Page 31 of Of Curses and Moonlight

He placed some coins on the table without taking another sip and headed for the door.

“Sir!” she called after him. “Ye overpaid! This be way too much!”

Rothbart grinned and said over his shoulder. “Keep it.”

He’d visited the Wandering Wetlands on several occasions and considered searching for Helga right then, but it was late. He should wait until tomorrow. Perhaps he’d head home and tell Zoya the good news. She had been so antsy recently. What would it hurt to let her come with?

He pulled a bean from his pocket and tossed it against the wall of a nearby shop.

As soon as he stepped through onto the estate, he froze.

The front door to his home was leaning at an odd angle, hanging from only a single hinge.

His heart rammed in his chest and he pictured his stepmother, frozen in death, of his father with his blood pooling over the floor. Bile rose in his throat. He raced up the steps of the manor and shoved into the entryway.

“Zoya?” he shouted.

“Sir!”

Rothbart turned to see his grounds steward in his nightdress hurrying down the hall toward him, a lantern in his hand and a grim expression on his face.

Rothbart moved to meet him. “Is everyone okay? Where is Zoy—I mean Alice?” he demanded, recalling that even the servants weren’t aware of Zoya’s disguise.

“They overpowered us and locked us in our room, sir. We barely broke out. We—”

“Where’s Alice?”

The man's brows drew together, clearly confused. “We can’t find her, sir.”

Rothbart grew cold. “Do you know who they were?”

“Couldn’t see their faces, sir. They were disguised. Didn’t recognize any of them.”

He ran to the study, but his bookshelves and desk remained as stoic as ever. He recalled how only a couple nights before Zoya had stood in this room and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. The ache piercing his heart sharpened. Odette. She had been there too. Could this somehow be her doing?

Fear lodged in his throat. He raced to the kitchen. No Zoya. The servants watched curiously, but didn’t interfere as he checked every room, but the house sat like a cold mausoleum.

He barreled up the stairs and barged into Zoya’s bedchamber as if he’d find her there sitting on her covers, smiling at him.

Empty.

With a roar, he summoned his magic, lifting her bed and thrusting it across the room. He shoved his hands against his head and commanded himself tothink.

Moving to the window, he stared out into the dark night, the cool air brushing across his skin. The sound of something snapping in the breeze caused his gaze to drop. Tied between the two windows was a length of cloth. He lifted it and gasped. It was Zoya’s dress. From the looks of things, she’d bound several together into a kind of rope that lowered her out the window. His mind spun. Zoya had access to his beans, but because of his protective spells, she wouldn’t be able to travel unless she made it outside the grounds. If she had, there might be a chance that she was alive.

If she hadn’t…

No, he wouldn’t dwell on that. And even though Rothbart wasn’t good at tracking, he knew where he needed to start his search. He grabbed a bean and threw it at the wall of Zoya’s room. The portal leading to the pond opened up, and he drew his fingers into a fist.

If the swans were behind this, they would pay.

Chapter 10

Odette

The moon shone brightly above as Odette walked through the forest with Prince Torsten. Three nights they’d been together. Last evening they’d spent close to sunrise, talking. Odette had laughed at his silly jokes and pretended to hang on his every word. So far, so good. She wished she could drag it out longer, to make sure he was really secure, but he was running low on beans. So she planned on making her move tonight.

He was handsome, with his golden hair, firm jaw, and earnest blue eyes. Some might even call him charming. But none of that mattered. She needed him to commit.

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