The King's War

21. Evasion

AVERY

Several days passed with no new developments. I endured my fast without complaints, but I'd grown restless in my confinement.

When was the Duke finally going to show? Wasn't he supposed to appear and give some rousing speech in order to sway me to the rebel's side? Unlike him, I'd never betray Nate so carelessly. To think that the Duke had seen a kindred spirit in me at the ball made me shiver.

Lydia continued to avoid me completely, and only guarded me while I slept so she wouldn't have to risk talking to me during mealtimes. It was another thing I never expected from her — that she wasn't just a traitor, but a coward too. I waited patiently for an opportunity to confront her, but she never gave me one.

It was her shift now, and she busied herself with playing a shooter on the game system the rebels installed to keep themselves entertained. I guess polishing their guns got old. I had no such luxury. My confinement was spent in alternating anxiety and mind-numbing boredom.

The noise of Lydia's game suddenly stopped, jarring me away from my light nap. She got out of bed and went up to the door to see what caused the interruption. It was too early for a shift change. Knowing my luck, Lydia was just going to the bathroom.

The game was paused on the TV, and Lydia sat on the couch with her phone to her ear. "Hey, Chase, what's up?"

My stomach roiled at the mention of him. Well, this had to be interesting. I hadn't heard a peep from Chase since I was first captured, figuring he was busy plotting his next move elsewhere. That or the duke was keeping him on a tight leash lest he got their operation into even more trouble.

Lydia straightened suddenly. "Shit. You think he's figured it out?"

My pulse quickened. Judging by Lydia's worried tone and shocked expression, the 'he' in question could only be Nate. My heart swelled. He was going to find me. He was going to save me.

Lydia was frozen, listening intently. "This is bad. He probably has you under surveillance. You need to—" She was cut off by something Chase said. Her eyes turned wide. "Are you serious? No way, Chase. It's a trap. You can't actually be considering this!"

I desperately wished I could hear the other side of the conversation. What had Nate done? What kind of trap did had he set? Judging by Lydia's protests, it was one Chase was more than willing to walk into. Good, I thought. Let him.

Two sets of footsteps bounded down the stairs, startling both me and Lydia. The duke finally made his appearance, followed by the strange and distant brown-haired rebel woman I'd seen days prior. The duke was stiff and dour as always, while the woman looked bored.

Lydia looked up and breathed a sigh of relief. "The duke's here. Maybe he'll talk some sense into you."

"Put him on speaker," the Duke instructed. Lydia obeyed, setting the phone on top of the table in front of her.

Chase's voice sounded from the speaker, making me shudder. "The king offered me a job. He wants me to replace the guard I shot. Can you believe that?"

The duke huffed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black slacks. "I'm surprised you can. Where are you currently?"

"Gas station bathroom. I think my car's bugged," he said.

The duke let out a sigh but didn't look worried. "At least you had the foresight to anticipate that. What else did Nathaniel say?"

"He says he's close to finding her."

Hope ignited within me. Nate was going to get me out. But when? And how?