Page 44

Chapter

Forty-One

K YSON

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?'Curiosity laces 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.

“Take a photo of that board,” I instruct Damian and Cedric, pointing towards a storage room adjacent to the ballroom. “There’s a large whiteboard in there. It’ll be better than cramming everyone into my office. Besides, there are toys and things for the kids to occupy themselves with.”

With our documents safely packed away, we make our way to the ballroom.

A sense of déjà vu washes over me. Countless times we have combed through these very same documents, explored the archives, and examined crime scene photographs.

Yet, we have never found anything substantial, leaving me concerned that once again, precious time is slipping away.

As we enter the ballroom, I catch a glimpse through the grand double doors of Dustin positioned at the far corner with Peter, who appears petrified and out of place. Azalea has kept her promise though and refrained from entering, standing by the doors waiting for my arrival.

Drawing closer, I reach out for her, pulling her into an embrace and inhaling her sweet, intoxicating scent.

It calms me and restrains my desire to harm her brother.

Inside, Abbie and Clarice are setting up two long tables and arranging food while Cedric’s trusted Landeena guards assist in bringing up the files.

Moments later, Liam and Trey enter with three enormous boxes each, stacking them on the second table.

Observing the room and witnessing its rapid transformation,I feel as if we are preparing for war. In a sense, we are, considering the intensity with which everyone delves into the paperwork. Cedric projects the photo onto the massive whiteboard, capturing the attention of all present.

“What is he doing?” Azalea inquires, her curiosity piqued.

“He’s creating a timeline. And that is an old map with all the locations Hunters have hit over the years.

The only things we know for certain are that it involves the Kingdoms and the missing rogue children, with the council somehow intertwined,” I explain.

However, it becomes clear why our previous efforts had yielded no connections—there simply aren’t any.

“What about Larkin?” she probes, to which I shake my head.

“Crux sent the coordinates. Cedric will investigate tomorrow when it’s light out,” I tell her, hoping that our answers will finally reveal themselves in the coming hours.

L ater that Night

As Azalea continues to exert her command over Peter, a sense of exhaustion washes over her.

He has passed out for the third time, leaving her feeling drained and disheartened.

Abbie left an hour ago, unable to bear witness to the ordeal any longer, joining Tandi.

The weight of guilt weighs heavily on Azalea, and she has thrown up twice at the mere thought of inflicting harm on her own brother.

Trey stands off to the side, his expression blank, while Cedric taps Peter’s face in an attempt to rouse him.

Everyone else has departed, leaving only our personal guards, Cedric and two Landeena guards, by my side.

Gannon gazes at the board in front of him, his curiosity evident as he and Liam meticulously go over every detail.

Clarice returns after putting her boys to bed, glancing briefly at Peter before diverting her gaze, unable to watch.

“Please, Kyson, no more,” Azalea’s voice quivers with a hint of desperation. “He knows nothing. You’re just torturing him.”

I let out a weary sigh, realizing that she is right. Peter mumbles unintelligibly, drooling onto himself.

Despite our efforts, we have been unable to extract any additional information from him.

Azalea’s command had made him eager to answer every question except one.

We have concluded that he indeed panicked when he killed our daughter.

It was never his intention to kill her. However, it perplexes me how he can confess to poisoning Azalea with wolfsbane but claims to have no recollection of where he obtained it. Something isn’t adding up.

We have been at it for hours, trying to force the answer out of him, but it remains unanswered.

“How can he admit to giving it to her but not know where he got it?” Cedric growls in frustration, tapping his face.

“Leave him be. He truly doesn’t know,” I sigh, shaking my head in resignation.

“But he gave it to her!” Cedric’s anger flares, directed at Peter as he starts to cry.

“What if he was commanded to forget?” Trey’s suggestion, made earlier, begins to resonate with me.

Azalea squirms on my lap, her concern for him echoing through our connection.

I have to remind myself that Peter poses no threat, especially when he is weakened to the point where he can barely lift his head and Azalea is surrounded by my guard and her own, yet I hate the feelings through the bond he causes her.

“Go,” I whisper to Azalea, giving her permission to approach him. She jumps off my lap, rushing towards him. Trey and Cedric quickly step in her way. They don’t want their Queen near him.

“Stand down! Back up!” she snarls, her command leaving no room for disobedience. Trey reluctantly backs off, followed by Cedric. I rise to my feet and make my way towards them as Azalea drops her knees and cradles Peter’s head in her hands.

“I don’t know, Azalea! I don’t know, I wish I did!” Peter pleads.

“I know, I know. But we had to be sure,” she whispers soothingly to him. He nods weakly in response. Azalea glances over her shoulder towards the table.

“Get him some water and a damp cloth,” she instructs Cedric with a snap of her fingers.

He swiftly complies, bringing her a bottle of water.

I grasp Peter’s head gently, lifting it up.

Azalea’s heart beats frantically in her chest as she reaches out to grip my wrist, searching my eyes, worried I am going to snap his neck.