Page 11 of Somber Prince

She heaved a breath. “Yes.”

“Who killed him?”

“Serus,” she said reluctantly. “But he said he was startled. He didn’t expect the old man to show up.”

A soldier in my army, a member of my personal guard, living in my city with the full access to my palace should not be easily startled, especially by an old, weak human. I expected far better self-control from my people.

When the queen banished me to Teneris, this city was nothing but a bump in the desert with a confusing system of narrow caves underneath. It served as a trading post for unlawful desert dwellers, overrun by poverty and crime.

In eight short years, I’d turned Teneris into a prosperous city, a true jewel of the desert, run by law and order. But for the laws to work, they had to be enforced.

“My orders were not to kill anyone,” I reminded my general.

She dropped her gaze. “Yes, Your Highness.”

I paused, hating what I was about to do. But the balance had to be restored. The human was right to demand justice.

“This isn’t Serus’s first offense, is it?” I asked.

“No, my prince,” Oskura admitted. “It’s his second instance of disobedience that resulted in lives lost.”

That was enough for me to decide.

“I want his head.”

Oskura hesitated, but only for a second. She knew better than to argue.

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

Chapter Six

DAWN

“I can’t even yell anymore,” Melanie complained in a husky voice, rubbing her throat.

“Which may be a good thing. No point in aggravating them,” Elaine muttered, sliding a cautious glance at the guards. They led us down a narrow street along with the rest of the captured people. “Pay attention to where they’re taking us and memorize the way back.”

Memorizing our way back would allow us to return to the city gate if we got a chance to run. But then what?

The desert lay between us and the hill where our journey began—the desert as vast as the ocean. Even if we found a way to cross it without getting lost, I had no idea how to get from that glowing hill back home.

Hopelessness weighed down on me. I envied Elaine’s pragmatic optimism and Melanie’s unwavering stubbornness. Still, I looked around, trying to memorize the streets with all the turns we were taking, if only just to orientate myself in his place.

The buildings in this hill-city were only two to four stories high. But when looking up from the narrow streets that were barely wide enough to accommodate two horses riding side by side, the walls on each side seemed taller than they were. Some buildings connected through balconies or had an overhanging of grass on the roof that completely obscured the sky above. Very little sunlight could get in here. I imagined the streets remained mostly in the shade throughout the day.

“I think it’s best not to scream, guys. And no punching anyone anymore.” Elaine gave me a pointed look. “At least until we figure out what’s going on here. We need them to explain how they brought us here and how to get back.”

Elaine had always been the voice of reason.

“I didn’t punch him,” I muttered. “It was just a slap.”

Not that it changed anything. I had assaulted a person in power, and I didn’t even have it in me to regret it. I felt tired, worn out by all of it. I shut my eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again.

Elaine touched my hand gently. “I don’t blame you for slapping that guy. He seems to be in charge around here. And if so, he’s responsible for everything that happened to us and to your dad.”

She sighed, dealing with her own emotions. Elaine knew my dad for almost as long as I did…

I shook my head, stuffing the devastating thoughts so deep inside me, they’d hopefully remain buried for a while. I couldn’t think about my dad right now. Not if I didn’t want to break into tears again.

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