Page 64

Callum

Months prior…

There had been no sign of Cadence in weeks, and despite my best efforts, my search had been futile. I couldn’t find her, and I was running out of places to look.

Her apartment above the apothecary remained locked and undisturbed, but my gut feeling told me I was missing something.

My parents were beside themselves with worry, and I knew Cadence would never put them through such turmoil for nothing.

There had to be more to it.

My boots hit the wooden steps that led into my house, and I stomped on the landing, ridding myself of the dirt packed into the crevices.

Cadence was always on my case about things like that.

Pain lanced my chest, and I moved my hand to rub at the unseen wound. My gaze roamed over the forest that surrounded my home, and I wondered if I had time for one last foray into the woods before night descended.

A loud clap of thunder answered me. With a heavy sigh, I pushed open the door and marched inside.

A small pile of letters sat on my mat, and I crouched down to retrieve them. I thumbed through them as I moved toward the kitchen, and my footsteps faltered as my eyes landed on a familiar script.

Cadence.

The other letters fluttered to the ground as I ripped the envelope open and pulled out the parchment. I devoured every word, but I felt even more confused than before.

I strode to my desk, pulled out my chair, and settled in to read Cadence’s words once more.

To my dearest Callum,

As always, I hope this letter finds you well.

Kindly check on the apothecary for me.

She disappeared without a trace and the first thing she says isn’t — I’m alive, no need to fret — but check on my fucking apothecary!

What the fuck, Cadence!

Even though our neighbors have the utmost integrity, I worry about the store being left unattended for too long.

Utmost integrity, my ass. Those bastards would rob her blind if they weren’t so concerned she’d poison them for their efforts.

Never take anything for granted, as you always say.

In all my years, I’d never shared such a sentiment. I took most things for granted, threw caution to the wind, and lived recklessly.

And Cadence damn well knew that.

By the way, I hope you followed up on the opportunity with Teal.

You deserve to be happy whoever you choose.

Understandably, Roark may require some convincing, but I have faith in you.

If I recalled our conversation accurately, she’d chewed me out for it and even predicted Roark would kill me.

“You’re so full of shit, Cadence!”

Now, as to the purpose of my letter.

See, I always wanted to explore more of the kingdom, but I have never had the time with all my responsibilities at home.

Eventually, my time will end, and I fear I will never see what’s out there waiting for me.

Exploration, adventure, and possibly finding my mate — now is the moment for me to chase it all.

Love has never been important to me, but I’m starting to think I should have made it a priority long ago.

Her words made even less sense as I reread them. I practically had to drag her, kicking and screaming, to the tavern just to get her to leave her apartment.

Cadence was many things, but adventurous wasn’t one of them.

As for finding a mate, the woman practically flayed me with her eyes for daring to suggest such an atrocity. There was no way I’d ever believe she left her home and our parents to find a mate.

None.

I know this may seem like it’s all come out of nowhere, but trust me, Callum, this is what I want.

You don’t fucking say!

Everything is as it should be.

Please try to understand.

Right now, I am choosing to focus on myself.

I am excited for the first time in a long while.

I winced.

Reading those words for the second time hadn’t been any easier. Was her life so unfulfilling, so dull, that she felt the need to leave without a word just to escape the tedium?

I didn’t want to believe it, but there was a part of me that wouldn’t blame her if she did. She carried the load when it came to our parents, and I had unfairly allowed her to do so. The demands of her job were also all-consuming, and I had to believe that the monotony grew tiresome.

Now, I know Mama and Papa will worry, but they don’t need to.

Could you please try to reassure them that I will be all right?

Eternally yours, Cadence.

Yeah, there was little chance of that, and I doubt her letter would ease their worries.

I leaned back in my chair, running my hand through my hair as I considered her words.

There was something not quite right.

Cadence had spoken with a formality that was devoid of her usual playfulness, and she never missed a chance to tease me.

Then there was the way she had written her sentences. They felt overly constructed — as if she were weaving an intricate knot, and all I had to do was pull the string taut for everything to fall into place.

Unease settled in my chest as I fought to make sense of it.

I placed the letter on my desk and drew a deep breath as I struggled to settle my spiraling thoughts.

Glancing around me, I took in the disheveled state of my home and tried to remember the last time I had tidied it.

My eyes snagged on the tiny wooden horse Cadence had made for me when we were children, and nostalgia mixed with anguish at the memory. It was a ghastly thing, and the only way to tell it was a horse was to squint so much you could hardly see it.

But Cadence had been so proud. She mentioned it countless times in our letters over the years.

Our letters.

“Shit!”

I tossed everything off my desk and scrambled to find a blank piece of parchment and some ink.

My pulse quickened as I recalled the way we used to hide messages in our letters as children. The first letter of each paragraph spelled out the hidden words. It was a simple trick, but it worked.

TAKENBYUNSEELIEPRINCE

Taken by Unseelie Prince.

The quill slipped from my fingers and clattered against my desk as I stared down at her message.

Cadence hadn’t left. She was taken.

What could the Prince of the Unseelie possibly need with Cadence?

Unless he found out her secret.

Fear twisted my gut as a tremor wracked my body.

He couldn’t have, could he?

I surged to my feet and grabbed my empty pack, stuffing it with anything I could reach.

Despite the lack of a plan, I knew one thing for certain.

I would find Cadence, and I would bring her home.