For two weeks, they had been safe under Ashdale's protection as promised that was the deal I made when I left Ashdale: the twins remained with him while I went to Vael for questioning.
I was moving before Sera finished the sentence. Jasper did not try to stop me. He fell into step beside me, which I noted without commenting on, and we walked through the palace corridors at a pace that was not running and everything was running was in terms of urgency.
The palace gates were in the outer courtyard, heavy iron things that were open now with six of Jasper’s enforcers positioned around them in the specific formation that meant they were managing a situation rather than preventing one. Rowan stood on the inside of the gates. He had clearly been traveling with road dust on his jacket, the par
