My body was shaking. I couldn’t believe they were admitting this to me now after all this time.
But it made sense. Malachi had mentioned doing work for his father a few times. He was obviously powerful enough to kill anyone who threatened him, yet he let his father live.
All because his father kept him weak.
And his brothers had been helping him.
Malachi was right to not trust them. How did I not see this coming? Malachi had practically admitted that his brothers hated him. I should have paid more attention.
“He’ll kill you,” I spat. “He’ll kill every single one of you for this. You know that.”
Lucien tossed his head back and laughed. A cold laughter, the kind that sent a chill down my spine. “He can try. He’s sure tried before. But at the end of the day, Malachi isn’t as tough as he looks. That’s his weakness, princess. He cares too much.”
“About who? You? I seriously doubt that.”
Lucien’s smile turned to a growl. “You humans all think you’re so smart. You know nothing. You’ve known Malachi for weeks, I’ve lived with him for decades. I’ve seen him kill. I’ve seen him slaughter entire villages. But at the end of the day, we’re his family. We’re the only ones who have been here when everyone else turns their back on him.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “You really think you have his back? This is your version of family?”
“And what would you know about family?” he retorted.
I tightened my jaw. “I know enough.”
He smiled again and said, “Of course you do, princess. Why don’t you do us both a favor and just be quiet for now.”
“What are we waiting for?”
He took a second before responding, “We’re waiting for somebody important.”
CHAPTER 31
Malachi
Something was wrong.
I tracked Serefin and Adeline for miles until I found them both at what looked like another campsite.
“What’s going on?” I asked them. “I thought you both were dead. You were supposed to be back by now.”
“Check this out,” Adeline said, gesturing to the site. “Somebody’s been here. Recently, too.”
The hair on my neck stood up. “Who?” I asked.
Serefin sighed and answered, “We can’t tell. No markings anywhere, no personal belongings. Just this leftover fire and the blanket.”
I surveyed the area around us. We were pretty far from our own campsite. It could have just been a coincidence.
But this far into the forest?
My hand moved to the handle of my sword strapped to my hip. “Adeline, come with me to get Jade. Serefin, stay here for another hour, and if nobody shows up, come find us. Let's hope these people are smart enough to leave us alone.”
“What do you want me to do if they come back?” Serefin asked.
“If they’re simple travelers, let them go.”
I clenched my jaw and let my mind wander to what could happen if we were found. What if my father had sent people after us? What if there was a bounty on Jade’s head?
“And if they’re looking for us, kill them all.”
I knew Serefin understood. He would do whatever it took to keep us safe.
He nodded and Adeline and I turned to head back to our campsite. She followed behind me without saying a single word.
“You can tell me what you’re thinking, you know,” I said after a few minutes.
She exhaled a large breath. “I’m just worried. I hope you have a plan for all of this, Mal. The humans won’t be welcoming of us.”
“They’ll be welcoming of Jade. She’s one of them.”
“Not anymore. She’s your wife. She’s made an alliance with the enemy. She’ll hate them just as much as she hates us.”
Adeline had a point, but it wasn’t something I had time to worry about. Jade in the human lands was far safer than Jade in the fae lands. Adeline, Serefin, and I could take care of ourselves.
“We’ll figure something out,” I said.
She went back to silence, step after step, for nearly the entire walk back to our campsite. It would have been quicker to fly, but flying over the trees would draw attention to anyone around us.
We had enough of that already.
“What about your mother?” she asked.
The words rumbled through me. “What are you talking about?” I asked.
“You know damn well what I’m talking about, Mal. Father has been keeping her whereabouts hidden from you. Are you just going to give up? Are you leaving here for good?”