Chapter 14

Security footage showed three Pandraxians entering Lady Natoi’s suite, about two hours after Heather had left my suite. They reappeared minutes later with a tied-up Heather slung over one of the male’s shoulders. She wiggled and fought them, but her small frame was nothing but a nuisance to the male carrying her.

My hands clenched into fists and I wished for nothing more than to bury them deep into these males’ chests, ripping their hearts out. Cold fury grasped me, different from the hot temper flares I usually experienced.

This was icy, calculating, not emotionally hot. I was still clearheaded, not clouded and running on flames like I normally did, and I was glad for it. I needed it.

“Find these males,” I ordered between clenched teeth.

The uniforms Heather’s captors wore belonged to the house of Sir Naximus, who was no other than Sir Vodin’s father. It was an old house and Sir Naximus belonged to my council. He and others had sided with me fifteen years ago when certain lord protectors and nobles had tried to overthrow me, thinking I was too young to inherit my father’s title as emperor.

I didn’t think Sir Naximus would be involved in this, but Sir Vodin had already shown his interest in Heather. Would he have dared kidnap her?

It would be the most preferable situation I could imagine for Heather in this scenario.

“Interrogate Sir Vodin and search his properties,” I ordered Lady Madeema between clenched teeth.

“And bring Lady Natoi to me for questioning,” I ordered Commander Noctus. “She lied to us. She said Heather never made it to her suite. Have her brought here; I want to speak to her.”

“Vra, Your Imperial Highness,” Lady Madeema and Commander Noctus acquiesced in chorus, staring balefully at each other. Their dislike for one another was part of what made them so efficient for me, both vied to outdo the other.

“You are to work with each other on this,” I warned. “This is not a contest, but a team effort. Do you understand me?”

“Vra, Emperor,” they agreed, again in unison, before they turned their backs on each other, relaying my orders to their lieutenants.

Impatiently, I paced the floor until Lady Natoi was brought in, flanked by two of Commander Noctus’s guards.

“You didn’t need to have guards order me here. I would have come any time you asked me to,” Lady Natoi said indignantly.

“You lied to me,” I snarled, moving in close to her, staring her down, while my hands opened and closed into fists. I had never hit a merrily before, but I was close to hitting her. I don’t think I would have felt bad for doing so either.

As if she could read my mind, she blanched and shrunk away from me. Her eyes widened and that’s when I saw the guilt in them, right before they narrowed to a more cunning look. “Why do you say this? I would never lie to you, Emperor. You know that. I would do anything for you.”

She had made that clear before occasionally, and just like then, I didn’t like her offer any better that day.

“You said she never came home. But here—” I pointed at the large wall screen showing Heather walking into her suite, a sight that made my heart clench because I knew what would follow. Harder than necessary, I swiped to bring the next holovid up in which three males exited Lady Natoi’s apartments with a bound Heather over one of the male’s shoulders. “—you can clearly see that she was taken from your suite.”

“I never said she didn’t come home,” Lady Natoi carefully concealed her glee, but it was there, underneath the surface. She thought she had outsmarted me. “And if I implied it, I beg your pardon. The whole affair is just so horrendous. That poor merrily, it has to be terrible what she is going through right now. She must be scared out of her mind.” Lady Natoi shook her head, lowered her eyes. She was good, but I didn’t believe her.

“I said I found her bed untouched. Maybe those males waited for her inside my suite.” At that, she shuddered. “By Staphor, to think those brutes were in my rooms… I was just on the other side. Oh, Emperor, do you think I’m in danger as well?”

She was about to fling herself at me. I stepped to the side in time for her to miss me and gave her a contemptuous glare. “If they had been after you that night, they would have taken you as well.”

“You truly believe so? I shall increase my security, just in case, and—”

I turned from her. “Leave.”

“Emperor?”

I didn’t look at her, just waved my hands and the guards escorted her out. I couldn’t stand to look at her for a moment longer.

“She’s lying,” Noctus stated.

“I know.” I clenched my jaw. “Have her shadowed. If she pisses, I want to know.”

“Vra, Emperor.” Noctus sent his orders through his comm. “Do you think she has the lady hidden somewhere?”

I shook my head. “Whoever is behind this is smarter than Lady Natoi. Nocc, this is too elaborate for her to be of her making, but I do believe she is involved.”

“Why?” Noctus probed, as any good investigator would.

“Because she has set her sights on me? Or better, on becoming empress,” I corrected myself. “And when I showed interest in Heather, I endangered those plans.”

I should have never allowed Heather to leave that night. Never. She would be safe and sound by my side now had I not been such a coward, wanting to hide our relationship.

Never again, I swore. If Staphor showed himself merciful enough to bring her back to me, I would never allow her out of my sight again. I would make her my empress, consequences be damned. Only then would she be safe. I was the frygging emperor and I did as I pleased.

“Interrogate all of Lady Natoi’s servants. If one of them made Lady Heather’s bed that night or in the morning, I want to know,” I pressed out my last order for Noctus before he left.

Once he was gone, I gave in to the impulse that had been itching inside me for hours. I grabbed the decanter Lady Madeema had fingered the day before and threw it against the wall, where it shattered into a thousand pieces.

No guards entered, used to this sound.

This time the bang and shrill rattle of breaking glass didn’t soothe me though. Instead, the sound echoed inside my heart, making it feel as if it too was breaking like the decanter into a hundred thousand little shards of glass, cutting my insides.

Heather, was all I could think. Be strong. I will find you, I vowed.

It was only an hour later when one of Lady Natoi’s servants confessed that she had made the bed after Heather’s abduction.

“Bring Lady Natoi in and make her tell you where they’re keeping Lady Heather,” I hissed at Lady Madeema, making one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

“She didn’t orchestrate this alone,” Lady Madeema echoed my earlier thoughts.

“Nocc. Make her tell you who her coconspirators are and bring them in as well.”

“Sir Vodin,” Lady Madeema suggested without hesitation, she too had seen the security footage.

“Commander Noctus is already investigating Sir Vodin’s guards. He will find them,” I filled Lady Madeema in, who looked a bit surprised.

“Excellent,” she praised, but there wasn’t much vigor in her voice. I put it down to her rivalry with Commander Noctus though. At that point, I had no reason to mistrust her, at least not in a way that would suggest the treachery she was committing against me. I always thought of her as sneaky but having my best interests at heart. I thought her loyal.

“I want you, personally, to interrogate Lady Natoi.”

“It will be my pleasure.” Her expression was gleeful. I knew she enjoyed this part of her job the most. She had a devious streak in her that made her perfect for being my intelligence officer. The same streak that would have made her a terrible empress.

“I will update you as soon as I have something,” she assured me before she left.

I was left alone once again to suffer imagining what Heather was going through, and the pain of it nearly debilitated me. My fault, I accused myself, my fault.