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He wanted to find Tava and keep her from her father, Lord Balam Tyndell, a Maraan Lord. The male wasn’t even her real father. No, she and her brother were the last remaining descendants of Dalton and Octavia Middell, the last king and queen of Rydeon. Drake was the rightful heir to the throne, and Tava was the kingdom’s princess.
And Scarlett had let them go back. Had taken Tava and Drake back herself when she’d Traveled Prince Briar across the Edria Sea.
Callan came to a stop outside a door and double checked the notes on the parchment to make sure he had the right rooms before he rapped on the wood. A set of guards had stopped him at one point, but as soon as he’d told them his name, they’d let him pass. He hadn’t questioned why. Just thanked the gods for giving him this small bit of fortune as he’d raced along the corridors.
The door swung open, and Callan found himself face-to-face with the Hand-to-the-Avonleyan King. Razik looked him up and down once, his signature bored annoyance on his face, before he stepped aside without a word to let him enter. Knowing Eliza was his Source explained why he was likely here, but it was still somewhat surprising to find him in her actual rooms. There had always been such animosity between them.
Callan could hear noises coming from the adjoining bedchamber, and he turned to Razik. “Is she going with you?”
The male cocked his head to the side, his bright sapphire eyes unnerving in the way they studied him. “She is.”
“Good,” Callan replied, moving to the doorway. Before he stepped through, Eliza met him at the threshold, a pack in her hands. Her brows flew up when she nearly ran into him.
“Callan? What are you doing here?” she asked, recovering quickly from her surprise and brushing past him. She threw the pack at Razik with force, the male catching it with a faint smirk, before she turned back to give Callan her full attention.
“I want to go with you,” Callan said, planting his feet. He was prepared to argue with the general until she relented. Not the smartest plan, but the only one he could come up with in such a short amount of time.
“You want to go with us to get Princess Ashtine?” she asked in confusion.
“No. I want you to take me with you to our continent, and if I cannot convince Tava to return with me, I will stay there.”
Eliza’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Callan,” she sighed, her hands coming to her hips as she stared at him. “You cannot simply return to the continent. Not after everything we’ve gone through to keep you alive.”
“Drake did,” Callan argued. “Tava did. Briar did. They all went back to the continent even though it jeopardizes their lives.”
“Lord Tyndell will not allow harm to come to Drake or Tava,” Eliza said. “And Briar went back to protect the female he loves and hischildren. Did you even think about Eva when you came up with this idiotic idea?”
“Of course I did,” Callan snapped.
“Really? You did? So, what is the plan then, Callan? Are you dragging her back to her death with you?”
“I spoke with Magdalena and Lynnea—”
“Magdalena is employed by the Greybanes. She is not a nursemaid. And Lynnea is scarcely past her first bleed. You cannot be serious,” Eliza interrupted.
“Eva is safer here,” Callan said.
“As are you,” Eliza countered.
“But Tava is not safer there!” he cried.
Eliza clicked her tongue at him, crossing her arms. “So this is a repeat of Scarlett, then?”
“This is nothing like Scarlett,” Callan snarled.
A brow arched. “No? You are not racing off after the woman you think you love to— Do what exactly? Protect her? How do you plan to do that against Maraans?”
“I saved your ass from a Witch, didn’t I? I believe I even killed more seraphs thanyoudid that day.”
Eliza stilled, her arms falling to her sides. The look she sent him made him want to take a step back from the female, but he forced himself to stand there and hold her stare. “You think that because you fought and survived inonebattle, you are ready to face them on your own? You were fighting with powerful Fae at your side, not to mention the Avonleyans with us that day. Yes, you saved my life, but battles are not about keeping score. We have each other’s backs because we fight for the same cause, not to use it against one another in an argument.”
“I am sorry, Eliza,” he started. “I did not mean that—”
“Have you spoken to Scarlett about this?” she cut in.
“No,” he ground out from between his teeth. “She did not speak to me before taking Tava back across the sea. According to her, going to trade herself for a babe was Tava’s choice. This is mine.”
“And by agreeing to it, I will take the fall,” Eliza retorted. “I am the one who will be reprimanded for allowing you to go.”
