A Usurper's Cause (Book #4)

Chapter Two

Henry slipped into his bedchamber and quietly closed the door behind him. Then his walls cracked as he slid down to the floor. He thought back to his final moment with Eldon, and he wished—desperately wished—he hadn't let go. Perhaps Eldon would still be here if he—

"If you are going to blame yourself," a stern voice suddenly appeared, "don't."

Henry gasped, spotting Ashton across the room from him. Goddesses, he wasn't certain if he could get used to this.

"I know you were the last person to speak with him," Ashton continued, staring out the window. "The truth is, Your Highness, even if you had stayed a little longer, Godwin would've simply sent you away. He did that once already, didn't he?"

Henry averted his eyes and stared at a small scuff on the floorboard beside him. He reached over and mindlessly followed it with his forefinger.

"You are saying it was inevitable, then," Henry murmured. "No matter the situation or who was there, Eldon's fate would not have changed."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"You were there." Henry ceased his tracing and looked up.

Ashton tilted his head slightly, questioning him with that baffled gaze of his—a face Henry had seen many times before. He supposed it ran in the family...

"You were there," Henry repeated, "when Godwin took him. How else would you have known?"

"I was," Ashton responded, his shoulders slumping. "After our disagreement in the Queen's study, I had left to take a walk in the garden. By the time I reached the ash tree, I heard him calling for me. He sounded frantic and I could also sense Godwin's presence nearby, so I immediately made my way to Eldon. Of course, I couldn't do anything. I mean, look at me." He spread his arms out. "I am quite useless in this form, but I am at least relieved I got to see that it was Godwin who took him. It would've been worse not knowing what had happened."

Henry rubbed his face. He felt... tired... defeated.

Numb.

He thought about Elouise and that determination—that fire—in her eyes. She was motivated. She would fight until the very end. Good. She needed that strength. And he could at least relish that small victory.

"Get on your feet, Your Highness," Ashton urged. "Don't let this break you. Eldon will be back with us before you know it."

"How can you be so certain of that?" Henry asked, glaring over at him. "Do you know where he is? Can you contact him?" Then his heart leaped. "Oh! Can you?" He quickly stood and took a few steps toward him before decidedly staying put.

But the way Ashton frowned and turned away gave Henry enough of an answer.

"Unfortunately, I cannot," Ashton said, softly.

"W-Why not? What of the other angels? They've spoken to him before, haven't they?"

"I was reborn as a human, Your Highness. It's a bit complicated for me. If he had my ring, I could sense him and speak with him. I've asked the other angels already and they cannot get into contact with him either. We believe Godwin has done something to obstruct any connection."

Henry widened his eyes. "Godwin can simply do that?"

"He was an angel himself, Your Highness."

"Can you quit calling me that? There is nothing formal about this! And what do you mean he was an angel, too? There's nothing divine about that monster."

Ashton closed the distance between them, and then Henry instinctively built space again.

"He was the first known leader of the Interlopers," Ashton explained. "His name was Zander, and he was the first Anita banished from Aristol. The other people who were against her leadership were banned along with him. They terrorized her people until the day Zander finally managed to create what you know today as dark magic. He placed a curse on Anita and caused her to take her own life.