Blood mingling has been a curious topic as of late,it reads.Though curious about the interaction of mixing bloods in this way, we must be careful that we do not accidentally create harm between the two subjects. Raw magic is wild andunpredictable, but it can be wielded correctly under the right circumstances.
My finger trembles as I lift my head, looking back to the spot on the floor where I found the book.Or where the book was placed. The thumps I had heard, was that the archive’s magic?Givingme the book that I might need.If you were a book about blood and magic, where would you be? Hadn’t I asked thatout loud?
“Fucking archives,” I mumble, closing the book and slipping it into my pack. My steps are quick up the stairs, the sensation of being watched once more nipping at my heels, but I do as Hadrik instructed and return the torches back to the pillar before pulling the key from my pocket and inserting it into the lock.
Anxious anticipation presses at my ribs as I wait for it to unlock, terror that Hadrik had been wrong when he said I didn’t need magic to exit. But the key turns without any of the flair from before, and the moment the door opens, I pull it back out and slip over the threshold, shutting the door behind me. I all but sprint back to the first floor of the palace, never quite shaking that ominous presence at my back.
Chapter Fifty-Five: Bahira
I’mhesitanttobelievethat the council has forgotten about calling me in for another round of interrogation, but I suppose if anything could pull their attention, Nox’s return would do it. I should be elated, celebrating the fact that, at least for now, they seem entirely content to believe my account of what happened in the Shifter Kingdom. Yet something about their newfound lack of interest inmedoesn’t feel like relief.
In the days since I visited the archives, there’s been no hint that any of the council members are aware that Hadrik let mein. I returned the key to him the next day, relaying the events of what I had found and what the archives had…givenme. To my annoyance, Hadrik didn’t seem all that shocked. “I told you there was old magic there,” he had said with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Yeah, well, you could have informed me about the fuckingdragon,” I had bitten back.
“And spoil the surprise? What kind of self-proclaimed favorite uncle would I be if I did that?” The mischief in his eyes kept me from retorting, but he promised to return the key at the first opportunityandto keep my visit a secret from my parents. The less unscrupulous acts that they knew about, the less the council could berate them for. I’d officially turn down my royal status if it came to that before I’d allow my father to have his crown stripped over somethingIhad chosen to do.
Nox on the other hand…
I clench my jaw as I enter the healers’ wing. Word had come from Sarai this morning that Nox was ready for visitors. Knowing my parents would be there first, I opted to read from the ancient book, finding more mentions of the termblood minglingbut as of yet no explanation of what that actually was.
Sarai had also revealed what those working within the palace thought about the rumors surrounding Nox. “They are afraid,” she had said quietly, her hand holding mine as a concerned line formed between her brows. “They don’t know all the details, but what has been allowed to spread doesn’t shed a favorable light on His Highness.” Sarai had been gentle with her news, but it didn’t soften the blow I felt knowing that there were those in the palace that feared him now. Perhaps even feared our family.
The line of guards that comes into view ahead is only six deep, but their presence at Nox’s door feelswrong. As I near, one of the guards breaks formation, stepping in front of them and turning towards me. “Princess Bahira, you—”
“I’ve been told my brother is awake, and I’m—” My statement is cut short when I brush past the guard and abruptly stop in front of the door, surprised to find it already open and Nox up and walking. And also not alone.
“I don’t think it is asking too much to justconsider—”
“It’s out of the question,” Nox says, somethingoffabout his tone. It’s his voice, but it isn’t. “I’ll tell you the same thing that I told the council. I will not marry anyone but Rhea.”
“Even if theystripyour family of the throne?” Haylee barks back, her cheeks turning pink. “Because I’m telling you, they will. You are smarter than this, Nox.”
“Don’t.” The single word is fired like a weapon, one that makes Haylee straighten where she stands at the foot of his bed. Unlike the first room Nox occupied during the events after the ball, this one is larger and contains a small kitchen in one corner as well as space for a loveseat and a four-person table. Nox braces his hands on the white stone counters, his head drooped between his shoulders.
Haylee lets out a soft sigh, oblivious to me standing here as she makes her way over to him. She reaches out her hand to rest on his back, letting it hover over his right shoulder before dropping it to the middle of his back instead. Nox tenses, his head snapping towards her, and the look in his eyes… My breath catches in my throat. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my brother look so fuckingferal.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, leaning in closer to him. “I just want to keep you and your family safe. I don’t want anyone else hurt by this—thisdisconnectthat is happening between the council and the king.” She tilts her head, holding his gaze. “We’ve known each other for a long time, Nox, and I would never ask you to give me something that isn’t yours to give. All I’m asking for is theillusionof it.”
“And allI’mtelling you is that it willneverhappen.”
I clear my throat to announce my presence, Haylee taking a large step back when she spots me before smiling. “Bahira! Look who is finally well enough to move around.”
“I can see that,” I reply, entering the room as Nox stands, turning to lean back against the counter. “How are you?”
He shrugs, a loose wave falling over his forehead with the movement. “Can’t say I’ve been worse.”
A half-hearted smirk is all I can muster as I fold my arms over my chest, my eyes bouncing awkwardly between Nox and Haylee. She lingers for a moment, her body still leaning towards him as if caught in his gravitational pull, before the silence registers.
“I’ll let you two talk,” she says, smiling at Nox before walking towards me. “Perhaps we can meet later?”
I nod, and she brushes her hand against my arm before she exits, closing the door behind her. I let my smirk fall as I say, “I half expected to find Councilman Kallin hiding in here.”
“The bastard hasn’t left me alone for more than a few hours at a time since I—” His hand shoots to his temple.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” he murmurs, reaching into a nearby cabinet for a glass and filling it with water. “Just a headache.” I watch him down the glass and set it on the counter, his gaze then jumping to mine. His eyes look bloodshot andodd—the silver in them dulled to a darker hue. I swallow back my worry as I look him over, taking in how he’s slightly hunched and sweat clings to his temples. The paleness of his skin and the circles under his eyes.
