“Ah, yes, it is Lady Caileen. I remember now.” He examined the freckled little beauty for a moment before setting to drawing. Raucous laughter ensued as Lord Alvi depicted the girl, covered in red curly feathers, eyes crazed with mischief—even Lady Wavecrest and Lady Baycreek had taken peeks and giggled behind their hands—until the rusty-hinged door to the room creaked and flew open. Lord Alvi dropped the drawing book and stood.
A pale guard peered around the room with a frown. “It is secure for you to come up, but . . .” He swallowed and his forehead gleamed with sweat. “The king, queen, and Princess Vixie are all missing. We’re scouring towns now.”
Seas, no!Wyneth pressed a palm to the floor and her other hand over her forehead as the room spun. Adults shouted questions and children burst into tears.
“Mum!” Donubhan’s voice nearly shattered Wyneth. She pushed through the other kids and wrapped her arms around him.
“Sh, Donnie, it will be all right.” She pressed her cheek to his head as his body heaved in sobs. “They’ll be found.”
Please, let them be found.
“Hush!” Lord Wavecrest shouted. “I cannot hear the man!” Wyneth grabbed the crying Merity and pulled her into her embrace to shush her. Then all eyes went back to the guard.
“It was a Lashed attack. We believe all the Kalorians who came were Lashed. They were checked at the gate, but nobody saw any lines. We think they used a paint of some sort. Ten guards were killed plus four of the Kalorians. They must have somehow subdued the king and queen to change their clothing—we’re not certain—but when they came out of the office and attacked, they broke into two groups and went in opposite directions.” The guard grimaced. “They knew the castle better than any guest should.”
“The traitor gave them more information,” Lord Baycreek whispered.
“Aye. And they had more people lying in wait outside. A whole caravan they pretended were their maids and servants. They were all trained. The caravan fled up the path to the royal gate, but our soldiers said they saw a group of them taking the king and queen to the docks, so we set off after them, prepared to capture their vessel.” He shook his head. The room was silent as they clung to every word.
“Their boat was a decoy,” he said. “A distraction. And when we seized their boat, the five aboard laid hands on oneanother in a circle, and they all just fell . . . dead.”
Now Caileen let out a frightened wail, and Wyneth pulled her in with Donnie and Merity.
Lord Alvi must have heard enough. He pushed past the guard and climbed up the ladder. Nobody stopped him. The guard moved aside and motioned for the others to follow, but Lord and Lady Baycreek and Lord and Lady Wavecrest all turned to one another instead.
“The castle has been compromised,” Lord Wavecrest said. “I think we should retreat to somewhere safer and more remote while the army searches.”
Lord Baycreek nodded. “The Isle of Evie?” Lord Wavecrest returned the nod.
Wyneth watched the exchange with mixed feelings. They wanted to flee to the royal vacation island. It made sense as far as the safety of the children went, but Wyneth would go mad that far away right now. The island was chosen for its natural barriers: cliffs and a magnificently rugged landscape. A nearly impenetrable villa had been built atop the cliffs, and it would be easier to thwart an attack there than in the royal lands. But she knew she could not go.
Wyneth said nothing, not wanting to upset the children again, but when the time came for them to leave, she would state her case. She was of age to make her own decisions now. Aerity was set to return within days, if all went well. She was certain that the remaining army would not be allowing visitors of any kind into royal lands, and the naval guard waslikely to secure the port with heavier measures now that a threat was apparent. She felt safe enough.
She kissed the heads of her cousins and stood. “Come along now, little lassies. Let’s all pack our favorite things and set off on a grand adventure.”
This seemed to raise their spirits. The little ones trooped after their mothers, anxious to leave the musty room. The four oldest boys—her brothers Bowen and Brixton, and her cousins Donubhan and Leo—stayed behind. Wyneth looked about at them, each with hair of varying shades and lengths of red, from radiant auburn to deep reddish-brown.
“Are we to run as cowards do?” Bowen asked.
“Bow, it’s not like that at all,” Wyneth insisted. “We’re royals, and it’s important that we keep ourselves safe so someone can run the kingdom.”
“I want to join the army and fight,” he said.
“Yeah!” said the other three.
“You’re fourteen!” she reminded Bowen. “They won’t consider any lads under seventeen—you know this. Pack your bows and arrows and practice while you’re at the Isle of Evie. If the island comes under attack, seas forbid, you can shoot arrows from the high turrets and you’ll need to be good shots.”
“Come along,” said a guard from the doorway. “We’re closing up.”
They did as he said, all inhaling deeply of the fresh air as they entered the tall castle hallways again. While the otherthree boys bounded off to prepare to leave, Donubhan lagged behind at Wyneth’s side. She turned to face him, clasping his shoulders. He was only inches from her own height, still far too young to deal with this. Her heart hurt knowing the lad was all alone, his entire family gone or missing. Where in Eurona were they?
“What if they’re not found?” he whispered. “What will happen to Lochlanach? And when is Aerity coming home? She needs to be here!”
Wyneth had never seen the carefree boy so serious. It was as if he were maturing before her very eyes. She pulled him forward and he let her, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly.
“They’ll be found,” she promised. “I just know it. And Aerity will be home soon. Go and enjoy your time on the Isle.”
It was a dangerous time to make promises she couldn’t keep, but Wyneth had to be hopeful, and so did Donnie. It would be the only thing to get them through.
