The door opened, and he stilled, all senses focused on her. He’d been counting the minutes since Aiden went to get her—half in anticipation, half in dread—and yet he still wasn’t ready.
The upheaval of his life as a child had taught him one thing: always be in control. And he managed it admirably in every part of his life… except around Izzy. Having her here, a part of this nightmare, made it even worse.
Izzy looked around, taking in the room. Did she see an array of soldiers? First Lieutenant Aiden accompanied her, First Lieutenant Kai stood with Captain Cori beside the marble fireplace, Crown Marshall Prince Shanrick perched on a desk,his long legs stretched in front of him, and of course, there was Luka himself, knight commander of the castle guard. Or did she see friends? Family even? They’d grown up together, learned together, and played together. Their ties had been closer than blood. Until Rayan’s death, when it all faltered. When everything imploded and they splintered apart. Or did she see what Luka saw? The inner circle. The people Shane would call if the wolves were at the gate. Having them all in this room spelled nothing but trouble.
His beast stretched, trying to force him closer as Izzy called a greeting in response to the chorus of hellos from the room.Gods, she’s beautiful.
Of course she was. With her green eyes and silvery hair, shapely legs outlined by leather breeches, and soft curves filling her blue and gold bodice, he dreamed about her more often than he wanted to admit. But it was more than that. It was the generosity of her heart, her courage, her resilience and intelligence. Everything about her made her beautiful.
She had hurried to reach them. Her cheeks were reddened by the wind, her lips were dry, and her hair was a loose mass falling to her shoulders. There were also dark rings under her eyes, and his beast growled in his belly at the sight of them.
“You look tired,” Luka muttered, not quite under his breath, feeling irritated again that they’d dragged her from her bed. Even more irritated at the thought of who else might be in that bed. And irritated at himself for being irritated.
Izabel’s chin lifted, but not before he saw the flicker of hurt. Fuck. She’d heard him. “Well, hello to you too, Luka. You know, if you want to insult me, you could do so without dragging me out of my bed.” She tapped a long finger against her lips. “Although you’d have to acknowledge I exist first, so I see your quandary.”
You’re an asshole,his beast growled at him, instantly taking Izzy’s side and sending a ripple of spiked scales up his back.
Luka frowned at his beast in response but didn’t disagree. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, but somehow he always did. Gods, this was exactly why he stayed away.
Aiden threw Luka an unimpressed glance and then stepped closer to Izzy and settled a hand protectively on her back.
Luka’s beast thrashed in his belly, but he held it back. Aiden was a friend. He wasn’t hurting her. And, more importantly, Izabel could touch anyone she wanted. She had a lover. The gods knewhehad touched people in the three years since she’d left.
It’s been three years, two months, and seventeen days since you shoved her away,his beast growled. And don’t lie to yourself. You touched exactly two people. Both over three years,onemonth, and seventeen days ago. And we both know how horrible you felt afterward.
Luka held in his own growl. Just. He might have actually told the beast to shut up, even with a room full of people as audience, but the look on Izzy’s face stopped him. Tiredness and pain. The expectation of worse to come.
Perhaps she was remembering the last time they were all in a room together. The day of Rayan’s funeral. After that, Izabel left the castle physiks to live and work in the city. Cori, Aiden, and Kai resigned from the castle guard, joined the military, and accepted a commission that took them miles away to the northern border. Shane threw himself into seducing everyone with a pulse. And Luka had focused on simplicity, on his career and his duties. On the things he could control.
Exactly,his beast rumbled.You stripped every iota of joy out of life.
That was irrelevant. The point was, they’d all gone their own ways. They’d fractured and splintered. And now they were back. And dragging Izzy into their mess.
“What is happening?” she asked. “Aiden said that everyone was fine, but Princess Iona and the queen… they’re not here. Are they?—”
“They’re both well,” Shane reassured her. “But we’ve decided to leave them out of this for now.”
That really is a mistake.Luka’s beast glared at Shane.
“You’ve decided. Not me,” Luka snapped. That was the second thing they’d argued about and that Shane had overruled him on.
Izabel ignored their squabble as her eyes traveled over the desks strewn with papers, maps on the walls, and the weapons stacked neatly in the corner to land on the sheet-covered shape stretched over the far table. “What isthis, exactly?”
“Earlier tonight, Sergeant Dashiell of the city guard found a young woman’s body on the Nabaspath—” Luka explained the rough details of their grim evening. “We need to know how she died, but Shane felt it would be best to keep everything quiet for now.”
Hedidn’tsay, “Tell us quickly and then you can go,” but he wanted to.
“Who is she?” Izabel asked as she stepped up toward the table and laid her hand on the sheet.
“Her name is Narya,” Shane replied. “She’s the most senior lady-in-waiting in Archthane Batlok’s party, tending to Lady Kaliska. They’re friends….” He winced. “And she is—was—Batlok’s niece.”
“Mother of the Weave.” Izabel looked around at all the people in the room, scales gleaming on her cheekbones. She knew how serious this was. They all did.
Archthane Batlok held the promise of peace in his hands, and he was using it to establish himself as the ultimate power in the region. What would he demand from them to smooth this over?Almost certainly more than Hugaeb could afford to give… and probably someone’s death in return for the loss of his niece.
Izzy lifted the sheet corner and looked down at the lifeless face of the dead woman. Luka could almost feel her shuddering breath. Izzy had always had the most empathy of all of them. It took everything he had to stop his beast from storming over to her side and dragging her into his arms.
Why are you stopping? She needs us!
