“Good. Then send John to me. I’d like to speak to him.”
Abel rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m afraid I haven’t seen John.”
Cain raised an eyebrow. “John isn’t the leader of the king’s guard anymore?”
“No, no, he is,” his brother hastened to assure him. “But he disappeared a few days ago. Nobody knows where he is.”
“Find him!” Cain ordered. “Now escort us to my quarters so we may talk in private. We’ve had a long journey and are anxious to get settled in before we begin our investigation.”
“Investigation?” Faye asked in surprise.
Cain turned his head to look at her. “Yes, about which member of this clan ordered my abduction.”
Faye pressed her hand against her chest. “But you must know who kidnapped you. You’re back. You escaped them. You must have some idea.”
“It’s not as simple as that. The people who held me captive were hired by somebody. When I was able to overpower them with the help of my friends here, none of them survived, so I couldn’t question them further.”
Faye shivered involuntarily at the thought of how much danger Cain had been in all this time while she’d lived a life of luxury. “They deserved to die for what they did to you,” she pressed out.
Cain gave a tight nod. “Just as the person behind it deserves the same.”
Without waiting for her reaction, he turned and crossed the entrance hall.
“Are you coming, Abel?” he called over his shoulder.
Abel tossed her an odd look, then swiveled and followed his brother and the three strangers flanking him.
14
Cain marched toward the stairs that led into the underground part of the palace, recalling the drawing John had made for him on the plane so he would be able to find his way around without looking like he didn’t belong here.
Still feeling shaken by the awkward exchange with Faye, Cain pushed away the thoughts of her for the moment. First, he had to concentrate on other things, the most important one being to make it clear to his brother that he would resume his reign with immediate effect.
Subdued light illuminated the corridors in the basement of the building, making it look like he’d stepped into a modern five-star hotel. When the corridor parted in two, one path leading to the left, one to the right, Cain hesitated, trying to find his bearings.
“Something wrong?” Abel asked.
“It feels unreal to be home again,” Cain deflected. “Why don’t you lead my friends to their new accommodations while I take a moment?”
His brother cast him a strange look, but nodded and motioned his friends from Scanguards to follow him down the corridor to the left. Cain let a few seconds pass before he followed them. He knew there would be many moments like these where he’d have to employ a ruse to cover up his amnesia.
When he reached the solid double doors that Abel had opened, Cain peered inside the massive foyer, which looked like the VIP reception area of an exclusive resort. The walls were painted red and adorned with priceless paintings. He recognized a Matisse and a Monet and had no doubt that they were genuine. A flower arrangement dominated the massive table in the middle of the room.
There were three doors.
He watched as Abel pointed to the one on the left and addressed Thomas. “The leader of the king’s guards occupies this room, the second in command the room to the right.”
“And the middle door?” Thomas asked.
Abel’s gaze wandered to where Cain stood. “The king’s suite. But I should let my brother show you around. After all, this is his domain.”
Cain entered. “Later. First, we need to talk about the throne.”
Abel took a step toward the door of the king’s suite, making a motion to open it. Cain stopped him. “With my guards present.”
Abel turned. “Surely, you don’t want to discuss confidential matters in front of your guards.”
“I have no secrets from them. As a matter of fact, I believe that too many secrets may have contributed to my abduction. And I have no intention of letting the same thing happen twice.”
“What are you saying, brother?”
“I’m saying I want things out in the open. I understand that you would have been crowned king in a week, had I not returned. You must be disappointed.”
Abel shook his head, letting out a breath. “Disappointed? Cain, as you remember well, I was disappointed when the clan chose you as the new king instead of me, though we’d planned it otherwise, hadn’t we? Nevertheless, I stood by you and took the role you wanted me to take. Have I not served you well?”