I fought to keep up, my breathing ragged, my pulse thundering in my ears. The memory of Crey’s shocked face, alive one moment, gone the next, threatened to surface, but I shoved it down.
“Slow down,” I said.
“You can’t keep up.”
“You won’t get rid of me.”
He smirked. “Not for lack of trying.”
This banter between us was almost as dangerous as our kiss. It made me want more from this man than I should. My body’s response wasn’t solely from adrenaline. The reminder of his mouth on mine still burned across my bones, igniting everything it touched.
I stumbled on a cracked step, catching myself before I fell, stone scraping my palm.
His voice broke the tight silence. “Becareful.”
At the top, he creaked the door the rest of the way open, spilling pale light into the cramped space beyond. The viewing room was empty, chairs pushed aside, dust motes swirling in the torchlight.
His hawk perched on the back of one of the chairs pointingtoward a wall of glass overlooking the training hall, our section in particular.
“Fuck, gone.” While his hawk shrieked, Trew dropped to his knees, his hands sweeping over the seats, his fingertips glowing with magic. The hum of his power buzzed through the air.
Rising, his hands dropped to his sides, and his eyes met mine. “Go to your chambers. Lock the door. Do not let anyone inside but me.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” I said.
His jaw flexed. “You’re impossible when you should be scared.” A vein throbbed at his temple, and his jaw twitched.
His mask of control had cracked. If I looked hard enough, what might I see? I sensed a war waged inside him, his desperate urge to protect me battling his iron will to keep me at arm’s length. That subtle flicker of want and the shadow of fear for my safety made my chest tighten.
He turned away, the severing of our gaze almost violent.
“What happened to Crey’s companion?” I asked, remembering a pop and it disappearing. Had it returned to the other beasts, where it would wait to bond again?
“As dead as Crey.”
“What?”
He paused and gave me a solemn look. “Surely you know that companions die when their person does, Isi Barlowe who grew up in Oakhaven?”
“It was Deepwood.”
“Ah, yes, that’s right.”
What did he know? He kept teasing around the edges but never outright trying to pin me in a lie. He couldn’t know I was Princess Amarissa of Caldrith Court, or he’d not only expose but he’d also punish me.
After all, someone in this court had murdered my sister.
“Tell me what you found here,” I said, waving to the seats.
He held out his arm, and his hawk soared to him, landing lightly.Another flutter of his wings, and he perched on Trew’s shoulder, clutching his tunic and watching me.
“I know who was here,” Trew said. “I’m going to speak with them. I’ll have guards take you to your chambers.”
“They were aiming for me. That means I’m going with you.”
His scowl deepened but he only grumbled. “Alright, but you will remain silent.Iwill do the talking.”
Guards were waiting at the base of the stairs.
