“You never attack Kelevra again. I don’t care about your reasoning. I don’t care if you decide he deserves it. If he does something you don’t like, you come to me about it. Leave him alone.”
“Are you afraid I was sloppy? That this will get back to us after all?”
“He’s got his entire Retinue searching for you.”
“They won’t find me.”
“Confirm you understand the new rule, brother.”
“What if he kills you?”
“He won’t.”
“What if he ends things with you then?”
Rin hesitated, not liking the way his gut twisted at those words.
“You’re less convinced about that,” his brother caught on. “Normal people are unpredictable. They’re fickle and constantly changing their minds about everything. Your Imperial? He isn’t normal. He’s mercurial and selfish. Once he’s bored of you, he’ll toss you aside and your feelings will be hurt. You won’t want to protect him then.”
“Brother.”
“Rules can change,” he shrugged. “That’s all I’m saying.”
Rin nibbled on the inside of his cheek, hating that this was now swirling around in his head, but needing to ask anyway. “Do you think he will? Really?”
“Grow bored with you?” He hummed. “It’s possible. Who can tell.”
“Would you?”
“If I was truly obsessed with you the way he claims?” His brother smirked. “No.”
This was stupid and not at all why he’d come rushing all the way over here. He’d planned on yelling at him for keeping a secret—he’d never imagined he’d end up worried about Kelevra in the process. Rin rubbed at his jaw and then sharpened his tone. “Confirm you understand the new rule. Sound it out for me.”
His brother rolled his eyes. “I won’t shoot a blaster at the Imperial Prince again. Even if he deserves it.”
“You—”
The door swung open, cutting Rin off, and his eyes went wide when his father stood on the other side. His reaction only doubled when he realized Lyra and Kelevra were both with him.
His brother cocked his head, face enigmatic, and reminded Rin, “The doors here are paper-thin.”
No…
One look at Kelevra’s enraged expression confirmed the worst.
They’d heard.
“How much of that did you catch?” his brother was the one to ask, running a hand sheepishly through his hair. He made sure to apply the correct amount of nervousness into his voice, a show for their father more so than anyone else. His shoulders slumped slightly, playing the part. As the oldest, he was expected to show the most respect, the most regret. He was softer and more technical, which was why he’d been sent to the university instead of the Academy like his more outgoing brother.
Looking at him, no one would be able to guess he was the type of person who could even consider harming another person, let alone aim a gun at them. Standing there, dressed in the Vail University uniform, his brother slipped into the role of the Sila Varun their father was familiar with, with ease.
“You fired a weapon at the Imperial Prince of Vitality?” Crate was beat red, the vein in his forehead visible. He was doing his damnedest to maintain that Tiberan composure, his voice coming out clipped and steady despite the way his gaze conveyed how badly he wanted to skin them alive. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Where did you even get a blaster?”
“Is that all you heard?” His brother turned to him. “There’s that, I suppose.”
Lyra stepped into the apartment, her heels clicking against the cheap linoleum flooring. In her gold dress and matching heels, she sparkled far too brightly to fit in amongst the secondhand furniture and living space of two college-age guys. “Attacking an Imperial is an offense that results in death.”
Rin looked to Kelevra, but Kel didn’t say anything to his sister. It was hard to tell what he was thinking aside from anger.
