Page 7 of Chaos Tempted

Wyn grimaces, then seems to understand his logic and nods.

Eldrin looks as though he’s ready to tear the castle down with his bare hands. Instead, he turns to me and speaks calmly, but firmly. “I will watch over Wyn in my quarters. You can go investigate how this happened. Oakes, would you mind finishing this meeting on your own?”

“I can.” Oakes clearly reads the prince won’t be able to function and reluctantly releases his hold of Wyn. “I’ll join you when I’m done.”

4

DEALING

ELDRIN

My heart races with the newest threat against my love as our guards escort us to my private quarters. I cast a worried glance at Wyn. Even without Oakes’ powers of empathy, I can tell that she is ready to break away and run for the forest. I don’t blame her instincts since they are sound. But I won’t let Wyn be taken from us again.

I will do whatever I have to protect her, and I know my advisors will do the same.

Once inside the privacy of my room, I hug Wyn tightly. “Are you alright?”

“It’s a bad idea for me to stay.” Wyn presses her face into my chest, blessedly finding the same comfort in me as I find in her presence. “I’m going to bring your kingdom nothing but grief.”

“Nonsense.” I stroke her long, silken brown hair. “You belong here. Elfhame is your home, and now, so is Ryven.”

“Why did King Magnus want me back in Elfhame, anyway?” Wyn asks. “Why didn’t he kill me or send me off to some horrible male? Do you think he still plans on using me as bait to incite a war?”

“It’s possible he has something up his sleeve,” I answer honestly, but with reservation. Wyn always seems to sense when the truth is skirted. “Even without his encouragement, Commander Turgon could execute their original plans. But I won’t let him use you that way. You already prevented them from using you to break the treaty by remaining alive.”

“This is no way for us to live.” Wyn steps back from my embrace. “You can’t keep handing me off to each other to watch over me.”

“Oh, yes, we can.” My commanding princely voice is in full force. “And wewill,if that’s what it takes.”

Wyn bites her full bottom lip. “What if the mage tells me I should leave?”

“I don’t think she will, but we’ll deal with it if she says anything of the sort.”

A few hours later, Oakes and Jaden knock on my bedroom door.

“Come,” I call from the bed where Wyn and I have been curled up together, napping.

Oakes smirks. “Nice to see you are hard at work.”

“Keeping Wyn calm and happy is a noble pursuit,” I quietly state, without bothering to get up from bed. I smile fondly at Wyn’s tiny whine of protest at being disturbed by our chatter.

“True.” Oakes rubs his chin and sits down in a plush chair across from us. He watches Wyn as she stretches and rubs the sleep from her eyes.

She gives them both a sad smile as a welcome. I hate seeing her this way—hopeless and frustrated at our circumstances.

Not so at ease either, Jaden paces the room and gives us his report. “I went back to get a detailed inspection of the room. From what I could scent, the blood was a mixture of human and pig. With the sheer quantity, I doubt either survived the letting.” He watches Wyn for a reaction.

She sits immobile. The color drains from her face with the confirmation. We all hoped it wasn’t a human.

“Did you learn anything from your guards?” I ask.

“Corwin had assigned our usual day guard, Daylor, to Wyn’s room this morning, but a new female guard had reported for duty and gave Daylor orders to patrol the gardens. Then she took his post. No one could find her or recognized her description. It’s as if she doesn’t exist.”

“Daylor didn’t question the orders?” I hold Wyn’s hand to reassure myself that she’s alright.

“He thought it odd, but no, he didn’t question her since Wyn wasn’t in her room. Since our standing order is to never leaveWynalone, he didn’t think much of leaving the empty chambers.”

“Then we need a new protocol,” Oakes suggests. “No unscheduled replacements unless it’s a direct order from one of us.”

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