20. TWENTY #2
He isn’t used to getting caught, I realize. I might even be the first, based on his prickly demeanor. I have no proof his words are true. He could easily be an assassin and not Darius’s shadow, yet I sense no malice from him.
No danger. None directed toward me, at least.
He saved me from an unwelcome intrusion, so I reward him with honesty. “I sensed that someone was behind the wall. I acted first instead of waiting to become a target.”
“That was reckless.” He leans against the wall and crosses his arms. “Next time call for a guard or run.”
I flash him a smile as I head farther into the tunnel. “Sorry, that’s never been my style.” I risk his attack by going ahead, but if he doesn’t try to kill me, I have more reason to believe his assignment from Darius is the truth.
“Where are you going? The ball is that way.”
He follows, producing a light from his pocket. The strange device is a small silver box that carries a flame. It doesn’t appear to be some kind of magic.
A soft orange glow reflects off the boy’s pale skin and dark hair. His eyes are an odd shade of violet and sharper than those of men twice his age.
I gesture toward my tattered dress. Not nearly as bad as I thought, but not something I can return to the ball wearing. Thankfully, Cassian prepared two dresses in case something happened to the first.
“I need to get to my room and change into the spare dress. Unless you would like to explain to Darius why I look like a broken spiderweb?”
His eyes widen at my use of the emperor’s name. Two can play this game.
“I’ll take you.”
He leads in silence through several turns, a staircase, and a quiet dart across one open corridor to another hidden hall. Eventually we break out into the hallway closest to my room.
Two guards stand post as usual. They relax against the wall, not expecting anyone to come this way for hours. They jump to attention the moment they spot me.
“Your Majesty, are you injured?” They scan my current state with alarm.
I wave. “No, I’m perfectly fine. I spilled on my dress, and we took the staff corridors to avoid the public eye.”
“We?” He regards me as if I must be injured after all. A blow to the head, perhaps.
I turn to point to the boy behind me but find myself alone. I didn’t even notice him vanish.
“An attendant showed me the way. She returned to her post. Now, if you will excuse me, I must hurry and change before I’m missed.”
“Of course,” they say in unison as I pass.
Once inside, I lock the door and head straight for the washroom. Wiping the dust and sweat from my body with a towel, I study the cavernous space. “You can come out, you know.”
Silence.
“George.” More silence.
“Harrington?” I guess again. “I’m going to make up more names until you respond. I need help to undo the back of the dress.”
An exasperated huff sounds from the window as he slides in, landing on his feet without a sound. How did he get outside? Or inside for that matter? There isn’t a balcony, and we are dozens of feet in the air.
“Alright. I’ll help you, then you go back. You never tell Darius we met.”
“Deal, but only if you tell me your name.”
He frowns, pulling at the buttons on the back of my dress as I hold up the front with my hand. “Why?”
“Because if you are going to be following me around, which I assume you’ve been doing since I arrived, then I want to know your name.”
He peeks at our reflections in the mirror, his face hiding none of his distrust. “Alexi,” he relents.
“Mina,” I reply with a warm smile. “I suppose I should be angry Darius has someone following me, but I would have done the same in his position. At least he was worried enough to send his most talented asset.”
The flattery is genuine. Alexi moves unlike anyone I’ve ever met, a wraith in human form. Our fighting styles are different, but both utilize an opponent’s weight and momentum against them. Until now, I thought Kalisham had the best shadows.
Based on his attitude, I doubt he is part of a team. He reminds me more of a feral cat.
Undressing me barely fazes the boy, but he flushes at my compliment. “I am his best,” he boasts. “The perfect choice to keep you safe and make sure you aren’t a threat in return.”
“I can see how a woman who knows how to fight would be alarming.”
He shrugs. “I’ve known plenty of female fighters. Just none from so cushy a position. And none who could tear apart a room with wind in a matter of seconds.”
Only two people in Veloria know of my power. Now three, I guess. Was he told or simply watching the whole time?
“Touché. Wait here, please.”
Alone in my bedchamber, I strip out of the damaged dress and pull on the new one. I button the back of the dress with one hand as I walk back into the washroom.
His eyes narrow at my dexterity. “You didn’t need help at all.”
“No. But you would have stayed hidden otherwise.”
He glares daggers at me before heading toward the bathroom window. “Go back to your fancy ball. And take the normal route this time.” With one leg hanging out the window, he turns back toward me. “And remember, not a word to Darius. I’m in no mood for his lectures.”
His nose scrunches before disappearing into the night air.
Alexi is strange, and he certainly isn’t afraid of Darius.
Asking to keep our meeting a secret feels more like a boy not wanting to be scolded by his father than a subordinate in fear of punishment.
Though with their ages, perhaps the relationship is more like brothers.
Alexi’s presence should bother me more, but I find his watchfulness a bit comforting. I much prefer his company to the gaggle of guests outside. They haven’t noticed my return yet.
Except the one marching toward me, tension radiating from him in waves. Suddenly, I agree with Alexi that our meeting should remain a secret. No need to add oil to the inferno in Darius’s glare.