Page 15 of Change

“Flirting?” I had no idea what he was talking about. I’d only slightly flirted in my text—and done a rather sensible, straightforward job at it, thank you very much.

“And that’s the second problem.” Brayden stepped forward, this time touching my shoulders despite my slight recoil. “Bianca,you’re married to Bryce. And even if you weren’t and the truth came out, he and I still have a reputation to uphold.”

I tilted my head, unsure of how this was relevant.

Brayden was beginning to look rather worn, eyes tired. “You shouldn’t even be here right now,” he said, eyes steadily holding mine. “Technically your oldest, highest ranking proxy officer has the authority to say where you’d be trained,” Brayden started. “And fae are extremely traditional. You’re very lucky Uncle Gregory is so progressive.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he pressed his finger to my lips.

“Heis. It’s nothing againstyou—our women are hunted, and our numbers have dwindled. Females aren’t even born into every family, and so when one is, it’s considered a blessing to the entire family. On top of that, a married woman wouldn’t leave the estate without reason. Anyone who knows anything about fae culture is already spreading rumors as to why Bryce is allowing you to stay here in the outside world. The obvious explanation is what we’re going with: since Bryce never cared about fitting in, he’s supporting your dream to learn more about the human realm.”

I was not impressed. “How chivalrous.”

Brayden’s lips pressed in a thin line, and his fingers tightened. “You’re already a target.”

It wasn’t like I lacked the life experience to tell me that already. “I know.”

“Besides, the four of you play serious roles in our world,” Brayden continued. “Bryce and I are doing our best to shield you from those things, but the two mostdangerouspeople you could be hanging around right now are Titus and Damen. They have a lot of enemies, and there are bad people whowilluse you to get to them.”

I pursed my lips, trying to push away the swelling defensiveness filling me. This was Brayden, my kind and thoughtful brother, and he meant well.

But it was so hard not to get angry. “I get why we need to be cautious with Titus, because of the prophecy,” and his job, “but why Damen?”

“Because, when it comes down to it, Damen is the one who makes the final decisions for your group,” Brayden answered, shrugging. “In a quintet, the Fire representative is the leader. Huo is the Emperor—the supreme ruler of the underworld, the place that controls the fate of everyone. The easiest way to gain control overeverythingis to make him submit, and theonly thing in the worldHuo would sometimes submit for, historically, is you. That is one way your relationship with your quintet differs from others.”

My face flushed at my brother’s serious expression. “You’re wrong,” I muttered, and he frowned. “Everyone keeps saying that—” I clarified. “—and I don’t know much about our past lives, but I ampositivethat Damen and I don’t have the same kind of relationship.”

Brayden blinked at me, forehead furrowing. “You really don’t think that?”

Obviously.

I shrugged, and my shoulders grew uncomfortably tight. There was a ringing in my ears, an uncomfortable reminder of something I couldn’t quite put a name to. The tight hallway began to narrow further.

Even without knowing—or connecting—with my past lives, I knew this: whatever this thing was with Damen, it was new and untested.

I had no way of knowing for sure if he was serious or just playing.

I was tired of being hurt, and I had no energy to go after him again.

“I…” I could no longer look at Brayden, and an overwhelming wave of sadness crashed into me. My head began to ache as I stumbled sideways with dizziness. “I don’t know.”

I pressed my palm against my head, unsure why these unfamiliar feelings were coming up now. Echoes of conversations played in the recesses of my thoughts; words almost distinguishable but lost before I could fully grasp them.

A flash of red cut through the curtain of night.

“Bianca?” The curly-haired man was kneeling on the floor, hand pressed against my cheek. The cramping in my stomach—which had been so easy to ignore before—had become almost unbearable, and the cold tile seeped through my thin clothes. I shivered and his tense frame relaxed slightly. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“It’s fine.” My voice didn’t sound like my own—it was wavering and weak, just as the rest of me. An overwhelming anxiety surrounded me, and I couldn’t stop shaking.

What was wrong with me?

“Bianca?” he said again, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I felt small, and I rested my face against his chest as I fought to regain my bearings. “Are you—” he started to ask again, but as I lifted my eyes to his, he stopped. His grip tightened as he sucked in a sharp breath. “Mu?”

My name echoed through my ears, and with that, the spell was broken.

The dizziness faded, and I couldn’t stop shivering—but this time it wasn’t from the touch of another person. I gasped, pushing away from my brother, landing on my knees as I gasped for air.

“Sorry.” My stomach churned, and I tried not to puke. “Just give me a second.”