Page 83 of The Prince's Fealty

“But—” Pamuna started to protest.

Tor beckoned them closer, and they all clustered together to remain as quiet as possible. “Beluna is very good at what she does. Let her see what she can find out.”

It couldn’t have taken more than five minutes at the most for her to return, but it felt like an eternity. Her face was a mask, but it was clear that she was strained. They clustered tightly around her, and she spoke quietly.

“I can lead you back to the room where King Varex is being held. Nostex does not appear to be present, but there are four Extraordinary people and several Illustrious. They’reattacking someone who is shielded underwater. There’s some sort of metal apparatus that is keeping the shield submerged.”

They all winced as they processed that image. Pel could scarcely imagine even coming up with the idea, never mind executing it—only perhaps it fit exactly with the man who kept dead bodies as trophies.

Pel had wondered how Nostex planned to defeat someone who had more Fealty than the rest of them combined, but apparently, when it came to fiendish and cruel ideas, the man knew what he was doing.

“We need to find where everyone else is,” Tor said, anguish barely contained in his voice.

Pel could practically feel his desire to go to his brother right this second, but he was right. They needed to find the rest of his family so they could figure out how to rescue all of them.

“There will be guards,” Rin pointed out. “If they’re protected by King Varex’s shields, something is clearly going on. Guards would be needed to keep others from stumbling across them.”

Tor nodded stiffly. “But it’s a big castle.”

“Give me thirty minutes,” Beluna said, sounding supremely confident.

“Someone might realize that you don’t belong.”

“They won’t see me,” Beluna said dismissively. “I’m good at looking like I belong.”

“Me, too,” Pel pointed out, buoyed by the possibility of doing something useful.

“Nope,” Tor said immediately.

Pel shot him an unimpressed look.

“Pel,” Tor protested. “This is an enemy castle. I can’t just let you wander off unprotected.”

“First of all, you wouldn’t belettingme do anything. Second of all, I wouldn’t be unprotected, even if I’m not bringing my bow and arrows with me. Third of all, would you like a broken nose?”

Pel pulled off his quiver and bow and handed them to Rin, who was hovering next to Tor like he was just waiting for the explosion.

Tor managed something that was almost a laugh. “Yes, that sounds like a fair deal for keeping you here and safe.”

Pel stepped closer to him, feeling his annoyance melt away in the face of Tor’s pure anxiety. Gently, he reminded the man, “Nowhere is safe, Tor. And this is something that I’m uniquely suited to doing. No one sees me, remember?”

“I see you,” Tor said, blue eyes bright and intent as they gazed right into Pel’s core.

Pel smiled at him. “Yes, you do. And that means that you let me be me, right?”

Tor swore.

“I’ll be right back,” Pel said, trying not to sound too triumphant.

“I hate you,” Tor grumbled.

“No, you don’t,” Pel said with a smile.

Tor leaned in and kissed him hard. Pel clutched at him for a moment, reveling in the feeling of Tor’s lips against his, and then made himself let go.

“I’ll be right back,” he promised, and then he followed Beluna out of the room.

Chapter Eighteen