Page 106 of Ascendant King
“Thanks, Gus. Stay here.” I opened the door. Elizabeth looked up from the window where she stood, observing the garden outside.
I could hear the shouts of children in the yard, although I couldn’t make out any words. For a visceral moment, I was reminded of our trip to House Morrison, when we had seen all their mage children protected in their central courtyard, safe from any outside harm.
Cade stood next to me, and Rhys and Nia both stepped in before closing the door behind them. Elizabeth’s eyes flicked over all of us. Her wrists and neck were still bound with iron, the chains clanking together as she moved.
I glanced down at Cade to see if he was affected by the sight. The last time he had been in this room,hehad been wearing iron.
His expression was cool, distant, as though he was putting on the artifice of Cade Bartlett, ice prince of House Bartlett. Elizabeth dragged her eyes over all of us before returning to me, as though deciding I was the power player in the room.
“We know that Leon was working with Phelan. Was that where House Morrison got the idea of grafting magic?” I asked.
Elizabeth blinked, clearly startled. “What?”
I crossed my arms, waiting. I had once told Nia that the best way to question someone was to let them question themselves. No one else spoke, Cade as still as a statue beside me, his expression drifting into haughty disdain.
“Phelan never spoke about anyone from House Bartlett.” Elizabeth’s eyes looked between me and Cade before focusing on Rhys in the back. “That is, he spoke about House Bartlett, but only what he learned as spymaster. He never spoke about working with anyone from House Bartlett.”
She frowned.
“When would he have even met Leon?” When she looked at us, I could see pieces falling into place. Her mouth fell slightly open, her eyes widening as though she was seeing her past from an entirely new angle.
“When did they meet?” I pressed.
“Years ago, when Phelan was still studying, there was some argument about whether or not he was going to go to college. He disappeared for six months, and everyone assumed that he might have left the house for good. Then he came back and spoke with King Morrison.” Elizabeth’s eyes fell, dropping to the carpet before she rallied herself from the mention of her dead monarch. “Howard said that we should let him be and that we would not speak of it ever again.”
“But after that was when the experimenting with grafting started?” I guessed.
Elizabeth nodded slowly. “It must have. I wasn’t involved with the initial experiments. I didn’t even know about it for two years.”
I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow, showing my clear doubt that she hadn’t been the least bit curious about secrets kept in her own house.
“I knew they were doingsomething. I knew they were experimenting with alternative forms of storing magic. Ones that didn’t involve consorts, but that was common in all houses.” She looked at Cade and Rhys. Her eyes narrowed before she shook her head. “Only House Bartlett seemed satisfied with wolves as their solution.”
“When did Leon come back?” I asked.
“What?” The chains rattled at her wrists as Elizabeth tried to draw her hands into a defensive position, but they were tied too tightly, and she had limited range of motion.
I waited, the silence ticking by. Behind me, Nia was still, but I heard Rhys shifting, heard them start to speak before silencing themselves. I didn’t even look at Cade. I could feel him beside me, a thrumming presence, the heat of his body warming mine; even though I knew that we were too far apart, our clothes shouldn’t let me feel him.
Still, I was aware of him, every hair on my arms standing up as though he was stroking a hand across my skin.
“Leon never spoke to King Morrison.” Elizabeth lowered her eyes. “The old King Morrison. There was… I thought it was another house, reaching out to Phelan. In retrospect.” She shook her head, raising her chin, her eyes flinty and sharp, although I could see the regret and pain in them. “A week before Phelan made his move, an unmarked mage came to the house. That wasn’t strange—we got plenty of unaffiliated mages arriving. Phelan and Howard spoke to him. Then he left. I assumed it was another house, but now…”
“So, Leon reaches out, tells Phelan that he needs sanctuary and he can back him in his coup, and the next week, the king is dead.” I looked at Cade, and he met my eyes, his gaze steady.I glanced back at Elizabeth. “How would we get in touch with Phelan?”
She shook her head. “House Morrison has removed itself from the city completely, the last I heard. You wereveryeffective in your deterrents.”
“Can we just call them?” I looked back at Rhys and Cade. Rhys spread their fingers wide.
“We… could. It would be better coming from monarch to monarch. And not directly. Cade needs an envoy to reach out.” Rhys frowned, tapping their chin. “Someone recognizable from House Bartlett.”
“Sonja,” Cade said decisively. He looked at Elizabeth, then gestured to the desk in the corner. “Write down Phelan’s number.”
By the time we had squeezed any last logistical information from Elizabeth, the day had begun in earnest. When we left, I heard more voices in the house than ever before.
Cade’s stomach turned over in audible hunger. Rhys leaned over, wrapping their arm around his shoulders. “Me too. On my trip, I could hardly eat a bite. I was nervous about everything. My god, I’m shocked I have any hair left. I was sure I was going to lose everything to stress.”
They raised their shoulders in a shudder. I led us all back into the dining room, surprised to find a contingent from House Bartlett on one side of the table, my wolves on the other. Both Gabe and Heather stood in the doorway, keeping their eyes on both groups.