Page 94 of The Last Heir of Elsewhere

After last night, my thoughts were a jumbled mess, but externally I wouldn’t let any of it show. We had important things to do today—perhaps the most important thing I would ever do, and I needed to remain focused.

The path leading from the castle to the encampment unfurled like a serpent, winding through the forest and toward the rocky and volcanic landscape that promised danger at every step. The earth beneath our boots grew increasingly treacherous, and it seemed as if we were walking straight into the jaws of a great beast.

“What are we hunting?” I asked Ambrose. “This doesn’t seem like the sort of land that would draw deer or foxes.”

“Dragons,” Ambrose replied, his gaze sweeping over the gnarled trees that gave way to barren stone. “At least, if Gancanagh is to be believed.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t he be?”

“I’ve never been entirely sure if the Unseelie can lie. Sometimes it seems like it, so keep that in mind when they speak to you.”

I nodded in wary acknowledgement. It seemed like there were a great many important things he’d forgotten to tell me, but now it was far too late.

A mist clungto the earth, shrouding the volcanic landscape in mystery as we advanced, joining the small circle of Unseelie warriors, lingering at the edge of the great chasm that ran alongside the castle. They were each dressed in leather and reddish silk, and moved with a lethal grace that made my fingers twitch at my sides—the memory of last night’s attack still fresh in my mind.

As we grew nearer, I couldn’t help but notice that where one would expect to see horses, or at least weapons, the king’s men had neither.

I would have thought dragon hunting would require swords, at least, but what did I know?

I didn’t have a chance to ask about it, because just then the crowd parted, and King Gancanagh stepped forward to greet Ambrose.

Again, I was startled by his alarming resemblance to Bael. It was as if the latter had inherited nothing from his mother except her golden hair, and was instead a nearly identical copy of the male before me.

“Good morning to you,” Gancanagh called, his voice echoing off the walls of the chasm. “I trust you had a peaceful night?”

“Of course,” Ambrose answered for both of us. “Your castle is always far more comfortable than I even remember.”

The king smiled, as if flattered and waved us over to join them.

I bit the inside of my lip to keep from commenting. If I didn’t know that the king was dangerous, deadly, and currently had nearly everyone I loved locked in his dungeon, I would have likely found him rather pleasant. He didn’t give off the aura of a killer, and everything he said seemed carefully polite and cheerful.

Still, there was something off about him that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and despite Ambrose’s disagreement, I was still all but certain he’d aimed to kill me last night.

“Where are the queens?” I asked loudly. “I hope they weren’t too scared by the attack last night.”

Gancanagh glanced at me, as if only just then realizing I was there. “No. Thanks to your…efforts, both my wives are safe and accounted for.”

I smiled sweetly. “I was glad to help. Did you discover why your servant might have wanted to attack us?”

He shook his head, and for the briefest moment I saw a spark of rage fly across his too-handsome face. It twisted his features, turning them ugly and monstrous for the briefest moment, before he smiled again. “Unfortunately not, but don’t fear. I will find out soon enough. Nothing in this land goes on without my knowing.”

I flinched back, disconcerted by his abrupt change, and could only nod in reply. “Thank you.”

The king turned back to Ambrose. “I should warn you, this hunt may be too difficult for her. Would your…woman…not be better off staying here?”

“Hmmm,” Ambrose mused. “Perhaps you are right.”

“Excuse me?” I scoffed, feigning anger. “I’ll be fine.”

“No,” Ambrose said flatly. “I forbid it.”

I looked down to hide my face in case any of our true plans showed in my expression. We’d discussed this already, just as the sun was rising. The hunt was the perfect—and perhaps the only—opportunity for me to search for the dungeons without the king being aware of it.

The plan was for the king to believe it was his own idea that I stay behind, so I would have the opportunity to search for the entrance to the dungeons. Ambrose was nearly positive that the king couldn’t use his powers of searching during the day, and so even if I were spotted by a servant, it would take hours for him to be warned.

The only problem was, once I found Bael, Scion, and my mother, I had no idea how to get them out of the castle or get back to Ambrose. That was a problem for a later time, however. I’d figure it out as I went along.

“Fine,” I sighed dramatically. “I’ll just stay here, then. Enjoy your fucking hunts.”

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