AISLIN | I

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

THE THUMPING of our boots echoed down the west wing staircase. The syndicate, as well as my fellow soldiers, Arley and Prince Evander all jogged down to the underground tavern, where Aislin had first introduced herself to the army.

When we reached the bottom of the stairwell, the breath in my lungs seemed to escape me with ease. I hadn't come down here since she so nicely embarrassed me in front of my men. The underground tavern for the soldiers hadn't changed at all, the only thing different was that it seemed to have lost its spirit.

The light coming off the candles on the candle drum chandelier was burning out, and the candles on the walls and tables seemed to be hanging onto their flame with the last bit of strength they had. The steel beer mugs that hung in place off one of the lower support beams were losing their shine. The large beer barrels that lined the back wall sat there patiently, waiting to be opened and drained.

There was only a handful of soldiers down in the Tavern that sat scattered across the room, seeming to enjoy their silence.

"When Kingsley said we were going to meet at a tavern underneath the castle, I truly didn't know what I was expecting," Méabh confessed, letting her eyes sweep over the room.

Arius took steps forward to an empty table and ran two fingers along it, "Is it just me or is it dustier in here than usual?" A light coat of dust collected on his fingertips. Slightly disgusted, he wiped them off on the side of his pants.

"Where's Quinn?" I asked. Quinn was considered the owner of this place. He ran the bar, hired his employees, and even kept this place clean and up to code. He was quite a clean freak. He always got on our case if we left a mess. More than once he made all the soldiers clean the place while he watched to make sure we were doing it right and to his liking.

"Quinn left a while ago," August responded. He walked over to the bar and reached for a rag that had been sitting to the side, "We all got so busy with training and finding the King, and now Aisin, we were rarely down here like we used to be." August grabbed a bowl full of diary water and then dunked the rage inside, "He didn't have much to do anymore, and then his wife Lake found out she was with child, so he left to spend time with her. The little cleaning that gets done is by the soldiers that still hang out down here." He wrung out the rag and began to wipe the dust away from the table that Arius had inspected.

"As a tavern owner myself, I respect why he left. I also am fascinated by his layout. I am going to use some of these ideas for my own." Arley said aloud, clearly deep in thought as he took in every corner of the place.

"I don't like children," Kingsley began, "but I find what that man did as honorable. Family is always more important."

"Agreed," Willow said, throwing an arm around Blakely-Rose.

"Well, now that we are all here, let's get down to business," Evander said, taking the first seat at the table. Everyone else seemed to follow suit, leaving Kingsley and me to stand at the head of the table. Eight pairs of eyes landed on Kingsley and me in expectation. I glanced at Kingsley to gauge her mood, yet she was completely calm and waiting for me to speak.

I cleared my throat awkwardly before starting, "It hasn't been but a few hours since we got off the ship, and in that time, Kingsley and I were able to find substantial information that needs to be shared with everyone. The only way we can find Aislin is if we are honest with everyone at this table." The group seemed to nod in agreement and Kingsley picked up where I stopped.

"Now before I say this, I need you all to keep an open mind. Remember that not everything or everyone is as they seem." Kingsley said before taking a deep breath in, "We have reason to believe that Prince Koa is involved in suspicious activity. Whether he's involved in the kidnapping of Aislin or King Kole, we can't confirm, nor deny."