Page 59 of In The Dark

Loyaltyis not something I’ve been able to count on from anyone except for myself, yet here he is, offering it to me without a second thought. The rhythm of my pulse betrays the composure I’m trying to hold as I stare up at him. I draw in an uneven breath, his scent filling my lungs, somehow grounding me and unraveling me all at once. Something I’m not used to.

“Okay,” I mutter, blinking, though the words feel foreign on my tongue as I offer him the tiniest sliver of trust. Then something flickers across his face, softening the hard lines of his jaw.

His chest abruptly rises and falls, and I realize that he’s close—too close—making my pulse thrum beneath my skin. Though it’s not fear that causes it, but him. His presence leaves me unsteady—not in a way that sends me running, but in a way that leaves me feeling curious.

His pupils dilate as if he’s sensing the sudden energy shift when he slowly steps back, turning to the table behind him with a heavy breath. I let out a shaky exhale, my body releasing the pent-up tension.What was that?

He returns to his notes, silently flipping pages while he rubs his jaw, eyeing the papers below him.

“So, what now?” I ask after composing myself.

He doesn’t look up. “Now we plan. Sit,” he says, his tone a little demanding.

He points to the chair across the table, and against my better judgment, I obey and sit down. He hands me notes and scrolls, research he’s been doing over the last two weeks.

“What are these?”

“Records of the last few Siphons. There are three left and only two recorded. So whomever King Elion has, he’s hiding. Bess, as you know, is Shadovar, but she’s also a Seer,” he says.

“A Seer—what is that?”

“She has visions like you, but unlike you, she doesn’t need to touch someone to get snippets of information. It comes to her at odd times and is something she can’t really control. She would be similar to a Scry in Elderheim but without having to use crystals. Being in Elderheim dampens her power quite significantly.” I let his words sink in, a silence settling between us before he continues. “I told you that I found something last night. Bess was willing to give me information on one of the last Siphons who is apparently in hiding. So we need to visit with her soon.”

“She’s in hiding? From what?”

“Thatis a good question and is what we are going to find out. Maybe we can gain some insight as to what happened to your memories and see if they’re something we can get back,” he mumbles.

I exhale, eyes wide. “That would be amazing. When will we meet with her?”

“As soon as we can. For right now, I’m trying to find some information on the castle’s floor plan, but I have nothing of use.” He leans on the table, arms stretched out in front of him as he leans forward. His stare sears a hole in me. “I could have been invited in a couple of weeks ago but was not. I would love for someone to help me on that end… I need to walk through the castle. We need the map.”

“Yes, fine. I can do that,” I mutter and look back down, feeling his stare beat down on me in my attempt to ignore him.

“That means sneaking into the king’s private archives to steal it,” he adds warily. “Can you do that?”

I freeze—shit.

As I know firsthand, the king’s personal archives are heavily guarded, something that will need a lot of stealth to gain access to. I drag my eyes to his, scanning his heavily muscled arms in the process while he continues to lean forward.

“You do know that it’s heavily guarded and gaining access to that is going to be… impossible. You said we would search the castle, not steal a map from hisarchives.We’ll have to find the map, make a copy,andput it back without getting noticed. Do you know how much information is stored in his archives?” I shake my head.There’s no way.

“That’s why you need to invite me in.” He throws me a blank stare.

I huff and sit back, resting my forearms against the chair. Realization rolls through me, and I know that I have no choice but to allow him access to the castle. I won’t be able to steal that map alone—not with the guards stationed right outside those doors.

“Fine, fine! I’ll get you in,” I say, waving a hand to get him out of my face. “But you can’t just show up whenever you want. You will knock on my door or I’m not agreeing to it.”

He smirks. “Fine.”

20

After rummagingthrough what scrolls Rydian had lying all over his table, we decided to wait until dusk before making our way back to the castle. It would be much easier to sneak him in as the sun started to set.

I was eager to leave the loft, not interested in staying any longer than necessary in order to avoid hearing the muffled moans as the brothel’s activity began. I wasn’t about to stick around long enough to find out how soundproof the windows actually were, no matter how many times Rydian insisted. The idea of sitting there, alone with Rydian, while that began below us? I bite the inside of my lip, forcing myself to focus, but my body heats at the thought.

Not because of him. Definitely not because of him.

Winter blasts me in the face, suddenly pulling me from my thoughts as I descend the steps to gather Bjorn.