5. Dacre

CHAPTER 5

DACRE

I stirred awake to the low, hushed hum of murmuring voices and groaned. The sky was still shrouded in the darkness of predawn, but the others were already stirring, eager to begin the search once more.

And I was just as eager.

Despite my reluctance, I had finally allowed myself to succumb to the exhaustion that had been clawing at my body. My father insisted on taking over watch so I could rest, and I had drifted off into a fitful sleep.

The cool morning dew stuck to my cheeks, and I reached up my hand instinctively, wiping the droplets away as I sat up. We were camped just outside the village that Verena had supposedly been spotted in, and anticipation coursed through me at the thought of finally finding a sign of her.

She was out there somewhere, alone and vulnerable, and guilt twisted inside of me for failing to protect her. The mere thought of what she could be enduring made my gut churn with worry.

It was my fault.

My father's gaze turned toward me, his expression stern and worried as he observed me through tired eyes.

I forced myself to stand despite the protests from my exhausted body.

"What's happened?" I asked, my voice still hoarse with sleep.

"The queen is dead." The words hung heavily in the air, shrouding me in a blanket of unease.

"What?" I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling the tangles from sleeping on the forest floor. "How do you know?"

Questions churned in my mind, each one more pressing than the last.

"Eiran snuck into the village last night after I began watch. He overheard the villagers talking."

Eiran. I turned away from my father, looking for him, but he was no longer in the camp.

"Where is he?"

A surge of dread washed over me. The death of the queen could only mean one thing—the king wouldn't stop until he found Verena.

With the queen dead, she was his only heir.

"The king?" he replied. "In mourning, I would assume. Though I doubt the man mourns very long. He lost the queen, but it's rumored he lost an unborn child as well."

My stomach churned as I processed the implications of the queen's death. The news brought a new wave of urgency to the search for Verena. I needed to find Verena before anyone else could.

"Where is Eiran?" I grabbed the small pack of supplies I had brought with me, adjusting the straps over my shoulder.

My father shifted uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze as he answered my question. His eyes flicked to the south. "I sent him back to the hidden city. He's gone to warn the others of what's coming."

Suspicion and doubt clouded my thoughts when it came to Eiran. It had been years since I last trusted him, and now a sickening unease crept into my gut.

"Why didn'tyou wake me?" I couldn't control the bite of anger in my voice.

"The village wasn't going to wake before the sunrise so there was no need to wake you," he replied calmly. "Despite the news of a dead queen, we still need to find out what they know of the princess, about where she went."

I nodded, the weight of the situation bearing down on me. The urgency to find Verena intensified, knowing that the king would stop at nothing to track her down. I didn't know the king's motivations, couldn't fathom what the man was planning, but Verena was the heir to this kingdom, the heir to his power.

And with the news of the queen's death spreading like wildfire, the stakes had been raised even higher.

Without another word, I set off toward the village, my father's voice fading into the background as my determination propelled me forward.

The early morning mist clung to the trees, creating an eerie atmosphere that matched the turmoil in my chest.

When I reached the outskirts of the village, I slowed my pace, scanning the surroundings.

The villagers were just beginning to stir, unaware of the storm brewing in their midst.

They moved about their daily routines, but there was an undercurrent of fear that set my teeth on edge. I strained to catch pieces of hushed conversations that might offer a clue to Verena's whereabouts.

My eyes landed on an elderly woman whispering frantically to a younger man.

I edged closer, careful not to draw too much attention to myself. Their voices were low, but I managed to catch fragments of their conversation.

"…queen's death…" the woman murmured, her voice tinged with sorrow.

"…princess…" Another trail of whispers.

I inched closer, and the woman shot me a cautious look before leaning in to whisper something into the man's ear. His eyes widened as he turned fully to face me.

"Have you seen a young woman?" I asked foolishly, and she grunted.

"Are you here looking for the princess?" She crossed her arms, her wrinkled skin creasing around her eyes.

The man beside her tensed, looking ready to bolt.

"I am." I quickly looked over my shoulder, but I saw no signs of my father.

"Your men have already raided our village looking for her. She's not here." Deep frown lines creased her forehead, conveying her defiance. "Tell your king he'll have to look somewhere else."

"I serve no king."

The woman narrowed her eyes farther. "So you're after her for the reward."

It wasn't a question.

"What reward?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the urgency pulsing through my veins.

"The king has offered a reward for the princess's safe return. He reports she was captured from the palace."

Taken. Not escaped. The king would never risk tarnishing his power by letting the public know that the princess had fled from him. He was too cunning, too sly to let anyone believe that he had lost control over his subjects or his own family.

His own heir.

"Captured?"

"By the rebellion." She watched me carefully, his eyes roaming over my leathers and the weapons strapped to my body. "They say the rebellion is to blame for the queen's death as well."

"How?" I demanded.

The young man leaned in now, his voice so quiet I could barely hear him. "It's said the rebellion sent an assassin into the palace disguised as a servant. The queen was found dead in her chamber and the princess nowhere to be seen."

More lies. More deceit.

I could hear commotion coming from behind me, and I watched a villager slam their door as my father and his men appeared from the line of trees.

"You're with them." It was an accusation.

"Have you seen the princess?" I rushed, wanting more information, needing more.

I reached forward, wrapping my hand around hers. As our hands touched, I could feel the warmth radiating from the woman's palm, a comforting heat that spread through my own. Her skin was soft and slightly calloused, and I could feel the gentle pressure of her grip against my own. "Please help me find her before they do. She's in danger."

Her eyes locked onto mine, their sharp, calculating gaze like an arrow piercing straight through me. They were a deep, rich brown, and every crease and contour of her irises was etched with stories and secrets. "There was a young woman who passed through two days ago. I don't know much, but she stopped at the tavern."

My father's hand came down on my shoulder, startling me, and I quickly turned to face him, his expression inscrutable as he studied the elderly woman before us.

"What did you learn?"

The woman's gaze flickered between my father and me, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I've told him everything we know." She put her hand out in front of her companion as if she needed to suddenly shield him.

"A young woman passed through here a few days ago," I quickly answered. Telling as much truth as I could.

My every step felt like walking on a tightrope, teetering between revealing just enough truth to stay on track in our search for her and fabricating enough lies to ensure that I would be the one to find her first.

"We need to question more of the village to see what we can find." My father's keen eyes remained fixed on the woman, and she didn't cower under his stare.

"I agree." I nodded. "We have a lot of ground to cover."

The four of us split up, each of heading in a different direction. I quickly made my way toward the town's tavern, eager to uncover any clues that might lead us to where she went.

As I stepped inside, the air was thick with the smell of stale ale and smoke. There was only one other patron inside, a disheveled man who looked like he may have spent the entire night inside.

Another man stood behind the bar, tirelessly wiping down the surface. His round eyes widened as he saw me enter, and I quickly made my way over to him.

"Excuse me, sir," I began, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible. "I'm looking for a woman who may have passed through here a couple days ago. One of the village women told me she saw her come in here."

"Dacre?" His hand abruptly stopped, frozen in midair, as he stared at me with a look of utter disbelief etched on his face.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" I studied the man's face, trying to recall if I had ever seen him before. His skin was weathered, and a slight scar ran down his cheek. Despite my efforts, I couldn't place him in my memory.

"It's been many years since I've seen you." He dropped the rag before running his hands down his shirt. "Why are you here?"

"I'm looking for Princess Verena."

His eyes darted around the tavern even though there was no one else there, but there was a flicker of recognition that passed through his gaze.

"Did you see her?" There was an urgency in my voice even though I tried to hide it.

"What do you want with her? Are you with your father?" His questions came out one after the other, the two blending together.

"I am with my father." I quickly looked over my shoulder as if mentioning him would suddenly make him appear. "But I'm not…" I shook my head. " I need to find her."

The man's face grew solemn as he met my gaze, the flickering torchlight casting deep shadows across his features. "I won't help you hurt her."

My heart clenched at his words.

"I won't…"

"Rafe. I didn't expect to find you here." My father's voice cut through the tavern, and I turned to see him standing in the doorway, his tall frame blocking out most of the light from outside.

"Davian." Rafe took a small step back, as if he were preparing for a fight. "What are you doing here?"

"You know why we're here." My father took a step into the tavern, and I could see Reed and Adler waiting just outside the door. "We're looking for the princess."

"Is it true what they say?" Rafe crossed his arms. "About the queen?"

"What is it that they say, exactly?" My father's gaze bore into Rafe, intense and unwavering. His features were tense and guarded, betraying no emotion.

Rafe's eyes darted between my father and me, a mixture of fear and defiance swirling in their depths. "They say she was killed by the rebellion," he finally answered.

My father's jaw clenched. "And the princess? What is it they say about her?"

Rafe hesitated, his gaze flickering toward me briefly before returning to my father.

"They say that you took her."

My father's expression darkened, his jaw working as if he were grinding his teeth. "You know that can't be the truth since you've seen her."

Rafe watched my father, truly studied him. "And you know that I won't help you find the girl who you mean to destroy."

"Destroy?" My father's voice rang out in the dimly lit tavern, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone. "As her father has destroyed our kingdom?"

Rafe stood his ground, his jaw set in determination. "I won't help you. My years of helping you have long since passed. We both know that."

My father's hands clenched into fists as he took a step closer to Rafe, causing the man to straighten his posture in defiance.

"I have my ways to make you help me," my father growled, his voice low and menacing. "You were sworn to serve this rebellion and here you are hidden off in this damned little village." My father stopped once he reached my side. "I haven't had the pleasure of seeing your family yet since we arrived."

Rafe's gaze flickered to me, a silent plea passing between us. He stood firm against my father, his resolve unyielding even in the face of his threats, and it would be a mistake.

My father didn't make empty threats.

"My family has nothing to do with this," Rafe's shoulders were tense and squared, his jaw set. "It's about time you all headed on your way. I think you've overstayed your welcome in this damned little village."

Silence stretched between them, broken only by the faint sounds of the village outside.

"Take him," my father commanded, Reed and Adler stepping through the door just as the order left his lips. "Out back. We'll get the information we need."

Rafe took a step back, but there was nowhere for him to escape as they continued around the bar.

Reed reached out to grab Rafe's arm, but the former ally of my father twisted away, a glint of desperation flashing in his eyes. In one swift motion, he ducked under Reed's outstretched hand and made a dash toward the back door of the tavern.

But he wasn't quick enough, and I clamped my eyes closed as his scream tore through the air.