Dreams of Eden (Ace of Queens # 4)

CH.19 Stolen kisses

"Stop it!" Eden yelled at Alec. "You're scaring her."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Alec kissed Clare's head. He turned to Jamie and told him to have a golf cart ready.

Eden watched as Jamie ran out of the room. Alec stuck his head out of the office and shouted a bunch of commands to his staff outside. When he came back inside, he pulled Eden into his arms and gave her a quick kiss while Clare wasn't looking.

"Let's go," he said to her.

He reached for Clare but she refused to go to him. Eden told him she was okay to carry the little girl as they headed out of the office.

Outside, it felt as if every corner of the palace was alive. Eden held Clare close to her chest as they moved through the rushing guards and staff.

"What's going on?" Eden asked Alec as she followed him onto the golf cart.

"Maksim shouldn't have been able to leave without anyone noticing," Alec said. The tension rolled off of him in gigantic waves. "He was supposed to stay with his tutor until his piano lesson."

"Where is the tutor?"

"They're looking for him in the palace."

Eden reached across the tiny space between them and placed a hand on Alec's lap.

"He's a little kid, they get into mischief," she tried to ease his mind.

"No, not Max," Alec shook his head. "He's not like other boys his age."

"I think he is," Eden said.

"He's next in line for the throne, Eden." Alec clarified. "As morbid as it sounds, the boy always has a target painted on his back. He should never be out of the Queen's guard's sight."

As Alec spoke, the golf cart drove over a hill and towards a large structure. Eden spotted a few horses in the lush pasture. Under different circumstances, Eden might have been excited and asked Alec if they could go feed the animals. But as the golf cart came to a stop, Alec rushed out and ran into the stable. Eden and Clare followed behind him.

"Mackey!" Alec hollered. "Where are you?"

"Makey!" Clare called out for her brother.

"I'm over here!" Mackey's panicked voice rang out from inside one of the horse stables inside.

Alec and Eden ran to the back and yanked the door open. Inside, Mackey sat on a bundle of hay as a little girl his age sat beside him. Eden's eyes fell on the little girl's bleeding knee as it rested on Maksim's lap.

"What are you doing here?" Alec demanded. "You know you are not supposed to leave without telling anyone. Are you hurt?"

Maksim frowned as Alec's loud voice scared Clare and the other girl next to him. Eden placed a hand on her mate's arm and motioned for him to step aside.

"Stop," she whispered to him. "Please. They're kids. They're already scared."

"Eden," Maksim's little voice called out to her. "I'm not hurt, but can you help Ella?"

Eden turned to the boy sitting on the hay, "Of course, I can, my love."

Alec watched as she kneeled down in front of Maksim. Clare stuck to her side and moved with her like a shadow.

"Alec," Eden looked over her shoulder. "Can you go see if you can find a first aid box?"

Alec looked around the dark stable, "I think it's better if we move outside. There is no light here."