Page 64 of A Rose Among Snakes

“Yes. It never sat right with me that Kezara disappeared in the middle of the night, so I figured I would test it out.”

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” His tone was gentle, but there was an urgency behind the question.

“I didn’t have any proof, only a gut feeling.”

“What did she say exactly?”

I told him about the fortune Kezara received, and how her trial had supposedly begun. “When I asked her where Kezara was, she told me I needed a royal nudge. I asked her what that meant, but she said she didn’t know.”

Velian licked his lips as if contemplating what to say. “What makes you think you can believe her?”

“I don’t know if I can, honestly, but she told me I was close to finding out the truth about my father’s death. I never mentioned him.” He stared at me and I said, “Look, I understand if you think I’m crazy, but I’ve had a bad feeling about it this whole time and-”

“I don’t think you’re crazy. I just wish you had felt comfortable speaking up sooner.” He leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out and staring at the ocean. The tide was coming in, the waves getting closer to our feet. “A royal nudge… Do you think she’s at the castle then?”

“Maybe she never left.” Our eyes met and I saw the same fear sizzling in my veins reflected in his eyes.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “If I hadn’t been so prideful, maybe…” He jumped up, brushing the sand off his clothes. “I need to go find her.”

I scrambled to my feet and blocked his path with my hands on my hips. “I’m coming, too.”

“No, Mihrra, I’ve caused you enough pain. I have no idea what I could be walking into, and I’m not putting you at risk.”

“You’re not going alone, and I refuse to sit around herecleaningand waiting for you to return.”

“Mihrra-”

“I’m coming.” I stared him down, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. A lock of my hair was loosened by a whipping wind and fell across my face.

Velian smirked and brushed it behind my ear. “I understand why you and my sister get along so well.” He shrugged. “Fine, but I want to leave as soon as possible. Meet me in the stable in fifteen minutes. I’ll leave a note for Mrs. Shulling.”

My shoulders sagged. “Thank you.”

He nodded and we climbed the steep path back to the manor, going our separate ways once indoors. Storming into my room, I threw together some clothes, stuffing them into a satchel. I was still processing everything Velian had revealed to me, and while I was not ready to forgive him, I did believe he spoke the truth. That very well could have been my heart simply rejoicing to be alone with him again. However, Kezara’s safety was at the forefront of my mind, filling me with an urgency to find her.

Narell was sitting on her bed with a book, watching me with a scornful expression. “What’s your hurry?”

“I think something bad happened to Kezara. Velian and I are going to look for her.”

Narell scoffed. “What could possibly make you think that?”

“A gut feeling.”

“That’s it?”

“And a fortune teller.”

She let out a bark of laughter. “What? And he believed you?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re going offaloneto search for her?”

“Yes.” I finished grabbing what I needed and turned to face her.

Narell’s disbelief turned to disgust and she went back to her book. “You’re mad, and he must be too if he’s willing to go gallivanting off into the night based on a gut feeling and the word of a fortune teller.”

I heaved the satchel over my shoulder and made my way back to the door when I heard her mumble, “Madness would explain why he’s so interested inyou.”

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