Ronen snapped his fingers, and Rune’s noise begrudginglydied down.
“Get your Soulhound off mine, pet.”
Hadrian whipped around and snapped his teeth at Ronen.
The door squeaked as he tried to step back. His mask didn’t twitch a bit, but the retreat was telling enough.
I slid a hand over my mouth to hide my smile. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who despised Ronen’s nickname for Aspen. Nor was I the only one in his corner anymore.
Oliver and MJ were great, but Oliver helped Aspen for my sake, and MJ had her own motives. Plus, her help only went so far. She’d always choose Ronen over Aspen.
For the first time, Aspen had someone justlooking out for him.
Hope whispered through me, carving thin fissures in the stone weight pressing on my chest.
I wanted to ask so many questions.
When he found him. Where. Why he looked so different from Rune.
There was a story here I was missing, but feeling lighter than I had in weeks and knowing I was on a time crunch, I changed the subject.
“Ronen, I need the key to the dungeons.”
“Why?” he asked, keeping one eye on Hadrian.
“Ichi should be allowed to see her sister.”
“Okay.”
That was it?
No argument? No having to sneak into his room and steal the key?
“Okay?”
“You expected I’d say no?”
“Ichi said she wasn’t allowed to see her sister,” I explained.
“The king is particular about who enters the dungeons.”
“And you’re still okay with letting me go?”
He moved around Hadrian, his shadows circling his palms the only sign of his nerves.
“Yes.”
That was easy.
I held out my hand, waiting for him to fish out the key.
“You think I’m going to allow you into the dungeons without me?”
And there was the catch.
“You’ve done it before.”
Ronen closed the space between us.
