Inari woke up draped over the desk in the Crypt. It was a slow process of remembering where she was and why she was there, along with knuckling her eyelids and yawning until she reached a higher state of awareness.

Her fingers traced several track marks in her cheek from where she’d lain across an open book. Talk about out of it. She’d researched until some early hour she could not fathom, then had decided to just ‘rest her head’ for a little while. She guessed she’d probably slept two hours, at most.

After stifling a yawn, she pushed up from the chair and stepped into the gloomy hallway. Even with the lights shining overhead, shadows lurked everywhere.

“Has there been an update from my father?” Inari asked Bero. “What time is it?”

“There has, Your Highness,” Bero said. He paused to check the time on his wristwatch. “It’s almost one o’clock.”

“In the afternoon?” Inari couldn’t believe it was that late.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Bero lowered his hand. “Your father has sent for you. As soon as you woke, he wanted you to depart Imatra for Somero.”

“What’s the matter? Has Lisbet taken a turn for the worse?” She immediately started off down the hallway, resisting the urge to break into a run.

“No, Your Highness. There is news about the assassin.”

Inari paused at the base of the stairs to glance back. “Have they caught the man, then?”

“Indeed. Not only that, but Elias Ahtissari arrived at Somero earlier and has been cloistered away with your father. I don’t have every detail, but the word is Elias has effectively nullified the threat.”

Inari’s mind spun into a hundred different scenarios at once. She raced up the stairs onto the main floor with no less than eight guards in her wake.

“I want to depart immedi—”

“The limousine is already waiting. Your father has spoken with King Aleksi and given his gratitude for harboring you,” Bero said.

Inari felt a duty to thank Aleksi herself. It seemed cordial, what a future queen should do. But the urgency to return home overwhelmed her, and she convinced herself that Aleksi would understand.

She nodded briskly to Bero and headed for the castle doors.

Spotting one of Aleksi’s personal assistants near the entrance, Inari veered in his direction. “Excuse me. Please pass on my extreme gratitude to His Majesty for giving me shelter. I regret that I cannot remain long enough to tell him myself.”

“Your Highness,” the assistant said with a polite nod. “I will pass on your message. He is aware of the circumstances and has arranged to have everything ready for your immediate departure.”

“Excellent. Thank you again.” Inari turned toward the open doors.

She couldn’t reach Somero fast enough.

---

Elias shouldn’t have been surprised whatsoever to find his father, Sander, waiting in the king’s library in the Ascher stronghold. Sander had been standing near Thane, a drink in hand, his neutral expression giving nothing away.

Thane, however, had looked quite agitated and restless.

Elias had wasted no time engaging Thane first, intuitively guessing that the king wanted answers, and wanted them now. Elias patiently explained the entire situation, beginning to end, leaving nothing out. He refused to show shame or regret for his actions, holding his head high while he detailed all Valentina’s reactions and confessions. He’d brought forth the recorder—to which both kings looked mildly surprised—and played Valentina’s confessions for them to hear.

It was a serious situation, he knew. He’d taken another king’s matters into his own hands. Had taken the lead, taken immeasurable risks.

Now he stood before Thane and his father, hands in the pockets of his slacks, waiting to see just how pissed off Thane really was. He supposed the king could do anything, from banishing him on Somero land, to ending their country’s alliance, to refusing to allow him and Inari to meet. Thane might bring charges—there was no telling. Elias had always thought Thane was a more controlled man than that, but the near death of Lisbet and the assassination attempts on Inari might change things.

“Let me tell you what you don’t know,” Thane said. “Caspian and Erick, along with a cadre of my best men, managed to route the assassin last night and the man is, and has been, in my custody. He confessed the exact same things you have said here today, and is willing to give evidence against Valentina should I decide to go after her for attempted murder. Everything fits. We have her, and the assassin, dead to rights.”

Elias finally had answers to his brother and Caspian’s success. He found himself surprised at Thane’s conversational tone, though the king’s body language suggested he still harbored an aggressive attitude toward the entire situation.

“Will you prosecute her?” Elias dared to ask.

“My initial reaction is to say hell yes. She nearly succeeded in killing Lisbet.” Thane thrust a hand through his dark hair and paced near the fireplace. “But once word gets out, all the sordid details will come with it. The media will have a field day. Both our families, mine and Valentina’s, will be dragged through the mud for months. Every angle that could possibly be thought up will be exploited, ad nauseam. Untruths will run rampant, lies will be told. I’m not sure I want to do that to Inari and Lisbet.”

Elias detected a but in there somewhere. He glanced at his father, who had remained remarkably silent the whole time, and still could not read any emotion in Sander’s face. No anger, no censure, no pride.

He might be in more trouble with his old man than Inari’s.

“I’ll be honest,” Elias said, returning his attention to Thane. “I felt like Valentina was concerned about the truth getting out, and that she was most fearful of Wolfe’s reaction. What it would do to their relationship. Wolfe, in my opinion, would probably never forgive her. However, I also think you can’t trust a snake, and that she’ll strike again given the first opportunity. I think she’ll try and throw suspicion elsewhere, make another attempt look like an accident. Car crash, plane crash, things like that. I’m not sure I’d trust her to back off for good.”

“That was my next line of thinking,” Thane said. “Especially if Wolfe continues to harbor deep feelings for Inari. Money is a grand motivator, unfortunately, and Weithan Isle’s troubles have been common knowledge for years. She may see removing Inari from Wolfe’s life as her only course of action to save a failing state. For that reason, I intend to use all the proof at my disposal to put her away for good.”

“To keep Inari safe, I think it’s your only course of action. I wish I could say that I thought Valentina would honor her word, or that fear would continue to stay her hand. But I don’t. Not in the long term. Not if Weithan Isle’s economic troubles persist, or worsen. Valentina will probably spend a few weeks hiding then grow more bold and desperate,” Elias said.

“Speaking of bold,” Thane said, still pacing, “I understand the reasons why you did what you did, but you should have come to me first. Let me decide the best course of action.”

“I would have, if there’d been more time. Our situation changed every few hours as more information came to light.” That, at least, wasn’t a lie. First he’d considered haunting the next parade or charity event to get a glimpse of the assassin, then the following second, they’d been off to Weithan Isle. One had to be as flexible and fluid as the situation demanded.

“Next time, call me during the flight,” Thane said with a wry twist to his lips.

“I will.” Elias couldn’t deny he’d had time to do that. Thane didn’t seem overly angry, though Elias still couldn’t decide what his father was thinking. Sander had remained silent and contemplative.

“I’m going to grab a few hours of sleep,” Elias said. “I’ll leave the recorder in your care. Good evening.”

“Thank you, Elias. For everything,” Thane said.

Elias paused to smile. “You’re welcome.”

“I’ll join you,” Sander said to Elias. He stopped to shake Thane’s hand then swerved toward the door.

Elias beat his father to the hallway and waited. He knew what was coming; he just didn’t know the direction of Sander’s mood.

A strong hand landed on his shoulder once his father closed the door.

“The apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree,” Sander said with a quiet chuckle.

In that moment, Elias knew everything would be all right.