Allseemed at peace in The Grey.
“Have you told Nik yet?” Shiloh asked.
“No, and I don’t know if I need to. It’ll just add to his already overprotective-big-brother tendencies,” Adalia answered, closing her eyes and letting the sun wash over her skin. “Do you think I should?”
“I mean, he’s not my brother, but if I was your sister, I’d want to know.”
Adalia sighed and turned to her friend. “You’re probably right. I’ll tell him tonight. Want to come over for dinner so I can have some moral support?”
Shiloh grinned, and her violet eyes sparkled. “Only if you make that delicious red beef curry with coconut chunks in it.”
“I think I can handle that.” Adalia returned her smile.
They meandered on until a sound drifted through the trees. Shiloh stilled her horse and turned to Adalia. “Is that…?”
Adalia nodded. “Magical isn’t it? Now you can see why I had to explore it further.”
“You’re not thinking about going to him again, are you?” Shiloh’s brow rose.
“It’s quite tempting. I want to know what he’s doing there. Why isn’t he at the palace? I feel like there is more to the situation. Is he spying on us? Does he help Thorns sneak through to The Grey?” Adalia stilled her honey-coloured mare.
All her questions were valid, but above them all, what she wanted to know was could she risk sneaking through the tear again? Would he welcome her? Would Shiloh scold her or tell Nikolas if she did? Deciding the call that whispered to heart was greater, Adalia took in a deep breath as she got down from her horse.
“What are you doing?” Shiloh hissed.
Adalia handed Shiloh the reins. “I’m going to ask him one more time why he’s there. I need answers. It keeps me awake at night and I’m tired of it.”
The prince dwelling so close to the Veil really kept her awake at night. Surely it wasn’t a coincidence that there was a tear so close to his home. He could easily slip in and outwithout notice.
Shiloh bit her bottom lip and looked towards the milky Veil. “I don’t know Ada, I don’t think this is a good idea at all. What if there are Thorns there with him?”
“I promise I’ll stay hidden and only approach if he’s alone.” Adalia straightened her jacket. “I’ll be back before you know it. Just wait here.”
“If you’re not back in twenty minutes, I’m not coming in after you, but I will get Nik and he will come after you and probably kill you himself.” Shiloh huffed.
Adalia offered her a grin. “Deal. Twenty minutes . . . starting now. Light guide you.”
“You’re the one who needs guiding right now!” Shiloh called after her as she slipped through the tear in the Veil and into Oscuro.
The cabin came into view, and all was quiet except for his melodic sound. As far as she could tell, he was alone. Adalia whistled a bird call and smiled when the song stopped abruptly. Staying hidden behind the trunk of a large, dead tree, she waited for him to emerge.
Adalia definitely wasn’t prepared for what she saw as he opened the door to his cabin and stepped through.
Matthias held his veslo in one hand as he ran the other through his tousled brown locks. He wore only black, loose-fitting trousers, with the upper half of his body completely bare.
Memories surfaced from the last time she saw him here.
She swallowed the lump in her throat as she took him in; The man was sculpted to perfection, with a finely chiselled torso and muscular arms. Black tattoos covered his upper body, some too small to define, but the larger ones were as clear as day.
There was a rose on the back of his left hand, the head of a wolf on his chest that looked just like the one standing behind him in the doorway, a crescent moon and some sort of winged creature that she couldn’t quite make out, a crown and a pair of wings. They all must mean something to him, she thought.
Adalia’s eyes flicked to the left and found a multitude of daggers embedded in the trunk of a tree. Her suspicion got the better of her. Stepping out from her hiding place, she confronted him.
“Out here practising your killer moves, are you? Which poor soul has succumbed to your deadly hands this time?” Adalia accused as she folded her arms across her chest.
Matthias stared at her for a moment before putting his veslo down just inside the doorway. Placing his hands into his trouser pockets, his wings shifted as he leant against the door frame, grey-blue eyes studying her.
“Are all these daggers destined for Lightner bodies?” Adalia gestured towards the knives to his right as she took a step towards him.
