A Usurper's Cause (Book #4)

Chapter Sixty

Elouise waved her hand, throwing open the door to her bedchamber. She rushed inside and bit her tongue; yet the urge to scream became overwhelming and she groaned.

"Don't be hard on yourself," Henry said as he walked in after her. "El, how were we to know?"

"We should have known!" Elouise whirled on him. "I was supposed to keep my guard with them! Yet I thought... oh, he seems harmless enough." She wanted to scream again, but she instead used her magic to fling the vase full of lavender across the room.

It shattered against the wall as Haven entered.

"My feelings precisely," she jested.

Elouise huffed. "This is not the time!"

"I'm as angry as you are. And I don't believe that act of his. Maximus was behind this as well. He's pinning it all on his guard to win your sympathy."

"Oh, I know. I refused to trust him from the moment he stepped onto this land." Elouise rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying her pulse. Her hands continued to tremble, though, and her skin burned.

"I need to speak with Vincent and see what I can force out of him," she said.

"I'd be happy to assist." Haven pulled out her dagger and smirked.

Elouise squinted at her. "Leave it to me for now."

"You should not go there alone," Henry said. "If these two are involved with Godwin and Inferum cantivat, it may be safe to assume they know dark magic."

"As if I am afraid of dark magic."

"El—"

"Henry, I appreciate your concern, but I do not need anyone." Elouise closed her eyes. "I've walked near there plenty of times. Nothing about it frightens me—not even those held within it, magic or not." Then she teleported to the east wing of the palace where the dungeon was concealed by a hidden passageway.

Guards patrolled the corridor, nodding to each other as they passed.

Elouise strolled up to the door and heard one of them call to her. She raised her hand as the man approached her.

"You are not authorized to enter," he said.

"I honestly doubt King Victor would even care if anything happened to me," she shot back. "Let us keep this between us."

Although he unsheathed his sword, he stepped back and nodded. Elouise walked into the dungeon. Unlike the one in Aristol, there were windows in every cell, allowing light to bleed inside without the need for candles. Although, they were small—too small for everyone to even think about escaping. They would only be able to fit their hands through.

Elouise found Vincent in the second cell. There was not anyone else being held here. Truthfully, thanks to Haven, there wasn't a need to capture criminals anymore. She took care of them herself.

Vincent had his back to her and didn't move even when she cleared her throat. He was a tall man with bulky arms and shaggy brown hair that nearly covered his green eyes—a complete contrast to Maximus. But that was what had stood out to her at first...

Foolish.

Elouise cleared her throat again—louder. Vincent glared at her.

"What was the plan?" she demanded. "Earn my trust so I would willingly leave with you as you lead me right into the hands of my enemy?" Then she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "That is what Maximus meant when he said he had hoped I'd leave with him. If I hadn't known any better, I would have found his words to be quite romantic."