Page 39 of Staff of Nightfall

“That’s probably where the other one went, anyway.” She cleaned and sheathed her dagger and pressed the heel of her hand against her temple. “What if he’s wrong? What if my parents are—”

“No.” Regulus sheathed his sword. “He’d be an idiot to kill them.”

She paced next to Zephyr. “We have to go rescue—”

“No.”

“What?” She stilled and clenched her fists.

“You can’t go near the castle. Absolutely not.”

“Are you insane?” she shouted. “He has my parents—”

“Exactly.” Regulus’ eyes searched hers. “Think. Why? What will you do if he threatens them? If he puts a sword to your mother’s throat? What would you do, Adelaide?”

She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, then snapped it closed. She wanted to say she would save them, she’d use her magic, she’d find a way. But what if she couldn’t?

“We both know what you’d do,” he said gently. “Because you’ve done it before.”

Adelaide screamed and threw her knife into the ground with such force only the tip of the handle stuck out of the dirt. “Then what am I supposed to do? I can’t leave them! What if he gets tired of waiting? I have to do something! I can’t—”

A sob tore from her throat and she bent over, her chest seizing. She kept picturing Nolan standing over her parents’ bloodied, lifeless bodies, that cavalier smile on his haughty face.

Regulus pulled her close and Adelaide sobbed into his shoulder. They had been outwitted. Outplayed. All Nolan had to do was threaten her parents, and she would surrender. Nolan knew it, too. When he threatened to tamper with Minerva’s carriage, she had caved. He had pushed her at Arrano, and she had agreed to marry him to save Regulus and Gaius. He likely overheard her telling her parents she helped the sorcerer to help Regulus. She had a history of giving in to save others. Nolan had a history of being unbothered by hurting others. If she went to the castle, she would give herself to Nolan before she watched her parents suffer or die. But for all she knew, he would kill them if she didn’t go, anyway.

Adelaide cried until her stomach hurt from gasping through her tears. Regulus held her close but didn’t say a word. He let her cry and rubbed her back in big circles. Even when she could finally breathe normally again, she leaned against him. She had soaked his shoulder with tears, and more embarrassing, snot. Once her face was dry, she pulled away.

“What do we do?”

Regulus cupped his hand to the side of her neck and rubbed his thumb over her jaw. “They’re going to be okay. But if Carrick is there, and the sorcerer is not, there is a good chance the messengers didn’t get through to the king.” She nodded, even though she couldn’t think about that right now. Regulus sighed. “We’re going to have to split up.”

“What?” She grabbed his arm. “You can’t leave me! And I’m definitely not leaving you! Not after—”

“Shhh.” He smiled sadly. “You need to warn the king. You have a better chance of getting there, and once there, you can probably get in. You’re Lord Belanger’s daughter. I’m nobody. If we want any chance of preventing the sorcerer from seizing the throne, the king must be warned.”

“But my—”

“I’ll get my men, and we’ll rescue your parents. We’re mercenaries. This is what we do.”

Adelaide shook her head. “Even with your men, how will you defeat Nolan? He has more men. And a castle! It’s impossible.”

He gave her a look of deep hurt. “Glad to hear you have so much faith in me. The men are going to be offended, too.”

“I didn’t mean...” She sighed.

“It’s this or we both go to the king. Carrick has too much of an advantage over you. Your parents wouldn’t want you to knowingly walk into a trap. Your father would want you to warn the king. So, I rescue your parents without you, or we leave your parents until after the king is warned.”

She chewed on her lower lip. All right, fine. If she ended up captured trying to rescue her parents, they would be beyond livid. Father could be chained up in the dungeons, and he would still lecture her about tactical miscalculations.

But what if hewaschained up? What if Nolan had put Mother in the dungeons? The thought of Mother, alone on a hard, dirty dungeon floor, shackles on her wrists, made Adelaide’s blood run cold. What about her half-brother and his wife and their infant? Even though she didn’t like Landon and Julia, they were still family. Nolan wouldn’t put Julia and her baby in the dungeons, would he? Adelaide couldn’t abandon them. But she couldn’t hand herself over to him, either.

“It’s the best way,” Regulus whispered. He leaned his forehead against hers. “The king is warned. Carrick won’t kill your parents when you’re not around. I’ve done many stealth missions. I can rescue your family. I promise you, I’ll get them to safety. Trust me.”

She closed her eyes. His plan, though imperfect, made sense. This was the man who had fought demon sea serpents and dragons. He could sneak her parents out, right?

He shifted, holding the sides of her face in his strong, capable hands, and kissed her forehead. “We’ll see each other again,mareh piahre. I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

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