Page 160 of Wicked Heirs

I grasped the underside of my chair, digging my nails into the hard material and puncturing it in the process as I fought not to show my indignation on my face or in an emotional retort. That wouldn’t help anything. And it would liken me to my father in their eyes, something that wouldn’t go down well and would put me under heavy watch here as a result.

No, they had to trust me.

They had to believe I was the manufactured version of myself that I’d created upon coming here.

Not the real me.

“You’re right,” I lied. “It could be possible. Just… admitting it… it’s not easy, knowing my father has been kidnapped, what he could be enduring, and the awful—”

“We’ll get him back, Orpheus,” Marlowe cut in.

“I know. I just wish I had something to tell you that could help. But you know how my father favored his many secrets. Even from me. When I went to visit him, it was merely todiscuss my progress here at Electi Academy and him pushing me to leave before my final year to be trained by him as his heir apparent. Of course, I refused. That’s not the path for me.”

“All right, thank you, Orpheus,” the dean then spoke. “Rest assured that your father will be found.Exemplaris investigating as we speak. As for you, I must refuse any requests for you to venture beyond campus, in case this is a targeted attack against the royal bloodline and not just your father. We will shield you here. You will be safe.”

“We’ll keep you abreast of any developments,” Marlowe promised me.

I rose to my feet. “I appreciate it.” Shaking each of their hands in turn, I told them, “I trust in you andExemplar.I know you’ll find him and I trust you’ll protect me in the meantime.”

They smiled as I’d told them exactly what they’d wanted to hear. Their body language was far too communicative, making them easy to manipulate.

I turned to Cornwell and took his hand also. “You too, Professor.”

“Of course. We’d do nothing less.”

I felt a push at my mind and I opened to it, recognizing it as his touch there.

“The alcove. North side of the quad. Approach from separate routes.”

“Got it.”

With that, I bid them all farewell, then walked out of the office, and made my way to the meeting place Cornwell had just given.

My father had been taken? The almighty Saryan Hart?

It didn’t compute.

But it sure as fuck had kicked in. It had taken everything I’d had to fake it in there as my gut had twisted and emotion had threatened to clog my throat and get the best of me.

It had to be the acolytes.

It fucking had to be.

The timing was far too coincidental.

How had he let this happen, though?

Had he really lost his stealthy and strategic approach and gone in with proverbial guns blazing?

Fuck.

As my mind went a million miles a minute thinking about what he might be enduring now, what this kidnapper’s intent was, I was caught off guard when I realized I was suddenly right upon the alcove.

I almost walked right past it, until a hand shot out and grasped my arm, then yanked me inside it.

My back hit the wall and then Cornwell was there, his body pressing against mine in the tight space.

“I’m so sorry,” he told me.

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