Page 96 of Wings of Snow

I returned day after day, searching relentlessly in the castle while Ilara worked in the fields. But everywhere I checked only proved to be a dead end.

Within the castle, there was nothing. Not in the bank ledgers, our vaults, my father’s private study, the hidden safes that had been built into all of the wings. Nowhere. All of it showed not an ounce of proof.

My father had been thorough, just as I’d suspected he would be.

Essentially, there was no trace of his deceit. No trail of rulibs to tie him to the warlock. No parchments or ledgers that captured what he’d done. Not even carefully removed payments over the years that were unaccounted for. The funds he used to pay the warlock were entirely off the books.

I growled in frustration as my sixth day of searching was coming to an end. Come morning, we were meeting the Fire Wolf, but I had nothing to show for my week in the castle. I’d been hoping to have a lead that would implicate my father in his misdeeds, but I’d literally accomplished nothing.

* * *

I was just aboutto mistphase back to the Nolus capital when Balbus and Haisley rushed up to me. Since I was in my private room, I’d dispelled my illusion, and I could have sworn they had a knack for knowing when I was present.

An eye roll was already in the works from me. This morning they’d cornered me when I’d appeared unhidden in my chambers. Of course, it was due to Georgyanna and a new petty venture she’d come up with. While she hadn’t hurt any fae directly following our last encounter, she’d taken it upon herself to find other ways to needle them and irritate the fuck out of me. She truly was a vindictive witch.

“What’s she done now?” I asked with a sigh and calmed my magic from the mistphase.

Balbus frantically shook his head as Haisley’s face paled.

“It’s not Georgyanna, my prince,” Balbus said as he came to a stop just before me. “It’s Daiseeum, Ilara’s former lady’s servant.”

My brow furrowed. “What about her?”

Haisley twisted his hands, his face a mask of horror. “Oh, my prince. Oh, it’s horrendous!”

Balbus nodded, his jowls jiggling as his features became a mask of fright. “She’s gone missing, my prince. I fear Daiseeum’s the castle’s latest victim.”

CHAPTER 28 - NORIVUN

Imistphased back to the Nolus capital immediately and told Ilara and my guards what had happened.

My mate’s heart thundered so loudly I could hear it as she began to pace in our chamber. “We have to find her.Now. Oh gods, Norivun, what if the warlock’s already killed her?”

Ilara’s fear was so potent I could taste it. It drenched our room at the Nolus inn in a sour cloud and made fury gather around my soul.

“We’ll find her,” I growled and fisted my hands. “I’m going to scry for her.”

“But how will we get to her before he”—she choked—“before he...”?” She came to a stop in front of me. Her midnight hair spilled over her shoulders as her white wings flared. She’d been keeping her wings visible more and more.

Snarling, I closed the distance between us and pulled out a piece of fabric from my pocket. “Haisley gave me this. This clothing belongs to Daiseeum. Haisley said she wore it yesterday, so it should allow for a fresh trail.” I extracted my yellow crystals. “I’m going to scry, and when I find her, we’ll save her. Got it?”

She nodded swiftly as tears filled her eyes.

I disappeared into the bathing chamber to scry once more and call upon every ounce of magic I had to find the lady’s servant, my father’s latest victim, before it was too late.

Magic heated the room as I enacted the ancient spells that I’d stumbled upon in my last year at the Academy of Solisarium. Scrying wasn’t common. Most didn’t have enough magic to activate the aged spells, but through trial and error, I’d found what’d worked and concentrated completely on what was needed.

My crystals glowed. My blood flowed down my arm. Magic soaked into every pore of my body as I called upon the power to guide me to the female who would be dead by the morrow if we couldn’t locate her.

Seconds turned into minutes. Sweat beaded on my brow as I chanted faster and faster.

And then an image came to me.

A stone room. A chamber. No, a dungeon.

My brow furrowed as I searched for a firmer location.Where? Where are you?

Chains. An altar. Burning candles.