Page 153 of Mark of Love (Love Mark 3)

“Look. Are you willing to help or not?”

“Of course,” he answered immediately. “I’d tear the entire Outer Realms apart looking for Unity if someone took her. And we’re not even married yet.”

Olivander was significantly older than his true love. He’d met her and realized she was his soulmate when she was just a babe in the cradle, and when she’d turned twelve, he had sent her away to Tipton for schooling. But that had been years ago, and—wait—now that I thought about it, she was probably old enough to have graduated from the ladies’ academy by this point. These days, she had to be old enough to return to the castle and marry.

I wonder why they hadn’t married yet.

But Olivander’s love life made no difference to me. I just wanted my mate back.

“I can imagine what you’re going through,” Olivander murmured sympathetically. “And I love solving a good mystery. Besides…” He quirked a sardonic, dry smile. “How could I refuse a chance to defy Father?”

I swallowed, not daring to hope. “Do you have any idea where she might be?”

Olivander chuckled and lifted a leather satchel that had been sitting on a nearby table. Flipping open the top flap, he revealed the contents, which was full of scrolls.

“Oh, I have plenty of ideas,” he answered.

Chapter 38

Indigo

Olivander and I got to researching as soon as Erick left us, claiming he needed to get back to the capital before his absence began to look suspicious.

“I’ve charted Father’s comings and goings for the past ten years on this scroll. Where he goes, who he visits, and how long he’s gone.” He tossed that scroll onto the table only to pick up another. “On this one, I’ve copied all the financial records that have been reported in the kingdom’s coffers: where the money is spent, who it goes to, and for what reason.”

After he discarded the second scroll, I picked it up and unrolled the spools so I could study it. Olivander went on explaining a few more he had, but I blocked him out, frowning at names, dates, and prices, running my finger along the list as I went. When I saw a name I recognized, it pinged in my head.

I saw it again, then again, once every moon cycle, in fact. I went back in time, checking for more transactions, only to realize that Everett of House Teller had been receiving the same stipend for supplies from King Ignatius for the last two years.

“What’s this?” I asked, showing it to Olivander.

He squinted over and took the scroll from my hand. “The payments to Teller?” he asked, glancing up in question.

I nodded.

“Your uncle Everett’s been commissioned to build elevated guard stations down the canyon pass between Far Shore and High Cliff.”

“Elevated guard stations?” My brow furrowed. “And he’s been building them for the past two years? In the canyon pass?”

The prince nodded. “Father visits at least twice a year to inspect the progress.”

I shook my head. “No, he doesn’t. He can’t have. I just went through the pass. There are no guard towers anywhere throughout the entire length. None have even been started.”

“Hmm.” Olivander sent me a troubled glance and rubbed his chin. “I guess dear ol’ Dad is hiding something else, then. I’m not surprised.”

“You think it has something to do with the Graykey tracking ritual?”

Olivander shook his head. “I don’t know why it would.”

“But they had some surprisingly sophisticated perimeter magic set up to catch her.”

I explained the booby trap that had started this whole mess.

Olivander’s eyebrows lifted, impressed. “That does sound extreme. We don’t even have those kinds of measures set up around Elaina. I didn’t realize your uncle was that motivated to end the Graykeys.”

“I didn’t either,” I murmured, growing suspicious. I’d lived with him for three years, and the only things he’d been passionate about was his hatred for the High Cliff crown and r

eclaiming the Teller title.

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