The Lost Prince (The Nihryst Book 2)

by Cait Marie

  A gentle hand touched her cheek, and she jerked back, finally seeing Michel squatting beside her cell. He put the dagger back in the sheath at his side and didn’t reach for her again. Instead, he stood, staring straight ahead toward the door.

  “You never should have returned, Adalina.” His soft words lingered as he left her alone in the dark, cold cell.

  “The journal has been passed down through the generations,” Emyr said. “When my father gave it to me, I couldn’t understand why we’d let it continue this way for so long. We should’ve taken complete control.”

  Shane pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the dizziness. “You’re right about one thing.”

  As he walked to the door with Gwyn at his side, his father asked, “What?”

  Pausing, Shane turned back only once. “This should have ended a long time ago.”

  He led Gwyn to his room, where he dropped the journal and treaty onto his desk before collapsing into bed. She rushed to him, fussing that he needed rest. He knew he did, but he also feared it. What if resting made him lose the remaining strength he had?

  Once he was settled with a damp cloth pressed to his brow, Gwyn snatched up the journal and began reading again. She leaned against the desk, pulling out the folded pieces of parchment inside. “Birth records… He really is the true heir.”

  Shane couldn’t help but smile. “Which makes you a princess.”

  She nearly dropped the book, and he laughed. Her wide eyes conveyed her shock. She hadn’t thought of that. “A princess.”

  It wasn’t a question, but he nodded. A thought flashed through his mind, and he gasped. “Gwyn.”

  “What?” she asked, moving closer with an accessing gaze.

  “What if...” he whispered, trying to think through all they’d just read. “What if it wasn’t just Loxley? What if remnants of the healing powers passed down through his sister’s line too?”

  She straightened, covering her mouth with one hand. Setting the book on the bedside table, she sat beside him. “That’s why I’m not as sick. I’ve been feeling run down, but it’s like the symptoms are taking a lot longer to come.”

  He let out a breath and took her hand. “It’s protecting you or trying at least.”

  “But I don’t heal fast,” she said as she turned toward him more. “I’ve been sick plenty of times before.”

  “Not with a fatal disease.”

  She stared at him as if realizing the truth. It had been over a hundred years; it made sense that the flower’s abilities were diluted. When it mattered though, the power was there.

  “I need you to go find him.” There was no way he’d make it down to the village and back. He could barely lift his head as exhaustion took control. “Bring him back here to see it all himself, otherwise he won’t believe you.”

  She nodded and walked toward the door, not needing to ask who he meant.

  “Gwyn,” he called out. When she turned and the darkness began to consume him, he whispered, “Hurry.”

  Loxley sat in the chair at the desk, staring at the journal, birth records, and treaty, not moving. Gwyn had found him on the docks and convinced him to return to the castle with her. They’d told him everything and then let him read it himself. He hadn’t said a word since, and Shane started to worry. If Loxley didn’t believe them… Shane didn’t know what they’d do next.

  No longer able to move on his own, Shane sat in his bed with his back against the headboard. It was right about then that he’d normally start pacing. He kept quiet though, waiting for Loxley to speak first. Being told he was the true heir of a kingdom no doubt took time to process.

  After several minutes, Gwyn whispered, “Loxley?”

  He stood abruptly, dropping the journal and papers to the ground. “I have to go.”

  “Wait,” Shane begged as the man marched across the room. “Lee, please. I know it’s hard to believe but—”

  Loxley whirled to face him, anger radiating from him. But beneath that was something else: fear. “I remember. It’s vague, but I remember healing as a child.”

  Gwyn’s eyes widened. “So, it’s true?”

  “Yes,” he said, not looking away from Shane. “Which means I need to go back. Everything Ada said was true, and I just left her there with… Michel. He knew.”

  With a deep breath, Shane just stared at his new friend. He didn’t know what exactly to say. His lungs constricted, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the Kald or the realization that the man he’d once thought of as a brother could be involved in all this. He shook his head. “He’s always been like family. I can’t believe—”

  “Ada said he was acting different,” Gwyn cut in. “She told us something was off, and none of us thought anything of it. We brushed it off as him recuperating after the ordeal with your father and being jealous of Loxley, but what if she was right?”

  They sat in silence for a long minute before Loxley said, “He has the flower. That’s what she said just before I left. She was going to go there and confront his family. If he knows the truth, he could be dangerous.”

  “He wouldn’t hurt her,” Shane whispered, growing weaker. He coughed hard, nodding to Gwyn as she handed him a cloth. Using it to cover his mouth, he continued to cough. When he pulled it away, spots of red dotted the otherwise clean linen.

  “I’m going after her.” Loxley continued toward the door.

  “Michel can’t give her the flower,” Gwyn said as if reading Shane’s mind. He could not bring himself to speak yet. His throat ached, and he worked to catch his breath while his head throbbed.

  Pausing at the door, Loxley said, “No, he can’t.”

  A damp cloth patted at Shane’s brow, and his eyes fluttered open. Familiar hazel eyes met his. He let out a sigh of relief. Not caring that it was just another hallucination, Shane reached up and covered Phillip’s hand with his.

  “I miss you,” Shane said in a raspy voice. “I wish this was real.”

  A sad smile spread across his best friend’s face. “Shane, it’s real. I’m here.”

  Shane tried to sit, but lead filled his arms, weighing him down. “I can’t…”

  “Shh. It’s all right,” Phillip said. “You need to rest.”

  Letting out a huff of a laugh, Shane grunted and pushed with all his strength. Outside, the sky was dark again. “I’ve done nothing but rest all day.”

  Phillip quickly moved to help him. He didn’t pull away once Shane was sitting. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed with one knee up to face him. He patted the king’s forehead and cheeks with the cool cloth again, and Shane’s eyes shut for a moment.

  “You’re really here?” Shane asked, meeting his friend’s gaze once more.

  “I’ll always be here.” His whispered words made Shane smile. “What else have you been seeing? Gwyn said you’ve been hallucinating.”

  “My mother, but I don’t think that was a hallucination,” Shane began. He told Phillip about his mother’s ghost guiding him to find the treaty. Then, he explained the truth about Loxley. “Where are they? He was here with Gwyn.”

  “Gwyn is resting down the hall. The Nihryst went back to Rayerna for Ada,” Phillip said, looking down at his hands. When Shane reached over, he didn’t pull away. “Michel was behind it all. He has Ada captive… I tried—I couldn’t—”

  “Phillip.” Fear shot through Shane at the thought of his sister being held prisoner. He laced their fingers together. “Michel won’t hurt her. No matter his involvement in all this. He loves her—I’ve seen it.”

  “No,” Phillip said, shaking his head. “He’s changed. The things he threatened… I failed to protect her. Again.”

  Lifting a hand to his friend’s cheek, Shane said, “I don’t know what happened, but I am sure this is not your fault.”

  Phillip explained how the two of them were kept in the palace and threatened. How Adalina offered to marry him in exchange for the flower, and how she thought she’d figured out the final piece of the puzzle in breaki
ng the curse. When he got to the part about them trying to escape and Adalina getting caught to give Phillip a chance, Shane’s grip tightened on the man’s hand. Tears brimmed Phillip’s eyes, and he looked away.

  “She sacrificed herself so I could come back to you,” he whispered.

  Shane’s throat tightened. With his little remaining strength, he leaned away from the headboard to wrap his arms around his friend’s shoulders. “They’ll find her. Loxley will find her.”

  As a coughing fit took over, Shane laid back. Like a switch, Phillip’s attention was back on him. Phillip helped him move down in the bed, shifting the pillow beneath his head. Standing over him, he hesitated. After a moment of consideration, he began pushing the prince toward the middle of the bed.

  Despite the weariness from coughing, the corner of Shane’s mouth lifted into a grin as his friend laid down next to him. Shane turned to his side to face him, but Phillip’s eyes were glued to the high ceilings above.

  “I saw Loxley leaving as I arrived,” he said, not acknowledging their proximity or what they’d discussed before he left. “I told him where she was.”

  “Then, it will be fine.” Slowly, Shane placed a hand on Phillip’s chest. Mere inches separated them. When Phillip finally turned to look at him, Shane said, “He will find her.”

  “I know he will,” Phillip said. “He’d do anything to save her. He loves her.”

  Shane didn’t know if they were still talking about Loxley and Adalina. As Phillip put a hand over his, he realized it didn’t matter.

  “They’ll get the flower,” Phillip whispered. He shifted to his side, mirroring Shane. “Lee is the one who can get the Heulwen. He’ll rescue Ada, and together, they’ll bring it home—to you. They will make this all better.”

  As Shane’s eyes drifted closed again, he mumbled an agreement.

  “You will be fine,” his friend said in a soft tone as he moved closer, draping an arm over Shane’s side. “You just need to hang on a little longer for me.”

  A loud thud echoed through the dungeon. Ada shuffled to the cold bars to look out, but the chamber was dark. All she could see was the silhouette of the new guard near the entrance. A single torch flickered in the room. Beyond the dungeon, she heard a commotion. Footsteps pounded down the hall, mirroring her pulse.

  The guard yelled, but it was too late. The small flame flickered off a blade piercing all the way through his abdomen. He fell to the ground, and in his place stood another silhouette. The large man grabbed the keyring from the guard’s belt and the torch. A low hood hid his face from view as he stepped into the room and toward her cell.

  Ada scrambled back until she hit the cool stone wall, and she let out a gasp. When the man began unlocking the door, she looked around for anything she might use as a weapon. But the bare cell offered nothing. Other than the chains around her ankles, there was only a single bowl of water.

  As the door creaked open, she shook her head. She looked down at her manacled ankle, willing the metal to loosen. She yanked and twisted, begging the stars under her breath for their aid. Tears filled her eyes as the man stepped inside the cell.

  “Please,” she whispered. “Please, don’t—”

  Her words cut off abruptly, her breath heaving as the man knelt before her.

  “Adalina.” Green eyes met hers as he set the torch on the ground and pushed back his hood.

  The world around her tilted. She let out a sob as Lee reached for her, and she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. While she buried her face against his shoulder, fighting the tremors threatening to overtake her, he used the keys to release her chains.

  As soon as she was free, he hauled her up against him, holding her tight. He ran a hand through her hair and kissed the side of her head as she said, “You’re here. You’re really here.”

  “I’m here.” He gently pushed her back to look her up and down. Leaning close, he placed a palm on her cheek. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded, unable to speak. Physically, she was fine. She’d stayed in the cell less than a week and was given food and water regularly. Emotionally though… she was beyond hurt and exhausted. With everything Michel had done and told her in the last few days, her heart ached. And she didn’t know if she’d ever truly recover from such betrayal.

  At that thought, she looked up to the man crouched down in front of her. The man who’d lived through such an agonizing betrayal and came out a better person. She leaned forward against him once more. He didn’t hesitate to hold her close.

  After another moment of comfort, she asked, “Why are you here? You’re supposed to be off searching for ways to break the curse.”

  “Yell at me later. Come on,” he said, pulling her to her feet

  A soft laugh escaped her at the reminder of their first encounter with trouble.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  Her legs shook, but Lee held her steady with an arm around her waist. Before he could lead her out of that dank cell, she put a hand on his chest and whispered, “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  “And miss the chance to sweep in with a grand rescue?”

  She shook her head. “Loxley, what I said…”

  Moving slowly, he pressed his lips to hers. She gripped his shirt tighter, even as he broke the kiss.

  “I know, love,” he whispered.

  Sliding her hand down to his, she grabbed the torch with the other and moved toward the door. She sat it back in its sconce on the way out, knowing the rest of the castle would have enough light to not need it.

  Hand in hand, they raced through the corridor and up to the main floor. The familiar clanking of swords and shouts filled the air, causing her heart to pound. She looked over at Lee, who met her gaze with a smirk. Without needing to ask, he unsheathed a dagger and handed it over before pulling out his own sword.

  They ran toward the melee, but as they reached the commotion, Ada grabbed Lee’s hand and shouted, “This way!”

  There was something they had to deal with before joining their friends. Lee looked at her in confusion but followed. As they moved up the stairs, away from the noise, he asked, “Where are we going?”

  The Rayernian castle was like a second home to Ada; she knew the halls almost as well as her own. They reached the third-floor landing—the hall that held the rooms she’d always stayed in. At the end of the hall, she stormed into the sitting room.

  The room was empty. They hadn’t encountered anyone on their way up, which worried her. If Michel wasn’t in the next chamber, then he was long gone. The thought of him disappearing with the Heulwen made her move quicker through the room, with Lee on her heels.

  “What are we doing here?” he asked, picking up the porcelain lion from the bookshelf.

  She didn’t answer, instead she walked to the corner of the room. Behind her, she heard him set the lion down with a huff. She glanced around the room once more, taking a deep breath. It all belonged to him, and he didn’t know. The second she moved the painting to find the hidden space behind it, everything would change.

  “Do you trust me?” she asked quietly.

  He stepped closer and tilted her chin up with a finger. “More than anyone. Even when you blatantly lie to me.”

  Clenching her jaw, she nodded and turned back to the painting of faint yellow flowers. With another deep inhale, she straightened her spine and grabbed the frame. She tugged it away from the wall to reveal the bright alcove beyond.

  They stepped into the tiny room now filled with sunlight from angled mirrors and a single window high on the wall that she hadn’t noticed the night she’d found it.

  In a breathless whisper, Lee asked, “How?”

  At the center of the space, atop a slender pedestal, sat the shining, golden flower inside its glass. Michel hadn’t taken it. Ada raked a hand through her dirty hair, pushing it away from her face. She’d found the Heulwen. Now, all she needed was to be given it by…

  Her eyes snapped up to Lee.

&n
bsp; He stared at the flower as still as a statue, and she wondered how much he knew, if anything.

  “Loxley,” she whispered, placing a hand on his arm. “I need you to get the flower.”

  “I know.” Pain laced his words, and she knew he meant more than just about the Heulwen. “It was me all along. I’m the one you needed to convince.”

  “Convince.” The hushed word felt wrong, but she understood. By giving her the flower, he wasn’t just saving Shane. He was saving her people—her kingdom. The kingdom that took everything from him.

  By giving her the flower, he was claiming his throne.

  He turned to look at her, and the grief filling his eyes stole her breath. Would he really deny her the cure after everything? She’d been so cruel to him, trying to get him to leave. She opened her mouth, but he spoke first.

  “I love you, Adalina.”

  She blinked, her mouth still hanging open.

  “All you’d ever need to do is ask,” he reached for the case, “and I’d give you the world.”

  Her breathing became labored as he lifted the glass away from the stand. He gently pulled her hand up to touch the soft petals. Tears streamed down her face.

  “It is yours,” he whispered, setting the glass dome down and moving to stand behind her. With his hands braced on her shoulders, his breath stirred her hair as he leaned in close. “As the rightful King of Rayerna, I freely give you the Heulwen.”

  With a cloth covering the flower’s case, Ada carried the Heulwen downstairs. Lee walked in front of her, sword out, but silence greeted them on the main floor. The view over the bannister nearly made Ada lose her footing, and she gripped the case closer to her chest.

  A row of guards knelt before the uninjured Nihryst. Several Rayernian soldiers lay still on the floor, but most looked to only be wounded.

  “Where is Michel?” Brienne yelled as she held a blade to one’s throat.

  “We don’t know,” the man said with his hands held at the back of his head. “He took off the second you stormed the gates. He left out the back, into the gardens.”