#16.
It had
been a week since Brayden had disappeared. Quinlan couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t
eat, and most of all he couldn’t think straight without his husband by his side.
In fact he couldn’t think at all. Everyone and everything irritated him—everyone
that is, except his own children. Quinlan had taken to letting them sleep in
his bed at night. He needed the comfort of their closeness just as much as they
needed his.
Quinlan
leant against the window ledge as he stared out over Panthea. He was trying to
work out in his own mind how all of this was worth it if he didn’t have Brayden
by his side. His heart ached for the missing peace to be returned to him. There
was only one thing left to do. If no one could find Brayden he would just have
to do it himself. First he would take up an ancient act—he’d send a message to
the gods for guidance on his journey to find his husband. One long ago when
kings were in need of guidance they’d use the pool in the meditation room to
send messages, questions, and requests to the gods in hopes of getting a response.
The longer Quinlan thought about it, the more he thought it was the right thing
to do. With his mind made up he turned and faced the occupants of the room.
“Brayden
is somewhere out there waiting for me to come and rescue him.” He stared at
each of them in turn. From Talon with his battle worn face, to Javier standing
right next to him, his hand strayed to Talon’s arm as if seeking is own comfort.
Cleric Saskia and Mylo were standing off to the side with sadness all over
their faces. Yet, it was the fierce look on Ingrid’s face that gave him the
most heart.
“So
that’s what I’m going to do. Someone took something of mine… without my
permission, and I want it back. If one hair has been harmed on his head I’ll end
whoever have laid their hands on him. I’ll show no mercy for the people
involved in the taking of Brayden. They lost the right to mercy the moment they
took the Kings Consort—my husband.”
“So
what’s the plan?” Talon asked.
Ingrid
snarled, “We hunt the bastards down, and I say we start with Lord Dalziel and
his prick of a son.”
Quinlan’s
eyes bugged out, he hadn’t even thought that Brayden's family could be
involved. Not that he believed Fane Dalziel was truly involved there was
something about the guy that didn’t seem the harmful type. There was more to
his story and Quinlan was determined to find out what was going on.
“Bring
them in.”
How stupid
could have been not to think of the family who had held Brayden prisoner for
half his life? Especially since Ormand had given Brayden the ‘Heart of Panthea’.
If either man had a part in Brayden's disappearance they would pay.
**~*~**
Quinlan
sat on his throne as Fane Dalziel was led into the room by two well armed
guards. He momentarily wondered why Lord Dalziel looked so melancholy. He
waited as Lord Dalziel sunk to his knees before him.
“Where
is my husband?”
Lord
Dalziel stared up at him in a somewhat confused expression. Overwhelming sadness
seemed to emanate from every pore of the older man. Something was definitely
wrong here.
“Where
is my husband?” Quinlan repeated menacingly.
Tears
formed in Lord Dalziel’s eyes, as he whispered. “I do not know.”
Quinlan
glared at Lord Dalziel for a moment before turning his attention to the guards.
“Where is Ormand?”
Both
guards knelt before their king. “Ormand was nowhere on Lord Dalziel’s estate.
We still have sentinels out searching for him throughout the city—he will be found.”
Quinlan
returned his attention to Lord Dalziel. “Where is your son? He can’t hide from
me forever?”
“Ormand
is not my son.” Lord Dalziel dropped
his eyes. “I’m not his father, he’s my nephew.”
“What?”
Quinlan sat up straighter as he waited for Lord Dalziel to continue. Now the
truth was coming out.
“I lost
my life partner many years ago. Ormand is his wife’s child.”
Quinlan’s
mind raced with the possibilities of had just been said. Ormand looked too much
like him to not be a blood relative and Lord Dalziel had already said he was
the man’s uncle.
“Then
that would mean...” his sentence trailed off as Javier and Talon entered the
room. Lord Dalziel seemed oblivious to their approach.
“I only
have one son left, and I want to find him as much as you do.” Tears fell from
his eyes. “I promised Thayer if anything happened to him, I would care for our
sons... and now I’ve lost them all.”
“King
Thayer was my father.” Javier tilted his head and stared at Lord Dalziel. “How
can you be my father?” His voice seemed to hold more curiosity then anger.
Lord
Dalziel cried out when he finally registered Javier was alive. “My son.” He
reached out but dropped his hand before making contact. Hanging his head he
sobbed into his hands.
“Lord
Dalziel... Fane...” Quinlan called to the grieving man. “I need you to explain
this to us.”
Javier
walked over and knelt beside Lord Dalziel and gently patted his arm. “Talk to
us.”
Lord
Dalziel’s shoulder’s shook. “Thayer is... was my mate. My sister, his wife
betrayed him. I thought I’d lost everything that day. When I found Brayden
among the carnage. I took him home and kept him safe, just like I promise
Thayer I would do.”
“Why
only Brayden?” Javier’s voice dropped to a whisper. “If you’re my father too,
then why did you not want me as well?”
Tear
stained eyes turned to Javier. “You weren’t there, I searched, but I couldn’t find
you or Thayer anywhere. The guards thought wild animals had taken your bodies.”
Fane looked beseechingly at his son. “I searched for you for days.”
“I
believe you,” Javier wrapped his arm around his father’s shoulders.
Quinlan
watched on as he shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe what you’re
telling us is true. Because I remember all that shyte Ormand spouted the day I
named Brayden as my consort. If you love your sons like you say then why did
you let him call our union an abomination?”
“Ormand
knows Brayden is my child. If I did anything against his wishes, he threatened
to harm you both.” Lord Dalziel rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. “Ormand has
too much of his mother in him. He was the reason I kept Brayden secluded. The few
times they were together Ormand found ways to hurt him.” Lord Dalziel turned to
the King. “I love my son... the both of them, just as I loved their father.”
Quinlan
nodded. “Then we find what has been taken from us. We find it, and we bring him
home.”
“Yes!”
Both Fane and Javier shouted in unison.
“So the
hunt begins.”
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