“Sit down,” Killian tells her, feet up on the coffee table, a book in his lap. He doesn’t look at her.
“It’s almost sunrise,” she snaps, fingers twitching. “He needs to be back?—”
“Relax, Princess.” He licks his thumb, turning a page. “He’ll be here.”
She growls something under her breath, green eyes hard. Killian doesn’t pay her any attention, and I clear my throat.
“Is it bad if he’s not back before sunrise?” Crossing my arms, I try to ward off the cold of the room. It feels as if a spirit hauntsus, sucking all the warmth out until it’s as frigid as the grounds outside.
Maeve stops, sipping from her glass, frowning. “The rules state everyone needs to be back before sunrise to stay in the games.”
“So, if he doesn’t come back before then?—”
“He’s out,” she interrupts. “Unless he’s been caught. Then he’sdead.” She seems to glare harshly at Killian for that.
“He hasn’t been caught,” Killian singsongs. “Have more faith in the prince.” He turns another page. “Last time I checked, he was the only one who had it.”
Her gaze ices over. “There’s a reason these games aren’t done so often, Linwood.” She climbs on to her desk, legs swinging. “Good men are killed for this chance. Taken, captured, it doesn’t matter. This is as much for us, as it is for our enemies. Because now they have a reason to come for us. Do you remember the stories of when Pops took command?”
At the mentioning of his last name, he glances up, eyes narrowing, but his teasing smile doesn’t leave his face. Winking at me, his feet drop with a sudden noise. “They were just stories, Princess. We have no evidence that Bruno Senior took the top contender and flayed him in the city center.”
She scoffs. “We don’t need evidence when weknowit happened.”
My stomach twists. The idea of Hayes being vulnerable, that Roman could hurt his brother… I blink back the sudden urge to find something sharp and stick it into Bruno’s eye. I’ll kill him if he lays one finger on Hayes.
Killian licks his lips. “I don’t remember you being such a worrier.”
“What happens if they get him?” I ask, standing, rubbing my arms. “What happens if Roman gets Hayes?”
Maeve sighs, shoulders dropping. “Hayes can’t step foot on their property. But obviously, this trial is exactly that. If so, the deal voids if he’s caught.”
“Voids, how?” I push up my glasses, anxiety tightening my gut. “What happens?”
“Death.” Maeve’s green eyes darken. “Roman is within his rights to kill him for breaking the agreement.” She glares at Killian. “It took memonthsto set that up. I fucking had to do so much for it. And if Roman catches him on his turf, again, it’ll be fornothing.”
I ignore the very real, cold fear trying to swirl in my belly. The fear of losing Hayes. Of never telling him how I feel.
I’ve come to terms with it. I could have loved someone worse. He can hate me, never want to see me again when the Games end. But I’ll still tell him how I feel.
“What did you do?” I ask, voice low. “Can it be redone?”
Maeve stays silent. Whatever she did, she’s not telling.
“He’s not safe, is he?”
Maeve shakes her head sadly. “No, Col. Hayes isn’t safe. None of us are safe in this world. But him? Roman has it out for his brother. Because of who he is, and whoIam.”
It never occurred to me that Roman has it out for HayesandMaeve. Both of them have been friends and partners for so long—of course he hates them both. If he can hurt Hayes, he hurts my sister.
Unfortunately, Roman will destroy my heart if he does.
But not before I take his.
She jumps from the desk, mind made up. “I’m asking again.”
Maeve has gone to the guards multiple times in the night for checks on the contestants. The two others came back hours ago, one destroying three storefronts, another four.
All that was left was Hayes.
