The Devastation (Unexpected Circumstances #7)(2)

I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth. If anyone touched her, he would die. His families and friends and acquaintances would all die. In fact, there would be nothing left of the entire realm if she was violated in such a way. I could not even bring myself to think such a thing. If what had happened to my mother happened to Alexandra…

And for the tiniest, briefest moment, I did not care.

I just wanted her here—with me—no matter what had happened. I wanted her in my arms where I knew she was safe, and no one could touch her. I wanted to run my hands through her hair and inhale her scent and tell her I was here, holding her and protecting her, but I could not.

She was gone.

My wife.

My life.

My child.

I screamed again, tearing the carriage door from its hinges and throwing it across the road. It fell into the body of one of the guards—one of the men that failed to protect us. With a sudden, terrified thought, I searched the bodies in the road for any sign of a woman, but there was none. I cursed and kicked at the body closest to me—a man whose face I barely recognized. He was just one of the dozen who was supposed to protect her.

No…I was supposed to do that.

“Alexandra!” I cried out, my voice now hoarse from shouting. I spun around to look across the fields and toward the horizon in all directions, but there was nothing to be seen. Instinctively, I looked to the ground and saw the tracks of many horses and at least one cart. The tracks lead to the south, toward Wynton, Sterling, and…

Hadebrand.

She must have been taken there.

For a moment, I could breathe again—for if she had been taken, she was alive.

I blinked a few times, my thoughts turning inward as I realized that I knew she was alive. If she were not, I would feel it in the very core of my being. At the moment, it felt as though my insides were literally torn to shreds, but I could function. I could think. If she were gone, I would not be able to do anything. The earth would simply cease to exist if she were no longer in it.

But why would she be taken? As a bargaining tool? As if I would give in to the demands of anyone who threatened my wife.

Oh, but you have…

“Not the same,” I whispered to myself, knowing the words that fell from my bleeding lips were lies. I had given in to such demands again and again, and I felt my stomach roll in protest of the things I had done for the sake of Silverhelm and Alexandra’s protection.

It had all failed.

Everything I had done to try to guarantee the safety of my wife and my people had been nothing but a dismal, painful failure. I had not only been unsuccessful but had also brought Alexandra more pain with my own, ignorant behavior than even my enemy had. As if it were not bad enough what I did in order to create an heir, I had made her believe I did not care.

I knew now that it was exactly what Edgar had hoped to achieve. Divide us from within. Make us doubt our own loyalties. And conquer without bloodshed. I had simply walked right into his trap, and he had played me like a fool for his own, twisted amusement.

And she had forgiven me.

Somewhere in the back of my head, I could hear the sound of hoofbeats in the distance, toward the north. I did not bother looking in that direction, for I knew it had to be Parnell or at least someone sent by him. We were undoubtedly late in our arrival now, and he would come looking for us.

We.

Us.

There was only me now, and the thought sent the chill of death down my spine.

I both heard and felt the horse as it moved up to stand beside me. I also heard my name called though I did not take my eyes from the road and the fresh trails left by the wheels of a cart. My head conjured images of Alexandra—bound and gagged as Kimberly had been before I had her slaughtered. A sharp breath tightened my chest and shoulders as I thought of how frightened she must be.

“Branford!” Parnell’s voice broke through my haze, and I swung my fist toward his face.

He had known me far too long and was prepared for my reaction. He ducked quickly and spun in a circle behind me right before he placed both his hands on my shoulders though only lightly.

“It is only me, sire,” he told me.

“She is gone.” I looked at him.

“I know, Branford.”

“How do you know?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter with a broken seal.

The seal of Hadebrand.

This is your only chance to save the life of your child.

Denounce the commoner and take Whitney’s hand.

It was unsigned, but with the seal, it did not have to be. It was obvious who had orchestrated such a thing, and in my hand was the proof.

But I did not care about proof—I only wanted my wife and child safe.

“I was supposed to protect her.”

Parnell took the letter from me and told me of the messenger from Hadebrand who brought it to Sawyer only a few hours ago. I looked up the road and saw the small army of Sawyer as they gathered on horseback with Rylan at their lead.

“Where is the messenger now?”

“Quite dead,” Parnell said. “I did not see any reason to keep him alive—we have the seal as proof.”

I nodded and glanced back down the road. My head swam, and I had to swallow back bile.

“There was nothing you could have done,” Parnell said. “There were at least forty of them, based on the hoofprints. Your guard did not stand a chance.”