Page 14 of Lord of Ruin (The Age of Blood #2)

Samuel flushed that pretty shade of pink that she loved so much, but just cleared his throat and began.

He laid out the plan that he had concocted with Anton, the way they had arranged it to fall on this night so that the King and all the rest of Dameral would not suspect their involvement.

The way Samuel had decided to shield her from it, for her own protection.

She noticed the way he spoke around her fears, the way she had argued to leave Isaac to his fate. Whether it was a kindness to her or a kindness to Isaac, she did not know, but either way, she was thankful.

He was learning so much at her side—the Samuel of a year ago would have never thought to work such a scheme. She should have felt pride at his growth. Instead, she feared that she was ruining him forever.

But Isaac had taken over the storytelling, laying out how he had been rescued, the lengths to which Anton went to rescue him. As good as a liar as he was, even he couldn’t hide the disbelief. She looked to Samuel—only he could have managed this.

The things that man could do, if only he had the opportunity.

Still, it was good to have the full story, and Shan rubbed her temples as she considered the mess she had gotten into.

“I know you are aware that I am Royal Blood Worker now,” she said at last, only for Isaac to look so genuinely pained that she almost lost her train of thought.

“It’s all right, Isaac. We have been using this to our advantage. ”

“But,” he began, only for her to silence him by placing a finger to her lips.

“Hush,” she instructed. “But nothing. I am the Royal Blood Worker, but Samuel is the Councillor of Law. And between our respective positions, we should be able to smooth things over. But you will need to be careful for the time being. And then we’ll need to figure out how to get you out of Aeravin. ”

“Out?” Isaac echoed, his voice low and rough. He stilled like an animal caught in a trap, afraid the wrong move would get him killed. “What do you mean out ?”

Shan blinked slowly, refusing to let the confusion stop her. “You are now the most wanted fugitive in the country, Isaac. You cannot expect to stay.”

He leaned forward, fists tangling in the sheets. “And what? You expect me to run away? Leave the fight to others?”

“What fight?” she asked, enunciating each word with care. “There is nothing more you can do. Samuel and I are working to bring change to Aeravin—change that rescuing you has set back quite significantly, I might add—but we can only do that so long as we remain in our positions.”

“Shan,” Samuel interjected, but she ignored him, focusing on the look that Isaac was giving her.

The disappointment in those eyes, affection turned sour, trust turned to disbelief.

“Please,” she breathed, already prepared to beg. “Understand that I am doing this out of love.”

“Love,” Isaac scoffed. “Shan, I don’t know what this is, but it isn’t love. It’s control.” He shifted, kneeling on the bed so that their faces were so close, breath shared between them in some mockery of intimacy. “And I won’t let myself be controlled anymore, even by you, darling.”

Anger clawed its way into her, overriding the hurt and shame that she could not let herself feel. But Samuel was already moving, inserting himself between them before the fight could begin.

“Please,” Samuel said, with one hand on Shan’s shoulder and the other on Isaac’s, forcing them apart. “Not tonight. Whatever this is… we have time to work it out.”

She met Isaac’s eyes, inclined her head. Samuel was right—this wasn’t the time for it. Isaac was still recovering; he needed time to come to terms with all that he had lost. With enough space, he would understand that this was the only way they could keep him safe.

So, she could agree to a truce for now.

“It’s been a long day,” she admitted, twisting so that her feet rested on the floor. “And I have much to prepare for tomorrow.”

“That is understandable,” Isaac said, not unkindly. But there was still a wariness to him, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to reach him tonight. She wouldn’t be able to reach him for a long while, but she had learned the art of patience, and for him, she could play this game once more.

She leaned back, brushed her lips against his. If nothing else, this would be a reminder that, no matter what, she still cared about him. It would be easier to tear the heart from her own chest than to lose the love she had for Isaac.

She just had to remind him of that.

“Goodnight, Isaac.”

Isaac blinked up at her, nodding slowly. “Shan, I…” He cut himself off, and Shan wished she knew what he had almost said. “We’ll see each other soon?”

“We will,” she promised, then looked to Samuel. He only shook his head—he would be staying then. That was fine.

Let them have a moment without her. After all they had been through—all that they had done to each other—they likely needed it. This love had been born in a web of lies and betrayal, but that didn’t make it any less true.

She let herself out of the bedroom, blinking away the last of her tears.

Anton and Bart were both looking at her strangely, but Shan couldn’t let them see the weakness in her heart. She needed them to see her as strong. She needed to be strong.

Else she would crumble before this next stage of her plans even began.

“Bart,” she said, her voice clear and commanding. “Let’s head home. We have a lot of work to do.”