Delusions of Loyalty (The Braykith Series Book 2)

by Jennifer R. Kenny

  He took her hand and came closer. “When you forget what I am, those small moments are the ones I remember the best. The very things my father is warning me away from are the things I want to bring out of you, if only you would let me.”

  Evangeline swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. “Glais, I do not think…”

  Glais shook his head. “No. None of that now. You have told me your own feelings. You claim that you will never love me, but now it is time for you to hear me. I believe you will, and someday you will regret these years we wasted like this.” Glais stopped shaking his head. “It matters not for now. What you need to know Evangeline is I want you here, and your fate is tied to mine. I rather a woman who challenges me than one who never speaks her mind. My father calls you impulsive. I think you are passionate. You will make a grand Queen and the people will love you for it.”

  “Well,” Evangeline said, pressing her lips together because she was not confident on how best to respond. “I am glad there is someone who believes in me.”

  Glais smiled. “My father also believes in you Evangeline. You have friends here. He is just not accustomed to high-spirited women. If he actually wanted you gone, then it would be done.” He reminded her. “Father has connections, and while they were not the dangerous demons that the world claimed, it certainly would not mean much to have you disappear, Evangeline.”

  Evangeline shifted in her seat, uncomfortable to know that such things about Quintus. “People have always warned me of your father and his barbaric ways. His reputation back home is one that I do not wish to repeat. After meeting him, I imagined that most of it were untrue as are the rest of the stories about Braykith. But I suppose he is not a man to cross.”

  “No,” Glais murmured, bringing her knuckles to his lips and kissing her hands before she could stop him. He watched her and tried his best to ignore the way her back stiffened at the light pressure of his mouth. “We are in this together.” He whispered and still Evangeline could not take her hands back.

  “Glais please, stop.” Evangeline could not look at him, and her voice was barely even heard in the silent room, but she knew he had understood her. He nodded and dropped her hands but did not rise. “Perhaps there is a better match for you.” She said carefully after a moment's hesitation. She did not want to be killed, but Evangeline would be the first to admit how badly she complimented Glais.

  “There can be none. I will not allow your death to be on my hands, Evangeline.” He sighed and rose but instead of leaving he offered a hand out to her. Evangeline looked up at him, struggling with his offer. Glais sighed. “You need to do better that that if you want to keep your head.” Glais shoved his hand in his pocket and left Evangeline to her thoughts.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Quintus walked along the lines of men who made up his task force, shaking his head and resisting the urge to shout at them. “Robert.” He called out, and the man stepped forward. “Tell me what you have discovered.” Quintus winced, rubbing the bridge of his nose and feeling the tension headache forming already. He knew that the news could not have changed since Robert had reported to him the first time, but Quintus had hope that perhaps he would have a better plan once he was done.

  “We have interviewed all of the members with missing family, but they seem to just be gone my grace,” Robert said. “There is no sign of them, and there is no reason to believe they died of natural causes or a mistake because they all disappeared while executing routine tasks they were well versed in performing.”

  Quintus nodded, looking down at the ground. “Besides that, is there a pattern?” he asked.

  “No, my grace. It started with men, but now women and even children have gone missing, never to return. The number of cases is growing My Grace, and the people are scared. Some are refusing to go the work any longer until you can grant them more security.” Robert quickly relayed the information he had. “My grace, several of the women are looking for compensation from the crown to help with their homes.”

  Quintus nodded. “I will speak with the master of coin.” Quintus would worry about that later. He had bigger concerns. “There is no signs of human involvement in these abductions?” Quintus asked.

  “Surely they were attacks carried out by a band of men my grace, but we are yet to identify them,” Robert answered, and he was glad when the King dismissed him and the rest of the gathered men. They had a healthy fear and respect for their King, but no one was sure how he could respond to this assault where Quintus was clearly losing control.

  “Fetch my Queen and children.” He said, knowing his wishes would be carried out. Quickly Glais, Adeline, Kyleigh, and Evangeline gathered where Quintus still paced. He had never imagined such trouble in his own lands before, and now it was here Quintus felt defenceless. It was not unheard of for people to go missing from time to time. Families left. Other got tired of the hard life Braykith offered and moved on to greener pastures. The war against Zorelian had caused some friction and Quintus had felt the pressures of a deserting kingdom before things turned to their favour once more.

  But this was not like that. He could see no cause for the sudden increase of lost souls. It was not knowing that made him angry. Looking at his family now, Quintus feared if these disappearances would start happening much closer to home, “There has been no lead on the disappearing men, and I am afraid that Braykith is becoming the disaster that Crimah seems to be.” He gestured to Evangeline whose eyes widened. “You said that the people were hiding from the world?”

  Evangeline blinked in surprise of being called on first. They had all been summoned and while she had no clue as to why she had felt that her inclusion had been a formality rather than Evangeline being needed. She nodded when she realised that Quintus was still looking at her expectantly. “It did seem that way to me.” She looked at Glais, who nodded to back up her reports. “The livelihood of Crimah had always been very welcoming before.”

  Quintus agreed with her assessment. He had not been to Crimah often, but he would never call the people hostile. Picking up on Evangeline’s need to defend her home he softened his features when he addressed her next. “It always seemed that way to me when I was lucky enough to visit.” He gave her a small smile, but his face sobered quickly. “I am locking down the castle.” He advised.

  “But Father.” Adeline protested, but he silenced her with nothing more than a look. She shrunk back from him, and there was nothing more she said.

  “No one leaves the main grounds without a guard. No more travelling to the markets and if you can help it, do not go walking with strangers. Evangeline.” He addressed her directly again, and it took strength not to cower. “We can not be certain who can be trusted, and you do not know everyone, so stay with the people assigned to you and only speak with those people you know.”

  She nodded, looking to Glais again but it was Kyleigh who took her hand.

  “Don’t worry dear. There is plenty to do here, and it is only temporary.” Kyleigh tried to calm her daughter in law, but Evangeline felt a tightness in her throat surrounding the entire exercise.

  “I am sure it will be over before we know it.” Evangeline looked past Kyleigh to Glais, but he was still looking straight ahead.

  He worried what Baxter was going to find in Crimah. Evangeline agreed with him but felt powerless in voicing those opinions out loud. Barret was not in the right frame of mind to even consider accurate defensive measures. Evangeline swallowed hard and looked to the window. Still, there was no word from Baxter or Darius, and Evangeline wondered if anyone else had noticed the silence.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Since the departure of the Braykith men, Evangeline had been waiting for news from them. It seemed that the word Crimah was publicly banned from the Braykith Kingdom, and while she did appreciate Glais for his heroics that day, she could only see Barret as the monster people were painting him to be. Only to herself could she really admit that Barret was a twisted man. Since coming of age, Evangeline h
ad noticed the different way her father treated her when compared to her brother. The day of her wedding was another moment where she knew that things were not right, but Evangeline found it hard to accept this mentality from those who drunk the blood of innocents for a living.

  Her mother had not been perfect either. Perhaps she did not kill others for nourishment, or hold dangerous grudges but Thea had never been entirely honest with Evangeline. Since first meeting with the dryads, Evangeline had tried to think of a single memory where her mother had attempted to give her information regarding her unique heritage. She had not once example. It had been Kyleigh who had told her the strange rumours circulating around her birth, and if Evangeline had not seen the drastic changes in the landscape, she never would have believed it.

  It seemed that everyone was keeping truths from her. Evangeline felt the pressure of sitting in the castle and having eyes on her at all times. Reminiscent of her first days within these walls, she had needed to escape. And yet it was impossible. The barn was a flurry of activity, and she no longer held the right to her own bedroom any longer. The only small relief she gained came from visiting Sable in the markets even if it meant having guards accompany her. She stood now with her friend, looking at the spices but not buying anything. The kitchens were well stocked, but Evangeline still liked the exotic smells.

  Looking around them as Sable bargained with the store keeper, Evangeline was aware of just how many people were watching them. She had always drawn a crowd before. It seemed the locals did not need much reason to stare at her. At first, she had been a foreign princess, and then an easy upsell of goods. Lately, Evangeline felt a tension between herself and the people. The guards, all wearing pristine uniforms and making no attempts to mix in with the crowd, only made people more uncomfortable with her. Shamed with the attention, she played with the sleeve of her dress. Evangeline supposed it was to be expected. Slowly though she realised the eyes were not on her.

  It started with one man. His eyes should have been level with Evangeline, and she did consider making an example of him by forcing him to kneel, but his eyes never met hers. He looked right past her, and those eyes fell on the unsuspecting back of Sable. Once she saw it on his face, Evangeline could not help but to see it in others. Surprised, she went back to Sable’s side and walked with her away from the market’s crowd.

  “Is it always like that?” Evangeline asked softly once she felt that it was safe to speak. Her guards were keeping a resemble distance to give the women privacy. They seemed to take the mundane task less seriously then Evangeline thought Quintus would want them too. She supposed it was because no one had been stolen while in plain sight of others. As long as Evangeline stayed close to the crowded areas, it was reasonable to believe that no ill will could come for her.

  Sable looked back over her shoulder before she quickly turned to address Evangeline with a shrug. “Some days are better than others.” She admitted. Sable paused, just long enough for dramatic effect before saying the words she hoped would spur Evangeline into action. “I am considering leaving Braykith, Eva.”

  Evangeline stopped dead, and Sable turned to face her properly. “You cannot,” Evangeline said. “I refuse to allow it.”

  Sable smiled. “Thank you, for being sweet, but I can’t keep living like this. I think I just need to cut my losses Evangeline and try somewhere new.”

  “But where will you go?” Evangeline asked.

  Sable shrugged, deliberately avoiding eye contact by looking down at her hands. “Braykith and Crimah were all that remains close by but the world is larger than just here.”

  “You cannot leave.” Evangeline was shocked with what she was hearing and was stunned deaf for a moment before she caught Sable’s hands in her own and pulled her closer. The urgency in her tug made Sable look up. “I need you.” Evangeline realised her voice was getting louder, so she lowered it when she spoke next. “You are my only real friend here.”

  “I said I was only considering it,” Sable said. Evangeline nodded, but it did not make her feel better. “It will take time to fund such a trip, so I do not think you have much to worry about.” She admitted and finally the women fell into step together once more.

  “It is entirely selfish of me Sable, but I pray to all the Gods and their servants that you never manage to raise those funds.” Evangeline smiled, although she was only slightly teasing. She would not know what to do if her friend left her to Braykith.

  “Have you received word from Prince Baxter yet regarding Crimah?” Sable asked in an effort to change the subject and gain more information for Christof.

  Evangeline shook her head. “No, not yet but they should be arriving there soon, and hopefully sending a raven will be a priority for Baxter.” Although Evangeline knew quite well how hard it was to keep him focused at times, she hoped the dire nature of this event would quicken his drive to come to a resolution. “Tempest has made a full recovery, and so I should be free to ride her soon.”

  Sable smiled. “I know how much you miss that. For some time, it seemed like Tempest was all you spoke about.”

  “There are so few safe topics to discuss with you, Sable,” Evangeline confessed and dared not to elaborate. She never did understand that genuine fear Wick held for the curse until Evangeline was discussing anything with Sable. The curse had stolen two friends from her life. She would not tempt it to take another.

  “It would be certainly easier if I were a noble lady,” Sable said, sure to appear as if she never found anything odd about the way Evangeline would be elusive about the direct comings and goings of the castle. She was biding her time here with Evangeline, creating a friendship that would never be questioned. These slow steps would be priceless in the future. Sable knew the time would come when she would need to count on Evangeline’s blind loyalty to save her own life.

  “I suppose so, but we shall never know for sure.” Evangeline sighed, seeing the Braykith castle in the distance. It was impossible to avoid even when she was trying to. “I am envious of your life Sable. Even with all of your troubles, I would trade them all if I could.”

  “You do not mean that,” Sable said, matching Evangeline’s gaze to the castle. “I am sure there are many things about being married to a Prince that you would miss.” She bumped her shoulder into the other woman’s, laughing softly until she realised Evangeline was not laughing with her. “Eva, what is wrong?”

  Evangeline opened her mouth and almost said everything. Her hatred for Barret, the promise made when she was too young to understand what it meant. The danger of Quintus and the way Glais made her skin crawl. Her love for a man who could never have her heart, and how occasionally she found herself thinking on Thomas more than any married woman should. Evangeline wanted to tell Sable how dull Kyleigh was, and that Adeline was a spoilt brat with no brains. She even wanted to tell Sable that Baxter seemed to believe that Evangeline should love him for no other reason except he said it should be so.

  Of course, there was a matter of her heritage and home. Evangeline would never know if her mother had been given a proper burial. She still lived in fear that Darius had been taken from this world too soon, and only time would give her an answer. Instead of sharing her deepest fears, she pressed her lips together and swallowed them down. Evangeline could not burden her friend.

  “I suppose there are some things to be grateful for.” She lied.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Sable stood in the darkness, the torches flickering in the wind but never quite going out. She knew there were guards and after studying the castle grounds for the past few days, Sable knew where to expect them. It was not the guards that Sable felt concerned about. Those she could study and map out. It was her clothes and the story she had concocted which might turn against her.

  Looking behind her, the streets were dark. At this time of night, there was very little foot traffic, but the disappearance of locals had made many stay in their homes out of fear. Sable smiled with pride of where the rebels
were in their plan. She wished that Christof could see the fear in the eyes of everyone around her. Even Quintus was showing signs of weakness. It was impressive the things that Christof had accomplished in such a short amount of time.

  Watching the castle framed by the incoming storm she ripped the sleeve of her dress just as the thunder rolled. Sable didn’t need to look too rustled because she really believed it was her acting that would sell this entire situation to Evangeline. She had been spending enough time with the girl to know exactly what kind story would tug at her heart string the hardest.

  Sable reached down and took the shoe off her left foot. She tossed it behind her as she started running. It did not take much to get the tears started so when she found herself at the front gates and threw herself to the guards’ feet she looked like a distressed woman who needed help from her only friend.

  ***

  Evangeline woke up suddenly, jolting from her sleep to what she thought was the sound of thunder. Instead, she realised it was banging at her door. She barely registered the sound before Glais was leaving the bed. He had been given the permission to share the bed in an effort to normalise their relationship, but so far Evangeline felt nothing more for him than before.

  Pulling on a robe, Glais walked over to the main doors, frowning as he guessed it to be closer to the middle of the night. He could think of no justifiable reason to be woken at this hour. Opening the bedroom door, he found Thomas. “Yes?”

  Thomas fell to one knee, a sign of respect and expected for a man of Glais’ position. Given their history, Thomas felt that it was more important than ever before to remain as close to his traditional duties as possible when dealing with Glais. “My Grace, there is a young woman at the door. She claims to be a friend of Evangeline’s.”

  Glais frowned. “From Crimah?” he asked.