“Unlikely.” His stare plummets back down.“I can only commit to a target on the battlefield.”
“Dating is a battle with different weapons.”
A smile escapes him with a snort.
We dash through the gardens to the guard building. Adrian’s office is on the top floor. I can’t wait to pluck all these black roses out and toss them into a fire.
Once we exit the safety of the inner walls, Tristen’s walk changes; he’s quick-footed like a cat jumping from window to dresser, eyes scanning every inch before he allows us to take a step. Some guards observe us, but they don’t impede. They just nod, then cast their eyes down, avoiding mine.
How are Titus and I going to unite these men? They hate me.
We enter the causeway that the warriors use, so they won’t muddy the streets. Black arched stones tower above, creating the ominous look the architect intended. My exhales become a whisper. “Tristen.” I grab his biceps and peer at the stars. Their light is so far away it can’t guide us towards hope. “There’s shouting.”
He takes a hand and holds it tight. “Yeah.” He nods, and his sword is out before I can blink.
My hand swings to my hip for my dagger, and shadows blind me. I reach for Tristen’s back so I don’t trip.
“I can’t see,” I panic. His shadows thicken. Unlike before, where his shadows formed a shield, they now allow me no room to see him.
His arm slips around my waist, and my hips press into his side. “Trust me,” he guides me along the way as more shouts sound.
“That’s coming from the nobles’ houses,” I state.Titus, where are you?I try to pull on that bond, but it’s a new muscle I have to train.I search it again. “I can’t feel the bond.”
Tristen hisses. “I knew it!”
“What?”
“He left! That’s why you can’t feel the bond. He’s going to kill Galen.”
My toes tingle as all the blood rushes to my aching heart. “No, he wouldn’t do that without me.”
“That bond on your chest tells me he would. He left me behind! I’m the only one he’d trust to protect you. I’m not honored; I’m angry. We always go into battle together. We have a ritual. This isn’t good. Fuck!”
My inhales are half as deep and twice as hard. “I’m going to kill him again,” I whisper.
“I call dibs.” Tristen snorts, but his hand turns tender as it rubs my back, trying to calm me.
I completely trust him as he blindly guides me. Our walk feels longer than night, and I lose myself in worry. My back hits the hard stone.
“Shhh,” he whispers.
“Where are we?”
“Just outside the armory. I knew it!”
“What’s happening? Lower the shadows so I can see.”
“Shhh,” he pushes me against the wall, using his own body as a shield. “Shadows are useless if you keep yapping.”
I swing my hand out, hitting something.
“Ouch! What was that for?” I can hear his smirk.
“Don’t condescend me! I’ll yap when I want!” I burst through his shadow like hot rays of the sun. I almost fall into a rose bush. Shadows wrap around my hips, and hands tug me back. “Let me see!”
“Fine.” The shadows float to my feet as Tristen takes a step in front of me.
Hurried steps alert my eyes to the direction the guards with weapons in hand are running. A heavy scent of roses coats my tongue. Fallen petals, torn open by the soles of boots, dirty the cobblestone streets.
