Page 72 of In The Dark

“It’s not arrogance when I know your weaknesses. I just know how to use them for my benefit. The rats practically flee in the opposite direction with you stomping around,” he grumbles.

My irritation spikes at the insult, and as much as I want to punch him, I hate to admit that he’s partially right. Stealth has always been a weakness of mine, and though I’m fairly skilled at remaining quiet, being utterly and eerily silent has always been a struggle of mine.

We reach a sharp left turn, and he lights the torches that line the new hall. I have to glance over my shoulder to ensure he still trails behind me with how silent he is, wondering how the hell he stays so quiet for someone so large. He hardly makes a sound.

Walking down the corridor, I begin to notice the doorways scattered here and there, thinking they may lead to the dungeons below or old servants’ quarters.

“I’m surprised you haven’t tried killing me yet. Changed your mind, brute?” I grin, throwing him a sideways glance as we reach another sharp right turn. Only this time he doesn’t light the torches. He shoots out a palm, urging my steps to slow and muttering under his breath.

“If I wanted to kill you, it would’ve already happened. You wouldn’t have had the chance to know it was coming,” he says, his tone unsettlingly sure. A coldness creeps down my spine as Iget the chilling realization of how true that statement probably is.

My steps are calculated and quiet as I inch myself forward before he snaps out a hand again, halting me from going further. I glance at him. His expression is grim as he puts a finger to his lips and points up. Tilting my head, I listen as the guards’ boots thud above us, hearing whispers of their conversation. Then I peek around him, spotting one of the grated doors that’s blocked by shrubbery, and inch closer.

He hovers over my shoulder, looking out as I glance between the leaves, spotting the opposite side of the courtyard from where we just came from. We’re by the archives, hidden in plain sight right under the steps.

After a few more tense, quiet minutes, we finally return back from where we came, striding toward the exit. His boots quietly hit the stone beneath us, hands casually swaying before we reach the small stairs leading to the main floor.

As I move to ascend the steps—following him out—he puts his hands in his pockets and faces me, blocking the only exit with a hardened stare.

My eyes narrow, studying him as he holds me hostage.

A dark expression settles over his features. “Do you want to tell me the real reason you’ve been sneaking around the castle so late at night?”

“What’s it to you? Going to turn me in now that you’ve walked it with me? Or shall I remind you that I know you steal from the kitchens?” I purr, but my tone drops.

He gives me a lazy smirk. “Unfortunately for you, blackmail won’t work since eating sweets isn’t treason. That’s what sneaking around the castle currently looks like, doesn’t it? Trying to find new entry points and ways to sneak around undetected? I’m willing to bet King Elion glazes over my snacks for your treason.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” I say, exhaling.

“Are you willing to risk finding that out?”

My chest heaves with unsteady breaths as the silence between us stretches, hanging thick in the air. His gaze never falters, but a sinking realization settles in the pits of my stomach—he would go to the king. And he’d do it with a smile.

The thought of him doing that fuels my anger, and my hands warm as the blaze of magic beneath my skin simmers. He’d probably savor the moment, watching as they hauled me to the dungeon, knowing I’d finally be silenced—no more defiance or retorts that ruin his day. Not from me at least.

He steps down from the last step, getting close. “If you’recurious, you either learn how to be stealthier or risk having a guard find you in the hall. You’re lucky it was me who found you and not one of the others.” He gives me a smirk, and if he weren’t so cruel, I’d almost find it charming—almost. “But now you’ll be running laps this week, and expect to work on your stealth over the next two as punishment.”

I exhale, almost in relief, but then my eyes go wide. “Seriously?”

He crosses his arms, glaring down at me. “You should’ve known I was behind you. I watched you for ten minutes before approaching, and you were loud. I’m shocked those guards didn’t hear you, which means they aren’t very good either. So you’ll be working on that.” He pivots to the side, motioning me up the stairs.

Glaring with each step, I shove past him and return to my chamber in silence. I’ll take the punishment if it means he won’t be reporting me to King Elion.

For now.

25

Ren followedthrough with his punishment during my training this morning, meeting me in the arena two hours before dawn. I had woken up early only to find him waiting with a menacing grin. The kind of grin that had me stifling a groan.

But I complied without complaint, only because I knew I needed to leave the castle again and didn’t want questions flung my way. He didn’t say a word the entire morning, only stood by, silently watching until the sun rose before leaving to hand out missions—which are still happening.

Now, I pull my cloak tighter around my chest, fighting off the chill coming in from between the trees as Rydian and I ride further into the forest.

“Where are we going exactly…?” I ask warily.

I’ve never ventured out this far since there’s been no need to. Our missions are typically located in the cities, and the furthest I’ve gone is Nymara. Instead of going further north on our way into the Twin Valley, we veered east, deeper into the woods.

We decided to Veil into Alvonia earlier to save time and tograb some items from the loft, including the bag slung across my chest.