Page 109 of The Demon's Discovery
“Why did he call meprincess?” I asked, heart throbbing painfully in my chest. I felt I already knew the answer, it was a strange hollow thud behind my ribs. I needed to hear it out loud.
“This kingdom is mine. Yours, if I’m no longer here. His weak tie to our family—the Sylvanus family—is the only reason he’s been able to get as far as he has. He couldn’t kill me outright, and I hoped… I hoped you and your mother were still out there, somewhere. As long as you were safe, so were we. But he knew far more than we gave him credit for, it seems.” He sagged into himself, half disappearing into the shadows again.
“Have you been here all this time?” The notion that he’d been in that small cage for my whole life made my heart squeeze.
“Time moves differently here than it does in Cyntere. For every day that passes there, around three do here.” I gasped. Nearly a century in that cage. It was beyond horrifying to even think about. “But yes. I’ve been here since my cousin decided he wanted my throne. He’s been obsessed with it since we were children, but I never thought him capable of going to the lengths he has.” He shook his head. “We have to get you out of here. If he manages to complete the ceremony, he will get his wish. With you, the true heir as his queen, he can do anything he wishes as king regent.”
“Nobody has questioned your absence?” I asked, horrified.
“They have. But he’s not shy about making dissenters disappear. It’s a convoluted, ancient enchantment that followsthe ruling family, but he can’t kill me and then take my throne. Old magic would be invoked and if he survived it, he would be exiled. Succession must be peaceful. Though he’s clearly found several ways to work around some of the finer points.”
“Thisis peaceful?” I asked. “You’ve been locked in a dungeon for how long?”
He slid back into the light, a chagrined expression giving way to another frown. “It’s dangerous for you to be here, to be bound to him in any way. He has no moral compass—for good or bad. He’s motivated only by his own desires. His power is still limited until he locates The Alchemist.” He sighed again. “But desperation is a great motivator. One can only rule in someone’s place for a hundred years. He’s running out of time.”
I swallowed, fear settling in my gut as a cold, hard knot. “That’s why he needed me now.”
“Yes.”
There was a long silence as my ears rang, all the information I was getting battled for space in my mind. “Ris?” I asked, voice hushed.
“Yes?”
“He’s already found The Alchemist.”
He straightened, panic in his bright eyes. “How do you know?”
“Because it’s me.”
Chapter 43
Vassago
My initial anger had given way to muted emotion, a cold, white space where nothing existed but my rage as I plunged my hand into the sharp hedge looking for any remnants of the portal. I snarled when all I managed to do was get several cuts from sharp twigs that had dug into my skin.
I focused on Rylan, tried to communicate the urgency I needed him with on our weak mind link. It had worked before, so I had some hope it would work again.
Most of the guests had already fled the manor by the time I returned from the maze. I burst through the doors of the ballroom in a fury, finding only a few lingering gossips. I blinked over to Henrik’s office, where I found both he and Lara hastily gathering easily sellable items from his safe.
“Leaving so soon?” I said, slamming the door and barring it behind me. Henrik spun with an amusing amount of speed.
“Mr. Feland! I— We—” Gold chains and assorted pieces of silver tableware slipped out of his greedy grasp.
“Sit, Henrik. There is no time, and I have no patience. You will explain, immediately.” He hesitated, and all I saw was my mate, in that trickster’s grasp. “Now!”
“Of course, of course.” Henrik dropped into the nearest chair, still clutching his worthless treasure to his chest. I glanced over to find Lara standing in front of Bea, who had her beau’s hand clutched in hers.
“I’m sorry you’re involved in this, Bea. You and Ellis need not stay. Unless of course, you had any knowledge of this scheme?”
“No, I had no idea!”
“You are free to go, though I would appreciate you not leave the premises.”
“If it’s all the same to you, sir, I’d like to stay. I want to hear the explanation. If you don’t mind.”
Through the haze, I found myself smiling. This young woman had an admirable backbone. I nodded her direction, and she pulled away from her mother, pulling her man all the way across the room to a sofa slightly behind me. Her intentional positioning did not go unnoticed nor unappreciated.
“As you please. Henrik? You’re wasting my increasingly valuable time.”
