He was supposed to be the one who protected her. “She’s injured, so if we hurry, her blood should still be fresh.”

“Jaren!” Dedryn snapped, gripping his shoulders and forcing him to look him in the eyes. “She’s gone, son.”

An answering snarl burst from his lips, and he shoved Dedryn’s hands off, half-tempted to risk his father’s wrath and spit a curse. “I know she is. I told you; two males took her.”

“They’re dead,” Dedryn said, anger dripping into his words.

Jaren froze at that, his brain taking a moment to catch up with his ears. He looked down at his father’s clothes and blinked at what he hadn’t noticed before.

Dedryn’s hair stuck up at odd angles, his usually pristine tunic wrinkled and hanging loose around his waist. There was even a wet stain on the front, as if he’d grabbed it and wiped sweat off his face at some point.

Jaren’s lungs expanded when he looked at Jaeros to see he didn’t look any better. He had circles under his eyes, and his long hair had come loose from its tie, bunched and ratted against his head.

He released a heavy breath, the weight that’d been pressed against his sternum easing up, and he nodded in understanding. “You killed them.”

“Yes.”

Thank the gods. It stung his pride that his fathers had to save her, but he swallowed the bitter feeling down. All that mattered was that she was safe.

“Is she with a healer?”

There was a pause, and his fathers glanced at each other before Dedryn cleared his throat and answered. “No.”

Jaren narrowed his eyes. His father was known at court for his quick, verbal assaults. It’s what King Vesstan respected the most about him. Dedryn never hesitated. So, why would he—

No.

He whipped his head toward Jaeros, denial already flooding his body, hoping and needing his affectionate father to smile and tell him everything was fine. But he didn’t.

Jaeros only gripped one of Jaren’s daggers to his chest and looked at him as a silent tear slid down his cheek and disappeared into his beard.

No. No, please, gods, no.

Dedryn opened his mouth, and Jaren’s limbs immediately began to shake.

“Don’t say it.”

“I need you to listen to me, son.”

“No. Don’t you dare say it.”

Dedryn placed his hands on his face, cupping his jaw in the gentlest touch he’d ever given him. “She’s gone, Jaren.”

His touch felt like a burn, and Jaren yanked out of his grasp, stepping back to glare at him. “I want to see her.”

Dedryn dropped his hands, his face hard as stone as he shook his head. “You can’t do that.”

“I want to see her, right now!”

“And I said, no,” Dedryn snapped. “You wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

Jaren hiccupped, another tear slipping out even as he dashed it away. “I don’t need your permission. I’ll find her, myself. I did it once, I can do it again.”