Alex placed his palms on the desk and, for a moment, wished he hadn't been so impulsive.
He had told William that he couldn't defend himself, and he shouldn't have. At that moment, his lack of trust was the last thing the mage needed.
Fuck, why had he given in to instinct? Why hadn't he bitten his damn tongue?
He raised a hand to his face, but all he could see was the mage's wounded expression as he left the study.
William had never looked at him like that before, and it hurt to see it. It wasn't a look Alex ever wanted to see on his face.
Alex should have told him that he loved him and that he only wanted him to be safe, but he hadn't had the courage. Just as he hadn't had the courage to give him the gift he had bought.
He lowered his gaze to the letter he had been trying to decipher for the past three days. He had made almost no progress, while William seemed to understand something simply by reading it once.
A bitter laugh slipped from his lips. Fuck, that man really was intelligent! A gloomy, surly raven with a mind sharper than a sword.
His raven.
The only one he wanted by his side for the rest of his life.
"Your Highness!" Sven burst into the office, short of breath and pale. "William… he's disappeared."
Alex's heart dropped into his stomach. "What?"
"You must come immediately!"
The prince grabbed the letter, shoved it into his pocket, and followed the soldier out of the study.
Sven led him to William's room, where Ian was slumped on the floor with a book on his knees.
"That's William's grimoire," Alex murmured. He would have recognized the iridescent-inlaid cover among a thousand.
"I'm… sorry…" Ian whispered.
The prince knelt beside him and placed a hand on his leg. "What happened?"
"He… attacked me."
"Who? The merchant?"
"William." Ian took a breath, but speaking seemed to take a great deal of effort. "About an hour ago."
"Why would he do that?"
"I don't… know. He said he was sorry and that you wouldn't… be able to make him good… not even if you made him… fall in love…"
Alex pressed his lips together. What was William saying? He wasn't bad—why did he keep seeing himself that way?
"Can you stand up?"
Ian shook his head, and the prince turned to Sven. "Two men stay here with him. Everyone else, search the palace. Question the staff. Someone must have seen him."
William must have figured out something while reading the letter and decided to act on his own. And it was Alex's fault, because he had made him feel useless. If he had involved him, none of this would have happened.
He had made a mistake again.
He was about to stand when Ian grabbed his wrist. The soldier's hand was trembling, as if that single movement was costing him enormous effort.
"It's not… his fault. Nor yours. Don't punish him… please."
"He assaulted a member of the private guard."
"He's young… and I'm fine… He only… immobilized me."
"He put you in danger. Someone could have killed you." Tears pricked his eyes. "I wish I could turn a blind eye, but what if someone found out?"
"I have this…" Ian tapped the grimoire. "He gave it to me to… protect me. But he… is defenseless. Do you understand?"
Alex understood, but William's actions could have consequences. And he wasn't powerful enough to protect him.
He stood up and took a deep breath to regain his composure. This wasn't the time to think about what came after. First, he had to find him.
He joined the search, but there was no trace of William. He ignored the governor's protests and combed through the entire palace, but found no clues.
He had just left the mage's chamber when Sven caught up with him.
"We found something."
"Where?"
"In a room not far from here."
The captain led the way to a small sitting room. There was no sign of William, and the smell of melted wax still lingered in the air. On a small table sat an open bottle and two goblets, one of which had traces of wine.
Sven pointed to a spot on the carpet. "There are fairly fresh stains here."
"Wine?"
"So it seems."
Alex looked around, but there were no signs of a struggle in the room. "Does anyone know who was in here?"
"A servant said he saw a man with long black hair go in."
"Did he see him come out as well?"
"No, and he stayed in the corridor for a long time. But he heard voices coming from the room."
"How strange…" The prince moved toward the glass doors. "It opens onto a balcony."
He stepped outside and looked down. They were on the first floor.
"Your Highness."
Alex turned to Sven, who was kneeling near the balustrade. "Did you find something?"
The soldier held out an object. "A button."
The prince took it. It was amber, identical to those on the jacket William had been wearing the last time he'd seen him.
"It's Will's."
Sven frowned. "I doubt he jumped down. A strong man could have carried him down against his will." He brushed a finger along the marble of the balustrade. "There are marks here consistent with ropes."
"They kidnapped him."
"I'm afraid so."
Alex went back inside and grabbed the bottle. He sniffed the wine, but detected no strange smell. He sniffed the liquid in the goblet as well and grimaced.
"There was something in here. I don't know the substance, but the smell is sharp, and the wine doesn't completely mask it."
"Drugs," Sven commented.
"I believe I know who did it."
"Cox. And perhaps the governor is involved."
"I'll handle Luka von Preis. Call the others back and search the gardens." Alex looked at the button in his palm. "William may have left clues."
Like pebbles to follow in order to find him.
"Do you think he left it on purpose?"
"He's a sharp and tenacious man, isn't he?" A faint smile touched his lips. "And he's incredibly intelligent."
"Your Highness?"
Alex looked at him. "What is it?"
"Don't punish him. William is a good man, and he didn't mean to hurt Ian."
"Ian is a member of my guard."
"And William is your mage. You can turn a blind eye—none of us will ever say a word against him. We care about him, and besides… he makes you happy."
William didn't just make him happy. He made him a better man, and a better prince.
Alex slipped the button into his pocket and headed for the door. "Take care of the rest, Sven."
He had to deal with the bastard who had put them in this situation.
He left the room and made his way to the governor's office. He found him outside the door, scolding his soldiers. Alex would have liked to listen in, but the man spotted him and dismissed them.
"I am deeply sorry, Your Highness. It is entirely my fault that Master Traver escaped."
"He didn't escape. He was kidnapped."
The governor went pale. "How is that possible?"
Alex frowned. "I don't know. That's what you're supposed to tell me. But I can give you a hint about the culprit's identity."
Luka backed up against the door. "I have nothing to do with this, Your Highness. I swear it on my parents' graves. Cox and I are not—"
"Close? Oh, you are. You do business together, am I right?"
"It's just business. It doesn't hurt anyone. And besides, the mage might have decided to follow Cox of his own free will. After all, he's playing both sides."
"William would never do that."
"But the other day, you—"
"I lied, Luka." Alex rested his palm on the hilt of his weapon. "And do you know why?"
The governor shook his head.
"Because I was trying to trap you. William is the most loyal person I have. I have no reason to doubt him."
"I did nothing, Your Highness. I merely reported what Cox told me."
"Liar. You tried to warn me long before I ever met Cox, as if you already knew he would set his sights on William."
Luka pressed his lips together, a calculating glint lighting his eyes.
"Cox is an excellent merchant, with an incredible nose for business. However… he has certain peculiarities."
"Such as raping people?"
"He has a weakness for men with delicate features. Young ones—usually foreign sex slaves. Your mage is… exactly what Cox likes."
"You should have told me."
"Told you what, that I do business with a man who collects young men?" The governor laughed. "That would have ruined me."
"Well, this way you've made yourself an accomplice to a kidnapper."
"I have nothing to do with it! I didn't even know the merchant was here!"
Alex shot him a look seething with contempt. "And yet this is your palace. You're incapable of guaranteeing your guests' safety? What if an assassin had decided to attack me?"
"He's just a mage, Your Highness. And he's Xianese—it would be foolish to place him above a powerful man like Cox."
"Then William is lucky that I am a foolish prince." Alex stepped forward, forcing him back against the door. "Now you will help me find him. And pray that he is safe and sound, or your head will roll as well. Was I clear?"
"All this… for a whore who warms your bed?"
"William is not a whore." The prince leaned closer, lowering his voice until it became a subdued growl. "Will is the man I love. Do you understand now what you've done?"
The governor swallowed and slid down to the floor. Alex straightened and stepped back.
"By dawn tomorrow, I want to hold him in my arms. Unharmed. If I were you, I'd get moving."
---------------------------------------
William opened his eyes again and took a few moments to focus. His vision wavered, but at last he managed to make out the low stone ceiling above his head.
"Where am I?"
He seemed to be lying on a soft surface, like a mattress, but something cold and hard encircled his neck, his wrists, and his ankles. Chains?
He tried to tilt his head to look around, but his body was numb and unresponsive, as if someone had hurled a spell at him.
He couldn't even remember how he'd ended up there, or why.
He had argued with the prince over something that still eluded him, and the look Alex had given him… He'd seemed so desperate, so angry.
William closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind.
And the memories surged back, sharp as shards of glass.
The letter. Ian. The merchant. He had drugged and kidnapped him.
With great effort, he lowered his gaze to his jacket: three buttons were missing. He had managed to tear them off and let them fall before losing consciousness completely. Maybe, with a bit of luck, the prince would find him.
He would save him.
"I can't wait for him. I have to get out of here on my own two feet."
If only his body would cooperate a little more.
The sound of footsteps caught his attention. Someone was coming closer.
The creak of hinges broke the silence.
"You're awake, I see."
William stiffened, his breath catching in his chest as fear seized his heart once more.
No. Not now. Not when he couldn't move.
The merchant's face loomed over him, a lewd smile curling his lips.
"Welcome, my beautiful mage." Bejeweled fingers brushed his cheek. "You'll be the most precious piece in my collection. The man who once warmed a prince's bed will now be the diamond of a humble merchant. Quite a leap, wouldn't you say?"