My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 507

Sera

Vidar's low voice cut through the sounds of Rurik's grief that filled the kitchen. "Luna, I'd like to speak with you alone."

I nodded, casting a last glance at the room as I left. The cloak draped over Taya's still form on the table. Rurik huddled on the floor, his sobs echoing off the stone. Amara, Mina, and Vane stood in stunned silence, eyes fixed on the alcove where Taya lay. Amara moved as if to follow me, but I stopped her with a small shake of my head.

The passage was dark and cold, empty of the usual bustle of servants. Vidar's men stood guard at the doors, their broad shoulders blocking the frigid air from the open courtyard. They watched me pass with narrowed eyes and curled lips. I suppressed a shiver, both from the chill and their hostility.

At the end of the hall, Vidar stood before the door to Kael's study, his hand resting on the latch. He pushed it open slowly, his movements deliberate. I stepped past him into the room, and froze.

The desk was bare, its drawers pulled out and gaping. The shelves, which should have been crowded with dusty tomes and scattered parchments, stood clear. A faint scent of smoke and stale beer lingered in the air, but otherwise the room was empty.

"Why," I breathed, and didn't finish. There was no answer.

Vidar moved about the room slowly, his large hands trailing over the empty shelves. His fingers dipped into the open drawers, as if searching for something lost. The thin light from the slatted window illuminated the dust motes dancing above the bare desk.

"It didn't feel real, him leaving, until I came in here," Vidar said, his fingers lingering on the shelf's edge. "He cleared this room himself. Every last scrap. Makes no sense, him doing that." With a heavy sigh, he turned to face me. "Just like it makes no sense, him killing his own blood."

He stopped, staring at me, his heavy brow drawn. "Don't you think?"

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