House of Lies and Sorrow (Fae of Rewyth #1)(27)

I had spent decades obeying his every order in hopes that he would eventually tell me where she was.

And we had gotten nowhere.

“I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” he started, “soon. But I need you to trust me.”

He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. It wasn’t often that I saw this side of him. The side of him that created a king hundreds of years ago.

He hadn’t always been terrible. It was hard to believe, but it was true.

“Fine,” I said after a while. “But leave Jade alone. She has no part in this.”

He nodded in agreement, and I was out the door.

It took a few seconds for my breathing to slow down.

My father knew exactly what he was doing. Saints, I might have done the same thing. But to my own son? That was a stretch.

One step after another, my feet pounded the stone floor of the compound. How many times had I walked these stupid halls, reporting to my father what mission had been successful? How many of his enemies had I killed? How many wars had I won for him?

And how much information had he given me about what happened to my mother?

I shook my head. This wasn’t the time for anger. I had to play this one smart. If he had anything to do with Jade’s attack, he would attack again.

And soon.

I heard her before I saw her.

Jade’s voice echoed through the stone walls of the dining hall. My feet moved toward her like I had no choice.

What in the Saints was she doing down here?

I turned the corner just in time to see her tossing her head back in laughter, that red line on her throat still visible. She was sitting next to Serefin, which instantly made me relax.

But it wasn’t Serefin and Jade that concerned me. It was everyone else.

“This has to be some sort of record,” my brother Eli asked her. Nobody looked at me as I approached, lurking as far back as possible.

Jade smiled, but her eyes remained focused. “Are you surprised, dear brother?”

The way she spoke to him made my stomach flip. It was bold for any human to talk to a fae that way. Even if that human was my wife.

Eli sat back in his chair, and the rest of my brothers laughed. The dining room was filled with spectators. Nobody would dare make a move here, but still. Serefin was tense, his eyes tracked every single one of my brother’s movements.

I trusted him with my life. I had no doubt that he would keep Jade safe.

But why the Saints would he bring her here? Sitting around, waiting for an attack?

Kara entered the room, trotting over to the table as if she owned the place. She pulled up the seat on the other side of Serefin and beckoned one of the servants for a plate of food.

I took a step back, ensuring I was hidden in the shadows of the hallway.

“What have I missed?” she sneered. How had I not noticed how annoying her voice was?

My brothers were still laughing amongst themselves, but Adonis leaned forward. “We’re just making the acquaintance of our dear sister,” he said. “Someone attempted to take her life the other day. Did you know about it?” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

I watched Kara’s eyes as they darkened. “You’re kidding,” she gasped. “Who was it?”

Adonis shook his head. “Nobody knows. Isn’t that right, Ser? Nobody knows who tried to kill our dear princess.”

Jade stiffened, but the coy look on her face was unmoving.

“We’re working on it,” Serefin answered. Adonis stared at him for another second before saying, “I heard Malachi did quite the damage. There wasn’t even a body to bury, was there?”

Serefin’s jaw tightened.

Adonis moved his attention to Jade. “Did you see it?” he asked her. “Did you see him rip the head off the man’s body? It’s quite intense, really. Malachi has a gift.” He eyed Jade, sizing her every reaction.

I wanted to rush to the table. I wanted to shut them all up.

But I also wanted to see how Jade acted when I wasn’t around. Jade didn’t have to like me. But she was my wife. I hoped that she had at least a tiny ounce of loyalty.

After all, I did save her life.

“He really does have a gift, doesn’t he?” Jade added casually. “It’s really no wonder he’s going to be king. With all that power, he could take down any kingdom. Don’t you agree?”

Every muscle in my body froze. I watched as Adonis stared at her, unblinking, like a stunned rabbit.

Kara’s jaw was wide, and the rest of my brothers were too busy snickering to pay any attention.

“You seem to know a lot about my attack,” she added. She leaned over the wooden table, propping her chin on her elbows. “Careful, brother. You don’t want to get yourself into any trouble,” she said with a wink.

Serefin choked next to her.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen you,” Kara interjected, cutting the tension in the room. “I suppose that’s your husband’s doing?”

“Malachi and I have been very busy,” Jade said. Busy. The way she said it made my blood crawl.

Kara smiled, but I knew her enough to know it was full of malice. “I’m sure you have,” she said. “It’s quite a shame, you know. I’m used to seeing so much more of him.”

Jade smiled, but Serefin leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said made her brows furrow.