Page 8 of Once the Skies Fade (Immortal Reveries #2)

Chapter 8

Matthias

T he entire journey back to the palace, Tanner and I rode in silence, giving me plenty of time to fret over how to broach the topic of Calla being responsible for Brennan’s death. While Connor would likely be open to accepting the possibility, Lieke would not. She and the queen had become close since they’d wed the Durand brothers, and that friendship would make this a less-than-desirable conversation, especially since I had likely also missed the burial.

The sun had just dipped below the treetops when we finally arrived at the palace, and before I’d even dismounted, my future queen appeared at the entrance to the stables. Her lips quirked up on one side in a knowing smirk as she shook her head slowly.

“Is he that mad?” I asked, halting Storm and stepping down into the dust. I pulled the reins over my mount’s head and tossed them to Tanner, who was already leading his horse inside.

Lieke pushed away from the wall and strode toward me. “Well, he certainly isn’t pleased.”

Rolling my neck, I tried to work out the tension from the hours of riding. As much as I wanted to retire to my own apartment, I couldn’t ignore my duty to my crowned prince and best friend. Lieke fell in line beside me as I led the way to the palace entrance, but now her mocking expression had fallen away to reveal one of quiet grief.

“You seem to be doing better,” I said.

A single, empty laugh escaped her. “Some moments are easier than others. I assume you didn’t find Raven?”

I shook my head. “Seems she likely passed through Holsham as that Marstens fellow said, though she may have slipped into Kinham.”

“Still no sign of Marin either?”

“Nope, and few are willing to talk. For all I know it could have been her sneaking south instead of Raven. Enough about my failures, though. How was the burial?”

Her shallow shrug brushed against my shoulder. I slowed my pace and eyed her curiously as I waited for her answer.

“As hard as you’d expect.” She paused, and her brow tightened. “Though Calla surprised me.”

Instinctively my teeth clamped down as if biting back the rumor my sister had shared, though that made it vastly more difficult to respond verbally, so I forced my jaw to relax before asking, “How so? She wasn’t dancing a merry jig or anything I hope.”

“Only if that jig consists of suddenly sprinting away from the gravesite and taking off on one of her guard’s horses.”

My next step faltered, and I pivoted, dragging Lieke by the elbow until she faced me. “She did what?”

Lieke’s shoulders lifted clumsily as genuine concern pulled at her features. “I mean, I guess it makes sense. If I lost Connor, I wouldn’t want to be around anyone either. Grief isn’t easily shared for some. I should have given her more space.”

“Regardless of what you should have done, you can’t go back and change it. All you can do is move forward.”

We continued on in silence, giving me the opportunity to ponder her description of the queen’s behavior. If Calla had no hand in her husband’s death, then her fleeing fit with the remorse she’d inevitably suffer; however, guilt too could drive someone to run like that.

Stars-damned rumors. I needed to talk to Connor.

Lieke followed me into Connor’s office, where he stood looking out of the window behind his desk. I stopped behind one of the chairs that sat in front of his desk while Lieke settled herself into the other. Connor didn’t turn fully, but angled his chin over his shoulder.

“You’re late.”

Clearing my throat was apparently the wrong thing to do, because my friend spun on his heel to face me, his eyes wide in silent question.

Lieke laughed quietly. “Settle down, Wolfie. I’m sure he has a good reason for missing it.”

Connor held my gaze intently as his wife leaned toward me and whispered, “You weren’t delayed by Hailee and her bed again, were you?”

I shook my head, but Connor remained tense. “Hailee tried to protect the woman, refused to give us any information, but in denying?—”

“She confirmed Raven had been there,” Connor finished my thought for me, and I dipped my chin in response.

“May have slipped into Kinham.”

Confusion clouded Connor’s eyes briefly. “You said Hailee refused to say anything…” When I didn’t respond except to press my lips together into a thin line, he hummed in recognition. “You saw Sera?”

As expected, Lieke perked up at the name, her head pivoting from me to Connor and back. “Sera? Who is that?”

Connor broke his stare finally and offered Lieke a soft smile. “His sister.”

“And she’s a secret,” I added as I shot a pointed glare at Connor, though he didn’t seem to notice, let alone care. “Or at least she’s supposed to be.”

Waving his hand in the air dismissively, Connor said, “My secrets are Lieke’s now.”

I laughed sharply. “Apparently mine are as well.”

“Lieke won’t tell anyone.”

“Not a soul,” Lieke said. “Not even an animal.”

What in the stars was this woman talking about?

Connor must have understood, though, because he gave a short laugh. Stars-damned mates and their private little jokes.

“There’s more,” I said and walked around the chair to take my seat as I motioned for Connor to do the same.

He reluctantly complied, muttering, “Never good news when you tell me to sit.”

I bit back my usual joke at my friend’s expense—it was too easy to poke fun at his shifter ability whenever he mentioned common hound commands—but Connor must have expected it, because he jabbed a finger in my direction.

“Don’t say it.” Before I could even lift my hands in surrender, his accusatory glare swung to his wife. “You either.”

Lieke once again leaned toward me. “He’s such a sensitive pup, isn’t he?”

I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep from laughing. Connor had never liked the power he’d been born with—had always hated shifting into his wolfhound form—though he had done it on more than a few occasions for Lieke’s sake.

Connor ignored her and directed his attention back to me as he settled in his chair with a slow exhale. “What is it?”

“There have been rumors. Well, just one. I don’t know how far it has spread, but if Sera heard it, it will soon be throughout Sandurdam if it isn’t already.” Connor prompted me to continue with a lift of his brows. “Some think Calla killed Brennan herself.”

“No,” Lieke uttered immediately, while Connor remained still and silent. “She couldn’t have. You saw her, Connor. That wasn’t the behavior of someone who had just murdered her husband. She loved him.”

After a tense silence, Connor agreed. “It seems quite the stretch. You saw them together, Matthias. Do you think she could have done that?”

I lifted my shoulder, ignoring the scowl from Lieke. “To be fair, I wasn’t often here when they visited, and when I was, they weren’t high on my list of concerns. How do we know things hadn’t turned sour over the past couple years? Regardless, it would be foolish not to consider?—”

Lieke stood abruptly and crossed her arms obstinately. “This is absurd! She just lost her parents not too long ago. She wouldn’t. I don’t believe it. I refuse to believe it.”

Connor offered her a sympathetic half-smile. “Matthias is right, though, Sapphire. Until we know for sure what happened to him, we can’t rule anything out—no matter how unthinkable.”

Shifting her hands to her hips, Lieke huffed out a breath. “By that logic, I could be a suspect.” She spun toward me and held out her arms, her wrists touching as if she were bound. “Better take me in, general. I could have killed Brennan.”

“I know it’s hard, Sapphire,” Connor started, but Lieke didn’t allow him to finish before she stormed out of the office. Both of us flinched when the door slammed shut.

“She does that a lot doesn’t she?” I asked, gesturing behind me with my hand.

Connor breathed out a quick sigh. “The burial wasn’t easy for any of us, but Calla’s unexpected departure hit Lieke particularly hard.”

“Understandably so.”

“Do you think there’s any validity to this rumor?” Connor asked, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his desk.

“Honestly? No, I don’t. We have nothing to support it, but…”

Connor dropped his chin to his chest. “We also have nothing to refute it either.”

“Exactly. How do we expect the Assembly in Arenysen to handle this? Do you think they’ll pursue her as a suspect?”

“I don’t know. It may depend on whether Calla has their loyalty or not.”

“We should be ready to investigate on our own if needed. If she really is his killer…”

“Let’s hope it’s not her,” Connor said. Lifting his face, his eyes blazed with an unnervingly calm anger. “Family or not, whoever killed my brother will suffer. I’ll make sure of that.”