Queen Ascending (Ace of Queens #2)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Gemma sat gawking at the large diamond ring around her finger.

Since Lafayette had announced the marriage, Gemma hadn't been able to utter a single word. Her mind was numb and body frozen.

When Tobias had walked up to her with the ring in his hand, Lafayette had to hold up Gemma's hand for him since she was simply not there in her head.

"Trust me," Lafayette had whispered in her ear has Tobias had slipped the ring into her finger, "I know what is best for you."

The overwhelming fear and crippling anxiety threatened to drown her. After the many congratulations and smiling faces, Gemma slipped out of the room and headed upstairs.

"She's shy," Gemma heard Lafayette telling Tobias as she walked away.

Once upstairs in her room, Gemma locked the door and stood against it. Her fear morphed into anger and frustration.

Why couldn't she just say no? Why was everything in her life out of her own control?

_______________________

Exton hadn't slept in two days. He poured over the Arizona files, looking over every piece of detail a million times.

It didn't make sense...why would Gemma be bringing back werewolves? Why not witches?

Then, like a sharp pain, a dangerous thought entered his mind...what was Lafayette doing to her?

It was the only constant thought that ran through his mind since the day she went missing.

Exton dropped the papers in his hand and shut the laptop in front of him. The pounding pressure behind his eyes were too much to bare at times. And on top of that, the strange anxiety he had been feeling for the past two days was unnerving.

Suddenly, there was a hard knock at the door.

"Come in," Exton called out.

Caspian poked his head in through the door, "Is your father here?"

Exton shook his head, "No."

"Oh, good," Caspian walked into the room with a large book in his hand. It was old and dusty, held together by a few scraps of thread.

"I absolutely adore your family library," Caspian said setting the book down in front of him. "Look what I found!"

He flipped the book open to a page with faded Roopcian.

Exton scanned the text, not understanding anything. "What am I looking at?"

Caspian rolled his eyes, "It's a passage on how to open a portal to the vail, you dense fuck."

Exton was so pleased with the news that he didn't even care about the name calling. He scanned the page once more and hope began to bloom in his chest.

"Let's do it," he said impatiently. "Now."

"You may have your father's looks, wits, charms, and leadership skills, but you, my child, do not have your father's patience." Caspian said shutting the book.

Exton glared at the merman.

"I can only read half the words on the pages," Caspian sighed. "My Roopcian isn't advance. Plus the half that I did read mentioned a link to the person you are trying to find...like something with their scent or something that belonged to them."

"Leave that up to me, I can find that." Exton said.

"But what about the rest of the writing?" Caspian wondered out loud. " Xavier already warned me not to send you into the veil. It's highly dangerous and I agree...he'll have my head on a spike if he finds out I sent you in with only half the information. And that's the easy part, I'm scared to think what Rye might do to me if she found out."