Destined for Deception ✔️

Chapter 16

"What happened?"

Corinne and Alder burst through the infirmary doors, both wearing their night clothes and an expression of absolute terror.

"Are you alright?" Corinne was by Aaron's side in a second, taking his face in her hands and studying him as though he might drop dead any second.

He pulled back. "I am fine. Jade is not. They took her." His heart cramped at the mere memory. Why had he let himself get knocked out? Why hadn't he protected her?

All colour drained from Corinne's face, and her hands fell limply back to her sides. She whispered a few weak prayers to the Goddess, then fixed her gaze on Aaron again, her lips parting as though she wanted to speak words of comfort, but no sound left her.

"Is he alright?" Alder asked Everlee.

"Yes, Your Highness. He had a pretty serious head wound, but I healed it in time. He should be fine. He might have a headache for a few hours, but after that it will be like nothing happened."

"Except that Jade is gone!" He slid off the edge of the bed he'd been sitting on, swaying on his feet as nausea overtook him. "We have to do something!"

"Calm down, son," Alder said. He coaxed Aaron back on the bed. "Take a deep breath and tell us what happened."

Whereas Corinne was ashy white and shaking, Alder was a picture of perfect calmness. His features were tight in worry, but his gaze was focused and his posture rigid. He was a problem-solver.

"I –" Tears burned in his eyes, and his throat closed up painfully. Where was Jade? Was she alright? Had they hurt her? Were they going to kill her, and their unborn child with her? O, Goddess. Please no. "They came into the room. I don't know how they got into the castle, but they came into the room."

"Who is they, Aaron?" Alder asked. He was keeping Aaron on the edge of the bed with one hand, and he had his free arm wrapped around Corinne, keeping the both of them sane by the power of his authority.

Aaron racked his brain. Everything was fuzzy from the blow he'd received. "I think it was Ryleigh." He frowned. It made no sense.

"Ryleigh?" Alder repeated, his voice as incredulous as Aaron's.

"Yes. And there were two others. A woman and—I do not know. Something else. Someone else. Someone invisible who knocked me out."

Alder shared a look with Corinne, then looked back at Aaron. "If it were Ryleigh, why did she not kill you? What use does she have for Jade?"

Aaron shook his head. "I have no clue, Father, but they took her. We need to do something! We need to get her back." His breath staggered, his chest constructing. Why did it have to be her? Why didn't they take him? Why couldn't he have suffered in her place?

Corinne removed herself from Alder's side and joined Aaron, rubbing her hand up and down his back to soothe him. It did not work. The only touch he craved was Jade's. Still, he leant into her, if only because he didn't trust his body to keep him up.

"What if they hurt her?" he said, his voice hardly a whisper. "What if they hurt the baby?" The words were cold and ugly. He didn't want to think of what they might do to her.

"Do not get ahead of yourself," Alder said, tranquil as ever. "If they had hurt her badly, you would know. And if they had killed her, you would also have known. Besides, if they had any intention of killing her, they would have done it on the spot. Clearly, they want something from her. Either her powers, her loyalty, her baby, or just leverage."

"Why did they not just take me? Would I not be a bigger leverage?"

"I do not know, son. If it was indeed Ryleigh—"