Chapter 17

  The Attempted Rescue

  Saxon’s POV

  Rubbing my eyes, I focused on the street names, trying to steady my nerves. Once I’d told Kira the location, he found one of the many houses Kai owns. But as we got closer, my gut twisted. I knew she wouldn’t be there anymore. Kai wouldn’t let her go again, not after all these years.

  From the gaps in her memories, it was clear she didn’t remember the times Kai had pulled her from her life. We hadn’t spoken in years, but I’d always kept an eye on her. I knew she’d come to us when she was ready. What I didn’t expect was that it would take her ten years to come to her senses.

  But I wasn’t angry at her. Not anymore. There were times I’d been furious—angry when she ran back to Kira despite me being the father of her child, angry when she always seemed to choose someone else over me. But that’s all in the past now. What mattered was that I had a chance to be part of her life again, and I wasn’t going to let Kai keep her from me again.

  Kira nodded toward the dark house ahead. I woke the boys in the backseat, my gut confirming what I already knew. Kira pulled into the driveway, and we all got out.

  “Maybe you got your information wrong,” Kira said.

  “No. She was here. Let’s split up and search the house. I know she’d leave something behind for us.”

  “And if there’s nothing?”

  “Then we go home and search again. I won’t let that bastard keep her from me.”

  The boys nodded, and we split up to search the wreckage of the house. It was trashed, as if they’d left in a hurry—or maybe to make it look like they had. I could never figure out what went through Kai’s mind.

  I went upstairs to the first bedroom I found. It was empty, except for a large bed and a few women’s clothes scattered on the floor. I had to breathe deeply to stop myself from losing control. I couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through in this room.

  I started tearing the place apart. But I came up empty. Lisa’s memory was a mess. She probably wouldn’t even know where to hide something for me. It felt hopeless, but I couldn’t give up.

  I finally collapsed on the bed, my head in my hands. Think, Saxon. Even if she did remember something, what could she possibly leave behind? But nothing came to mind. I needed to search somewhere else before my brain exploded.

  Then, like an instinct, I dropped to the floor and reached under the bed. My pulse quickened as my fingers brushed against a crumpled piece of paper. Yes.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I pulled it out and unfolded it. The words were barely legible. Fuck.

  I hurried downstairs and handed it to Eric.

  “What’s this?”

  “Lisa left it under the bed.”

  “Is it something she would do?”

  “We haven’t done that since we were kids. I can’t read it.”

  Eric held it up to the light, squinting. “South Beach. Do you know where they’ll be?”

  “Yeah, it’s their old vacation home. They used to go there when they were married. But it’s a nine-hour drive, and it’ll be way more guarded than this place.”

  “Wait.”

  I held up my hand to Eric, who took it softly, though I could feel the disgust in his expression. But as soon as our skin touched, the look faded.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “She didn’t need to remember how to hide a note under the bed. She remembered her…”

  I stopped, glancing over at the humans in the room. I wasn’t sure this was something they should see, not without revealing too much.

  “Poppy, use your connections and get Kai and Lisa to the hospital. Call her mom—she’ll want to help where she can. Kira…”

  “I know.”

  Without another word, Kira slipped from the room, following Poppy, who was already yelling into her phone.

  “She shouldn’t be able to do this. This house—every house Kai owns—has magic dampeners in place. How is this possible?” Eric's voice was tight with disbelief.

  “Let’s see where she was trying to escape to.”

  I grabbed Eric’s hand again, and as Lisa’s magic opened to us, we stepped through the portal to the world she’d visited. The sight of her father’s castle hit me like a punch to the gut—ruin and despair hung in the air. The king had passed away only a few weeks after Lisa was summoned by the courts. We suspected he’d been holding on, hoping to see his daughter return to his lands at least once before he died. Naturally, his passing had caused turmoil in the courts.

  Lisa, by birthright, was the heir to his throne. Not that there was much of a throne left.

  “Why here?” Eric asked.

  “No matter what, her magic always pulls her home. Even if it’s almost gone,” I replied, my voice tight with unease.

  “I spoke to her here.”

  We spun around, startled at the sound of her voice.

  “How are you here?” I asked, confused.

  “Did you honestly think His Majesty would only send one to look after his only daughter?”

  Kira smirked, kicking at the dried grass beneath our feet.

  “What are you?” I asked, still trying to process what was happening.

  “Well, in the Earthen lands, you elves liked to call us trolls.”

  “Eh,” Eric and I both said, disgust clear on our faces.

  “Yes, the slimy, short, vile creatures the humans planted in their storybooks. I am slimy, yes, but not in the obscene sense.”

  “Why would the king trust someone like you? Especially after everything you did to her?” I asked, my voice laced with anger.

  “The king knew what he was getting into when he made a deal with me. I keep an eye on his little girl, and in return, my head doesn’t end up on the block. It was a simple trade. Of course, I never thought we’d encounter a dark wizard, though.”