Page 24 of Married By Treachery

Jake dragged his teeth across his bottom lip as he looked to a sky he couldn’t see. Couldneversee. “This won’t go unnoticed.”

“Then let us both hope she wakes tomorrow,” Sienne said, then added, “You might bind her, as I first advised. Next time, I will not be able to save her.”

“There will not be a next time.”

Sienne raised a brow. “Are you going to follow her around like a little pup?”

Jake smiled.

Sienne was not amused. She stood and looked pointedly down at him. “Don’t lose sight of the mission, Jake.”

Jake also stood, forcing her to look up. He felt unusually annoyed. “Goodnight, Sienne.”

Sienne’s lips pursed. She glanced askance at the three men by the door and started to go.

“How is little Avi?” Jake asked.

Sienne paused. “She’s all right. A little shaken, but unharmed.”

Then, “Why did you bring her?”

Sienne gazed back at him. Her expression had turned somber, and Jake already dreaded her answer. “I had no choice.”

Jake exhaled slowly. “So Amdell has fallen.”

“Yes.” Sienne’s gaze fell. “This is all that’s left of us.”

The weight of that statement filled the room with silence, for this news was heavy indeed, further compounded by the losses they’d endured this night. Amdell had been a mighty fortress, a towering defiance against the curse, and everyone expected it to fall only second to the palace. The fact that it had succumbed…

They had even less time than Jake had suspected.

“Thank the Fates your pretty little mortal doesn’t do what she’s told,” Sienne said, pulling him from his dark and spiraling thoughts. “Reminds me of someone else I know.” She gave him an emphatic look then closed the door before he could respond, leaving him alone with Raquel and his three comrades, who were studying him.

Jake made a decision. “One of you watch over her for me.”

“I’ll do it,” Banon offered.

Jake shoved himself to his feet, then strode past his men and into the hall.

“Where are you going?” Banon called after him.

“To take a damn bath.”

* * *

Raquel did not wakethe next morning,orthe next, much to Jake’s chagrin. It seemed to him that she defied him even in her state of unconsciousness. As if she knew he didn’t have time for this, and therefore persisted in a state of deep vegetation just to get under his skin.

Fortwo days.

How in the hell was he supposed to lay claim to her heart and affections while she was unconscious? Then again, at least she wasn’t trying to kill him. That was an improvement.

Meanwhile, Jake’s mother still had not arrived.

He could go in search of her, but he didn’t dare chance missing her in the event that she appeared in his absence, and he also did not feel comfortable leaving the girl. Instead, he’d asked Astair to try again, to scry the mist and all of Canna for his mother, but to no avail. Astair could not find the queen, and this fact unsettled Jake more than any other. Of course, Jake’s mother had the unparalleled talent of making herself unfindable, but she wasn’t supposed to be using that talent on Jake, and certainly not now.

So where had she gone?

Hopefully his father hadn’t caught wind of their plan, but each moment that passed brought Edom closer. This normally wouldn’t be an issue; their plan depended upon Edom being absent from the palace, because Jake couldn’t very well go traipsing into the palace as Edom with Edom still inside of it.

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