Free The White Forest (Mages and Kingdoms Book 2) by Cara Coe

could sleep off the rest of her grogginess but he needed to clear his head outside. He told her as much as he shrugged on his boots and belted his tunic before stepping out into early morning air.
    When Seth had asked him to track down any and all men associated with Rankor, Talon had readily agreed. He knew Seth would be here doing it himself if he weren’t about to wed Claudia. And quite frankly, the weight of Amelie’s secret pushed on him so heavily it felt like a reprieve to be away from Seth’s melancholy eyes.
    But nine weeks and countless taverns later, Talon felt no closer the satisfaction he sought in this mission. He’d found a few scattered accomplices, but none had much information and most were so far removed from Rankor, simply employed to deliver a message or collect supplies, that it didn’t warrant being run through by a sword.
    And the nights when he drank and brought a woman back to share his bed he felt a hollowness inside him the next morning that drove him to walks like this.
    He contemplated following an impossible trail. A few weeks earlier, one mage who’d been sucked dry of power and left blabbering in a stone cottage outside one of the southern villages kept insisting that Rankor lived in the village. He said the same line over and over again. “He took it all, he did. Took it all and laughs at me every day when he walks by. Doesn’t even use it. Just holds onto it, laughing and laughing.” Talon kept trying to get useful information out of the man, but he just kept rocking and staring off into the distance and sputtering the same words over and over.
    Talon wondered if he should stop back by the village. His leads were dried up and he spent more nights of late getting drunk and laying women than collecting information.
    He shook his head in an attempt to clear it from the desperation. He would think of something. He wanted something of substance to present to Prince Seth upon his return.
    “You’ll be wanting bread for your breakfast?”
    A woman’s voice broke into his thoughts and he paused in his walk. She smiled her old woman smile at him, gaps in her teeth stealing the pleasantness from her looks.
    “Aye, thank you.” Talon stepped forward, pulling his money sack from his pocket. The bread smelled wonderful. He’d leave some for the woman in his room before he departed.
    “You must be proud indeed. Serve the prince, do you?” the woman asked, recognizing the green and white seal on his coin purse. Talon turned over a few coppers and tucked it away. He gave a slight nod before biting into the warm bread. He would be leaving this village by hour’s end. It would not hinder him to have one old baker know his identity.
    “So does my son now,” she continued. “He left only yesterday to Candor. To escort them home.”
    The chunk of bread nearly lodged in his throat. “Home?”
    “Yes. You haven’t heard? The prince and that Candorian princess were wed and he’s bringing her back here to Draeden. Apparently, there’s all kinds of upheaval in that kingdom. She’s not safe there anymore. My son dispatched with more of the royal guards to escort them back.”
    Talon lifted his breakfast in hurried gratitude. “The bread is wonderful. Thank you,” he said. His feet were quick to start moving in an effort to keep up with his mind. He walked brusquely away from the food stand, the woman calling out after him but he didn’t hear what she said. His mind was a blur. It was happening. Candor was unraveling. Someone needed to get word to Amelie but how the hell was he supposed to find a magical forest filled with mages, much less get into it?
    He climbed the steps to his borrowed room two at a time. He was going back to that village. He had seen Amelie break through to an empty soul like the half gone man he had come across on the street. He would just have to do the same. He didn’t know how, but he’d figure it out. Amelie needed to know what was happening to Candor.
    It took