Part 1076 – Storming Preyuna’s Castle

Maelin and Jay went to Isellta’s room first.

Jay swore when he saw the empty bed.

“Maybe he got up early for breakfast.” said Maelin.

He turned sharply and left the room.

“Jay!” She hurried after him.

“If she’s hurt him again…I swear if that witch has hurt Isellta again…”

She grabbed his arm and forced him to stop.

He scowled at her. “What?”

“I understand your concern for him. I feel it too. But you can’t rush into a queen fey’s bedroom in such a mental state. You’ll get hurt. At the very least, it will stress out Isellta to see you like that. He’ll believe that it’s his fault.”

“So, what? I’m supposed to go in there all fake smiles?”

“For Isellta’s sake, yes.”

“But what if he is hurt again? What if…” He took a shuddering breath. “I shouldn’t have left him alone. Why did I leave him alone? None of this would have happened if I had stayed with him, if I hadn’t left him alone.”

Maelin didn’t say anything. She just hugged him.

***

Maelin’s touch worked its usual magic on Jay. He could feel all of his anxiety and anger fade away.

She released him. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” He smiled. “Let’s go storm Preyuna’s castle.”

She smiled and took his hand.

As they walked further down the hall, Jay thought things over. “Killing Mark Caten isn’t as simple as it seems.”

She gave him a questioning look.

“If it were just him living by himself, it wouldn’t be quite so complicated. But there are people here who depend on him for their paychecks. He has prisoners downstairs that someone will have to sort through and decide what to do with. He has his various properties that will need to change ownerships and/or be liquidated.”

“Mark Caten is many things, Jay, but he isn’t stupid. I’m sure he has that all figured out.”

“But if I know him as well as I know I do, he’s gone and bequeathed it all to his daughter, Olessa, who isn’t even alive anymore.”

“Well. I’m sure he’s changed it by now.”

Jay shook his head. “He’s taken her death pretty hard. I doubt that he’s even considered changing his will.”

“That does make things complicated.”

“I can only imagine all of the legal headaches and squabbles that will surface.”

“Is his wife still alive?”

He shrugged. “No one has seen her in this town in years.”

They stopped outside Preyuna’s bedroom.

She squeezed his hand and his nervousness died down again.

Jay opened the door and they entered the room.

He stopped short.

Preyuna sat on the bed gently wiping Isellta’s forehead with a wet washcloth.

“What’s wrong with him?” His voice sounded too loud even to his own ears.

She gave him a look that was so cold it should have killed his bone marrow and given him instant aplastic anemia. “This is a lady’s bedroom, guard. A queen’s bedroom.”

“Is he okay?” He took one step forward. “If you’ve hurt him—-”

“As a matter of fact, I didn’t do anything to him. He fell asleep outside last night and caught a cold.”

“A cold? I thought fey can’t get sick.”

She scoffed. “He is far from a proper fey.”

He took one more step forward. “Is he okay? Can I do something to help him? Can you heal him?”

Isellta exhaled a jagged sounding shiver.

Jay gave up on small steps. He ran towards the bed.

Only to be shoved back.

“Stupid, overly emotional, non-thinking human.”

Maelin came over to Jay and helped him up. “Is he going to be okay?” she asked.

“It’s just a cold. It isn’t going to kill him.” She looked down at him and wiped the washcloth across his forehead again. “Unfortunately, it will make him weak and exhausted.”

Alarm bells sounded in Jay’s head. “For how long?”

“It’s hard to say. Might be a couple of days.” She looked at Jay. “Might be a whole week.”

Jay gaped.

“It’s really hard to say.”

“You did this to him. You did this.” He balled his hands up. “Why?”

Preyuna’s expression revealed nothing. “He fell asleep outside dressed in clothes that were designed to show off his body, not to keep it warm. He had no coat on. No blanket. And he has been very depressed.”

Jay’s brain reeled. “Are you trying to tell me that he did this to himself? That he was trying to make himself sick?”

“Keep in mind: I found him near the edge of the cliff. The same spot that he tried to jump from before. What does that sound like to you?”

He shook his head in stunned disbelief.

“Isellta wouldn’t do that.” said Maelin. “He knows Robin is coming on Sunday. He’s looking forward to it.”

“I’m sure he was. Until he realized that his dear ugly vampire won’t be able to touch him. He won’t even be able to come anywhere near him.”

Jay came out of his personal daze and knelt. “Your Majesty.” He groveled. “Please. Remove the barrier on him. Let him have this moment of glorious happiness with Robin. The poor kid needs this one small victory.”

Preyuna didn’t reply.

“Please, Your Majesty.”

“What will you give me in return?”

“What can I give you? I seriously doubt that you’d want to sleep with me.”

“I’d rather live on a steady diet of pickled glass shards than hrrash ka kae with someone as low-born as you, human.”

“That’s good to know, but what do you want?”

“I want Mark Caten dead.”