Chapter Twenty-Four Wren
Chapter Twenty-Four
Wren
Before Andalay in all its splendor was built, the Fates wandered aimlessly across Aurilia. They were known to choose their lovers without care, and had no qualms about their fascination with mortals. Yet none could ever interest them long enough to stay, and only once had a Fate been tempted.
—Origin of the Fates, Chapter Three
The thief left a note.
A note.
I saved his damned life and he placed a crinkled piece of paper on my bed in reply. Yes, he’d thanked me, but the entirety of the letter consisted of three. Short. Sentences.
I ripped it in half and tossed it in the bin beside my desk, feeling like I was the one with the stab wound.
I…I had shared secret pieces of myself with him, and he’d told me things that changed everything. All the frustrating attraction I’d felt had morphed into something greater in the span of a single confession.
Maybe he really doesn’t remember, I thought, but even then, a note? I’d just finished telling him to stay in bed and rest, and I’d turned my back for one second and he’d left.
My damp hair dripped on the robe I’d put on, making me shiver.
My room felt empty now, cold. I glanced at the blanket and pillow on the floor.
Tucked under the bed were the bloodied rags I’d have to dispose of later, discreetly, along with my bloodied nightdress, before Sarah came around and cleaned.
But their presence meant Damien had come to me.
Had chosen me to help him. Had opened up.
He couldn’t just allow himself to sit still and accept that people cared about him.
Instead, he’d done what he did best—he’d run.
Logically, I guessed it had everything to do with his upbringing and living the way he did, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
Prick.
I kicked half-heartedly at the pillow on the floor, wishing it were something harder. Something I could break. Like Damien’s nose.
How reckless was I? I didn’t wish to be with Damien, nor he with me.
The anger I felt was likely due to feeling rejected.
Yes, the more I ruminated on it, the more sense it made.
I had a whole life ahead of me, and I planned on meeting others who’d catch my eye.
I would go riding with Everett, and when all of this mess with Damien and the mysterious disappearances was over, I might just leave as I’d originally planned.
Aurilia was a vast kingdom with so much to see. So many people to…meet.
I smiled then, picturing the wide-open future.
Damien could be a friend if things turned out all right. Or maybe I would forget all about him once I abandoned this city and my old life.
I’d make friends of my own choosing—friends who wouldn’t stab me in the back in a time of need. Maybe some like Ruby. I liked her, even if we’d only met for the briefest of moments. She’d left an impression, and I enjoyed how welcoming and easy she’d acted around me.
The truth was, I didn’t know who I was. Where I fit in. What I would do with my life.
I perched on the windowsill, gazing out to the garden and the wilting roses. Mother would be furious, even if the weather had been turning colder. She tended to toss out blame to others whenever possible. I found it unfathomable that I came from her womb. Or that Father had any hand in my creation.
I gazed upon the garden for a good long while, feeling sorry for myself and taking a few minutes to let that pity consume me and my ever-changing emotions. It felt good to relinquish myself to the shame and hurt and drown in it…but flashes of those horrid photos Damien showed me kept interrupting.
It wasn’t all about me. Maybe I was selfish. I believed, in a way, most people were. But people could change, right?
When a knock came on my door, I started.
“Miss,” Sarah grumbled behind the wood. “It appears that you have a visitor.”
I expected Everett.
Instead, the handsome god that was Grayson Hockley stood in the parlor, his hands tucked stiffly behind his back.
He wore a fine suit of forest-green satin, standing out from the rest of the boring black suits most wore, his dark blond hair—which contained hints of gold in this light—slicked back from his face.
However, a lone curl refused to be tamed and slid into deep brown eyes outlined in a thick black.
I’d believed them more honey in appearance, but that might have been due to the way they sparkled so brilliantly at the ball.
“Well, this is a surprise,” I welcomed him, striding into the room.
I’d changed into a simple pink dress with pearl buttons, though my hair refused to fully dry. Not much I could do about that.
Grayson bowed, his smiling mouth forcing a genuine grin to my face. I found something about his presence comforting, almost as if he had the same soothing influence as my sister.
“Hayes!” he boomed, surprising me with his exuberance. “You left the ball early. Thought I scared you off.”
I shook my head. “Of course not. I’m just not a fan of all the…”
“Beauty? The refinement? The carefully selected design scheme?”
I blanched at his devious grin. “You designed the ball?” He nodded, those eyes brightening once more as a mischievous look forced a smile to my lips.
“Surprised?” he asked, flourishing a hand before him.
“Actually, no. You have great taste in general,” I said, admiring his suit further. Even his cuff links were silver skulls, the eyes a sparkling red.
“I know,” he replied with a wink. “And to think none of my family has the trait. Such a shame. One of these days I’m going to beg to redo the entire house.
It’s centuries in the past.” He clapped his hands.
“But I didn’t come here to speak about how amazing I look, though I’m up for that discussion at a different time. ”
“Happy to accommodate whenever the need arises.” I laughed, though it came out more as a snort, which seemed to please him further. “I am, however, eager to hear why the sudden visit? Not that I don’t welcome it.”
I nodded to the closest leather chair, and he obliged, crossing his legs and angling his chin to the chair across from him. I took the hint and sat, fluffing out my skirt.
“Lucky for me, I happened to meet someone wearing a scandalous red dress who intrigued me. Someone interesting who didn’t care what everyone else thought.” Grayson eyed me from head to toe, a serious look slowly washing over his earlier gleam.
I huffed before I could contain myself. “Then you made a mistake. I’m far from intriguing, and I do care what people think. I just enjoy pretending I don’t.” And that was the truth. In my mind, interesting people captured attention and didn’t have to fake confidence.
Once I stilled, curling my fingers to keep from nervously adjusting my skirt, he shot me a dry look.
“You must work on your self-confidence, dear,” he said.
“Not only did you hold your head up when everyone and their mother talked about you after…well, after you didn’t receive a gift, but then you showed up in the most beautifully wicked dress I’ve ever seen.
So yes, I’d say you piqued my interest. I’d judged you far too quickly in the past, believing you shared the opinions of those who surrounded you.
When they abandoned you for the pettiest of reasons, you continue to hold your chin up and smile.
Not many I know can live in this world of judgment and swim through such murky waters with grace. ”
I was too stunned to speak. No one besides Callie had ever said such things. Made me out to be anything other than boring. Complacent.
“There was no other choice,” I said with a shrug.
“They abandoned me in the end, but to be honest, it showed me they were never true friends.” He nodded as if he understood.
“Besides, as far as my gowns go, I like fashion. It’s armor, a way to show them all I’ll never change simply because of a single night. ”
Grayson beamed and adjusted his own suit. “I understand all too well, Wren.”
“Hiding away would only make the snakes come out and bite. I’d have been devoured by now if I’d done so.
” I sat forward in my seat. “If I may be bold, I believe you aren’t like many of the nobles I’ve encountered, at least not the ones my father allows me to engage with.
Not only did your welcome appear genuine, but you speak so brazenly. Bluntly. A trait I admire.”
A dark blush entered Grayson’s tawny cheeks before he cleared his throat. “I’m not always bold; sometimes I wish I were more so. But you inspired me. I suppose I visited because—”
The rattling of the tea cart interrupted him. A frowning Sarah pushed the cart into the parlor, her jaw clenched. She left without a word.
Charming. As always.
I nodded my head to the tiered cart. “Want a cup?”
He wrinkled his nose. “Not of that. Hold on.”
Grayson grabbed an empty cup and shut his eyes. I watched in wonder as he tapped his golden signet ring on the porcelain and the cup filled with amber liquid.
“Impressive, though I expected nothing less,” I teased. “Do you have enough energy to muster some for me?”
“I’d hoped you would say that.” He snagged a fresh cup and tapped his ring on the side. Instead of dusky liquor, a pale pink drink sloshed against the sides. He chuckled. “You really do love pink.”
“Always have, always will,” I said. “What’s inside?”
He sniffed the drink. “I’m guessing something entirely you. Here, try it.”
Taking the cup in my hand, I lifted it to my mouth and sipped. The moment the drink splashed across my tongue I nearly groaned, shutting my eyes and falling into the delightful strawberry lemonade with a splash of clear liquor.
“Perfect.” I cradled it like the porcelain might float away. The heat from the alcohol warmed my belly, and I sighed in appreciation.
When I finally opened my eyes, Grayson’s had dimmed. He shifted in his seat and rested his elbows on his knees.
Something was amiss. He’d come here for more than teasing and drinks.
“Wren? I have another motive for coming here,” he said, as if reading my thoughts. “Even if I do plan to get to know you regardless.” A boyish smile spread.
“What is it?” I set down the delectable drink and copied his pose.
“I saw you coming down from my father’s study,” he began, and I went stiff, my pulse quick at my neck.
“I don’t really know how to begin this, so screw it.
” He studied the room, likely to make sure Sarah wasn’t hovering nearby.
“I have a suspicion you were looking for something in there, something confidential, and so am I. Ever since this year started, my father has been…angrier than usual. Hell, he was so stressed this morning, he left his study unlocked, allowing me to check his books.” He reached into his suit pocket and retrieved a scrap of paper. “I found this.”
Ice slithered down my spine when he handed it to me.
I anxiously smoothed out the paper on my thigh and took a closer look.
Fifty more souls and your debt is paid.
A signature lined the bottom, faded, but clear to me.
Cameron Hayes
I glanced at Grayson while he rubbed at his face, his eyes on the paper.
“I’m not the only one who knows about your arrest and attempted visit with Dusk, but I keep feeling as if you’re looking into something important.
You and that handsome man claiming to be a lord.
” He arched a brow. “The one I had never seen before in my life.”
I silently cursed. “Damien is the son of—”
Grayson held up a hand. “I’ll stop you right there.
I know those boys personally, and while I appreciated the ruse, Damien isn’t one of them.
Not that I care. I just thought since you were obviously going out of your way to hide him and your…
extracurricular activities, then maybe you were someone I could trust. Fates know, there aren’t many in society, and I’m taking a huge risk by doing this.
” He spoke gently, a quiver of real fear shaking his voice.
I trusted no one. That was what I told myself. I hardly trusted Damien with the mission. But that was his fault.
Here Grayson was, freely giving me secrets after one meeting and a gut suspicion. How could someone ever be that confident? That certain? I envied that.
“Wren, I understand that you may be hesitant to share, but I suspect my father is into some crooked business. Business I want no part of. Since Adrian didn’t receive a gift, all of the estate and my father’s work would go to me, and if he’s up to something unseemly, I need to know about it.
” He shut his eyes. “I just want answers as to why he’s always going to the docks at midnight, or having late-night meetings in his office.
To add to it, the wording of that note…it’s wrong. Souls? What does that even mean?”
“When is he going to the docks next?” I asked in a hushed voice.
Grayson’s eyes sparked to life. “Two days. I overheard him yelling at Mother. She’s been upset that he’s been out of the house so much.” He rolled his eyes. “Not that she hasn’t been busy. Always going to tea with the other lords’ wives. It’s been excessive of late.”
Just like Mother…
“Then we go there and find out for ourselves.” The words were out of my mouth before I could think better of it.
“I—you’re right. I, too, think the lords and ladies of society are up to something.
” He visibly relaxed at my admission. “You’re not alone, Grayson.
” I reached for his hand and he wrapped his lean fingers around mine.
A sigh born of exhaustion and relief escaped, the tightness of his shoulders visibly relaxing.
“You have no idea how much this means to me,” he rasped.
“I was afraid to speak with anyone but you since I spotted you at the ball, sneaking up to the study. I had been tempted to befriend you before, after the Lovetts’ first ball, but I was confident you might be just the person who could help.
Besides, as I’ve told you, I have good taste.
” His lips tugged up in a smile. “Thank you.”
I could’ve been making the biggest mistake of my life, but for some inane reason, I did trust him. Or I was reckless and Damien would be furious.
Speaking of Damien…
Lizzy’s house still had to be dealt with, and while Damien had snuck away, he expected me to meet him. I was tempted to ignore him and stay in, but as much as I loathed it, his specialty would be needed.
Tonight, we were breaking into a lord’s home.