Page 38 of Hell Storm

“We need to check her room, see if there’s anything that might clue us in on what she intended to do.”

Agreeing with Silas’ suggestion, I turned to head upstairs.

“Well, at least we know she’s not on foot,” I muttered as we climbed.

Silas chuckled a bit. “There’s that, I suppose.”

I hadn’t forgotten that theft was among the many crimes Corina committed tonight—theft. The bike she’d stolen was, of course, the most expensive one I owned, but it certainly proved she had good taste.

We reached the top of the stairs and I was curious when Silas stopped me in my tracks.

“This might seem strange to ask, but … you’re holding up okay? I know you feel something for her. Even deeper now since the Claiming. It can’t be easy to contend with such conflicting emotions tonight.”

I shouldn’t have been startled by how well he read me. After all, it was one of his gifts. Yet, I still was.

My hand rested on his shoulder.

“I’m worried, yes, but I can’t say I’m surprised.” When I managed a laugh, he did, too. “Corina’s a strange breed of woman. I should have known—despite whatever feelings she’s fighting for me right now—she’d seize the first opportunity to break free.”

The air of concern still hovered around Silas as he nodded, allowing me to continue toward Corina’s room. The question forced me to face reality—I secretly wished she hadn’t gone, for reasons other than the apparent danger that awaited her in the world outside palace walls.

There had been a knot in my stomach since we bound ourselves together in her bedroom. The longing we felt for one another as we lie sleepless in our beds afterward was real, and it was powerful. And now that she’d run off, I couldn’t help but to wonder if, perhaps, the effects had been stronger for me than for her.

Silas and I entered her room and it was just as she left it. I’d already come in to look around, but at the time, I was a bit more frantic and less focused than I was now. This time around, I was on a very specific mission.

We needed direction.

There had to be some sign as to where she’d gone, who or what was so important that she continuously put her life on the line.

“Check the drawers and I’ll look in her closet,” Silas called out as he headed that way.

I started at the dresser, pulling out garments Elle had, no doubt, overloaded Corina with while here. I came up empty and turned to the nightstand beside her bed, and that’s when I saw it.

Her purse.

I guessed she left it behind in her haste to leave. It wasn’t lost on me how adamant she was to have it back in her possession, so I could only hope there was something worthwhile inside it.

Memories from the night of the gala flooded my thoughts as I moved toward the familiar clutch. Corina was breathtaking—then, always. It was no wonder I found myself in this mess. She continuously overwhelmed me, and the more I considered it, having any measure of feelings for her had proven to be a curse.

Silas approached from behind, and I was aware of his footsteps. The silver clasp opened with an audible snap and I didn’t hesitate to reach inside. Whereas respecting Corina’s privacy had once been a priority, she forfeited that right when she betrayed my trust.

A thin metal bracelet rested at the bottom of the bag. Deep in a corner, a small hunk of silicone. I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around how she’d gotten her hands on one when I pulled it out to lay eyes on it.

Silas seemed to hold his breath as I held it out for us both to evaluate, for us both to come up with some viable reason why she—a human with a mysterious origin—had a Dynasty-issued earpiece in her possession.

“What do you think it means,” Silas asked distractedly, still staring at the device. “Who do you think she was communicating with?”

Shrugging, I realized I hadn’t closed my mouth since making the discovery.

My eyes zeroed in on the small button located on the side, but didn’t get the chance to activate it.

“Excuse me, Your Highness?” Elle announced herself. Her voice was softer than usual. Almost timid.

I turned to meet what I now knew to be a worried gaze.

“May I have a word with you?” she asked next.

Normally, with such pressing matters at hand, I would have requested that she wait until things settled, but there was a look in her eyes that changed my mind. When I answered with a nod, Elle had Silas’ attention too.

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