Enthralled: Tainted Book Four

26. Slipped through our Fingers

Josef

As Titus delivered his initial report, he prowled in front of me like a caged animal, his every step crackling with tension. We hadn't lost as many people as we feared, but with each tight circle he made, I could feel frustration building like an approaching thunderstorm.

"Be grateful we had as many allies as we did," I said, trying to ground him in the positives.

He looked ready to argue when a guard rushed over, his eyes wild and face pale.

"Drott! Castle— He's gone!"

The words echoed in my mind like a slap, leaving me numb.

Gone? That's impossible.

Then, guilt crashed down, swift and suffocating. I should have stripped him of every advantage. Should've locked him down so tight that even his thoughts couldn't slip out. But I didn't, and now he was gone.

The weight of my failure balled my fists, nails biting into my palms as I forced myself to breathe.

"Gone?" Titus's voice dropped to a dark snarl, and in one swift motion, he seized a rolling chair and hurled it against the wall. It rebounded with a clatter, earning him a few startled and angry looks from those nearby. "How did that happen, Flood? How is he just suddenly gone?!"

Flood fumbled for words, stammering out a mess of half-sentences, but I barely heard him. My mind kept cycling through all the ways I'd screwed up.

"This is on me," I muttered. "I should have done more. Should have—"

"Stop right there." Titus held up a hand, cutting me off. "The guard should've known to strip Castle's abilities down to nothing. Who was it, anyway?"

"Murph. I told him to lock Castle up tight, but I should've been specific—"

"Murph knew the procedure!" Titus rounded on the guard. "Flood, where's Murph now?"

"I don't know, commander. We're sweeping the premises. His cell smells like magic, but it's not fae or witch—"

"Then get a Messenger or a Watcher to pin down exactly what kind of magic!" I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. "I want every inch of that cell examined. Any trace he left—anything—you report to us immediately."

"Yes, Drott!"

"Explain how you noticed they were missing," Titus ordered as Flood began to retreat.

"I checked on Hatchet to see if he needed a break, and he said drott ordered him to guard Reginald Hubler. Since I was there, I went to check on Murph, but he and Castle were gone. I came straight here—"

"Then find him, Flood!" Titus's voice roared through the room. "Take whoever you need, but you find Murph and bring him straight to me unless he needs a Healer first!"

Flood's quick nod sent him rushing out, and I sank back into my chair, rubbing the heels of my hands against my eyes, the weight of it all pressing down.

"We'll find them, Josef." Titus's hand landed on my shoulder. "Castle and Murph both."

"Hopefully before Kerry Harker hears we lost Castle," I muttered, dropping my hands to meet Titus's gaze. "You know I have to tell him."

"You're dreading it, aren't you?" His mouth twisted into a dry smile, though his eyes still flashed with frustration.

"Of course I am!"

"Fine." He sighed, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe his own words. "I'll tell Harker."

"I think you're going soft, Ti." A reluctant grin tugged at my mouth.