Page 131 of Ascendant King

He pressed his hands to his skin, searching all over. “Basil,” he said breathlessly. “Basil is missing.”

I frowned, following the movement of his hands as he searched, but he was right. The snake was gone.

“What is this?” Cade looked at me as though I might have the answer.

“Leon did this.” It wasn’t a question; it wasn’t even a question of how. Leon had more magic than any other mage in the world. The question waswhatandwhere.

A soft knock sounded on the door. “Prince Bartlett?”

We looked at each other. There should be no one on the estate. Cade and I had made sure of that. Which meant it was some mage loyal to Leon.

Quietly, I eased out of the bed, Cade sliding off the other side. We glanced at each other once, and he extended a hand, blinking in surprise when a line of ivy stretched off his palm.

I opened the door and felt every muscle in my body tense. Keith stood on the other side. Last I had seen, Keith was missing most of his internal organs. Keith, who had spied on Leon for Declan. Keith, whose body Cade had burned to ash.

“Consort Bartlett.” Keith smiled at me, the expression crinkling the corners of his eyes. “Could you please inform the prince that his parents wish to speak with him before the formal dinner tonight?”

I stared at him blankly, and his expression faltered a bit, eyes widening before narrowing.

“Are you all right, Consort Bartlett?” Keith asked.

“Fine,” I said distantly. “I’m fine. I’ll let the prince know. Where can he find the king?”

“The… king?” Now Keith seemed genuinely confused. “King Bartlett is meeting with the council in anticipation of the dinner tonight. But the prince’s parents are waiting for him in the morning room.”

I forced a smile, and Keith took a half step back.

“Sorry,” I said. “We just woke up. Late night, you know?”

Keith’s shoulders went down, but he still stared at me in confusion. Finally, he nodded, turning and heading down the hallway. He glanced over his shoulder, and I stared until another door in the hallway opened, and Larissa Lucas stepped out.

I gaped. She had fled House Bartlett when Leon, her husband, had tried to convince her she was crazy. But here she was, and based on the crown she wore, she was still married to Leon. Larissa caught Keith, asking him a question about a household matter.

A small woman followed behind her, head down, a thick golden collar around her neck. Her eyes stayed on the floor,and I stared. She was wearing a band across her chest, the only indication of propriety.

I flashed to pictures from textbooks, black-and-white illustrations that had run in newspapers, showing what a consort had been before slavery had been abolished. Half-dressed women, shirtless men. All of them subservient to the mages that owned their lives.

Further down the hallway, another door opened, and I shut the door before anyone else could see me. I turned, realizing that Cade had moved to my shoulder, that he had seen other people living in the house—deadpeople living in the house.

Wetting his lips, Cade exhaled sharply. “This must be an illusion.”

Closing his eyes, he brought his hands together, spreading them out until his black lines of magic surrounded us. I felt the familiar pull of the teleportation spell, but when it finished, when we landed, we were still in his bedroom, a few feet away from our previous location. Frustrated, Cade drew his hands back, performing the same spell. This time, we didn’t even move.

“What do we do?” Cade’s blue eyes searched my face. I reached out, grabbing his trembling hands in mine. I gripped them tightly, keeping my voice calm.

“If this is some play that Leon is reenacting, then we see what he has planned. He already has us in his trap. We might as well see what the accommodations are like inside.” It was my turn to reassure him, and I saw his breath hitch, the edge of panic rising on his face.

“Okay.” Cade’s exhale was uneven, and he gasped another breath.

I tightened my grip. “Cade, we have this. We’ve fought worse.”

“When?” Cade challenged.

“When haven’t we been fighting worse?” I raised an eyebrow, and he chuckled. “Leon the first time, House Morrison, the poison, ghosts of our parents. This? This is a vacation compared to that.”

“When this is all over, I’m going to use my endless wealth to take you on a real vacation.” Cade’s smile was watery, firming up as I let my smile go lewd at his suggestion. “A private Hawaiian beach. Sand, daiquiris, no clothes.”

“Well, you’re going to get a preview of the no-clothes thing.” I made a face.