Page 9 of Kingdom of Chaos (Creatures of Chaos #2)

“So that makes you . . . ?”

“Twenty,” he says.

It shouldn’t matter how old Talon is, but it throws me. Just one more thing I didn’t know about him. How many secrets is he still keeping?

“Okay, fine. You don’t need to graduate. But I hardly think a high school diploma is more important than Becks’ life. I can always go to summer school to finish my degree.” I think I just threw up in my mouth a little saying that again, but for Becks I’ll endure.

“It’s not as simple as that,” Talon says. “Even if we could unseal one of the gates, which we can’t, they were closed for a reason.” He looks away, and I get the feeling he can’t bring himself to meet my eyes when he adds, “I’m sorry. I truly am.”

Talon’s words hit like arrows to the chest, each one finding its mark. I shake my head, refusing to believe this is the end.

He moves like he’s going to walk away, so I grab his arm to stop him. He could easily pull free, but he freezes, staring down at me with a shuttered gaze.

“Please,” I say, feeling my eyes start to sting. I’m not above begging at this point. “I can’t just leave him there. There has to be some way to get to the human world.”

Talon’s gaze bounces over my face. His eyes look haunted as he reaches up, his thumb brushing gently over the curve of my cheek to wipe away a tear that escaped. I quietly catch my breath at the riot of sensations his delicate touch sets off inside me.

“Please don’t cry,” he whispers, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.

More tears gather in my eyes, and a pained look flashes across his face. I shove down the feelings his touch stirred and refocus on Becks.

My best friend who I love. Who I have to save.

“It’s my fault this happened to him,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “I can’t live with myself if I don’t do everything I can to find him.”

Talon starts to speak, but his gaze drops to the hollow of my throat. His expression shifts, pain and sadness replaced by confusion. He lifts the thin gold chain around my neck, eyes fixed on the purple stone pendant my parents gave me the day before.

“Where did you?—?”

The exterior door slams open, cutting him off. We jump apart like we’ve been caught doing something we shouldn’t. Heat rushes to my cheeks as I glance over and see Ensley and Titus walking toward us, led by a girl I don’t recognize.

She’s petite, like me, and wearing only an oversized black graphic T-shirt that hits mid-thigh. Her long black hair is slightly tousled from sleep, and she rubs her eyes like she’s still trying to wake up.

“You didn’t tell me we were going to have guests,” she says grumpily to Talon.

An uncomfortable sensation unfurls in my gut. I want to tell myself this beautiful creature is Talon’s sister, but the angle of her eyes and the warm brown hue of her skin make it clear she’s of a completely different descent.

She gives him a slow once-over, taking in his sweat and the fact that he’s still only wearing joggers. I shift slightly to the side, trying to block part of her view. Her mouth tightens as her gaze cuts right through me.

“You didn’t make it back to bed last night,” she says—not as a question, but as a statement.

How would she know that unless she’d been waiting for him to return to bed with her?

A flash of jealousy blazes through me, so hot I half expect to look down and see my skin on fire.

Where did that come from?

Curling my shoulders, I step to the side, embarrassed by my reaction and hoping no one noticed. I catch Titus’ nose twitching as he sniffs the air, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear I could smell cinders and taste ash on my tongue.

Talon runs a tired hand through his hair and my traitorous eyes follow the motion, catching the way the lean muscles in his bicep flex.

“I got a little sleep,” he says to the girl, but now that I’m looking more closely, I can see the exhaustion written all over his face that I missed before.

Dark smudges curve beneath his eyes; his usually golden skin looks pale and drawn tight over sharp cheekbones. The gauntness should take away from his appeal, but somehow it doesn’t. If anything, it only sharpens his already razor-edged features, giving him an almost otherworldly kind of beauty.

I don’t know how I missed the subtle changes when I first saw him. Maybe I was too focused on getting him to help me find Becks. Or maybe it was the dagger he threw at my head that threw me off.

I’ve barely eaten and only gotten broken sleep since Becks and Kerrim disappeared. I haven’t spared a single thought for my appearance, so I can’t help but wonder if the strain shows on me too.

The black-haired girl crosses her arms over her chest and cocks her head, her body language clear she doesn’t believe him.

“Tell that to the bags under your eyes,” she challenges.

The stern look he gives her is clearly a warning, but she just rolls her eyes. “Reshelve that glower, cos. Your scary faces don’t work on me.”

I perk up a little.

Cos? Like in Cousin?

He shakes his head lightly, then shifts his gaze over her shoulder, ignoring her completely. “Ensley, Titus. I see you’ve met Imogen.”

They nod, and Titus and Talon tap fists in greeting.

“Your cousin,” Titus says, sliding his gaze briefly to me before looking back at Talon, “has been very hospitable.”

Any hackles that were raised when the black-haired beauty showed up immediately go down. That in itself is confusing as well as concerning.

Imogen laughs. “If you call throwing a dagger at his head when he woke me up hospitable , then sure.”

What’s up with this family and throwing daggers?

“Are you the only two here in this castle?” Ensley asks, glancing around the gym-slash-training center.

“We have a big family that comes and goes from Grimspire,” Talon says, his tone evasive.

Ensley’s eyebrows rise. “But surely your parents are here.”

Imogen answers, “Both our parents are out.” She glances at Talon before adding, “On business.”

“What type of business?” Ensley presses.

“Our own,” she replies bluntly.

So it’s not just Talon who’s secretive. His whole family is too.

“What’s the Arcane Society?” I ask, deciding to cut through the nonsense and finally get some answers.

Both Imogen and Talon whip their heads toward me.

“How did you hear that name?” he asks sharply.

“Your uncle mentioned it,” I answer truthfully.

See? At least one of us is capable of being forthcoming.

“Uncle Drake?” Imogen asks, and when I nod, she presses her lips into a hard line, clearly angry at the dragon shifter. I couldn’t care less if I bring their wrath down on him. Drake deserves it, and more.

“So?” I prompt, looking between the two of them. “What is it?”

Talon starts to answer, and Imogen cuts him off with a harsh, “Don’t even think about it.”

He sighs, looking even more exhausted than he did a minute ago. “After everything, they deserve to know.”

“You’re not the one who gets to make that decision. If you want to spill all our secrets, you’d better wait until your parents return. Aunt Jade will have your head if you don’t wait for her go-ahead.”

Talon crosses his arms over his chest, distracting me all over again, so I look away. “I’m not scared of my mom,” he says.

“Well, you should be. I certainly am.” A visible shudder runs through Imogen.

Talon turns to the three of us. “You drove straight through the night to get here, right?” When we nod, he continues, “You must be exhausted. I’ll show you to the guest rooms so you can rest.”

He starts toward the door, but I plant my feet and cross my arms. “You just expect us to sit tight while you decide how much of the truth to share with us?”

Titus and Ensley stay quiet beside me, but their expressions say enough. Ensley even crosses her arms, mirroring my stance.

Talon rubs a hand over his face. When he looks back at us, there’s a glint of vulnerability in his gaze. It’s a look I don’t think I’ve ever seen from him before.

“Listen, I get it. You guys have no reason to trust me. But even so, I’m still asking you to. Just for a little while,” he adds quickly. “There’s something I need to check out.” His gaze drops to the hollow of my neck before traveling up to my face. “And then I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

I know he’s talking to all of us, but his eyes don’t leave mine.

I chew on my bottom lip. I’m not sure how much weight Talon’s promises really carry. I don’t trust him any more now than I did before I knew half his secrets. Probably less now.

I glance at Ensley. Becks is her brother. She should have a say in this.

When her gaze meets mine, I can see she’s torn too. I give her a look that I hope says, It’s your call .

Resolve sharpens her features. She nods once, then turns to Talon.

“You have one day. I want you to remember that every minute you take is another minute my brother is out there, hurt, alone, and with no idea where he is or how to get home. I’m giving you this time, but I expect it to be worth it. If not, you’ll answer to me.”

She lifts her hand and creates a glowing orb. The sphere hovers in her palm, growing brighter by the second. When it’s so bright I have to squint, Ensley cocks her arm back and hurls it.

The ball flies across the room and slams into a practice dummy, punching straight through the lifelike rubber chest like a hot knife through butter. It leaves a hole clean through the target and scorches a black mark at least three feet wide on the stone wall behind it.

Whoa . I’ve seen Ensley use her light magic before, but only while goofing off. I didn’t know she could do that .

Way to go, bestie.

I resist the urge to start a slow clap, keeping my arms firmly crossed as I arch a brow at Talon, daring him to double-cross her.

He tips his head in a gesture that says, Message received and accepted .