A Usurper's Cause (Book #4)

Chapter Three

"Keep your voice down," Udolf whispered, flashing her a warning glare. "I merely informed them that I had heard someone in the tavern planning an attack on the town."

"You did?" She gaped at him.

Udolf sighed and lifted his eyebrows.

Elouise's face grew drastically warm. "Oh. Of course. A lie as a distraction." She diverted her attention to her palms. "Did you truly have to cause them to worry, though? They have enough on their minds as is."

"Which is why they could easily believe it, Your Highness. Anyway, they will be relieved when no such attack ever comes."

"Would that not make you seem less reliable?"

"Why should I care what anyone here thinks?" He sat back in his seat. "They might not even take it seriously in the end. It was me who told them, after all."

Elouise felt her chest tighten. "I am sorry."

He chuckled at this. "Are you apologizing for everyone else again? You shouldn't do that. Besides, I know you take me seriously." Then he puckered his lips thoughtfully and shrugged his left shoulder. "At least I hope you do."

Elouise closed her hands and nodded. "I—well, I do now." She almost felt angry with herself for not believing him about Godwin until after Henry's discovery in Ashton's journal.

"You do?" he asked, smirking. "Then we have made progress. I can live with that."

Despite herself, she giggled. "You are unbelievable."

"I will accept that as a compliment. Thank you." Udolf peeked through the curtain and sighed. "This will be quite the ride, Your Highness. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Elouise hardened her expression and glanced up at him again. "I am more than certain. For Eldon, I will endure anything." Her determination faltered slightly as she thought back to her final moment with him before Henry came rushing to them with his revelation about Godwin.

"I know he would do the same for me," she added, barely loud enough to even be considered a whisper. She then heard Udolf take a harsh breath and she gazed questioningly at him. He gave her a strained smile, further baffling her.

"How passionate of you," he said, his sarcasm seeping through—on purpose, she assumed.

And she felt worse than she already had.

---
Henry stood in front of Eldon's door, his hand hovering over the knob and his body refusing to move another muscle. Ivy had sent him here. She explained that for them to accurately locate Eldon's whereabouts, they needed one of his personal items.

"Anything that's connected to him," she'd said. "And preferably something that won't get easily ruined. We wouldn't want him coming home to something of his destroyed." She'd giggled after this—a small and weak sound that would've otherwise made Henry smile. It did nothing for him at the moment, though.

"You have to do this," he encouraged himself, gripping the doorknob.

"I would have to strongly disagree with you," Ashton said from beside him.

Henry jolted away from the door and clutched his chest, his furious heartbeats drumming against his palm. The angel had his eyes narrowed at him, his lips turned downward, and his arms folded across his chest.

"What do you think you and your cousin are doing?" Ashton demanded.

Henry inhaled sharply, regaining himself. "This is for Eldon." He turned to the door again, but he couldn't open it—not with the way Ashton glowered at him.