The Wish Granter (Ravenspire #2)(32)

“Wait! Princess!”

“He’s here!” She was nearly to the doorway. “The man from the market. The one who was in charge of all Teague’s men. He’s here, and he must be coming for Cleo.”

She disappeared into the night, and Sebastian swore as he snatched up a mace and a dagger and went after her at a dead run.





THIRTEEN


SHE WASN’T GOING to be too late. She refused to be too late.

Her feet flew across the lawn and onto the palace road. It was hard to run and hang on to Sebastian’s stupidly heavy cudgel at the same time, but she did it.

She couldn’t see Teague’s man anymore, but she didn’t need to. She knew where Cleo was. Now she just had to get there in time.

Please let her get there in time.

Her breath was searing her lungs by the time she reached the garden’s entrance, but she didn’t slow down.

What had she done since Teague’s visit to bring this on Cleo? She hadn’t been to Kosim Thalas. Hadn’t asked any questions. She’d spent her time sparring with Sebastian, cooking with Cleo, and reading every book on contract law and Llorenyae in the palace library.

She hadn’t done anything to put Cleo in danger.

Cleo was in danger anyway.

Her calves ached as she reached the curved drive in front of the palace. Maybe there was a spy in the palace. Someone who’d reported on Ari’s activities. Maybe Teague had decided Ari was still a threat.

It didn’t matter why Teague had sent his man. It only mattered that Ari reach Cleo in time. Cleo would be in the kitchen. It would be faster to cut through the garden than to go into the palace itself.

She dragged in a deep breath, trying to quiet the stitch in her side. The cudgel clutched in her hands was slick with sweat. Somewhere behind her, footsteps pounded against the ground. Sebastian, probably.

She launched herself into the garden, her feet sliding against the path, and then froze as voices cut through the night.

“—no right to come here.” Thad’s voice was raised in anger.

Thad?

Where was Cleo?

Ari missed whatever response the stranger made because she was too busy trying to silently hurry down the path toward the sound.

“His Royal Highness commanded you to leave.” Thad’s guard Ajax raised his voice.

Ari turned to the left, leaving the path in favor of cutting a direct line toward the voices and nearly tripped over a small bush.

“Daka!” she swore as her toe connected with a thorn. Hastily, she moved around the bush and climbed into a flower bed. Her shoes crushed blossoms into the dirt as she ran.

“You signed a contract.” The stranger’s voice reminded Ari of the thick, weighted calm that covered the kingdom right before a storm unleashed itself on the land. “You don’t try to break a contract with my employer without suffering the consequences.”

She had the sudden, sick feeling that Ajax hadn’t been as discreet as he should’ve been while making plans to find and kill Teague.

Maybe this wasn’t about Cleo after all.

Maybe Ari was in danger of losing Thad.

Would Teague hold Ajax’s actions against her brother?

The nearly healed bruise on her neck throbbed in time with her pulse, a vivid reminder that Teague would do as he pleased.

Ari slid over a patch of rocky soil and nearly dropped the cudgel. She was almost there. A handful of trees was all that separated her from her brother.

The fact that she didn’t know what she was going to do when she got there didn’t matter. She’d figure it out.

“Who said anything about breaking the contract?” Ajax asked.

Ari moved into the trees.

“This is insulting.” Thad sounded furious. “I’ve done nothing to warrant this. I’ve held back the city guard and turned a blind eye to Teague’s business. I’ve upheld my end of our bargain. You have no right—”

“Your man here has a reputation for killing lesser fae than my boss. Now we hear rumors that he’s got his sights set on Teague himself. That was a mistake.”

“Rumors and lies.” Ajax sounded angry, but Ari could hear the thread of fear beneath it.

The stranger laughed, though he didn’t sound amused. “You boys are in so far over your heads, you don’t even have the sense to know you’re drowning.”

The dull thud of a fist smacking flesh sent Ari hurtling forward. She skidded around a tree and stopped as she took in the scene.

Thad was on his knees, holding his rib cage, while terrified rage lit his face. His guard rushed for the stranger, and the man pivoted and slammed his fists into the side of Ajax’s face as he passed. Ajax fell to the ground, and then a knife was in the stranger’s hand, driving into Ajax’s side.

Turning, the stranger stood over Thad with his back to Ari and said grimly, “My employer has a message for you.”

His fist crashed into Thad’s nose, and blood flowed.

Ari wrapped her hands around the cudgel and lifted it above her head.

“You cannot get out of the contract you signed.” He kicked Thad in the stomach.

Ari crept forward as her brother moaned and retched.

“You cannot protect yourself from him.” The knife flashed, and Thad cried out as it sliced into his arm.