Page 143 of Exiled Heir

Standing at the back door, I could see the spread of forest. That was a lot of land for them to hide in. A lot of space that they knew better than we did.

“They’re in the woods,” I said. Jerking my chin at Tyson, I raised an eyebrow. “Ready for another hunt?”

He grinned.

I turned to Cade. “We’re going to shift and see if we can track the two of them.”

He nodded, but I could see the hesitance.

“Are you going to be okay?” I asked.

“Fine.” He grimaced.

I pushed open the back door, striding out into the garden. Someone had put a lot of work into it, the rows of vegetables lined neatly with orange flowers. Work gloves were tucked into a small gardening bag. I bent to unlace my shoes and caught a whiff of Jesaiah on the gloves.

Shaking my head, I finished undressing, shifting as soon as I had fully stripped. Cade came close, his fingers burying themselves in the nape of my neck.

“Be careful,” he said.

I bent my head, nuzzling against his thigh.

Then I was off, leaping over the small garden gate and heading into the woods. I caught their scent immediately. It was fresh; they had torn through the forest, not caring at all what trace of themselves they left behind. Tyson was at my side, bending low to sniff the ground.

Jay was a familiar smell, and I tracked it into the forest, growling when we passed the small farm that Jesaiah ran. Then we headed west, going further and further until I recognized where we were. The wards were invisible, but now that I was familiar, I could smell them like electricity crackling during a storm.

I barked, and Tyson was at my side. I recognized where we were. This was where Jesaiah had pushed me through the wards. Bending, I sniffed again, following Jay and Isaac’s scent trail until they disappeared. I shifted, becoming human, then I braced myself for pain. Carefully, I pushed through the hole until I was on the other side. Their scent disappeared just outside of House Bartlett’s wards.

Turning, I headed back through the wards, singeing my hair.

Cade and Sonja were already there, their magic curled in their hands. The rough forest floor bit my feet, and I glanced at the wards.

“They ran and then teleported away once they were outside the wards,” I said.

“We need to talk to the council.” Cade turned to Sonja. “Take us to them.”

ChapterForty-Four

Thankfully, Sonja gave me and Tyson a minute to get dressed before she used her magic to take us into the council room. We appeared in the middle of an argument, the last heated words echoing.

“And that is why he cannot be trusted!” One of the council members slapped his hands on the table, the loud noise echoing.

“Who cannot be trusted?” Cade snapped. He strode to the head of the table, and it wasn’t my imagination that significant looks were exchanged, no one willing to speak. Cade took in the silence, his mouth tight. Pointedly, he sat in the seat at the head of the table.

Sonja moved to her usual place, Tyson lingering only a few inches behind her. The council member to her right, adorned in blue robes, leaned over and whispered into her ear. She glanced at Cade, then down the table at Leon.

When no one was willing to own up to whatever they had been talking about, Cade lifted his chin. “We have discovered the source of the poisoning.”

Everything in the sentence was flat, emotionless, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Petrona frowned, leaning forward. “Who poisoned you, Prince Bartlett?”

“Isaac.” Cade opened his hand, dropping the rock heavily on the table. The veins of orange still pulsed with magic. “He left a tracing spell in my room, one that allowed him to cast from my father’s room, but the effects were the same.”

“Isaac?” Leon’s eyes went wide, and he shook his head. “No. Your cousin and his entire line have loyally served the throne for generations. His father was even on the council for some time.”

“Sonja can attest to what we found.” Cade gestured with a flick of his fingers.

Further down the table, Sonja stood. “We found Prince Bartlett and his consort in the king’s bedroom. They were disabling a spell. It did appear to be Isaac’s magic. My own consort helped track Isaac and his consort through the woods. They disappeared through a hole in the wards.”

A gasp flitted around the table, and murmurs started up immediately.