Page 103 of In The Dark

Looking across the room, I see Ire perched outside, the window cracked open. My stomach drops, and I hope thatRydian isn’t looking for me. I told him I was on a mission for the next few days.

I still have a day left.

“Good morning, Ire. Do you have something for me?” I ask casually, draping my cloak across one of the settees, fully expecting him to answer.

“I don’t think he does.” Ren’s voice resonates behind me, and I whirl to face him. “Considering I’ve already spoken with him.”

He stands cloaked in the shadows near the door, casually leaning with a foot braced against the wall, hidden from sight as the sun hasn’t quite lit up my room yet.

His large form fills the space, the chamber feeling smaller than usual. He pushes himself off the wall and steps forward, the scruff on his face cut close to the skin, highlighting the hard line of his jaw. His gray eyes come into view as he strides forward, his boots hardly making a sound. He’s eerily silent.

“What do you want? Why are you in my room?” I snap, suddenly flustered as he gives me a slow, lazy once-over.

“Where were you?” His tone is sharp and accusatory, but I casually cross my arms in an attempt to hide the trembling that refuses to subside.

“I was with Rydian.”

“Don’t lie to me,” he says quietly.

“I’m not lying.”

He tilts his head, narrowing his eyes. “Do you forget who trained you? I know when you’re lying, Isa. I know more about you than I probably care to.” His words drip with irritation, though he steps closer. “But that’s not how I know—I just saw Rydian yesterday, and you weren’t there.”

My hands clench against me as the shaking persists, and I can’t help the breath that catches in my throat.

“What did you say to him?” I ask.

He crosses his arms, posture casual but unrelenting as he studies me. “You first. Now, where were you?”

I step back in an attempt to put space between us only to hit the bedpost behind me. Then my chest tightens, eyes closing as I will my thoughts to steady. My eyes finally open, but my face heats and the trembling in my hands has become obvious with how his gaze flicks down.

“I can’t tell you,” I say quietly.

He growls in frustration, pacing before he stops, his expression shifting with understanding, clenching his jaw. “You found something, didn’t you?”

“It was nothing,” I mutter, glancing out the window. Ire remains perched on the roof, no doubt memorizing every word exchanged between us.

“It wasn’t nothing. You’re pale and shaking. What was it?”

“I said it was nothing.” I grind out the words, refusing to meet his gaze. It’s not something I can discuss, not with him… or anyone.

He presses, stepping forward. “Does it have anything to do with how you can speak to animals? The last time I checked, Shadovar couldn’t communicate with them. Only the Aetheri can. If you’re from Aurelia, you should be?—”

“Drop it, Ren. I won’t tell you.” My head snaps to him as he comes eerily close to figuring out what I suspected weeks ago. And I realize that whatever he discussed with Ire, it somehow revealed my ability to speak to animals. “Please, I just… can’t. Now what did you tell Rydian?”

Ren eyes me for a moment, clenching his jaw, and then perches himself on the top of the settee behind him before sighing. “I was looking for you and went to the brothel yesterday. Then Rydian mentioned your mission, but I knew I didn’t give you anything. I realized you weren’t there and that he probably didn’t know where you were either. I just told him that I wanted to schedule a time to walk the castle after inspecting the map again.”

My breath catches as I realize that he didn’t say anythingabout not giving me a mission even though he had no idea where I went.Why didn’t he say anything?

“Okay.” I breathe a sigh of relief, rubbing my eyes. “But why are you here?”

“I was worried.”

“Well, don’t be. I’m fine.” Though I feel anything but fine at the moment. He only scoffs, shaking his head as if in disbelief.

“I brought you this.” He leans forward, handing me a white envelope—a mission. My brows pinch in confusion. “So you don’t have to lie to him.”

“Oh,” I mutter, guilt gripping me. “What’s the mission?”