On bare feet, I pad over to the other side of the bed and slip beneath the covers as quietly and gently as I can so I don’t disturb him. I try to leave some space between us out of habit, yet as soon as I’m in the bed with him, he seems to sense me.
His arm comes out, gripping me by the waist, and he tugs me over as if I weigh nothing, sliding me right up against his body. I hold my breath in surprise, going still, but he doesn’t wake. He simply lets out a long exhale, as if he can relax even more now that I’m tucked against his side.
I fall asleep just as quickly as he did, with a sigh and a smile drifting from my lips.
CHAPTER 46
SLADE
I wake up with a jerk, eyes focusing on the crack of light cut from the edges of the heavy black curtains. Then my gaze falls to the bed beside me—the empty bed.
I sit up, running a hand down my face, realizing I didn’t even wait for Auren to come out of the bathroom last night before I passed out. I didn’t want to worry her, but the power drain was worse than usual. I got carried away, exhausted myself more than I should’ve, especially knowing I had Auren to protect on the journey home.
I suppose there’s something to be said for returning to your own bed after months of being away. Last night was the best sleep I’ve had in months. The only thing I’m missing now is waking up with Auren beside me.
I wonder if she’s still worried about staying in bed past morning. I can understand that she’s had over a decade of conditioning herself to being up before the dawn, to not eat, drink, or touch anything once the sun comes up. But she doesn’t have to do any of that anymore. She has more control than she knows, though some habits may be hard to break.
Getting up out of bed, I head for the bathroom where I wash up and then go into the closet to dress. Once I’m ready, I leave the bedroom, expecting to find her in the sitting room, but it’s empty. I head for the door, and as soon as I step into the hall, one of my guards is doing his rounds, walking in the opposite direction.
When he looks over his shoulder and sees me, he stops, turning his back against the wall to give me a nod. “Your Majesty.”
“Morning, Vaen. Have you seen Lady Auren?”
He shakes his head. “No, Sire, but we just did a shift change. I can go ask the previous guards?”
I shake my head. “That’s alright, I’ll find her.”
Taking the stairs, I go down a level and head for the private breakfast room near Judd’s rooms. We always eat our casual meals in there, hardly ever using the formal dining except when we have to. I pass another guard on the way, and then let myself in.
Lu looks up from the table just as she knocks Judd’s propped feet off the top. “Well, look what the rot dragged in,” she singsongs. “You overslept.”
My brow arches as I walk forward. “Does being a king have no perks?”
“No,” she and Judd both answer.
My gaze sweeps around. “Where’s Auren? Did she already eat?”
“We thought she was with you,” Lu tells me.
“Yeah, we haven’t seen her yet this morning.”
Dread fills me. “Neither of you have seen her?” I look around again, noticing Digby isn’t here either. “Have you checked on Digby this morning?”
“No, but it’s early.”
I nod and head for the door. “She’s probably with him.”
“Or she might’ve gone to walk around the main floor?” Judd offers.
I should’ve given Auren a tour last night so she knew where everything was, or at least where to go for breakfast. “You put Digby in the silver room?”
“Yep.”
When I get back out into the hallway, my stride takes me right to where Digby’s staying, and I knock on the door. There’s no answer right away, but I wait a moment, and then knock again, louder.
Worry crawls over my spine, making me roll my shoulders back, and I see Judd and Lu coming over from the corner of my eye. Just as I’m about to pound on the door with my fist, I hear him call out to wait. There’s a shuffling noise, and then the door is yanked open by a bleary-eyed Digby, who clearly just rolled out of bed, his gray hair sticking up. He looks at me, gaze casting to the others behind me. “Yeah?”
“I take it Auren isn’t with you.”
His brows draw together. “No.”
I spin around, my worry now coalescing into something tangible that presses right on my ribs, restricting each breath.
“I’ll check the kitchens and the dining room,” Lu says, spinning on her heel.
“The library too,” I call after her, and she nods over her shoulder. Then, a thought occurs to me that makes my blood run cold.
“What room was Manu given?”
Judd’s brows shoot up, like he hadn’t thought of that either. “The blue room on the third floor. Do you think...”
“I don’t know.” I’m already striding away, my ribs continuing to constrict. “But if he did anything to fucking hurt her—”
Judd catches up with me, his face drawn tight.
“Alert the guards,” I order. “Have a full scale search, have them—”
“Oy!”
Judd and I stop in our tracks, jerking around to look behind us. Even Lu, where she’s already on the east stairwell, looks up and stops.
Digby leans against the door jam, glowering at me. “You don’t know where Auren is.”
Impatience prickles my neck, but I answer his non-question anyway. “No.”
He limps over to me, and even though my mind is screaming at me to hurry up and go find her, I impatiently wait for him.
He looks up at me from beneath bushy eyebrows, lips pinched together with clear disapproval as he stops in front of me and gives me a once-over like I’m about to get lectured. “I thought you were smart.”
I blink down at him. “What?”
He shakes his head and lets out a sigh. “My lady isn’t in the kitchens or the dining room or the library.”
Judd and I share a look while Lu comes walking over. “Okay...so you did see her this morning?”
“No,” he says. “But I don’t need to have seen her to know where she is. Just like you would know if you’d pull your head out of your ass for a second.”
My jaw grinds so hard I’m surprised my teeth don’t crack. “Explain.”
“My lady lived in the north of the world for ten years. That’s a decade of nothing but snow, seen through cages and windows and caves and restrictions.” His arms cross in front of him. “If you know her at all, you’ll know right where to find her. So where do you think she is right now, boy?”
He pins me with a pointed look, and realization dawns on me.
Digby nods tersely. “Good to see you’re not completely hopeless.” He then turns around and limps away, shutting his bedroom door while I’m left staring after him.
Judd gives a low whistle. “I think you just got told off, Rip.”
“I never know if I should be insulted or impressed,” I admit out loud.
“Let’s just go with the second one,” Lu tells me. “So...do you want us to help you look?”
I shake my head and start to walk away. “Digby was right. I think I know where to find her.”
I take the stairs two at a time, back through the narrow corridor, and then up the spiral steps all the way to the roof.
I considered going out to the ground floor and checking the gardens, but Auren didn’t have any proper clothes, so I think she would’ve preferred to go somewhere more secluded.
Just as I reach the top, I notice all three watch guards hanging around the archway, each of them looking in the same direction. I have a feeling I know what they’re looking at and why they’re in here, trying to give a semblance of privacy, rather than being at their normal stations on the roof.
When they notice me, they bow. “Sire.”
I stop in my tracks when I see her. She didn’t just come up to the roof. No, she also climbed up onto one of the turrets as well. She’s there, lying against the steepled shingles, her golden skin glowing against the black stone that surrounds her.
For a moment, all I can do is watch. She looks like a sunlit goddess, gleaming in the light that’s been sheltered from her, soaking up the rays as if the sun is blessed to shine on her.
“How long has she been up there?” I ask the guards quietly.
“Since dawn.”