she even know? Darren had shown up that morning for the squad’s interrogation without a word of what he had planned. No one had known, not even me, until he called these two inside and shown them the reports in his hand.

“It’s not too hard. Just give me a moment—”

“Ryiah.” Darren’s tone had taken an edge. “You aren’t ready for this. Go outside and get one of the other Combat mages to take your place.”

“I’m staying.” I didn’t have a choice. I folded my arms against my chest. “Perhaps we should try questioning them one at a time.” Anything to spread out the interrogation.

“These prisoners are trained soldiers. They have been hardened to pain. But no one is unbreakable.”

“What about a hallucinogen?” I begged. It could buy us precious hours.

“I need them conscious. And with hallucinogens, I have no proof the Alchemy mage is not a part of the rebels’ cause. Right now I only trust our own.”

The prince pried my hand free as he started toward the two huddled soldiers. They were far from broken, but they had come into an interrogation expecting nothing more than a quick release.

I could only thank the gods they hadn’t tried to fight back.

Darren pulled a dagger from a thin sheath at his waist. I had to think of something fast.

The papers! “Wait!”

The back of his neck twitched. “What is it, Ryiah?”

“The report! Let’s discuss it with their squad leader and Nyx. They might be telling the truth or perhaps they can shed more light. If they find the activity suspicious, we can proceed—”

“I find it suspicious.” Darren was irritated and had yet to turn back around. “Believe me, Ryiah, I spent hours studying those reports each night while you slept.”

Even though I knew he didn’t mean it, I still experienced a punch to the gut. A prince of the realm shouldn’t be so restless each night that he studies scrolls to fall asleep.

Yet another way I had failed my husband.

But I couldn’t fail him in this. I couldn’t let him look back on this day later and hate himself. He could hate me all he wants after the truth was revealed.

“Please.” I willed my voice to break, tears to well in the corner of my eyes. I was calling on every ounce of desperation and will. “Please, Darren, can we just check? I could never forgive myself if—”

“As you wish!” The prince’s anger cut me off as he turned on his heel and stormed to the door, calling on two of our own to hold the soldiers until we returned.

“Are you coming, Ryiah?” he barked.

I scrambled after the prince, avoiding Paige’s gaping stare as we entered the hall.

Darren began shouting summons for their leader and Nyx. The tension radiating from his shoulders could have cut the air like a knife; I felt the sting of it just racing to catch up.

I swallowed as I followed him through the winding passages of the keep. I had just undermined the crown prince’s control. He was the Black Mage, and I had just made him look weak in front of potential enemies of the Crown.

As soon as we were alone, Darren spoke without looking back. “Don’t ever do that again.”

He would never understand; he couldn’t.

In minutes, we caught up with Sir Bolton and Commander Nyx. Both looked shaken, though they were doing their best to appear calm. Abrupt orders to meet in a situation like ours… The commander’s eyes were wide as she addressed the prince.

“What is it, Your Highness? My men said it was urgent.”

“We identified two of Bolton’s men I believe to be rebels. We have them inside the cells for interrogation. They have yet to confess, but we thought it best to seek you out before continuing to much crueler methods.” Darren managed to state the last line as if it were reasonable, instead of a direct insult of his skill.

“Dear gods, who are they?” Bolton interrupted. “Which of my men and how long—”

The commander’s boot caught the man’s shin before he could say anything else. Luckily, Darren was too busy producing the scrolls in hand.

Nyx kept a neutral face. “What is the report?”

“Three incidents of stolen supplies in the last year.” Darren’s voice was flat. “All with the same patrol. You can’t tell me that is coincidence.”

“I would be hard-pressed to doubt your theory, Your Highness.” The commander cleared her throat as she continued to look over the papers. “However, I believe we are at fault… Sir Bolton, have a look and tell me if you see the same.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The lead knight took over the scrolls and feigned understanding. “Yes, yes, Commander, I believe you are correct.”

“Do explain.” Darren’s tone had an impatient edge.

“The supplies were stolen, as reported, but the two soldiers in question are blameless.” Nyx bowed her head. “The truth of the matter is I asked Mendel to omit the details of the report to spare Bolton’s squad—and myself—the embarrassment. I feared the king might come to question my command if he saw them.”

The prince’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Why would the Crown be upset?”

“When you know what it is to lead, Your Highness, you view every loss as a reflection on yourself. An irrational fear, I suppose, but one I am guilty of all the same. I feared the Crown would see the circumstances—a sleeping draught—as a result of my negligence. One incident might have been forgivable, but three…”