Alistar was already waiting in front of the beach house when their car rolled to a stop, a group of warriors from the lower villages standing silently behind him. They weren't in suits like the guards at the banquet; these men looked rugged, holding silver weapons that gleamed under the moonlight. Alistar stepped forward the moment Derek opened the car door, holding out a thick robe.
Derek took it, pulling it over his blood-stained shirt, but his eyes were already scanning the dark perimeter of the property. "Alistar," he called out, his voice rasping. "Take the Queen inside. I want every door locked, and I mean every single one. Do not open for anyone until I return."
Kira climbed out of the car, clutching Derek's suit jacket tighter around her shoulders. She watched as Derek turned and led the rest of the men toward the beach.
Her stomach twisted with worry. She turned to Alistar. "Where is he going?" she asked.
