But Eyden was focused, clinging to whatever he was listening to. Lora’s curiosity increased and she was compelled to focus her hearing. She shifted slightly to bring her ear closer to the wall.
“All your suspects turned out negative?” a muffled, deep voice said.
“I would say so, yes. But I’m scheduled to do another round tomorrow to confirm.”
Someone walked around the room, the floorboards creaked loudly and then the same deep voice asked, “Where’s Layken?”
She felt Eyden move next to her in reaction to the guard’s words. Were they talking about the brown-haired guard they’d started trailing, the one Eyden seemed so intrigued about?
“He gave us a brief update before you walked in. He has a possible L5. We’ll be getting in position now, sir, if you don’t have any further questions,” another voice said.
Lora looked to Eyden and saw his eyes widen. She’d never seen him caught off-guard like this. She wasn’t sure what it meant but it was definitely related to their target.
“I’ll expect a full briefing at the palace.”
“Of course, sir,” came the reply, and then there was the noise of movement.
Lora was still trying to interpret the guard’s talk when she heard the fae’s creaky steps quickly growing louder as they moved towards her. She realised the door was about to open and hastily looked for the nearest turn in the corridor to hide. Maybe if they ran, they could hide in time.
Lora turned to make a run for it when Eyden suddenly spun her around and trapped her against the wall just as the door handle rattled.
For a second her brain didn’t catch on. All she could feel was how close Eyden was. His body leaning in, lining up with hers, his breath tickling her cheek and then her ear as he whispered, “Play along.”
The door opened and Lora let her eyes drift shut as she put one hand on Eyden’s shoulder and the other on the back of his head, drawing him closer. The movement made his lips graze her neck and she shivered instinctively. They were merely painting the picture of an intimate moment, she reminded herself, cursing her body’s traitorous reaction.
“By Caelo, I hate this club,” the fae with the deep voice said.
She could feel Eyden’s hands tighten on her waist, his head moving as if he was caressing her neck. His warm breath felt like kisses made out of air trailing from her jaw to her collarbone, turning her skin flush. Lora let her fingers run through his hair, dishevelling his curls.
“Get a room, you two. Or a corner. There’s no shortage here,” another fae said, his laughter sounding farther away. Lora vaguely picked up on their steps disappearing in the distance.
For a moment, they were trapped in time. Holding each other, frozen in place. Lora was all too aware of Eyden’s hands heating her skin through her clothes and his breath scorching her neck.
Eyden lifted his head. “I think we’re okay.”
Lora opened her eyes and found Eyden staring at her. She tried to read his face but couldn’t make sense of it. She expected her own expression might mirror Eyden’s confused state.
Lora quickly dropped her arms and Eyden followed her example. The distance between them felt like cool air washing over her.
Eyden cursed under his breath. “We need to find the guard.” Even as he said it, he started running. Lora had no choice but to follow.
Her mind flashed back to the conversation she’d overheard. “You mean Layken?” she asked as she followed a few steps behind Eyden.
Eyden didn’t slow down but he did risk a glance over his shoulder. “You heard that?”
“Bits and pieces, yes. What’s L5? Did I hear that right?”
“I’ll explain later.” There was a sort of panicked determination behind his voice. Lora was still utterly confused about what Eyden was trying to achieve but it seemed urgent enough that she swallowed her questions. They could wait, but she would get answers later.
They took a few turns and then the mood in the room shifted drastically as they entered another hallway. Some doors were open and some fae, who had very obviously dressed in haste, were standing outside their rooms.
Confusion, anger, disgust, annoyance—a mix of emotions took over the fae’s features. Some stood around anxiously, deciding what to do next. Others looked scared as they walked away quickly.
At the end of the corridor, one door was thrown wide open and Lora could see a chair that had fallen over and a few bloodstains leading out into the hall. She had the sense they’d walked into a crime scene. The red light filling the hall made the scene even more eerie.
Eyden swore again but didn’t stop moving as he took Lora’s hand, probably so he didn’t have to check if she was still trailing him. They made their way through the gathered fae. Eyden only slowed down when they arrived at the balcony by the staircase. He looked over the railing, demanding a spot in between other curious fae.
Taking in the scene, Lora noted that the atmosphere had changed here too. Fae were hurrying around, scattered, either trying to get away from something or trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on near the entrance. That’s when she spotted the guards. Three of them. They were pushing someone towards the exit.
