Chapter 102

Evelyn

It had been days since I’d last seen Logan. And while I wanted to say that this space was good for us—needed, even—I found myself wondering where he went every time my mind wandered.

The days that passed in his absence were filled with trying to focus on the patients in the medical wing, creating more of and distributing the wolfsbane cure, and desperately trying to focus on anything other than the gnawing pit in my stomach that whispered the worst possible truths. Every morning, I woke with the same cold realization that I didn’t know where he was or if he was even alive.

The palace halls felt vacant without the possibility of running into him. The absence was a constant echo in my head, ceaseless and haunting.

I was actively trying to distract myself and was bending over a stack of created cures when Chris found me. I recognized the cadence of his footfalls and turned. His presence always carried a steady warmth that felt like reassurance, but today, there was something heavier in his expression. I immediately stiffened and straightened.

“Evelyn,” he said gently, “I have news.”

My stomach sank to my toes. “What is it?”

Chris looked deeply uncomfortable as he continued. “I think you should know… It’s not just that Logan hasn’t been around. I knew you would be wondering where he was, so I’ve asked around.”

He grimaced as he pressed on like the words were hard to even speak. “I tried to find out if he was off searching for Emma again or taken away by some other duty. But no one could confirm that he was out on an assignment. It seems he went off on his own and that… He’s likely missing.”

The words hit me like cold water to the face. For a long moment, all I could do was blink at him as it sank in. “Missing?” My voice felt fragile, like it might shatter if I spoke too loudly.

Chris nodded. “It’s been longer than expected without a sighting, and no one’s heard from him. No one has been able to do more than speculate about assignments he’s on, but no one has been able to confirm he was given a task to begin with.”

Chris straightened, puffing out his chest as though he was steeling himself for this next bit. “If you want to look for him, I can cover the medical wing in your absence. We’ll manage. You’ve been doing more than enough of your fair share, and you shouldn’t have to choose between your work and finding him.”

Admittedly, I was stunned. What was most shocking to me was the fact that he was willing to do this for me. He knew what it meant. That by leaving, I was choosing Logan. Again. Even in the face of Chris’s kindness, I was fleeing into danger for the man I loved.

“You’d… watch over the patients while I search?”

He gave a faint, almost sad smile. A part of my heart chipped away at the soft look he gave me. “Evelyn,” he said, “I’m not blind. I know who your heart belongs to. If I can help you get him back, I will. All I want is for you to be happy.”

My chest tightened painfully. I stepped closer and pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was all I could think to give him for his kindness, but it didn’t feel like enough. There were so few genuinely kind people in this world, and Chris’s heart had always been in the right place. Especially in this, while he encouraged my search.

“Thank you, Chris. You have no idea how much this means to me,” I said quietly.

He didn’t respond, just squeezed my shoulder once. I wondered if it was hard for him to find the words just then, too. And then he walked away wordlessly, like even a simple goodbye would be too strenuous. He left me standing there with a renewed and swelling sense of determination.

Within the hour, I had gathered up what I needed and redressed. Before I knew it, I was in the stables, my hands working expertly to saddle my horse. My mind raced with where to start. I would have to consider who to question and what leads to follow.

The world seemed so vast as I sorted through where to begin; Logan had always been better at these searches than I was. He was the tracker, not me. I had no idea where this search would take me, but I knew I couldn’t waste another second.

I was tightening the strap along my horse when a shift in the air made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I hadn’t even heard her move, but I could feel her presence. My fingers paused, and I dared to turn at the same time that the faint crunch of boots on straw reached my ears.

But I hadn’t even completely turned around before I was attacked. A hand shot out, and the icy press of a blade kissed the side of my throat. A startled cry escaped my lips as I tried to gather my thoughts.

“Don’t move,” a low voice said. It was a woman’s voice, feminine and cruel.

Then, my captor turned me around so forcibly that I almost stumbled. I was able to see her for the first time as she repositioned the knife at my throat.

She was tall, her long dark hair tangled, her eyes sharp and glistening with twisted glee.

“Who are you?” I demanded. “What do you want?”

Her lips curled into a smile that wasn’t remotely friendly. I knew then that there would be no bargaining with this woman.

“I want you to listen very carefully, Princess,” she said. “You’re going to do exactly what we tell you, or I’ll make sure you never see your precious husband again. In fact…” She pressed the blade harder, just enough to draw a thin line of warmth down my skin. I felt it dribbled down my neck like tears. “…I’ll make sure you don’t breathe long enough to regret it.”

The sound of the horse shifting restlessly behind me felt deafening in the silence that followed.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. One thing she had said had caught in my mind. I tried to latch on to it.

“Where is he?”

She chuckled, the sound low and menacing. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. He’s alive, at least. For now. But that can change quite quickly if you don’t cooperate.”

The sharp, metallic scent of my own blood mixed with the heady smell of the stables. My hands trembled, but I fisted them. I would not show her my fear. Such weakness would do nothing now. Instead, I kept my gaze locked on hers.

This was the best lead I was likely to get, and I had stumbled upon it entirely against my will. But it was a place to start. I would play this game.

Because if she was here taunting me, then Logan was alive.

And I would do anything to get to him.

“What do you want?” I asked again.

And her smile spread, feral and cutting.