Page 258 of The Throne Seeker
Roman stopped dead in his tracks. “What?”
She nodded. “I know, it was a surprise she’d confide in me, but?—”
“No. Satin came to my room and told me the exact same thing.”
Rose’s brows grew together. “What? You mean it wasn’t my mother who came for you?”
“No, why would she?” Roman asked, his fury waning slightly.
She stilled. “She wasn’t there when you came to the door?”
“No, I never saw her.”
“Then… where is she?” A tremor coursed its way through her.
Roman scanned the corridor—as if someone was watching.
Rose’s hand went to grip the hilt of her sword. “I don’t like this. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“No,” Roman agreed. “It doesn’t… Maybe she’s with Xavier.”
“And if she’s not?”
“Then we’ll find her. Come on.” He made her walk ahead as he glanced over his shoulder before following.
A fierce storm loomed on the horizon, unleashing a cold wind that made even the mightiest trees bend to its will. She tightened her grip on her cloak as her siren eyes scanned the darkness for any sign of her mother.
Amid the wind, Xavier was standing at the double door frame, waiting for them in the shelter of the stables. But her mother was nowhere in sight.
Rose’s panic escalated.
“Took you long enough,” Xavier complained as they entered the stables. With one look at Rose and Roman, Xavier knew something was wrong. “What’s the matter?”
“Have you seen my mother?” she asked, still hoping she’d pop out of the shadows.
Xavier shook his head. “No, I haven’t seen her since the beach. I thought she was with you?”
Rose gazed at Roman with horrified eyes.
“Don’t go there,” Roman said. “We’ll find her.”
“You mean she’s missing?” Xavier fumed. “What the hell could’ve possibly happened in an hour?”
Without warning, horns blared into the wind, alerting everyone inside and outside of the castle—a sign of intruders.
Roman cursed under his breath. “How’d he get out so fast?”
Xavier’s eyes whipped back to them. “What the hell happened back there?”
“I may have gagged Tristan and tied him to a chair…” Roman said, not sounding like he regretted it but still acknowledging it wasn’t the smartest move.
Xavier opened his mouth to say something but paused briefly before shrugging, as if it was understandable. “I’ve had the same urge.”
“Not helping!” Rose snapped. “What are we going to do? How are we supposed to find my mother now that the whole castle is on alert?”
“We should leave,” Xavier said, sizing up which horses to take. “If we don’t, we’ll never make it. We’ll never get this chance again.”
“Get Rose out of here,” Roman instructed. “I’ll go back for Evelyn.”
