“I don’t know who you are,” I hissed, my blood boiling as it sunk in that she truly meant me harm. “What I do know is that you arenotgoing to lay a hand on me. I’ve had enough of being a punching bag for people in my life. If you have a problem, take it up with Niz. I’ve never evenheardof you. I’m the one who escorted him there. I’m the one allowed to enter his suite—only me. Niz only wants me.”
Twisting her arm from my grip, she ripped her hand away with a grunt before leaning in until we were almost nose to nose. She had to bend down slightly to peer into my eyes, but I refused to let her intimidate me. I was entirely caught off-guard by this situation, but a spark within my chest told me to fight for Niz.
“You are simply a passing toy to occupy his time before he settles down with me,” she sneered, bringing a long finger up to poke me in the chest. “I am his forever, so enjoy the brief time you have with him now.”
I am his forever.
Her words sliced far deeper than I cared to admit, but I put on a brave face, not wanting her to know that. The corners of my lips tugged up in a forced smile. A small laugh fell from me before I taunted her, “I guess we’ll see about that. If you could kindly move out of my way, the prince is waiting forme.”
It didn’t feel good being in a catty squabble over a man with this woman, but I had to believe that there was an explanation for this. If there wasn’t…Well, I’d be the first to find Illia, apologize, and tell her that she deserved better as well.
I didn’t wait for her to respond, shoving past her and narrowly avoiding a harsh knock to my shoulder from her. I kept my eyes on the captain she’d been speaking to as I walked up to him, refusing to glance back at Illia. Thankfully, her retreat sounded as footsteps drifted off into the distance behind me.
A knot in my chest loosened as gratitude flowed through me. Nothing within me wanted to continue fighting with her. All I wanted was answers from Niz.
The captain nodded at me as I took him in. His hair was long and braided down to his waist, the dark hue almost reflecting a deep purple from the light of the torches. Despite his full beard obscuring a lot of his face, I could easily see the smirk he was trying to hide and the glint in his violet eyes.
“So, you must be Kieran,” he mused as I came to a stop. His hand extended, waiting for me to grip it. How did this man know who I was? Niz must have explained. Did that mean he had expected me to seek him out? And here I had wondered if I was breaking some unspoken rule considering his father had suggested not leaving the suite.
It didn’t help that I felt so off-kilter and confused by Illia’s presence and words that it took me a moment to realize I needed to shake it. His grip was firm as we shook, and I detected a bit of curiosity in his eyes.
“I am,” I finally answered as my gaze shifted to the metal door behind him. “I suddenly have a lot to discuss with the prince. Can I go in?”
His lips thinned as he nodded his head, reaching to open the door for me. He halted for a second before pushing it open, looking back at me. “I’ve known Niz since we were both hatchlings. There’s more to the story. Give him a chance.”
His words did nothing to soothe the nerves or anger swirling within me, but I offered him a shaky nod as I let out a breath. The door creaked open and I wasted no time stepping into Niz’s chambers, taking in the massive space as the door shut behind me.
It was a sprawling room, consisting of a large library to the left, a sitting space, his gigantic four-poster bed, and a hallway on the right. I didn’t take the time to appreciate the finer details of the room, too focused on needing to find where the hell Niz was.
My fury rose with each step as I headed down the hallway and the words I wanted to scream at him took over my mental space. I couldn’t believe this was real life. My hands tightened into fists at my side as my feet pounded on the stone floor.
Part of me wanted to go back in time and not come here, so I could have spared my heart the pain of learning of Illia and their engagement. There was still a tiny little part of me that could sense logic in the midst of all of this, and that little voice was telling me it was better to know and that I needed to get this figured out.
As the hallway gave way to a large cavern filled with steam, I searched through the mist. The pop of his green hair caught my eye, and our gazes clashed as he looked over at me from the pool of water he was soaking in.
There was a heat to his gaze that matched the intensity of the steam billowing around us, but it seemed rooted in anger.Tension rolled through his frame and his muscles flexed as he offered me a once over that caused shivers to break out across my skin. It was such a startling difference to his laid-back demeanor I’d come to know that my brain short circuited from its path of rage.
All the fight left me the second I saw him like this, giving way to the immense hurt that was threatening to swallow me instead. I didn’t want to fight with him. I just wanted answers.
“You…” I breathed out as my eyes pricked with tears and my cheeks heated. Somehow needing to say the words out loud twisted the dagger Illia verbally embedded in my chest. “You’re engaged, and you didn’t tell me.”
His lips parted slightly before quickly closing as his eyebrows slanted with his grimace. His eyes fell shut as he let out a heavy sigh before his rich voice echoed through the room. “So you’ve met Illia.”
20
KIERAN
Just hearingher name on his tongue felt like a betrayal.
We’d never discussed what exactly we were, and there was already confusion with my pull to multiple men, but at least he’d known what he was getting into. He knew how conflicted I was and the fact that others were involved. The circumstances were so starkly different that I couldn’t even find it within me to feel like I was being unfair right now.
Honesty was everything.
I came into this wanting answers, but suddenly, none of it mattered. My feet turned on their own accord, desperately trying to carry me away from this reality. The sound of splashing came from behind me as I took a step toward the hallway.
“Kieran, wait!”
Tears welled in my eyes. Maybe I wasn’t strong enough to actually want the truth.
