“No. I mean,” I paused. “Anything is possible, but there was a funeral. Everyone attended it.” I hesitated again. “Why would they pretend to be dead, leaving their daughter behind?”
“To protect her?” Kane asked.
I shook my head lightly. “It still makes little sense, and if her magic works when she turns eighteen, we know they are dead.”
Kane lifted his eyes from the timetable. “What makes little sense is not using your magic to prevent yours and your wife’s death, and especially not when your death means your daughter’s light shines.”
I agreed with him. I could never understand why Lacey’s parents died that night. Her father adored her, protected her, and ensured she had a full life.
“Or it was someone more powerful or…” Seb hesitated and glanced at each of us, he stammered. “Someone inside the kingdom wanted the entire family dead, and they expected Lacey to go to dinner with her parents.”
“I would never say that out loud again if I were you,” I said to Seb, shaking my head, not answering his question.
“Why? If Lacey is in danger, we, as her protectors, need to think of all the possibilities.” Ryan jumped in to offer Seb his agreement.
“But we know the real danger is the Dark King,” I offered, then sighed. “But apparently at the time of the deaths, he wouldn’t have been more powerful than Lacey’s father.”
“We know nothing. We don’t even know who he is. Seb is right. There is always the possibility it is someone inside the magical kingdom,” Kane argued.
Ryan raised his eyes. “Kane has a point. We can’t assume anything.”
Chapter 4
Lacey
ItwasThursdaymorning,and I woke up early and decided on a whim it was a good day to start university. If I left it for Monday, I was sure my stomach would be a riot of nerves the entire weekend. The other reason was because boredom overcame me.
I had a long shower, tied my long hair in a high ponytail and put mascara on my eyelashes and a dash of pink balm on my lips. After dressing in skinny jeans and a pink sweater, I shrugged on my cream coat and boots and crossed my fingers that it wouldn’t be so bad.
Luckily, it was just a quick stroll across the pathways that wound around the dorm blocks, dodging the slippery leaves that had fallen overnight. I strolled up to the gate of the university and peered around. Everything was quiet, but there was a sense of something or someone around me. I shook off that thought and continued my walk into the campus.
I joined university later than the rest of the class, gaining a place that I didn’t know about. But I quit university before I started—I refused to go. At least until Clay let me know I had no choice, I had to do it.
This university was different to others, mainly for the children of top kingdom members and those in each of the kingdoms with potential. There was an expectation for me to attend to show the scheme worked for all. But I didn’t want it and resisted, stamped my feet like a child. Finally, after a bit of gentle persuasion from my mother to my father. My dad finally relented and let me follow my dream.
That dream was to apply for dance schools but it was on the condition we kept it a secret from Clay. Winning the place at Julliard was incredible, but on my parents’ deaths, my uncle became my guardian, and he was furious with my parents and didn’t accept the New York decision. Refusing to let me leave and we had a stand-off for months.
It was all because my father owned the Summer Law company based in the City of London. He wanted me to follow him into law, also my brother, but since I was the only family member left, my uncle thought it was now my calling and I am the new Summer Law owner, which was utterly ridiculous.
Especially since I wasn’t interested in becoming a lawyer and especially since I knew the Magical Kingdom would crown me their Queen. I didn’t know which was worse, but I finally relented, stopped acting like a spoiled brat, and took it for the opportunity it gave me.
Freedom. Freedom to live my life, my way.
I also knew I had to do this for my beloved father. The man who gave me everything and believed in me, teaching me so much along the way. I felt saddened because now I could never repay him.
Sighing, seeing the university ahead. I had to do it for him, not anyone else, not for the company, not for the kingdom.
For my father.
A taste of bitterness coated my tongue. It was a rise of guilt, the same as every time I thought of my parents. I had to do this for him, for them. And I had to get over the anger that bubbled inside me. I had to get over the grief that had consumed me. And the loss…
Could I ever get over the loss?
So I stood outside of the university as a late starter in the year, attempting to go in early, which must be something when I didn’t need to. But everybody else started in September, and I was already one month late. My grades were great, and I passed the late entrance exam with ease, probably years and years of learning law from my dad. And in reality, I didn’t need to get my LLB to run the business and follow in my father’s footsteps, only if I wanted to be a lawyer.
I shrugged my shoulders as I pushed at the door to the campus. Because if I had to do it right. Day one… and a little late… hey, it was a last-minute decision. I didn’t have to start university until next week, not officially, anyway. Actually, Clay insisted on it because he said he still had things to do. I could imagine what he had to do—he was super security conscious—to the extreme.
I saw room L12, pushed the door and then I saw him.