Hmm, although, maybe if I destroyed all my dresses, Necros would allow me to wear pants.
My lips curled at the thought. Then flattened as I realized Adrik had never replied.
Are you in the library? I wondered. Shall I meet you there? I knew the way by heart, having memorized the palace’s intricate maze of hidden hallways over the last few weeks.
It felt like months since I used the normal corridors.
Adrik? I tried again, frowning in earnest now. Where are you?
I could sense he was near but otherwise occupied.
Maybe Necros had him doing something. I’d learned my lesson after their last meeting not to grow concerned. Adrik wasn’t truly mine, but he’d remained faithful in his own way. Something I appreciated in a strangely warm way.
Shaking myself of my thoughts, I decided a walk through the gardens would clear my mind and help me focus on the pending tasks of whatever Necros had planned. Perhaps my defying his recent rules would prompt him to act faster.
“No more hiding outside,” he’d decreed all those weeks ago.
Well, it was time to see if he meant it.
Guards swept out of my way as I stepped outside through the glass doors bordering my sitting area. Neither of the males made snide comments, one even bowed. It took me aback, and I stopped to stare at the curly-haired brute.
The skin on the back of my neck prickled with goose bumps. Something isn’t right.
“Where’s my husband?” I asked the bowing male.
He rose, no expression on his round face. “King Necros is busy with court matters.”
A polite response.
How… strange.
I waved my hand to dismiss him, then remembered his job was to stand sentry at my doors.
The guards exchanged glances, small smiles curving at the edges of their mouths. They were full of the promise of darkness.
Would they tell Necros I’d opted for a stroll against his wishes? I sort of hoped so. I’d enjoy getting to the bottom of whatever was happening around here.
Adrik. I tried again, venturing farther into the gardens. Something’s happening. Whatever Necros planned, it’s coming to fruition now. Where are you? I don’t know if I can do this alone. Please.
Still no response.
Worry knotted heavily in my body, my shoulders tensing as the calmness of the last week disintegrated. I needed fresher air, untai
nted by the demons at my back.
Running down the path, I passed my usual reading nook and sprinted toward the cliffs of the gardens. The purple sun was high in the sky, its rays cascading down into eerie patterns on the ground.
Adrik, I tried once more, true anxiety spilling into my mental voice. Where are you?
I still felt him near, but closed off.
What’s happening? I wondered.
Maybe Necros suspected?
My heart crashed against my ribs at the thought, my vision blurring with the violet haze around me. I stole a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down, needing to focus.
It didn’t work.