Assessing.
Goals are serious business.
Do I assess his muscular arms crossed in front of him and the intricate knotwork of tattoos that interlace over them?
Of course.
But that’s okay because I haven’t one hundred percent ruled out that I might be a kidnap victim.
I need to pay attention to details, just in case. I’m positive I heard a survivor on a true crime special say that once.
Besides, he’s the one who came into my room without knocking. He’s the creepy one. Not me.
At my silence, the intruder cocks an eyebrow at me. His eyes are a piercing light gray, almost blue. They contrast his snug-fitting black T-shirt that definitely doesn’t show off his chest muscles.
“About done?” he asks.
I swallow, trying not to let my cheeks heat.
His voice is low and gravelly. I can appreciate that. Not that I’m in the market for any more supernatural love interests. I already have my hands full trying to handle one large, scary, tattooed man.
More importantly, I recognize his voice. This is the man who grabbed me from outside Leon’s castle. The recognition cuts my ogling short, and I glare at him. “Who are you, and where am I?”
If the stranger is put off by my directness, he gives no indication of it. He stays on his side of the room, looking relaxed. But there’s a barely concealed tension rippling through his body. I have no doubt that if I were to try and run right now, this man would pounce.
Yet again, someone is looking at me like I’m the prey.
I don’t like that for me.
“You’re in Morgana’s castle,” he answers before pausing, as if gauging my reaction.
My brain short-circuits. Why the hell would Leon bring me to Morgana’s castle?
The answer is simple - he wouldn’t. Clearly, the stranger is lying to me. But why?
He doesn’t embellish his answer, and stands there, assessing me right back.
A new theory starts to form in my mind. Maybe the Council is trying to trick me. Maybe this is some kind of pseudo-kidnapping loyalty test.
That sounds like a very councily move.
I keep my voice level as I answer him, “Nice try. Where is Leon?”
Don’t give them an ounce of emotion.
If this is a test, then I need to pass. I can’t give the Council any more reason to suspect I’m anything other than a regular human. I justknowthings will go from bad to worse if Need finds out about my ghost powers.
The stranger’s calm facade falters, and a flicker of disgust ghosts across his expression. “Leon is back in the Otherworld. You’re in the Shadow Realm now.”
The look of disgust is unsurprising. I already know people in the Otherworld hate Leon after he tainted his Creator powers and was demoted to a Destroyer.
The stranger is back to looking bored now. Maybe doing Council loyalty tests is his daily job. Maybe I’m the seventh person he’s tried to trick today. I can see how that would get boring.
“That’s impossible,” I deadpan. “I’d feel it in our bond.”
He smirks, and it’s spiteful. “The bond between Keepers and Destroyers is strong. But not strong enough to pass through different realms. Leon can’t enter the Shadow Realm.”
He practically spits Leon’s name.
