Stone’s hand settles on my lower back, guiding me around the corner. “We banded together to survive in times of war, and then when there wasn’t anything left to fight, we just... waited around, biding our time until the next attack. But it never came, so we found things to keep us busy in the meantime so we didn't go mad.”
The air becomes thick with contemplative silence as they both temporarily get lost in their thoughts. Unwilling to be the one to break it, I study the paintings and tapestries lining the hallway, making a mental map as we walk out of habit.
Kodi shakes out of it first, stealing my hand and lacing our fingers together, even more touchy-feely than usual. “Most of these rooms are still sitting around empty, so anything we don’t have set up that you’re interested in, just let one of us know and we’ll take care of it, okay?”
We leisurely stroll another couple of hallways with them rattling off what’s behind each door, and it doesn’t take long to get a general sense of the layout. Large communal things like the gym, dining hall, and the library are on the first floor, while guest bedrooms are on the second alongside various recreational rooms that are covered in a fine layer of dust. It seems like the entire second floor is a massive waste of space unless Raiden has guests over more frequently than the lifeless place alludes to. Our bedrooms are on the third level in the center, the most secure area if the castle was ever under attack, and each of them have their own wing branching off of that section with clusters of rooms pertaining to their various interests.
Every room in the North wing’s been left empty, but there isn’t a spec of dust to be found in any of them.
The faint sound of shattering glass has all of us pulling to a stop, and the guys silently converse with each other over the top of my head. Kodi tugs me back into motion, like they’re trying to usher me out of the hall quickly, and I grimace, guilt heavy on my shoulders.
“Raiden’s office, I take it?”
From two doors down I can hear his muffled voice; tone carefully controlled, but rising in volume. As whatever call he’s on ends, there’s a heavy thump, like he pounded a fist on his desk, and I flinch.
Stone stares at the door as we pass it until he eventually turns away with a sigh. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better, I’m afraid. He’s always been a workaholic, but last night scared the life out of him when you ran away from us. I don’t think he’ll be sleeping until he comes up with a plan he’s confident enough in to pitch to you.”
Kodi lifts our joined hands and kisses my knuckles, urging me to keep walking. “Leave him be for a while, firefly. It’ll be good for him to blow off a little steam without us breathing down his neck. If you’re there, he’ll be worried about keeping his reactions on lockdown so he doesn’t scare you away, and it’ll just be one more thing for him to stress over.”
Stone hastily adds, “Not that he wouldn’t love seeing you; he lived for the nights you’d fall asleep in the office back at Kodiak’s house. He just doesn’t want to let you down, and it would add more pressure if he were faced with the reminder of what he could lose if he fails.”
Swallowing down my guilt, I nod, letting them lead me away, but every step I take makes my stomach twist a little more.
Chapter 7
Raiden
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“Think wisely beforeyou answer, Barlowe.”
The bear shifter’s voice crackles from his spotty reception. “We keep to ourselves. Always have, always will. I’m not losing good men over a pissing contest between dragons, Garrison.”
I clench my teeth hard enough I nearly crack a tooth. “You’reableto keep to yourselves because of everything my legion’s done to give you that freedom. This affects all of us whether you like it or not. If Mason Devlin is left unchecked, that peace you take for granted will be shattered. He’ll drag this entire country back hundreds of years, and give his supporters his blessing to be their vile selves without recourse. You think they won’t come for you just because you’re in the mountains? Your women and children, raid your neighboring towns? Don’t be naive.”
“This dystopian nightmare bullshit is just that; bullshit,” he growls. “We’re not suddenly going back to the dark ages overnight. Good luck to you, but we’re staying out of it.” The call drops before I can get another word in.
