I swore I heard him mumble something else, but I didn’t have time for his snide attitude. I grabbed the folder. This was a Sisyphean task, like all of these stupid fucking Challenges. Something seemingly simple crammed into a box of impossible.
I wanted that throne. I would have it.
I slammed the folder shut. “I assume you will be watching?”
“Of course.” Cato nodded.
Standing, I grabbed the folder off the desk and pushed my chair back. “Then mark the clock. You will have your Challenge completed in forty-eight hours.” I stepped out from behind the table and marched to the hallway that led to my apartments.
This was ridiculous. I could just hunt the guy, kill him, and leave his legacy in a shambles. I could do any number of things and be done with this in just a few hours. There had to be something to this. Cato was the biggest, most arrogant asshole I’d ever known.
“What are you thinking, Gwen?” Adelie asked as I passed into the hall, away from the overlords.
“I think I need to feed and think more on this.”
“He’s a deceptive son of a bitch.” She threw a look at the chamber where the overlords were addressing the crowd. “He’s not being upfront about what this really is—”
“I know, Adelie.” I adored her, but she was stating the obvious and would be doing so for the next hour if I didn’t shut her up. “I know. I have to go through this file. I need you to go to the library and look up as much information on this...Timothy Ginteras you can.”
“I can use the computer in the study,” she said. “The library has restrictions on it, and I don’t want to fight those.”
“Why are there restrictions on the computers there?” I cocked my head, curious.
“Because God forbid the masses get their hands on information to overthrow the Council.”
“Overthrow?”
“You really think they rule with honesty?” Nial asked.
I jerked at the sound of his voice, my shoulders tensing.
Once again, he had snuck up on me. Fucking druid.
“Am I supposed to believe the masses don’t know about the lies?” I looked him up and down—and suppressed the intimate shiver that tried to claw up my spine. “And what the hell are you doing here? I need time to read this junk.”
“I am your Monitor for this Challenge, Gwynnore. Lord Belshazzar ordered it just now. I shadow you everywhere.”
Fucking jackass!
Why was he doing this to me?
My blood boiled, wanting to throttle the overlord.
But, my asshole father’s advice flittered in my mind.
Don’t let the heart get involved. This was business.
I breathed through it.Breathe.
I attempted to hedge, “Good, you can—”
“Do nothing.” He held up his tan hand. “I can do nothing. I’m merely here to make sure that you follow the rules of the Challenge. Stop the act.”
I was going to have this son of a bitch following me the whole time.
Now, I wished I hadn’t fucked him.
I didn’t need easy temptation hanging around. Just more complications. I pushed through the door to my apartments and tossed the file on my desk in the study.
