Page 12 of Rise of the Phoenix King (Crown and Crest 4)

CLOVER

“What doyou mean she’smissing?” Lawrence demands. “Where could she have gone?”

“I don’t know. We had the princess wrapped, and my attendants were preparing to transport her to the fire…”

“Was she left unattended?” Henrik asks. “Surely you had guards protecting the infirmary?”

Master Regan shakes his head, helpless.

“Who would steal a body?” Bartholomew asks, sounding ill at the idea.

An uncomfortable hush falls over the room.

“I want all of Camellia’s attendants, guards, and ladies brought to the throne room immediately,” Lawrence commands Miguel. “Find them all.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Miguel says. “Alfred, come with me. The rest of you, protect the king.”

Alfred and Miguel leave, along with the mortician.

“Clover.” Lawrence meets my eyes, and I don’t like the look he’s giving me. “I know you’re tired of having a personal guard, but I want Barret at your side for a little longer.”

“Why can’t Henrik be my guard?” I demand.

The commander turns to me. The bare smile on his lips makes my insides feel molten. “I have no objections to that.”

“Henrik is about to become one of my knights. He won’t have time to play nanny to you,” Lawrence argues before he closes his eyes and groans. “The two of you are going to be insufferable. I should send you both to Ferradelle.”

“Audra would probably be happy to escort them there,” Ayan says cheekily.

The king points a finger at him. “Don’t even think about letting your cousin leave Cabaranth. And just in case either of you is tempted to ignore me, know it’s a royal command.”

“Where is Barret?” Bartholomew suddenly asks. “Wasn’t he here?”

“He was.” I look around the room as if he’ll magically appear. “He was in the hall with the rest of us before we came inside, right after Pranmore came up from the morgue.”

“Barret,” Henrik says suddenly, his voice heavy. He meets Lawrence’s eyes, and they exchange a silent conversation the rest of us aren’t privy to.

“What is it?” I demand.

“Lawrence and I suspected one of Camellia’s followers was in our midst,” Henrik says.

Lawrence nods. “I thought it might be Xander—no offense,” Lawrence quickly says to the knight, who looks offended all the same. “But…”

“You think it was Barret?” I ask, incredulous. “He couldn’t…”

Slowly, the puzzle pieces fall into place, and my stomach rolls. Surely not—he’s in love with Calla. They—

I cut off the thoughts abruptly, feeling ill.

“Let’s hope we’re wrong,” Lawrence says. Then he quietly instructs Denny, “Find Barret as well. We’ll meet you in the throne room.”

* * *

“No,” Calla says stubbornly, crossing her arms with her protest, even though her pale face betrays her fear. “Barret wasn’t the traitor—I know it.”

According to the sun, it’s well into the afternoon hours, though I’m exhausted from a night of no sleep. At Lawrence’s command, the entire royal guard turned the castle upside down, looking for Camellia’s body, but it was to no avail.

Both she and Barret are still missing.

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