Chapter 7 #2
It takes everything in me not to shout at him. From the look on Tessa’s face, one of these daggers is probably hers.
Lucas paid for them all.
“Because we can’t all be in debt,” he simply says, giving me my two. “And a thank you would have sufficed.”
I take the daggers, jaw clenched.
I don’t thank him.
I just shake my head and walk away, the weight of the blades anchoring my fury.
“Come again.” The Fae’s voice trails after us, following my anger like a shadow.
I don’t speak to Lucas all the way back to the Court. What he did was unimaginably stupid. And to say that he would even do her dirty work—Gods, this could go very, very wrong.
When we arrive back, I’m ready to storm off, but Lucas gently catches my hand, a silent plea in his eyes.
Tessa, sensing the mood, immediately says, “Erm, I’m going to sign up for that job. See you guys later.”
Lucas nods. I wait until she’s out of sight before I whisper-shout at him.
“Have you lost your mind? How could you do that?”
“What? Protect you?” His brow arches, defiant. “I know what I’m doing, all right?”
“Yes, but whatever it is is stupid, Lucas. And I didn’t ask you to.”
His jaw tightens. “Well, you wouldn’t have had to, if I’d gone out with Declan that night.” He pauses, looking away. “But I didn’t, so here we are. I owed you at least that.”
The garden breeze is cool, but it doesn’t quite fill my lungs. Dry leaves scatter across the marble floor—like this pain neither of us can shake.
“Nobody is blaming you,” I whisper, swallowing my sadness—just enough to not break down in front of him, because if I do, we’ll both drown in our own tears.
It wouldn’t have happened at all, if I hadn’t said those things.
If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.
And mine alone.
“Thanks for the daggers,” I manage at last. “But don’t you pull that shit with me again, or I’ll stab you with one of them.”
Lucas chuckles, shaking his head as he throws up both hands like he’s surrendering.
He’s not supposed to be here.
I’m not supposed to care about anyone.
But now he’s acting like my guardian angel.
My head hurts.
We finally catch up with Tessa at Aurora’s office. Aurora’s perched in a chair that looks more like a throne fit for a queen, her long legs crossed. She switches them slowly as Lucas walks closer, like she’s trying to seduce him.
Lucas stiffens beside me.
Okay—are Fae sex addicts?
Wasn’t she marking her territory with Kieran only last night?
Maybe she just likes the attention.
“A guard?” she says sweetly after Lucas finishes signing up. “Good choice.”
I take the pen from Lucas, but before I can write my name next to “assistant,” Aurora cuts in.
“No.”
I blink. “What do you mean, no?”
She pulls the sheet from under my hand. “That position is no longer open.”
“But it’s still empty—”
“You can’t be an assistant,” she says, like she invented the rules.
I frown. “Just like that?”
“Yes.” Aurora doesn’t even blink. She throws both legs on the table and smiles.
Oh, great.
Now I’m blacklisted from working?
Was that a position for her assistant or something?
Yeah, whatever.
“Fine.” I roll my eyes, drop the pen onto the table, and just storm out.
Bitch.
I imagine the target is Aurora’s face and keep throwing my dagger at it.
Turns out, the Court’s facilities are pretty spectacular. There’s a sparring ring, a training ground with proper targets, and even a meditation area.
I don’t know about the others, but I could never meditate and close my eyes just to risk opening them to some fangs when I’m surrounded by the Fae in this place.
Besides, throwing blades is much more fun, and I can be as petty as I want.
Here, eat this, you freak Fae.
Just a High Fae but acts like she owns the damn palace.
I’ll find my own way.
She’ll see.
Stars don’t bend for her.
“Oh, you’re cloaked in anger today,” a voice offers from behind. I spin so fast I nearly throw a dagger at him.
Kieran.
“I’m—” I’m about to say I’m fine, but wait—
Oh, I know how to make Aurora angry.
Very, very angry.
I school my expression, let my shoulders drop, and make sure the next words come out sounding devastated. “Thanks to your Aurora, I can’t even get a job.”
“What do you mean?” Kieran stalks closer, tilting his heads. His mismatched eyes follow the dagger I just threw aimlessly.
“Well, I was trying to sign up for the personal assistant position,” I start, already walking towards the target to retrieve my dagger. “You know, something low-profile to do, so I won’t bore myself to death.”
Just as I reach for the dagger, it yanks free and sails into Kieran’s waiting hand.
“Could you not have done that before making me walk all the way over here?”
He grins, throwing it in the air and catching it with minimal effort. “I see you bought a toy today.”
Then he throws it—and hits the target dead centre.
My jaw drops.
He didn’t even use magic.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter. “You’ve got magic and can do that? Unfair.”
“I’ve been alive for three hundred and sixty years, Little Star.” Kieran winks. “If I hadn’t learned to at least throw a dagger in all that time, I might as well just eat iron dust and die.”
I snort. “Fair enough.”
“About the job,” he presses, his eyes narrowing. “Tell me.”
I drop my gaze. “It’s not important. I don’t want Aurora thinking I run to you when something doesn’t go my way.”
“Well, good news: she’s immortal, and I’m not going to kill her, so stop worrying about her punishments.” Kieran places his hands on his hips. “What the bloody hell did she do?”
“Maybe it’s just my own incompetence …”
“For fuck’s sake, Cassandra.” He exhales sharply, like he’s already done with my dramatics. “Out with it.”
“She said I couldn’t be an assistant. Wouldn’t let me sign up.”
Kieran blinks, running a hand through his hair.
“Aurora,” he mutters, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it. You can have the job.”
“Really?”
My embarrassingly bad acting skills actually worked?
“Yes.”
“Won’t she object to it?”
He scoffs, leaning closer. “You’ll soon find that in this Court, no one really objects me, Little Star.”
I grin.
I guess I do have a friend in high places.
“You didn’t have to do it, you know.”
“Yes, but since you gave me that sad little puppy face”—he grins—“how could I possibly do nothing?”
“You Fae do like to flirt, don’t you?” I try not to roll my eyes. Or maybe it’s not flirting. Maybe they just like to toy with us humans. We’re basically helpless here.
“Only as much as we like breathing.”
Now I actually roll my eyes.
“I knew it. All you want from me is sex,” I joke.
Kieran laughs—again.
Just like last night.
He’s so … unpredictable.
“Everyone here wants sex from you. Trust me,” he says, tone brutally honest, like he was cursed to never lie. But I doubt he cares enough to lie about something like that.
“Well, may the hottest one win.”
At least someone will please me before I die.
“Why only the hottest one”—the corner of Kieran’s mouth curves up—“when you can have them all?”
“Oh, Gods.” I wince. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Yes. In bed, too.”
I growl.
Kieran just laughs. Again.
I haven’t the faintest clue what this is between us.
And I can’t believe I’m smiling with him.
Declan is probably rolling in his grave.
My smile dims slightly, but I hide it from Kieran and steer the conversation elsewhere.
“Can I really have the job?”
“I already said yes.”
“Thank you,” I say, then freeze—I don’t even know whose assistant I’ll be. “Please don’t tell me I’ll be Aurora’s assistant.”
“Did she not say?”
I shake my head.
Kieran arches a brow.
“It’s for me, Cassandra.”
“Oh?”
“You’ll be my personal assistant.”
Shit.
Oh, shit.
I’m so fucked.
Now I understand.
It wasn’t about the job.
It was about who I’d be working for.
I stare at Kieran, pressing my lips together.
Sure, this gives me countless advantages in the trials, but Daisy is going to be on my case like I personally stabbed her with a fork.
I know I said I’d do anything to win.
But holy hell.
I’m never going to survive this.
I’m never going to survive him.