Page 106 of The Stolen Princess
Drake and the other four operatives pulled the reins on their horses, slowing to a stop in the middle of the village. Since he’d discovered Dawsick’s body earlier that morning, Drake had been a mess. He should have been there protecting Myka. Instead, he had slept in the bomb shelter a mile away from her. Even though she had kicked him out, he could have at least slept on the dirt outside her shack, guarding the door. He could have prevented Dawsick from coming to her. Drake hated that he didn’t know what had happened between them last night. She’d proven that she could take care of herself, but that didn’t stop the feeling that was shaking him up inside.
Cora rushed to his side with a smile. “Commander Vestry, we weren’t expecting you today.”
He tied the horse up to the post and grabbed his things. “We’re only here to switch the horses out for personal transporters.” He walked with purpose to the old shed where they had left their PTs and pulled the metal door aside.
“Are you sure you don’t want to eat something?” Cora asked.
“No. We’re headed to Tolsten House, and we’re in a hurry.” Drake opened the PT’s compartment and shoved his belongings inside.
“I’ll be so happy to get back on a PT,” Grady said, coming into the shed behind him.
Drake barely glanced up at him. His toe nudged the kickstand back, and he swung his leg over the leather seat, feeling urgency flow through him. He needed to find Myka and make sure she was okay.
He turned the engine on and nodded at Cora. Her expression fell, and she stepped back as he peeled out of the shed. Knowing that he had already left, the other four men would hurry and leave too. By midnight, they would arrive in Denton. He had Myka’s map of Tolsten House, and he planned to use it to get inside.All he had to do was get word to Arco.
29
Myka
That evening, Myka drove up to the front gates of Tolsten House with Rommel and Joett following behind in their wagon. Tolsten soldiers stepped forward as her personal transporter skidded to a stop.
The first guard, with long hair tied back into a ponytail, strode forward. “These gates are locked,” he said, holding up the palm of his hand while his other hand went to his gun.
Myka lifted her chin. “Officer Nokes, would you lock out your princess?”
The man squinted his eyes, leaning forward and shining his hand light into their faces to get a better look. His eyes widened in recognition, and he bowed. “Princess Mykaleen, how did you get out of the grounds?”
Her brows bent. Didn’t these men know she’d been kidnapped? “What are you talking about? I’ve been gone for a week.”
Nokes and the other guard, Pollock, exchanged looks with each other. “Your father didn’t tell us.”
“My father?” she questioned.
“Yes, the king hasn’t mentioned anything about you being gone.”
These men clearly didn’t know that the king had died. Myka had assumed that it was public knowledge, since Stoddard had mentioned it in the letter. Or…maybe the entire letter from Stoddard was a lie, a way to trick her captors into giving her up. Maybe her father wasn’t dead after all. A mix of hope and anxiousness stirred inside of her. If her father was still alive, then she could confront him face to face about his lies. But did she want to?
She took in a deep breath. “Open the gates.”
The two guards eyed Rommel and Joett behind her in their wagon. “Commander Stoddard said no one enters the premises without his permission. Your friends are going to have to wait out here.”
Myka leveled the soldiers with her gaze. “Commander Stoddard isn’t in charge here. King Adler is, and if you don’t let in my dearest friends, then I will personally see to it that both of you are removed from your positions in the army. Is that what you want?”
“But the commander—”
“I don’t care what the commander said. Open the gates!”
The men hesitated for a moment, then nodded. The other guard rushed behind the small building and pushed the button, releasing the gate, while Officer Nokes moved aside so they could get through.
Myka drove down the long driveway that led to Tolsten House. Its stone walls looked beautiful and majestic. The main part of the house had simple architecture, squared off and flat, but as the years had gone by and new kings and queens began to rule, Tolsten House had been added onto several times. Additions jutted out from each side of the main house with pop outs, stone pillars, balconies, and large windows. Spotlights from the roof shone down onto the stone, illuminating it as the sun faded behind them.
As soon as she slowed the PT to a stop, the front double doors opened. Commander Stoddard stepped out, wearing the slimy smile Myka hated.
“Princess Mykaleen, what a surprise. We’ve been so worried about you.”
“I doubt that,” she said, glaring at him, “since you didn’t have any of your soldiers out looking for me. The guards at the front didn’t even know I was missing.”
Stoddard laughed, something fake that he’d probably been rehearsing for years. “Why would we tell the front guards that you were gone? We didn’t want to alarm anyone.”
