“The death sentence?”
“That’s the punishment for acting against the king’s sacred rights.”
“You’d go to that length for me?” I said, half laughing as though it was preposterous.
He grabbed my arm again. “I am sworn by my own blood to protect you. But even if I undid that oath, Ara, I would still die for you.”
“Why?”
“Believe it or not, I care about you. You—” He cleared his throat. “In truth, you remind me of someone I lost many years ago.”
“Who?”
“Annie,” he said, moistening his lips. “My little sister.”
“I didn’t know you ever had a sister.”
He smiled fondly. “She was just as naive and pigheaded as you, but I loved her, Ara. And I . . . I don’t want to admit it, but I goddamn well love you too—as if you were my own sister.”
I just about melted into a puddle of reverence on the floor, but I reached out and hugged Falcon instead. “I’m sorry, Fal. How did she die?”
“She was hit by car. She was only seventeen.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He squeezed me back. “Just . . . just don’t ever think that I don’t have your back, Ara. I am always on your side.”
I nodded against his chest and backed away. “Okay, then you need to come with me right now.”
“Where?”
“To rescue Jason.”
He winked down at me. “Already on it.”
“What?”
He nodded to the end of the corridor. “Blade’s got a release order drawn up for you. He’s waiting in the Great Hall.”
“A release order?” We started walking. “Why do we need that?”
“He’s been imprisoned, Ara. Not just locked away.”
“On what grounds?”
Falcon smirked. “Exactly.”
“So, the king has no right to hold him?”
“Not unless he either fabricates a crime, or tells the truth about the affair.”
I swallowed hard, looking to the path ahead. That was the first time I’d heard our act of sin referred to as an affair. And it made me feel dirty, but also lucky David saw the need for a queen in our monarchy, or this evening could’ve been spent in a very different environment. “What about Mike? Where’s he?”
“In bed, sleeping it off.”
I relaxed a bit then. “Did the guard hurt him?”
Falcon shook his head.
“What about Jase . . . did they. . .?”
“Jason’s been banged up pretty bad, Ara.”
I stopped walking and covered my mouth. “By . . . David?”
“Not sure. But he left about half an hour ago. No one’s seen him since.”
I started walking again. “Will David come back?”
“Yes,” Arthur said suddenly, closing his door as he stepped out of his room.
My footsteps halted just in front of him.
“Amara—”
“Please don’t, Arthur.” I put my hand up between us. “I know I’m a disappointment, and I know—”
“That wasn’t what I was going to say.” He leaned down a little, placing his hand on my back. “I already knew about the affair.”
“How? When?”
“Shortly after you fell from the lighthouse.”
“You mean jumped.”
“Yes.” He looked up at Falcon for a second. “My dear girl, for what happened that night with Jason, I do not blame you. And I do not blame him. You were in love. And, yes, you committed an act of sin. But for all the morals and conventions in the world, Amara, I cannot find it within my heart to place blame on either one of you.”
“And yet, we’re both guilty.”
“Or, perhaps, it was meant to be.”
“Meant to be?”
He lowered his gaze to the floor. “Your heart always has been torn between the two boys. And—”
“But it’s not anymore, Arthur.” I tapped my chest. “My love for David has changed so much. I don’t want to love Jason.”
“But you do love him, don’t you?”
I took a small step back. “I said I don’t want to.”
“But you do anyway.”
“Not as much as I love his brother.” I swept past him and started down the stairs quickly.
Blade was in the doorway to the Great Hall before I even reached the base, wearing a huge smile, holding up a stack of papers. “Ready then?”
“Just take me to him.”
“Ara?” Morgaine said, coming up behind Blade.
“Morgaine,” I warned. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“Look, I had to do what I had to do. You should never have slept with Jason if you wanted to protect him,” she said, grabbing my arm as I dashed past.
And the sudden contact of her hand on my skin made the anger inside me, made the vision of her tossing that dagger to Blade, boil up in my body like compounded steam. I swung around to knock her hand away, deciding at the very last second to hook my right fist across her jaw instead. She hit the ground like a sack of apples, dead shock widening the eyes of our onlookers.
“Okay,” Morg said, clambering to her feet. “Maybe I deserved that.”
“That, and a lot more.” I pointed in her face. “Let me make this clear to you, Morgaine. I don’t trust you. I don’t know what it is that you’re up to, but I don’t trust you.”
“But . . . what have I ever done?”
“Nothing yet.” I stepped backward. “But you’re a traitor. I know you are, and I am damn well going to prove it.”
“What on earth makes you think I’m a traitor?” she called after me.
“Call it instinct,” I said, storming off, leaving them all behind. It wasn't until I reached the Throne Room that Blade, Falcon and Arthur caught up. Morgaine, however, was nowhere to be seen.
The entourage charged forward, with the queen at the helm, our shadows menacing the walls, and as we reached the end of the cellblock, even the guard on duty felt the threat. He stood to attention, his hand on his belt. “Your Majesty.”
“Unlock this door.”
“But, My Queen, I have orders from the—”
“Under article three, section five,” Blade started, stepping in. And Arthur grabbed the keys off the guard’s belt and unlatched the door, shoving it open.
Our eyes darted across the dark space, moving from one corner to the other, but Jason wasn’t there. “Arthur?”