Page 51 of The Fae Kings' Bargain

Whoever this woman was, she was surely mad. “I don’t want to leave. I’m with Toren and Mehl willingly.”

“Only because you don’t know the truth.” Her captor frowned. “Toren is dangerous, and he sent his brother away to hide that fact. Ber is only trying to keep the kingdom safe.”

The woman delivered those words with the force of conviction, but Ria couldn’t grasp what reasoning might lie behind it. Why would the Centoi invite Toren to his brother’s wedding and then abduct the royal consort in such a blatant way? It would have been more shrewd to simply slip in unannounced. Was there even a marriage taking place? Perhaps the entire thing was a ploy from start to finish.

“He wants to keep the kingdom safe by kidnapping the person who could be carrying the heir to the throne?” Ria asked slowly, her head pounding with increasing force. “Did he make up the wedding, too? That invitation made a good excuse to get you here so you could ruin Toren’s breeding alliance.”

Tes’s skin flushed dark in the dim light. “The invitation wasn’t entirely false. It’s only that the wedding already took place. In secret.”

There was something very personal in that blush—both shyness and passion, almost like…a bride. But no. It had to be the headache prompting that odd thought. This could not possibly be the princess of the Centoi. What princess would act as herald for her own wedding announcement, much less a spy?

Maybe this woman was Ber’s mistress. She could be trying to prove her loyalty with this unusual stunt. Then again, for all Ria knew, the three of them might have an arrangement much like she had with Toren and Mehl. She certainly wasn’t going to ask.

Either way, it wasn’t good news for Ria. Tes appeared nothing but earnest, but it was impossible to discern whether it was an act. Even if the woman wholeheartedly believed that Prince Ber was nothing but goodness and light, that didn’t make it true. The last thing Ria wanted was to end up in his clutches.

To escape, she would have to learn more about Tes’s plans so she could counter them. At least she had a lifetime of practice with pretending cooperation. “If what you say about Prince Ber is true,” Ria began, “Then he’ll want me taken from here safely, I presume?”

“Of course,” Tes agreed.

“Well, how do you think to accomplish that? You don’t look strong enough to carry me far, and as soon as the kings realize I’m gone, the palace will be swarming with even more guards than the ones already looking for you.” Ria’s stomach took the opportunity to growl. “And I’m hungry. I was too nervous to eat much at dinner, and I doubt he’d want me starved.”

For the first time, true annoyance pinched the woman’s face. “I am not so foolish that you’ll trick me into running down to the kitchen for you. As soon as you’re capable, we’ll walk. Ber told me how to get out of the tunnels.”

Tunnels? Ria’s gaze darted around the dim room, but Tes’s mage light revealed boxes and old furniture, not narrow passageways. “This isn’t—”

“I took you up to the storage area,” her captor said. “But the sooner we head down, the better. I don’t know how long it will be before you’re discovered missing.”

Unfortunately, Ria wasn’t sure, either. She’d told Mehl she wanted a night alone, and the kings were busy arguing—or making up. They might not look for her until morning. But was there a true lady’s maid who might check on her? She hadn’t thought to ask whether the servants would appear on a schedule or would need to be summoned.

Ria couldn’t rely on anyone but herself for this escape.

Ah, well. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been on her own.

* * *

Think of how she disappeared—acommand easier said than done. Toren could barely drag his mind free of the morass of fear and worry long enough to contemplate it. Not only was Ria gone, but he’d hurt his husband. He struggled to get beyond anything but the mental image of a pale, swaying Mehl.

Only when the healer rushed in a blessedly few minutes later could Toren manage to comply. As he stepped back so the healer could work, Toren forced his mind to consider the problem. How could someone abduct Ria from the family wing without being noticed?

It would have been difficult but not impossible for an intruder to pull Ria into a nearby room, but by now, those had been searched. The servants’ stairs were at the far end of the corridor, so it was unlikely that the guard would have missed someone being carried that far. In fact, the guard hadn’t seen anyone else except Ria and a maid.

A maid who brought an empty tea service. Could she have been the spy? But if so, how could she have entered the family wing without having one of the amulets attuned—

Oh, gods.

Ber could have adjusted that spell if he’d gained one of those amulets. Ber could have adjusted that spell if he’d gained one of those amulets. The two of them were so similar, by blood and magic, that his brother could do so. But if Ber hoped to be king someday, it would do him no good to give such an important talisman to just anyone, which meant the spy was someone he trusted. Someone close.

Someone he might also entrust with the knowledge of the secret passages.

Those didn’t lead throughout the entire palace. Some went up to the floor above, which held the nursery as well as rooms for older children and visiting family. A mostly unused section, considering how the royal family had shrunk over the years. Aside from that, a few passages snaked down to the throne room, study, and other vital locations. But all of the tunnels eventually led to a single branching point that then split into three escape paths—and each emptied out beyond the city walls.

The Centoi’s refusal to stay made a sudden, sick sense.

He had to go after Ria. Now.

Chapter24

Alterations

---