Page 66 of Enchanted Crown
Amory took a breath as if to steady herself. “Last night, Morana disappeared. All we found was a pool of her blood in her room at Halikaara. It seems likely she is dead.”
Of the two biggest suspects I believed we had, one just went missing with a bloody mess left behind? It seemed our traitor had finally unmasked themselves.
CHAPTER 24
Jagen.
If I had to swing out one accusation based only on what I knew, it would have been on Morana. She had been entirely too interested in both Emric and me when we arrived. Add that she and Zaire had a history, another such person I did not trust, and between Morana and Jagen, I would have picked Morana.
But Jagen also had all the motives stacked in his corner, ready to wield. If there was someone who did not want me to heal Dra Skor, it would be him. With Esta now healed, he had lost the most. An opportunity to inherit the crown without having to even murder his sister.
Yet there had been so many conversations, small tidbits, which led me to believe we had an understanding. We both understood the pressures of being an heir to a throne. But had it all been a farce? A mask to disguise his true intentions? Or had I wanted there to be a sense of comradery when there was none? Had he just played nice so that I would turn the other cheek when he moved to stabus all in the back?
Then again, it could be Oziel, trying to clear his own path to the crown.
“Where?” I stopped to clench my jaw. If Jagen truly was responsible, he would not see another day. He had killed Savanna. Samori. Kidnapped a child. Created an entire Civil War. Over greed. “Where is Jagen?”
Amory gave a sharp inhale. “As of this morning, Nana is holding all three of her children plus spouses, plus their children, at the castle cells. They are all under arrest.”
“Her method is a bit archaic,” Esta commented as she shifted to her human form.
Amory shrugged. “If it is effective, do we care?”
My eyes went in the direction of the castle as my first Enchantment burned in my veins. I needed to speak to Jagen. Like Malachi always told me, I did not need to know all the next steps, only the one right in front of me. I knew what the next one was. Interrogating Jagen.
How could he?
Malachi also shifted into his human form and reached an arm out as if holding me back. “Whatever you are scheming, prince, you take me with. Understand?”
Something I was feeling coming from Esta gave me pause. “What?”
She looked to the skies, thinking.“I am not angry that Nana is detaining my family. It is long overdue. Had I not been confident in my ability to defend myself, I would have done the same months ago.”
“But?” Amory asked.
“But is having all the heirs to the throne in cells in the same location truly a good idea?”
Amory let out a sharp gasp. “If it isnotone of them, we’ve just lined them up for slaughter.”
This. This was exactly why Esta needed to remain as queen ofDra Skor. Her instincts. I ventured to say she could give even my own father a run for his coin in outwitting her opponents. “I volunteer to babysit Jagen,” I offered.
“And I need to get to Nana,” Esta stated. “See what she suspects.”
“We will head to the cells,” Malachi added while giving me a look as if asking if I was good.
I gave him a nod.
Esta looked from one of us to the other. “Okay, but please try to keep the violence to a minimum. Just because Morana went missing does not mean Jagen is automatically our culprit. She had plenty of enemies of her own. Or could have simply found something out which put a target on her back. Or had a tiff with her brother.”
Within minutes we were all in the air, heading toward Halikaara. Zaccai and Wit soon joined us, as well as a large portion of Malachi’s unit. Esta hadn’t told them to, but since Samori died, rarely did they allow her to fly alone.
I needed an update from Emric too. And Esta needed more of her army. The more shifters we had healed to help us, the better. We were not training for war; we were already in the midst of one.
And our enemy was becoming more and more desperate. I only hoped it would all come to a head sooner rather than later.
“Talk,”Malachi gritted out as he slammed Jagen into the wall of the cell.
It turned out the cells of the castle were far beneath it in a damp and dark area. It was so damp down here it hurt my lungs. Not to mention the lack of sunlight. The lit lamps were the only thing allowing us to see and it was still midday above us. NanaMallick had put her own blood down here? No wonder they all feared her.
