Page 50 of Ruled By Magic

“The palace is going to be attacked. Soon. Get out.”

“Attacked by who?”

“It’s... kill the Lord Commander—” She disintegrated to static.

“I can’t hear you!”

More crackling. “no... out... location—”

The call dropped. Leo called back, but it went to the out-of-service tones. We stared at each other.

“Where did you get this?” Sharp, with an edge of anger, but controlled. I explained.

He sighed, his jaw tight “Was this what you were about to tell me?”

His gaze seared me. I nodded.

“You should have told me immediately. It could have been anything. A magical weapon.”

“I know! But after last night—”

“We could have been killed!” His voice rose, and I flinched back a step. I couldn’t help it. The memory of his punishment was too recent, too raw.

Some of the anger melted from his features, and he pressed his fingers to his forehead. “Don’t look at me like that. I won’t hurt you.”

“Like what?” The strength in my words surprised me. Since when did he care if I was afraid of him?

“Like I’m some kind of monster.” He stared at the link-up in his hand. “You were about to tell me.” His features softened. “Anything like this, let me know immediately. I don’t care what else is happening. Right away. Understood?”

Relief weakened my limbs, and I placed a hand on the sink to steady myself. “Yes. Thank you.”

The link-up gave a single buzz, and we both jumped. A message scrolled across the screen, a string of numbers. He frowned. “Coordinates. That’s deep in the forest. I need to pay Hexara a visit and find out what she knows. If the same people who attacked us on the mountain mean to target me here, the whole palace is in danger. She’s the only lead I’ve had. How would she have advanced warning of an attack?”

Frustration laced his words. I shrugged. “I don’t know. She could be with anyone. But at least she’s alive.”

Joy fluttered through me at the words, and a smile pulled at my lips. She was alive. The world seemed brighter.

The ugly, screeching wail of the alert siren tore the air.

Leo drew in a sharp breath, eyes wide. He checked his link-up. “Barrier breach.”

“The attack?”

“I can’t tell yet. I’ll take you to the bunker.”

I nodded. Hex’s info had been accurate. Fear soured my stomach. So many people lived in the palace. The mages could teleport to safety, but what about the workers? The kids in the little school?

“I don’t have any clothes.”

Leo frowned at me, as if he’d forgotten I needed them. “They’re in my room.”

He raced off, then returned to throw garments at me while he spoke into his link-up. I pulled them on. My usual palace uniform, a short skirt and sheer top. It would have to do.

Leo took my hand, but nothing happened.

“There’s a blocking device,” he said. “Hang on, if it’s the same as the one I have, I’ll be able to work around it.”

He closed his eyes and concentrated. After the attack on the mountain, Leo had sourced some black-market magical tech, including a teleportation blocker, and spent days learning how to circumvent it. More terror trickled in with each passing second. If the device was too different—

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