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“I’ve learned Grey is a bigger threat than we realized and where his base is,” Nik replied promptly. “And I’m here because I need Delphine.”
Everyone in the room responded to his final words, their reactions covering the full spectrum. Luna looked delighted, as if we were enacting a play purely for her entertainment. Hayes looked pained. Clay looked shocked, his eyes traveling back to me and staying focused on my face in a way that made me squirm with embarrassment and glare at Nik, who looked entirely unmoved by the reactions he’d just unleashed.
Amara, however, straightened, and spoke. “No. Absolutely not. You cannot have my apprentice.”
“Obviously you would come, too.” Nik met her eyes, his face utterly serious, and her demeanor changed slightly, her expression becoming less determined and more inquisitive. Whatever else she was feeling, Nik had successfully captured her curiosity.
“I mean it, Master Amara,” Nik said quietly, and neither Amara nor I missed his use of her title. “Delphine cannot become a reneger.”
Amara nodded once, her movement slow. A single crease appeared between her eyes, and when she finally broke gaze with Nik, it was to glance at Hayes.
I couldn’t read everything that passed between them, but I could tell they were both surprised. Something had changed in the weeks Nik had been away, and I wasn’t the only one to recognize it.
“I think someone had better fill me in,” Clay said in his usual good-natured tone. “It’s becoming clear that your report on your encounter with Grey was missing some key facts.” He sounded amused rather than resentful.
Amara grimaced. “Apologies, Clay. Naturally we gave the full report to Anka, but the instructions from court were to keep the prince’s involvement quiet.” She glanced at Nik. “I have to confess that after all this time, I wasn’t expecting to see His Highness back again.”
Nik narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to ask what you mean by that statement.”
His tone sounded vaguely threatening, and both Hayes and Clay bristled, a fact Luna noticed with yet more delight. I rolled my eyes at her, but at least someone was enjoying this painfully awkward interaction.
Amara was entirely unfazed by the animosity in Nik’s words, continuing her explanation to Clay.
“Apparently Prince Nikolas had been tracking Grey for some time before Delphine and I crossed paths with him in her hometown. We unknowingly trailed him all the way here, and along the way I discovered my apprentice and the prince had been spending their nights hunting Grey.”
She threw me a disapproving look. “I still don’t know the full extent of every interaction, but it culminated in the fight you’ve heard about. Delphine rescued the young people while His Highness dealt with Grey’s people.”
“Ah!” Clay smiled, apparently pleased. “I did think that story didn’t quite add up.”
The healing master might run a clinic for pets, but he clearly had his share of experience with court. He’d known something was missing from the report, but he had also known not to question the official story.
“As you know, Grey managed to escape,” Amara continued, “and His Highness was…displeased with our response. He wanted us to chase after Grey instead of taking the freed captives to Anka. In the end, he chose to go after Grey alone.”
There was the slightest emphasis on the final word, making me squirm a little. At least she hadn’t told everyone how Nik had tried to convince me to go with him.
“That was some time ago.” Clay leaned forward, his eyes alight as he watched Nik. “But you’re saying you succeeded in tracking him to his base? He’s there now?”
Nik nodded. “I have reason to believe he’s still there, yes.”
“That’s excellent news.” Hayes straightened. “We should lose no time in riding for the capital. King Marius can assign us enough troops to confront Grey head on and end this whole thing.”
He met Amara’s eyes, another unspoken message passing between them.
Nik smiled slightly, as if he’d expected that reaction.
“I assume from your response that you’ve finally caught on that there’s something suspicious about this blight,” he said calmly. “But bringing in troops is exactly what we can’t do.”
If his earlier pronouncement had caused shock waves, this statement was more of an explosion. My own confusion and curiosity was nothing compared to the reaction from the others.
Hayes surged to his feet, his eyes wide, while Amara sucked in her breath loudly. Clay also rose, striding over to the door and wrenching it open to peer up and down the corridor. When he had satisfied himself that there was no one outside in hearing distance, he closed it again, turning the key that sat inside the lock and exchanging glances with Amara.
Even Ember had responded to the sudden shift in the room, scrambling to her feet in her basket and letting out a terse yip. I hurried over to reassure her, keeping a hand on her soft fur as I exchanged confused glances with Luna. At least I wasn’t the only one who had no idea what was going on.
But one glance at the burning expression in Amara’s eyes made the confusion sour in my stomach. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good.
“What blight?” I asked slowly. “What is he talking about?”
ChapterFive
