When I wake the sun has risen and I'm in our chambers. I sit up and frown. "Oh no," I look over at Raidyn laying next to me, he looks as if he's been awake for hours now. "I fell asleep on you, didn't I?" The last thing I remember is being in his arms naked on the king's throne.
"It's okay, you just owe me the gardens." He says smug.
"I feel terrible." I lay back and put my hands over my face. "That was suppose to be your night."
"It was!" Raidyn protests me. "It was a wonderful night."
"But we didn't finish off in the gardens like planned." I frown disappointed at myself.
"It's a good thing you have a lifetime to make it up to me." He teases.
I rest my head on his chest. "I was just so tired, I wanted to stay up--truly I did."
"I believe you, little dove. Today is a new day just let it go."
I nod my head as someone bursts through our chamber doors. I assume it was Bren, but to my surprise it's Finn. He is breathless and his eyes wide with fear, I've never seen him like this.
"Where is Astrid? Do either of you know? I haven't seen her all last night or today-I think she's gone." Finn spits out rapidly.
"I thought she left with you." I rub my eyes and sit up now I am definitely awake.
"No. I haven't seen her in over twelve hours. That wasn't me." Finn shakes his head, growing paler.
I look at Raidyn panicked. "Shit." I climb out of bed. "W-Well what do we do? She wouldn't of just left."
"Who did you see her leave with?" Raidyn asks calmly.
"Finn, she left the castle with Finn--it was when I was on my to the bathroom and you were going to grab Ries. I was just entering the ballroom again."
"No. That wasn't me. I wasn't with Astrid when Raidyn retrieved Ries, I had gone to the bathroom." Finn furrows his eyebrows.
"A shape shifter." I take a deep breath. "Just like the one who poisoned Ries."
"There's only one way to retrieve Astrid-we have to find the shape shifter."
"That'll take us forever--nearly impossible." Finn's voice is laced with panic.
"Well, it's Cynric." Raidyn says plainly.
"What motive would my father have in kidnapping her?" I shake my head. I still can't wrap my head around the insanity both of my parents have. I can't help but wonder what type of person I would've been if Valdus never took me. I alway hated Valdus with a burning passion, but I think now he was a blessing in disguise.
"He came to my birthday and didn't come up to either of us all night." Raidyn says serious.
"Why would he take Astrid?" I frown and repeat.
"Because Cynric is a piece of shit." Finn spits out. He was growing angry and frustrated. Finn always hated Cynric which is very understandable coming from his background, he was his mother's husband.
"Easily he could've done this to get back at Finn for being a bastard turned King, no offense." Raidyn lists.
I frown at Raidyn's use of the word. "What exactly do we do? How do we go about this?"
"I'm going to kill him if he really took her." Finn growls.
"If Cynric is really behind this then he is behind poisoning Ries which means I will kill him." I clench my fists.
