The Love of a Wielder (Book Two of The Wielders Trilogy)

Chapter Five

Alec was finishing his slice of cake when his father returned to the kitchen. It was just as good as he remembered. Possibly better.

"Josephine has spent the last three weeks trying to perfect that cake for you, even though it was already fantastic. Personally, I hope to never see another slice of chocolate raspberry cake ever again," his father said.

"Oh, you poor man, forced to have cake from the best baker in the kingdom. I weep for you," Alec deadpanned.

His father just smiled and shook his head. It was how they talked to each other.

"I take it you want to telegram the palace?"

Alec nodded. "Donovan was concerned Kieran might...well, might do exactly what he did. He'll want to know we arrived."

Alec could see that his father was curious about the nature of Donovan's concern, but fortunately did not ask. Alec absolutely did not want to discuss the nature of Donovan's relationship with Maren with his father.

"It was Donovan's idea that we leave when we did," Alec said.

He hoped to dispel any concerns that Donovan might have intentions of interfering with Maren's engagement. As it turned out, it was a lot more uncomfortable being between Donovan and his father than Alec thought it would be.

His father must've read the discomfort on his face because he raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"It's none of my business and if I have questions I certainly won't be asking you."

Alec sighed. "I really hate when you do that."

He knew his father was very good at reading people, but he always found it unsettling when it happened to him. Usually Alec was the one reading others.

"It's good for you," his father said with a smile, and then asked, "Can I eat my cake first?"

Alec laughed. "I thought you didn't want any more of it."

His father shrugged. "It's excellent cake."

"That's fine, take your time," Alec said.

He knew Donovan would be on tender-hooks waiting to hear from him, but a few more minutes wouldn't really make a difference. Alec didn't know if the palace staff would even deliver a telegram so late. All things considered, it was possible that Donovan wouldn't see the telegram until morning, so there was no need to rush.

His father got his slice of cake from the ice box and sat with Alec at the table.

"I told Maren, Captain Carstairs is getting a group of men to stand guard overnight, and I'm going to have him continue with at least one squadron here for a few days. Just in case," his father said.

Alec sighed. "I wish I could tell you it's unnecessary, but..."

"My personal intervention in a checkpoint should have been unnecessary."

It was very rare to see his father so irritated. But Alec couldn't blame him. It absolutely should have been unnecessary for him to intervene. Gods, the checkpoint shouldn't have even existed.

He had always known that Kieran was terrible, but Alec would not have imagined that he would go so far as to kidnap Maren and beat her. None of them had.

Although, unlike Maren and Donovan, Alec already knew some of the horrors Kieran inflicted on his mistress. From what Callista told him, Alec gathered that Kieran used her as an object on which to take out his frustrations. As a rule, Alec was more respectful of trash bins than Kieran had been of Callista.