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“No, Crux wouldn’t associate with someone like her, especially not if his uncle had been involved,” Trey counters with a shake of his head.

“Unless they both had motive,” I muse, piecing together another possibility. But what motive would Crux have? What would he gain from killing his own uncle?

Chapter

Forty-One

KYSON

We gather around my desk, surrounded by piles of scattered documents as Damian, Cedric, and I attempt to unravel the intricate puzzle before us. The weight of the task is heavy upon us when an email notification from Crux interrupts my concentration, coinciding with the arrival of dinner time.

“Crux sent me the tracking info,” I tell everyone as I pull it up from the link in the email.

“We’ll wait for Gannon,” I add, knowing he is on his way here.

Anticipation fills the air as we wait for Gannon. He is waiting for Abbie to relieve him of Tyson’s care so that he can join us. Unfortunately, Tyson’s fussiness has prevented him from being handed over to Clarice earlier, leaving him confined to his room until Abbie’s return.

Damian immediately leans in to peer over my shoulder as I access the maps and coordinates.

Confusion knits my brows together, and Damian exhales deeply, placing his hands behind his head as he paces back and forth.

“What does it say?” Cedric inquires, his focus divided between writing a timeline detailing our knowledge of the council, the hunter attacks, and the Kingdoms.

“It says he is still within the Kingdom limits. According to this, he never left,” Damian reveals, his voice laced with disbelief.

“So we have a traitor within the Kingdom?” I growl, frustration tainting my tone.

“Or Larkin is a traitor?” Cedric suggests. However, Damian vehemently shakes his head. “No, I don’t trust the man, but Azalea commanded him. You know this. There’s no way he could have been lying.”

“There’s no way he would abandon his son,” I add firmly, my conviction unwavering after seeing him trudge in here and demand his son knowing he was risking his life by doing so.

“But what if Crux forged this information?” Cedric proposes, scratching his chin as he approaches my laptop.

“In that case, where is Larkin?” I breathe out wearily, feeling a throbbing headache begin to take hold. All I desire is to retreat to my room with Azalea and forget the chaotic world outside.

“According to this, he’s down by the old mill, just inside the surrounding forest,” Cedric relays, pointing to a specific location on the map.

“I can send some men to scout the area,” Cedric offers, but I shake my head in response.

“No, it’s late, and that part of the woods is too dense. We can wait until tomorrow. If it’s an attack, I’d rather have daylight to assess the situation,” I declare, aware of the sudden opening of a mindlink. Azalea’s bond tugs at me, and a smile graces my face as I open the connection.

‘Where are you? Are you still in your office?’she asks through our link.

‘Yes, but we were just about to head to the old ballroom. It has more space, and we need assistance going through old case files. So the Landeena guards and our own guards are coming to help us sift through everything,’I inform her.

‘Alright, I have Abbie and Gannon with me. Dustin is fetching Peter and bringing him up. Trey and Liam went down to the archives to retrieve staff documentation.’

‘Staff documentation? And why are you bringing Peter up?'Curiositylaces my words as I questioned her, sensing her nervousness reverberating through our bond.

‘Yes, Peter. I think I know who is aiding Crux,’she reveals, her conviction palpable.

‘And how did you come across this information?’I probe further.

‘Something that Abbie mentioned, about Peter being manipulated. I believe it is Ester, Kyson. Too many pieces don’t fit together, and I want to question him while also examining Ester’s files.’Pondering her words for a moment, I glance at Cedric.

‘I’ll send some men down to assist in bringing everything up,’I assure her, rising from my seat. Gesturing towards the scattered boxes, I signal to the others, and they promptly begin packing everything away.

‘I’m on my way. The kitchen staff can deliver dinner to the ballroom,’I inform her before severing the connection. Contemplating her words, I find reassurance in her unwavering certainty. I will not doubt her anymore.