The Bastard Queen (Viciously Yours #2)

Chapter Twenty: Tested

~Cillian's P.O.V.~

The soles of my boots clipped over the stone flooring as I exited the dark hall and stepped outside. Striding through the purple and white tents, I blinked away the sudden burn of sunlight and headed towards the tree line. After a week and a half of not seeing Macha, I was getting anxious. I didn't trust her to follow the orders that I gave her before I left and I didn't trust the others to watch over her.

In fact, I'd been proven right on both accounts already about a week ago. I'd spoken with Bria a few days after I left and she told me that Macha had been spending her nights by the lake. Not only was she not sleeping but she wasn't letting Bria watch her eat so I was betting that she wasn't eating either. It was frustrating that my family didn't have the same concern about her habits as I did. Just because she acted normal throughout the day with no obvious changes didn't mean she was fine. My father for all his talk was doing a shit job of taking care of her.

"Commander!"

Instead of turning around, I continued making my way to the edge of the camp. Mab had signed off on my 'undercover' work, so my two weeks off started now. While she thought I was roaming from town to town looking for Macha, I'd be force feeding Macha in her tent. So there was no reason for someone to be calling out for me. The anxiety of what that frustrationing woman could be doing without proper supervision was eating away at me. I was leaving today before she could get herself into trouble or distracted by a certain petite Nymph.

"Commander, wait!"

Coming to an abrupt stop, I stared coldly down at the male who stopped me, "What."

"You-you can't leave yet." He panted out.

"I can and I am." I replied, shouldering past the soldier.

Again the male blocked my path, "You can't. We've caught word that a woman matching Macha's description was spotted near the Tiveal Bridge a week ago."

"Why is it only now being reported?" I asked, keeping my expression blank.

The male shriveled in on himself at my tone, "The village nearby is pretty isolated so the news about her being wanted by the Unseelie Court had just reached them."

"Who reported it?"

"I'm not sure but Mab sent you a message."

Stilling, I looked at his empty hands and barked, "Then where is it?"

His dark yellow eyes shifted to look over my shoulder before he dropped them to the ground. "Behind you."

Tightening my grip on my bag, I turned on my heel to find a young pale skinned male with even paler lavender hair. Empty eyes of the same color met mine with a cold smile, "Commander, it's good to see you again."

"Prince Daithí," I greeted. "What brings you here?"

"Mother sends her regrets but she wanted the Tiveal problem handled by people she trusts. I've never seen her so worked up over a common rebel before."

Because Macha wasn't just any common rebel. "You should join my team at this point, My Prince. We work together quite often."

"Are we not already? With you in her army and me in her castle?"

Confusion and apprehension filled me at the prince's words. Prince Daithí might've been the youngest of Mab's sons but he was arguably the most dangerous. He was the one that everyone thought would succeed in stealing the throne out from under Mab and his older brother. A rumor only made worse when whispers of Mab killing his intended mate had started to circle the court. Daithí was his mother's favorite because of his cunningness which put him in both the safest and the deadliest position in the Kingdom.