Page 85 of Tower of Tempest
“I am a genius.” Driscoll puffed out his chest. “Thank you for recognizing that.”
Spirits below. We needed Loch. He was so good at keeping the peace between them. If he were here he’d tell a joke or compliment Driscoll’s intelligence while somehow also complimenting Leoni, then both of them would forget they were even arguing. I missed him. I missed his smiles and his teasing. I wished I could just give him a hug.
Wait a minute. I looked around the space where we hid, then noticed Loch’s sword, now sheathed at Driscoll’s side. The pit of dread in me grew deeper. “Where is Loch? Why do you have his sword?”
“Loch?” Saestra asked. “As in Prince Lochlan of the water court?”
I massaged my temples. This was getting to be too much.
“It’s a long story,” I said, impatient. “But he, Driscoll, and Leoni rescued me from my tower and have been my companions since.”
Leoni took a deep breath and Driscoll nodded at her. “He’s missing,” she said in one quick breath. “He left to go to the ball and said hecouldn’t bring a weapon, so Driscoll agreed to keep his sword for him until he returned.”
My stomach sank. “Missing? But I just saw him last night.”
“You saw him?” Driscoll took hold of my arms. “So he did make it to the ball? He talked to you?”
More than talked. I nodded.
Driscoll’s eyes lit up. “How was it? What did you wear? I pictured you in a black dress that would match your feathers and really bring out the green in your eyes?—”
Leoni cut him a look.
He planted a hand on his hip. “Can I please live vicariously through her? It’s not like I’m getting invited to any balls or getting swept off my feet by some strong handsome man with big muscles and a deep voice.”
“When was the last time you saw Prince Lochlan?” Leoni asked. “We need to find him. I can’t lose Gabby’s brother! The prince of the water court.” She let out a groan and her head thunked against the hedge wall.
Saestra’s gaze bounced between the three of us as she took all this information in.
“I saw him.” I kept my voice light. “And we danced, and then we went to the balcony, and he...” I trailed off. Put his mouth between my legs and made me feel things I’d never felt in my entire life.
“You went on the balcony... and?” Leoni prompted, setting her hands on her wide waist.
“And we argued,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Argued?” Driscoll snorted. “Prince Lochlan argued with you?”
“That can’t be right,” Leoni agreed.
I clenched my molars together. “Well, it is. He wanted me to leave and come with you three to the shadow court to find Gran, but I said no. I told him to go to my room and we’d talk about it later.” I groaned, scrubbing a hand down my face. “And now he’s missing.”
Saestra was looking at all of us with confusion written across her face. “This is a lot to take in,” she said with a shaky voice.
“I’m sorry,” I said to her. “It’s a lot for me to take in, and I’m all caught up on current events.”
I would fix this. I would make this right. For Loch.
Leoni’s gaze darted upward to the ceiling of the little hedge alcove. “We have a theory.”
I didn’t like the ominous tone of her voice. I tucked a strand behind my ear. “Okay...”
“We think he might’ve been arrested and is up in the cages.”
Saestra gasped at the same time as I did.
“Why would my father arrest him?” Maybe he hadn’t. Maybe it had been his guards. Loch had been wearing a mask, so perhaps they hadn’t recognized him? If what Leoni said was true, that would mean he’d been there all night. In the cold, wind rattling the bars. The prince of the water court. Blood and skies, this was bad. And I couldn’t go to my father and explain. He’d never listen to me. Would likely arrest me on sight. Maybe Saestra could?
As if she knew what I was thinking, she shook her head. “The king loved his wife more than anything in the world. He won’t be in his right mind, not for anyone, including me, to come to him.”
