CHAPTER 19
G aetan rested his palm against the door to the royal family’s private bedchamber. Cool and rough, the ancient wood was one he hadn’t touched in years. Only something dire would bring him to seek out Noeh in the one place his king could find a moment’s respite from the war.
The muscles in his leg cramped. Triggered by the spasm, a jolt of pain travelled up his thigh and into his hip. He held his breath, letting the agony wash over him. White spots formed in his vision and his mouth went dry.
Out of habit, he reached into the small satchel at his waist and popped one of the pain relieving pills into his mouth. The bitter tang eased the tension, his brain recognizing the upcoming relief before it even flowed into his bloodstream. In the back of his mind, he understood he walked a fine line, but he couldn’t stop himself.
With the pain under control, he rapped his knuckles against the wood. The sound echoed down the hall. One of the sunstones lining the Keep’s walls flared to life then subsided.
Muffled voices, soft and unintelligible, filtered through the cracks in the doorframe.
“One moment,” Noeh’s deep voice resonated from behind the door.
Heavy footsteps approached. The door swung open, causing a breeze to rush over Gaetan’s shoulders, almost dragging him inside.
He glanced at his king.
Noeh wore a hand-tailored buttoned-down shirt tucked into his waistband. Around his large frame, Gaetan spotted a small table with a place setting for two and a covered tray. The scent of freshly baked bread and roast beef filled the room.
Gaetan cleared his throat. “I don’t want to disturb you before your meal.”
Noeh narrowed his gaze, concern etched in his furrowed brow. “Nonsense. You are welcome here, always. Come in, please.”
With effort, Gaetan forced his battered leg to move. His knee creaked, more a feeling than an actual sound. He eyed the old, familiar place.
The large antique bed with the carved wooden footboard sat against the back wall. Above the bed hung the picture of Noeh as a youth, playing a game of stones with his mother and father.
A twinge cut through Gaetan’s chest. The painting was a remembrance of a .
“Would you like to sit down, old friend?” Noeh motioned to the antique desk situated in the corner. With tree trunks for legs, the massive furniture took up more than its fair share of space. Even from this distance, the sunstones embedded in the wooden top reflected the light from the gems lining the walls. Placed by its side, the familiar well-worn wooden chair beckoned him.
Gaetan sighed, and with his cane leading the way, he headed for his relief. “Thank you.”
Noeh gripped the edge of the wooden footboard, his ever-knowing eyes assessing him. The slight clink of his ring as he tapped it against the wood was in counterpoint to Gaetan’s cane on the stone floor.
Gaetan settled himself on the chair, leaned his cane against the desk, and rubbed his knee.
Noeh’s attention flicked to Gaetan’s leg then met his eyes. “Something’s wrong. Tell me.”
Gaetan pinched the bridge of his nose. Where to begin? “I bring news you don’t wish to hear.”
Noeh’s boots scraped against the stone floor. He placed his warm palm on Gaetan’s shoulder. “Are you ill? I will do anything in my power to help you.”
Gaetan lowered his hand and peered at his king and good friend, the one he’d raised ever since Noeh’s parents died during the great scourge. Worry lines rimmed Noeh’s eyes, and his features were drawn, as if he expected bad news. Gaetan exhaled. “I’m fine. It’s not me you should concern yourself with.”
Noeh wiped his palm over his face. “Thank the gods. Then who?”
The door to Noeh’s antechamber creaked open. Melissa stood in the doorway, dressed in a beautiful silk dress. She smiled. “Gaetan, I’m glad to see you.”
He bowed his head then raised it again so Noeh could read his lips. “Forgive me, my queen, for intruding, but I’m glad I caught you both.”
Noeh strode toward his mate and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Gaetan, please continue.”
A slight chill lifted the hairs on the back of his neck, and he rubbed the skin, trying to relieve the tension growing there. “I don’t know how to tell you this other than to just say it. Saar removed the prisoner from her cell and left the Keep.”
The muscles in Noeh’s shoulders stiffened. “What?”
Noeh glanced at Melissa. They stared at each other for a moment, having a private conversation. Ever since Melissa died and Noeh brought her back to life, they shared a soul. As such, they communicated telepathically.
Gaetan and Saar were the only ones aware of their special bond.
Melissa placed her hand on Noeh’s arm. His jaw flexed, and he returned his attention to Gaetan. “How do you know this? Speak slowly.”
“I took a cup of Ginnia’s favorite soup to her. The prisoner’s cell was empty, the lock open, unbroken on the ground—” A burning sensation warmed his toes then ran up his leg, centering in the ache in his knee. He ground his teeth, letting the agony pass before he continued. “Ginnia said Saar freed the female and took her outside.”
“No. Not possible.” Noeh’s face reddened. He released his hold on Melissa and strode toward Gaetan.
The pain and anguish in Noeh’s taut features slid into Gaetan. He hated to see his king so tormented. “You know as well as I, Ginnia doesn’t lie.”
Noeh slammed his fist onto the wooden desk. Pencils and pens skittered across the surface. One quill rolled over the edge and bounced against the stone floor. “Then you do.”
Gaetan’s pulse pounded, sending a wave of adrenaline through his body. The flush through his veins eased the pain in his leg, but the tradeoff wasn’t worth it. Noeh’s sharp words injured him far worse. His breath stalled in his lungs.
Melissa ran her hand over Noeh’s shoulder and down his massive bicep. She tugged on his arm. “That’s enough.”
“Craya!” He ran his fingers through his hair. With a loud exhale, he spoke. “Forgive me, my friend. I just can’t accept…”
Gaetan sighed. “Neither can I, but the evidence was irrefutable. He took the Ursus female through the tunnels.”
Noeh stiffened. “How long ago?”
Gaetan closed his eyes. “Now I need to ask your forgiveness. This happened a few hours ago. I was detained.”
Noeh’s eyes narrowed. “Detained?”
He nodded. Delayed by an addiction he was loath to admit even to himself.
Noeh closed his eyes.
A ripple ran over Gaetan’s nerves, like a dark cloud. The familiar sensation was one he recognized. Sunrise.
Noeh opened his eyes and pulled away from Melissa. He approached Gaetan, fisting his hand at his side. “The warriors will search the Keep today. If we don’t find them in the tunnels, the pursuit will expand come nightfall. We will find him. Find them both.”
Saar was long gone, of that, Gaetan had little doubt. The Commander of Arms was their best warrior and understood the idiosyncrasies of the Keep’s tunnels better than anyone. Good luck, my friend. To which he referred, Noeh or Saar, he wasn’t quite sure.
Noeh gripped Gaetan’s arm. His features had an intensity Gaetan hadn’t seen before. “You were my mentor, my father’s best friend, and the one Stiyaha I can count on above all others. If anything ever happens to me,” his eyes flickered with amber, “I want you to raise Anlon. Raise him as you did me until he’s ready to rule. Will you do that for me, my friend?”
Gaetan swallowed. There was no way he could refuse. “I pray it won’t come to that, but of course. I’d do anything for you, for him. I vow it.” As he said the words, his commitment wrapped around his soul, adding another link to the chain of responsibility already hanging there.