Page 33

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Kadian’s tension was palpable, like a storm brewing beneath his skin.

His words, sharp and brittle, shattered the fragile calm we were trying to maintain.

“Where is she?” he demanded, his voice raw and jagged.

The woman—tall, poised, and unsettlingly familiar—cocked her head, her turquoise eyes gleaming with quiet amusement as they flitted toward me.

“Is he always like this?” Her lips curled into a faint smirk.

“Not usually.” I sighed, rubbing my temple.

“He’s…not quite himself lately.”

Gods, why am I even explaining?

There were bigger things to focus on.

Lil. I needed to stay sharp.

“Lil sent you?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

“She did.” Her gaze swept over me, dissecting me with every blink.

She looked so much like Lil; it was almost painful.

The curve of her lips, the confident tilt of her head—it was all there, only older, more refined, more dangerous.

Her sleeveless dress clung to her, teal like the depths of an ocean, and her golden heels looked sharp enough to puncture a heart.

I shuddered.

Kadian, on the other hand, was losing his patience.

His fists clenched, his voice dripping with rage.

“Where. Is. She.”

“Tell your pet to settle down,” she said, her voice light but laced with venom.

“If you speak like that again, I will rip out your fucking throat,” Kadian snarled, his voice trembling with rage.

“Kadian!” My voice shot through the tension like an arrow.

“This is Lil’s mother.”

He didn’t flinch.

He didn’t even acknowledge me.

She begun laughing, a cruel, lilting sound that seemed to echo off the walls.

“Gods, this is exhausting,” she muttered, rising from the bed with fluid grace, smoothing her dress as if to dismiss us altogether.

“I assume you’re Brida,” she said, casting a dismissive glance over me, “and I know from your little outburst that you’re Kadian. Yes, Lil mentioned you—both of you,” her turquoise eyes bore into me as she spoke, her words dripping with an edge I couldn’t quite place.

The air in the room felt thicker with every passing second.

She ran a finger along the desk, inspecting the dust with a raised brow, her expression settling into something cold, almost disdainful.

“Lil wanted me to let you know she’s okay. She also wanted me to tell you to stay away from her.”

“What?” Kadian’s voice broke, confusion and disbelief rippling through it.

“Why would she say that?”

Her sigh was deep, exasperated, as though we were children asking the most mundane questions.

“Because of Thalius. You’ve met him, haven’t you?” Her eyes flashed with something dark.

“Does he strike you as the kind of man you’d want to cross?”

I froze.

Thalius. His name sent a chill through me, one I couldn’t suppress.

“He’s dangerous,” she continued, her voice softening but losing none of its edge.

“A powerful man. There’s not much anyone can do to defy him. Do not interfere.” Her eyes locked on Kadian, unyielding.

“Do you understand?”

Kadian’s fists were still shaking; his jaw clenched so tight I thought he might snap his teeth.

He didn’t answer, didn’t move.

“Do you understand?” she repeated, stepping closer, her heels clicking against the stone floor.

She was taller than I expected, practically meeting Kadian’s gaze head-on.

Her voice was low, dangerous.

When he remained silent, she turned her attention to me.

“Can I trust you to handle this?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.

Whatever this was, whatever web Lil had gotten herself entangled in, we weren’t prepared.

Not for this.

Lil’s mother nodded, a thin smile playing on her lips.

“Good.” She turned to leave, her eyes drifting over the room one last time.

“Do clean up.” And then she was gone, her footsteps fading into the corridor.

I stood frozen, unsure of what had just transpired.

The room felt heavier, darker.

I turned back to Kadian, who hadn’t moved an inch.

His fists still clenched, his knuckles white.

“Stay here,” I whispered, gesturing to the chair.

My heart pounded as I bolted after her.

“Mrs. Towler,” I called louder than I intended.

Her steps slowed, and she turned, exasperation written across her face.

“For Gods’ sake, girl, call me Nayla. If you keep that up, people will think I’m much older than I am.”

“Nayla,” I started, my voice tight, “do you know what happened between Rai and Lil? He’s been demanding something back from her.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

“And what do you know about that?”

“Rai approached me during the festival. He made some veiled threats and mentioned something about wanting something back. I don’t know what it is, and I haven’t had the chance to ask Lil before Thalius swept her away.”

A long silence stretched between us before she finally spoke.

“It’s a ring. His mother’s, to be exact. That’s all I can tell you for now.”

A ring.

I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it didn’t feel like enough.

She took a step closer, her voice softening.

“Brida, let us handle this. There’s far more at stake than you can understand.”

Her words stung, but I nodded.

What else could I do?

“And your friend,” she added, nodding back toward Kadian’s room, “he’s going to have to get a handle on himself. This won’t be easy if he doesn’t.”

“Do you know what is going on with him?” I asked, hopeful that she may have some sort of answer.

Nayla’s smile was thin and knowing like she had answers I couldn’t even begin to fathom.

“Ask yourself why he’s so defensive of her. Then you might start to understand.”

With that, she left, her heels clicking down the hall, leaving me with more questions than answers.

My temple throbbed, and I rubbed it as I made my way back to Kadian’s room.

“Kadian?” I whispered as I opened the door.

He was sitting on the floor, his arms wrapped around his legs, his body trembling as he cried.

Gods.

I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around him.

“Shh,” I whispered into his hair, trying to soothe him.

“It’s going to be okay.”

He rocked in my arms, his sobs muffled against my chest. “I thought it was her.”

???

I stayed by Kadian’s side until his breathing evened out into the steady rhythm of sleep.

I had coaxed him into bed, draping the blanket over him with a gentle touch, my fingers combing through his hair in a futile attempt to ease his restless mind.

I needed to escape—to shed the weight of the past weeks like a heavy cloak that clung too tight.

The shower seemed like the only sanctuary where I might find a moment of peace, even if it was fleeting.

I slid out of bed with careful precision, avoiding any creaks in the floor that might betray my movements.

The darkness of the hallway seemed to pulse with its own quiet intensity.

As I made my way to my room, the sight of him—Marsh—stopped me cold.

He was pacing, the tension in his body evident in every measured step he took.

When our eyes met, his were searching, pleading, as if they might find answers in mine.

“Now is not a good time, Marsh,” I said, my voice a whisper as I tried to brush past him, heading towards my door.

“Just tell me why,” he demanded, his voice rising with a mix of frustration and desperation that clashed with my exhaustion.

“I’m not in the mood for riddles. It’s been a long evening, night, morning—whatever fucking time it is,” I snapped, running a hand through my disheveled hair, hoping it might somehow calm the storm within me.

Marsh’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at my sharpness.

It was a new side of me, born out of the countless frustrations and disappointments accumulated over recent days.

“Why didn’t you accept the placement?” His question cut through the air like a blade, sharp and unyielding.

I sighed, a sound that seemed to carry all the weight of my fatigue.

“Can this not wait until morning? I need to shower.”

“Tell me,” he said, reaching out for my arm.

His touch was an electric shock of unwanted intensity.

I jerked away, feeling a surge of anger that I couldn’t ignore.

“Where have you been for the past several weeks?” I demanded, my voice cracking under the strain of my pent-up emotions.

He took a step back, confusion flashing across his face.

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean, Marsh,” I said, my anger burning bright in my eyes.

“You know where I’ve been. I’ve been shuttling court members between Azmeer and Hadash,” he responded, but his words felt hollow, inadequate.

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” My exhaustion and frustration mingled into a potent cocktail of rage.

All I wanted was a moment of peace, a chance to clear my mind, but instead, I was caught in this exhausting confrontation.

“I…I didn’t know how to act or what to say after I saw you and Dainan at the bar. I thought it would be best to give you some space.”

“Some space! Five unanswered letters,” I shouted, the sound echoing down the hallway.

I was so tired of the endless game of miscommunication and misunderstanding.

“I didn’t know what pucchia could do to me. I didn’t know that merely being in its presence could influence me. I would never have willingly done what I did, not after what happened between us.” My words felt like they were tearing through the tension in the air.

Marsh’s face hardened.

“Dainan is dangerous, Brida,” he said, taking another step closer, but I retreated, my head pounding with the weight of his words.

“I can’t say more than that, but he is dangerous. It’s not safe for you to be around him. He’s playing with you, trying to make a point. This is a fucking game to him,” he said, frustration evident as he began to pace.

“Do you hear yourself right now?” My head throbbed with every word he spoke.

“I was hoping if you accepted the placement, we could talk and sort things out. I missed the deadline because I was in a meeting with Qurasa, and I wasn’t sure if you would have accepted.”

I would have considered it.

The Court of Whispers intrigued me, and despite the tension, I liked being around Marsh.

But rage clouded my judgment, overtaking my thoughts.

“You should have come and spoken with me, maybe not that night but the next day. Or when you saw me outside of Illerium’s office.”

“I was in no state to speak with you,” he retorted, his voice tinged with frustration.

“You mean like me right now,” I muttered under my breath.

“Brida,” he said, reaching out once more.

I stepped back, his touch a painful reminder of our unresolved issues.

“I just heard tonight that you accepted the placement with him.” His eyes were hard, a mix of anger and something else I couldn’t quite place.

“It isn’t with him, Marsh. Did it ever occur to you that I might have chosen them for other reasons?” I shot back, feeling a pang of disappointment.

His face fell into an expression of frustration.

“Please just be careful, Brida. He isn’t safe.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his black suit and turned to leave.

My energy was drained.

I felt as if I had nothing left to give.

I knew I missed him, but I was in no state to continue this conversation.

He walked away, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

???

Tamra’s gaze flicked up from her plate as I sat down, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Saved you a bite,” she said.

“Gods, what happened to you?”

“It was a long night,” I mumbled, wrapping my fingers around the warm coffee cup.

The steam was almost soothing, threatening to lull me back into sleep.

“Did Kadian fair okay?” she asked, her voice laced with genuine concern.

I shook my head, too weary to articulate the depth of my worries.

“Have you seen him this morning?”

“He and Oz were here earlier,” Tamra said, offering a small smile.

I nodded, too tired to muster more than a brief acknowledgment.

“I made a decision, you know,” Tamra said, her tone shifting to one of barely contained excitement.

I perked up, curiosity overriding my fatigue.

“Oh?”

“Looks like we’ll be playing in the shadows together,” she smirked, her eyes twinkling.

The news was a rare ray of light.

“What made you decide?”

Tamra glanced over her shoulder, pointing discreetly to the back of the room.

There sat Amera, the woman from the bar, radiating a quiet confidence.

“Turns out she’s a court member and she’s mighty good at convincing,” Tamra said with a laugh that was both relieved and amused.

“I’m happy for you,” I said, managing a weak smile.

“But you do realize you’ll have to introduce her to us eventually, right?”

“Ha, I plan to hold off on that as long as possible,” Tamra said, chuckling.

“Oz has a knack for scaring off anyone I might be interested in. His protectiveness can be a bit overwhelming.”

“He loves you,” I said with a shrug.

“Yeah, well, sometimes I wish he’d love me less,” she said with a soft laugh.

“Any word from your suitors?” Her mocking grin was hard to miss.

I grimaced. “I haven’t heard anything from Dainan, but I’m just waiting. He seems to have a knack for appearing at the most inconvenient moments.” I paused.

“Marsh was waiting for me outside my room last night.”

“Was he now?” Tamra’s eyebrow arched in interest.

“I have no idea how long he’d been waiting. All I know is that I was exhausted and needed a shower. He just kept pushing.”

“Well…” Tamra leaned in, her curiosity piqued.

“What did he say?”

“He questioned why I accepted the placement with the Court of Shadows. He warned me to stay away from Dainan. There’s something ongoing between them, and I’m caught in the middle of their game.” I took a sip of my coffee, trying to steady my emotions.

“Lil warned me about all three brothers when we arrived here. I should have listened. Instead, I’m now entangled with two protective alpha males. Not my best look.”

“No, I’d argue this,” Tamra said, gesturing at me with a teasing smile, “is your best look.”

“Congratulations, you made a joke,” I managed a smirk.

“What are you going to do?” she asked, leaning against the table.

“Do what everyone else here is doing,” I said, staring into my coffee.

“Keep my head down, do the jobs they assign me, and hope that at the end of this, I find somewhere to land.”

Tamra raised her mug in a small toast. “To somewhere to land.”

“Somewhere to land,” I echoed, clinking my mug against hers.

???

When I arrived at the gym, Kadian and Oz were scaling the rock wall.

Despite whatever struggles Kadian faced, his physical prowess remained intact.

The gym was more crowded than usual.

I sighed as I surveyed the room.

I wasn’t up to running.

Instead, I planned to observe the boys as they competed.

As I turned towards the rock wall, two figures approached me.

“Ah, Brida,” a voice said, and I looked up to see Prince Alvar standing before me.

“Prince Alvar,” I bowed, trying to appear more composed than I felt.

Dainan stood beside him, his indifference as palpable as ever.

The scent of smoke and citrus clung to him, pulling me into a foggy haze of exhaustion.

“We’re pleased to see that you accepted the placement in the Court of Shadows,” Alvar said with a warm smile.

Among the brothers, his expression was the most genuine, inviting trust.

“I’m honored to have received the offer,” I said, bowing my head again, though my gratitude was tinged with uncertainty.

“Are you acquainted with the others joining you?” Alvar asked.

“Yes. I’m friends with one.” I replied.

“Oh?” Alvar’s curiosity was evident.

“Tamra Kadem.”

“Ah yes, Amera’s girl,” he looked back at Dainan, whose expression still showed nothing.

Dainan stood with his arms crossed, wearing a deep crimson shirt today that stretched all the way down his arms. I could still see the ripples of his muscles, each indent, each perfectly sculpted…

Alvar coughed. Dainan raised one of his eyebrows.

“I’m sorry,” I uttered, “did you say something?”

I could tell that Alvar was trying not to laugh.

“I asked if you had given any thought as to whom you might work alongside.”

“I didn’t know we’re offered a choice,” I said while trying to avoid staring at Dainan.

That was only going to get me in further trouble.

“Yes,” Alvar nodded.

“If you have a preference, I’ll be happy to see that it comes to pass.”

I gave him a meek smile.

“I do know that you are on great terms with Scriba Velin, and are an avid reader and excellent researcher.”

“That’s kind of you to say,” I meant it.

He didn’t have to be so free with his words.

“I’ve never known anyone to consume more literature than my brother here,” he looked over to Dainan, “it’s possible he could make a great pa?—”

I cut him off, “I’d like to work with you, Prince Alvar.”

Alvar’s eyes flickered between Dainan and me, his curiosity piqued.

I stood firm, not flinching.

“With me?” Alvar’s smile widened.

“I’m flattered, though I’m not sure if I’d be the best fit…”

Gods, Brida.

I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut in these type of situations.

But I was exhausted.

I had no choice but to commit to what I’d started.

“I believe working with those who share my interests, as well as those who don’t, is crucial,” I said.

“I think we could become fast friends.” I hoped he saw the attempt at sincerity in my words.

Alvar stood a bit straighter, bringing his hands behind his back.

“Very well,” he said, his voice steady.

“I’ll find you on Monday, and we’ll begin. Until then, Brida.” His lips quirked up and he turned to leave.

Dainan lingered, his gaze fixed on me with an unsettling intensity.

“Afraid to be too close to me, Ilia?” he took a step forward.

“Yes,” I wanted to say, but I settled on, “hardly.”

“My brother is a stickler for punctuality. Be sure to be on time.” He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear.

“Oh, and Ilia, should you change your mind about who you want to work with, just let me know. I’d be happy to see that you are paired with the correct partner.” He smirked as his shadows hissed around him, engulfing him in darkness before he vanished.