Her face shifted, a flicker of recognition followed by evident irritation. I couldn’t help the small snort that escaped me; those two had never gotten along and never would.
We headed to the lift, Natasha trailing behind me, and soon enough we stepped out onto the third floor, where my room was. I let out a heavy sigh a few paces from the lift.
Because there he was.
That familiar figure, sprawled on the sofa in the common lounge, his feet propped on the coffee table. Typical. He was dripping with style as always, today going for something edgy: a plain white T-shirt, a black leather jacket, and light-blue jeans slung low on his hips. He looked straight at me, with that maddening wolfish grin on his face.
It hadn’t been long since I’d last seen him, yet somehow I’d missed the infuriating sight. The bloody blond hair and emerald eyes were so reminiscent of Mum’s.
Zeraiah.
His smirk deepened the moment he caught my eye. Rising to his feet, he took in the room, whistling low as though wandering through some nostalgic memory lane after a decade away.
His gaze landed on the line of my drawings, buildings and scenery, displayed on the wall. He brushed his fingers over one of them, then glanced at me with a smile curling on his lip.
I sighed again and dropped onto the sofa, rubbing my temples. The riot in my veins I’d been carrying still hadn’t settled. “That old man said you’d be here this weekend,” I muttered.
Zeraiah shrugged, unbothered. “Life’s boring without surprises, brother.” His eyes slid to Natasha, and that grinwidened into mischief. “And hello, Anderson? Long time no see, miss me?”
Natasha rolled her eyes with all the disdain in the world and sank onto the sofa beside me, dumping the files she’d been carrying onto the coffee table. Of the three of us, she only had the nerve to treat Zeraiah that way, perhaps because her loathing had long reached its peak.
Zeraiah huffed a laugh. “Sassy as ever. I like that.”
I ignored them. Let them carry on their silent war. Turning to him, I asked. “So what’s the reason? I know it’s not for that old man.Or for work.So why are you here, Zer?”
He stilled, watching me. Then another casual shrug. “Same reason you’re here, innit? Mas Zaeem’s got his trick on us.” He sneered, eyes glinting with disdain. “He’s the one who asked me to come, and I fucking found out he was conveniently on an assignment abroad only after I arrived. Clever bastard.”
I smirked despite myself. Yes, our oldest brother was indeed fucking cunning this time.
“He even bloody begged me,” Zeraiah scoffed, his voice dripping with mockery. “Do you know what he said? Dad’s old. If you never come back, you’ll only ever get to touch the soil of his grave.” He sneered. “Thing is, even if he’s buried, I won’t set foot on—”
“Not here,” I cut in before he could finish. My gaze flicked upwards. “CCTV, Zer. Left and right. If you don’t want trouble, cage those inside your mouth.”
He exhaled hard through his nose. He knew I was right. “Well, at least I did miss my brother,” he muttered. “But what the hell’s he playing at? Where is Mas Zaeem stalking that girl this time? He’s bloody obsessed. There are plenty of women he could waste his time on.”
Sighing, I headed towards my door. I didn’t have the strength for this. “Not this time, Zer. He really is abroadfor work.”
“Bullshit,” he snapped, following me. “We both know it’s just an excuse. He’s chasing after—”
The ding of the lift interrupted him. Natasha’s voice greeted someone.
Zeraiah and I glanced at each other before stepping back into the lounge. My brows narrowed at the sight of who had come straight up to the third floor, where our rooms were.
Zeraiah froze, shock flashing across his face before it twisted into something unreadable. Then slowly, he smiled, but it wasn’t friendly. Not even close. He straightened, shoving his hands into his pockets.
And Tsabinu dipped his head to us.
“Well, well, look who’s here,” Zeraiah drawled, with a chilling smile playing on his lips. “Our good boy… How are you, Highness?”
16
Zioh
I ignored Zeraiah’s biting sarcasm and stepped towards Tsabinu. “Why are you here?” My thoughts wandered back and forth. Tsabinu never came without reason. He always appeared when something was wrong.
What now?
Zeraiah scoffed. “Don’t tell me you miss—”
