Rowan.

'Sky!' I called out again but there was no response. 'What's happened?' I asked my mother, who sat sobbing uncontrollably.

'She's your sister.' She choked out.

I tensed as I thought of the pretty, doe-eyed but feisty soon-to-be-princess that I'd taught to use a sword. 'Are you certain?'

'I am. Her parents confirmed my thoughts. I left her outside that art gallery and now…'

'It'll be fine.' I told my mother as I tried to get my head around it. My mother had been looking for my long, lost half-sister for years, I knew that and now… and now she'd been found… and she didn't seem to have taken it so well. 'I'll go and check on her.' I strode out into the garden, following the path as I shook my head to myself. This was madness. I had a sister. She was still alive and very much real. And she was to marry Prince Zed and lead my Royal Guard. The whole thing seemed somewhat ironic. A shriek suddenly cried out and I reached for my sword before teleporting towards the sound.

I arrived in the centre of the maze in a flash, but where was Sky? A sparkling object caught my eye and I turned my head to see her tiara spinning on the ground.

'Sky?' I called out again, spinning to see any sign of her. But whoever had taken her clearly had a teleporter onside and they were long gone. I let out a low hiss as I scooped up my sister's tiara. I was going to find her and not just because it was in my job description.

Sky.

I was groggy and my body felt sticky when I woke up. I opened one eye carefully, puzzled by the cawing of an unfamiliar bird overhead, and I found myself in a carriage. I groaned, holding my aching head. A quick glimpse at my attire showed me that I was wearing the same outfit I had been at the ball, but what had happened? I tried to sort through my puzzled mind and then it hit me; Lady Evelyn was my birth mother. And Rowan was my brother and… the man with the scarred face had been in the castle gardens, hadn't he? Or had that been a dream? I glanced at the rich red curtains that hung on each side of the carriage as dread filled my stomach. The golden patterns on those did not belong to Aldheim or Ascot or any court in our country, as far as I was aware. And the air was humid, leaving my curls stuck to my skin. My mouth felt dry but a golden flask sat on the red velvet bench across from me, as did bread and grapes and cheese. But I wasn't hungry. I flung open a curtain and hissed at the too-bright sunlight as I took in my surroundings.

I seemed to be on a sandy path heading through what looked like a forest. Although the trees were trees and shrubs I did not recognise and the animal sounds were unfamiliar too. A blue and yellow bird flew through the air above me and I shook my head. Was this some kind of horrible dream? Surely I was still in Aldheim and Zed would wake me up any moment? I spotted a large golden gate ahead, one which appeared to be carved into towering white walls and then I tensed as I looked up to the buildings towering above the walls, high up on a cliff inside. A palace. The palace of Silvania. It was recognisable from history books with its terracotta-domed ceiling and the many arches that made up large windows.

'Stop!' I cried out, reaching for the dagger on my thigh holster, but it wasn't there. 'Let me out!' My voice cracked and I tried to clear my throat. I would not sound weak.

The carriage came to an abrupt stop and I stumbled as I slid off of the bench. My heart hammered in my chest and I choked as the bile rose in my throat.

'Is there a problem, Your Highness?' A voice asked as the curtains were flung open. A man with long, plaited black hair and tanned skin stood there, his purple eyes examining me. He wore leather armour with what I assumed was the royal crest on it.

'I want to go home.' I told him, my voice hoarse and weak.

'You are home.' The man replied, his voice irritated. 'Now keep it down.'

'Take me back to Aldheim!' I hissed. 'Or Ascot! Anywhere in my country!' I yelled but he rolled his eyes and, with a click of the fingers, I passed out again.

When I awoke this time, I found myself lying on a huge bed, which was covered in orange and red fabrics. The room I was in had a white stone floor and large arched windows with the shutters open and the sunlight pouring through. Patterned fabrics in red and deep orange were hung from parts of the ceiling and decorated with silk and wooden lanterns of different colours. A small wooden arched door led off in one direction and another in another direction with wooden and golden furniture in between; painted armoires and dressers, a desk and a low table surrounded by large cushions in rich, patterned fabrics. A fan overhead spun around, providing some coolness despite the heat and humidity outside, but I was still drenched in sweat.

'Your Highness,' I had not even seen the petite girls with their long braided black hair and white tunics and baggy pants appear and I pushed myself back against the headrest of the bed in panic as they curtsied.

'Sorry, we did not mean to startle you.' The slightly taller one of the two said in a thick accent.

'Where… where am I?' I asked, my voice hoarse.

The shorter of the girls moved to my bedside table and offered me a glass of lemon water. I took it and sipped at the liquid, thankful to be moistening my throat.

'The Palace, Your Highness.' The one closest to me said. 'I am Amina,' She said, 'And this is Jamila.'

The Palace… my stomach churned at the thought.

'We've ran you a bath, Your Highness.' Jamila said as she signalled to one of the doors that led to what I assumed was the bathroom. My ballgown, was stuck to me, thanks to the heat, but I didn't budge. 'It's nice and cool.'

'Why am I here?' I asked them and the girls looked at each other anxiously.

'Because Prince Arkane brought you here.' Jamila said. She fiddled with her wrists and I spotted large white scars on her hands and her arms. My eyes widened and I tensed.

'Did someone hurt you?'

Jamila and Amina did not reply. Instead they signalled to the bathroom again. 'A bath, Your Highness?' Amina tried this time.

'Was that one of Prince Arkane's orders?' I asked. Both girls tensed at the shoulders and I wondered if he was the reason that the girls had scars on them. Perhaps he punished those physically who disobeyed orders. Not wanting to cause them pain, I stood up and followed them into the large, white, marble bathroom. There was a large window over-looking a tropical forest and the bath was a small infinity pool, tucked at the edge of the room with the water seeming to float out of the window. In any other circumstance, I would have found myself in awe of the over-the-top bathroom but here… as a captive.

'Would you like any help?' Amina offered and I shook my head. I had only just become used to Abby and Chloe helping me bathe, getting naked in front of a stranger was not something I was comfortable with.

'We will be outside, Your Highness.' Jamila smiled and they excused themselves.

I peeled the fabric off of me and stepped down into the rose-petal filled water, sinking into it and ducking my head under it too.

Zed.

Sky! Sky! I tried again to reach for her but it was just white noise.

'We have to find her!' I hissed as I paced the living room. The party had finished long ago, when Rowan had found me with fury in his eyes, sharing the news. I'd thrown up and I'd not slept. None of us had. Sally and Simon were uncontrollable and Diamond was struggling to keep calm too. My parents, however, kept their faces blank even when I shouted and screamed until my voice was hoarse.

'We will find her,' My father replied. 'I assure you, we will not let them get away with this.'

'How can someone just take her without a trace?!'

'A teleporter.' Victor said, 'We have one on our side, why wouldn't they have one on theirs?'

I narrowed my eyes at him and turned to Lady Evelyn, 'You should never have told her. Not tonight.'

'I know,' She sobbed and I resisted the urge to hiss at her. 'I'm sorry.'

How could someone be sorry when they had caused someone so much pain? Anything could have happened to Sky and when she was upset her shields were down and what if…. I shook my head as bile rose in my throat once more. I couldn't bear it. We were supposed to be announcing our wedding date. Several hours ago, I'd been over the moon with the news. Three hundred and sixty-four days until our wedding. Where was she?

Sky.

I soaked in the bath for as long as I could before it went too cold and then I reluctantly got out and dressed in the clothes that had been left for me. They were what I assumed were Silvania attire; a tight turquoise top with sheer off-shoulder sleeves that fell just above my naval and matching loose pants with silver embroidered thread. I slipped on the small silver pumps and walked back into the bedroom. Jamila and Amina were waiting with nervous smiles and they both curtsied before rushing over to fuss over my hair. Shortly later, it was dried and tied into a loose side-plait whilst silver bangles and arm cuffs were slid on and shiny silver earrings whilst Amina did simple make-up. The outfit was comfortable, especially in the heat, but the fact that my pale stomach was on-show made me feel more panicked than I already was.

'Prince Arkane is waiting on the terrace for you, Your Highness,' Jamila said and I tensed.

'Please do not keep calling me, Your Highness.' I said. 'Zed and I aren't married yet.'

Jamila and Amina glanced at each other with small smiles before Jamila moved to my side. 'Follow me, Your Highness.'

I followed her out of my room and along a long corridor which consisted of large white arches and tiled floors, with wooden doors to the side. A staircase wound down to my left and potted plants were on my right as I followed Jamila past some guards in their brown, gold and white armour, and onto a balcony. There, lounging across some red, golden and orange patterned cushions in front of a low table filled with food, was the scarred man with the silver hair. His facial features were clearer now in the sunlight; his skin was tanned and wrinkle-free, his eyes a light shade of blue similar to my own as he acknowledged my presence.

'Thank you, Jamila, you are dismissed,' He said with a bored flick of the hand and Jamila curtsied before hurrying back into the safety of the building. A small part of me wanted to do the same but the other part wanted to face my kidnapper and demand he take me back to my country. I folded my arms as he smiled at me, 'You're looking much better, Sky, darling.'

'Take me home.' I said firmly, narrowing my eyes.

'Take a seat, I have lunch for us both.' He signalled to the cushions on the opposite side of the table but I didn't move.

'I want to go home,' I repeated.

'Look around you, darling, you are home.'

'Aldheim is my home.'

He let out a sigh and adjusted his seated position. I watched as he rolled his eyes as if I were some stubborn teenager. 'Silvania has always been your home, long before you got engaged to that Princeling of yours.' He tilted his head to the side as if he were inspecting me. 'Unless you really don't know?'

'Take me home.'

'Aren't you the least bit curious as to why you are here?'

'I'm not curious, I'm irritated.' I replied. 'I was enjoying the party with my fiancé and we'd just set our wedding date when-'

'You didn't look like you were enjoying the party to me,' He raised an eyebrow. 'You were crying. Some might say I'm a hero for whisking you away from that horrible place.'

'I'd had some unexpected news.' I said as my throat burned at the memory of it. I'd left Lady Evelyn sobbing and Rowan had called after me and I'd shut them both out. How were they feeling right now? Panicked like I knew Zed would be? Were they all looking for me? There had been a time when I'd been happy with just Sally and Simon for family, happy just surviving, but now I belonged to three families; The Bright family, the Royal family and Lady Evelyn's family. 'I left on quite a bad note and I'd like to go back and make things right.'

He raised both of his eyebrows and stretched his arms out before lounging on the cushions once more. He threw a grape into his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. 'Sit down, princess, you're not going anywhere for now. If you care about your adoptive families that much of course.'

My blood ran cold, 'Leave them alone.'

'I'd be happy to,' He replied. 'I brought you back here without hurting anyone and I don't intend to harm a soul, but I can't guarantee that they won't figure it out eventually and come looking for you.'

'Figure what out?' I blinked.

'Sweet summer child, do you really not know?' He asked as his eyes met mine. 'I am Prince Arkane, Crown Prince to Silvania and you, my darling, you are my daughter and heir.'

My stomach churned and I waited for the bile to rise but my stomach was too empty and there was nothing to bring back up. I swayed slightly, feeling dizzy, but quickly adjusted my stance. I would not look weak in front of him. 'You're lying.'

'Would you like me to call a doctor? I am sure I can find one happy to do a DNA sample?' He offered and I held back a cringe. 'Or we could go and find Evelyn? I hear you two already know each other?'

'How?'

'I'm sure you know of the birds and the bees by now, Sky.' A cocky smile. One that I wanted to knock right off of his face.

'You know precisely what I mean.' I narrowed my eyes and his grin widened.

'Oh, you really are my daughter,' He chuckled and my blood boiled. 'Sit.' I didn't move and the smile was instantly gone from his face. 'We can do this the easy way or the hard way.'

I thought back to the scars on Jamila and Amina's hands and I shuddered before reluctantly making my way to the cushions. I sat down keeping my back perfectly straight and trying to add some height to myself.

'Wine?' He offered, holding up a golden jug. I shook my head and poured a glass of water instead, holding the goblet between my hands as he sipped as his red wine. 'Evelyn and I met around twenty years ago on the night of Winter Solstice. I wasn't supposed to be there but my father had sent me and some of his men to spy on the Royal family.' He smiled to himself and I tried to push away Karla and Saul's images from my mind. Trace, Uriel, Victor and Will would have been very young and Xavier wouldn't have been born yet. And they were all being spied on by the Silvanian court. 'Evelyn was dancing with Lord Thornbern, her husband, and she was heavily pregnant at the time. I'd felt drawn to her from the first moment I saw her and then I realised she was my soulfinder.' He took a sip of his wine and shifted on the cushions before continuing. 'I tried to be friends with her, tried to get on her side but Thornbern was a very jealous gentleman.'

'Well yes, he was her husband.' I replied, drily, and he ignored my snide remark.

'No matter how hard he tried, Thornbern could not keep us from each other and then he went off to fight in the war and Evelyn was beside herself with worry. Their son was sick, he'd caught some nasty illness and she didn't know what to do and I was there in a flash with healers, trying to help him. And one night, she opened up to me and told me just how miserable her life was with that man.' His words were bitter. 'Thornbern returned four months later to find her pregnant and the poor sod believed that you were his until he found a note I'd left Evelyn, one note she'd forgotten to dispose of. So he came after me.'

I thought back to the conversation Rowan had had with me in the kitchen not too long ago and my stomach churned. 'You killed him.'

'He was going to kill me.' He finished his wine and placed the golden goblet on the table. 'Evelyn fled after that. Hid herself away and then word spread that she'd lost the baby…'

'Yet you knew I was still alive.'

'Evelyn has been visiting children's homes and orphanages for years so part of me wondered if perhaps the baby had survived after all.'

'How do you know all of this?' I asked, although part of me didn't want to know.

'Evelyn is my soulfinder, whether she likes it or not, so I've had people looking out for her over the years.' He cracked his knuckles and glanced over at me. 'When my spies told me that the favourite of the Prince in the Selection was possibly my daughter I couldn't believe it but then I saw you and you look just like your mother did back then…'

I broke eye contact and stared down at the clear liquid in my goblet.

'Well, Sky, darling, do you believe me now?' Prince Arkane asked in his thick accent. 'That you have every right to be here?'

'I believe you.' I told him, standing up. 'But that doesn't mean I want to be here.' I turned on my heels and stormed back through the corridors, hiding my face as I passed guards so that no one could see me cry.

I didn't go back to my room. Not when I knew Jamila and Amina would be there waiting with their false smiles. Instead, I made my way down the stairs and found myself in an enclosed courtyard. Palm trees and shrubbery surrounded the edges, lanterns hung from strings and a large fountain stood in the middle with water running freely. Between arches in the walls, tucked away from the main courtyard, I spotted some cushioned benches and I made my way to one before sinking into it and breaking down into tears.

'Probably not the welcome His Highness was hoping for.' A voice said a few minutes later. I wiped my eyes and glared in the direction of the voice, to find a familiar face looking down at me. With his jet-black hair and purple eyes, it was hard to forget the face of the man I had seen whilst riding back in Aldheim. I tensed. Was he all a part of this plan?

'Did he think I would be all smiles when he stole me from my home?'

The man smiled slightly and it made my blood boil, 'His Highness hardly stole you when you are his daughter, Your Highness.' He bowed to me and I wondered if he was mocking me. I moved to stand up, wanting to find a new place to hide if one even existed, but he blocked my path. 'I'm Azriel.' He held out his hand and, although part of me wanted to refuse to shake it and storm off, I didn't want people to think I was some spoilt child.

'Sky.' I let him shake my hand as he glanced down at me from under his thick lashes. Now, stood in front of me in a blue and silver embroidered tunic and loose trousers, he looked younger and a similar age to me.

'Would you care for a walk, Your Highness?' He asked in the thick accent I now recognised as Silvanian and I tensed.

'No thank you, I'm feeling a little under the weather…' I replied and he raised an eyebrow.

'We could get away from the palace if you would like, though I can't imagine your father would be very happy about it.' A smile playing on his lips. He seemed to want to piss off the Prince.

'Thank you, but I think I'll retire to my rooms.' I glanced around the courtyard, trying to recall which door I had walked through to get out here. The palace seemed to be built up of long corridors and courtyards and felt an awful lot like a labyrinth.

'Let me walk you to your door,' He offered, holding his arm out. I reluctantly took it. It was better than staying out all day.

Rowan.

'How can you tell me that there's not much progress? It's been twenty hours!' Zed hissed at the guards stood in the reception room. Purple rings were under his eyes and they were blotchy from stress, tears and lack of sleep. The sun had set outside now and the Northern Lights were back overhead, a reminder of what had happened the previous night.

'We've not let anyone leave Aldheim without questioning.' Xander, my second-in-command, said.

'How could no one see anything?' Zed ran his hands through his hair, exasperated, as the guards glanced at each other. It was a question we all knew the answer to; no one had seen it because Sky had been left unguarded in a maze by herself. And now we were all paying for it.

The door opened and Zed spun on his heels, his shoulders sagging at the sight of Amelie in a silky black gown. Her eyes were red and strands were falling out of the updo of hers that looked awfully like the one she'd been modelling the night before… I frowned.

'I'm sorry, Your Highness.' She curtsied perfectly. 'I've just heard.'

'Just heard?' I flared my teeth. 'Where on Earth have you been?'

Her cheeks reddened, confirming my thoughts, and I looked away from her before I could release a growl.

'Let me help, Zed. What can I do?' She asked, her voice hoarse.

'Has she mentioned anyone being unpleasant to her?' He asked. 'Anyone who might have kidnapped her?'

There was a pause, a too long one, and I found myself looking back at Amelie as she fiddled with the silky fabric of her gown.

'Sky has been having nightmares… when you weren't there.' She said softly. 'She's had them since the Harvest Ball… about a man with a scar on his face.' She looked up at Zed, meeting his eyes. 'I saw him, Zed… the night of the ball… the man with the scarred face was there and I think he was leading the rebel attack.'

I clenched my fists as Zed let out a low growl, 'Arkane.'

I ground my teeth together at the sound of his name. 'Of course he's got Sky.'

'What do you know?' Zed turned to look at me.

'Only what my mother has told me… Arkane is Sky's biological father.'