Opening her bathroom door, she intended to jump right into bed, but a body blocked her path. A scream of surprise almost jumped out of her throat as Eyden stood before her.
His pale eyes wandered over her body. He lingered on her exposed neck, the red and blue marks covering her skin. A red-hot rage reflected in his eyes. His mouth opened, but Lora quickly put her finger to his lips, shushing him.
She glanced at her door, but Layken seemed to be none the wiser. Grabbing Eyden’s arm, she pulled him into the tiny bathroom, closing the door behind her and locking it. She turned on the faucet before finally meeting his gaze.
“You’re here,” she said in a low voice. So, Karwyn and the guards hadn’t figured out he’d teleported into the palace. They still had that element of surprise.
“I told you I’d be back. I keep my promises,” Eyden replied, a small grin stretching his lips. His tone was light, teasing. Eyden’s eyes flickered to her neck again, darkening. “Are you okay?”
No,she wanted to say, but another emotion took precedence.She punched his shoulder.
Eyden bit back a yelp. “I think you spent too much time around El.”
“I told you to leave me and you tried to take me with you anyway,” Lora whisper-yelled.
“You were bleeding out!”
“I was going to be fine. Karwyn won’t kill me.”Not yet.
“I know, but you were hurt.” Eyden sighed, running a hand through his dark locks. “I’m sorry, okay? I am. It was a gut reaction.”
“You need to work on that gut reaction of yours. I bet El has told you that more than once.”
“She has.” He leaned against the bathroom counter. “How did you do it anyway? How did you pull back and stay?”
Lora joined him by the counter. “I felt I needed to stay. So I did.”
“Interesting.” Eyden tilted his head closer to hers. “Have you ever done that before? Blocked someone’s power?”
A small smile broke free as a realisation came over her. “I have, actually. Karwyn can’t read my thoughts, and Rhay has never been able to read my emotions.”
“You just get more and more special, don’t you?” Eyden teased.
“Don’t make me hit you again.”
He held up his hands. “You’ll stop wanting to hit me when I tell you why I came here.”
A new hope blossomed in her heart. “Didn’t we fail?” She’d assumed that since they didn’t get the contract, their plan had gone to hell.
“Not quite. I didn’t tell you in case you’d be forced to tell Karwyn, but the plan was for Farren to make a magical copy of the contract,” Eyden explained. “It was ripped from his hands so fast that a few sentences here and there are missing, but we could read between the lines. I can’t make any promises now, but he’s trying to figure out if we can alter it or use a loophole. He’s working on it now with Halie’s help.”
“Sahalie?” Lora asked. She hadn’t expected to hear that name again.
“With her knowledge of crystals and herbs as a healer, she’s been helpful. Farren was sceptical at first, but I think they actually make a good team. I, on the other hand, am apparently not useful, which is why Farren insisted I check up on you instead.”
“And she doesn’t mind that she’s helping me?” Lora asked, remembering Sahalie’s icy tone towards her.
“No, we’re good.Thisis good.”
It was a chance. A small one, but still a chance. Lora glanced at the small clock on the white bathroom wall. “We don’t have much time.Caelo Nightis in three days.”
Eyden caught her double meaning. He shifted on his feet, his hands clenching the counter. “Three days? That was conveniently left out.”
“This would be a good time for the famous Turosian luck to kick in,” Lora replied, forcing a laugh. She tilted her head down, letting loose strands of hair fall in her face.
“You haven’t given up, have you?”
She turned her head, pushing her hair behind her ear. “No, but I know the odds aren’t in my favour—”
