Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
Izzy jogged down the stairs far faster than she’d gone up them. She had to get back to the castle. She couldn’t wait here, not knowing. Holding her breath every time someone walked past in case it was the castle guards coming to arrest her. She had to—
You’re running away from Luka.
Absolutely true. She’d come so close to admitting that she never got over him. To explaining that Jak was a kind, decent man, but he still hadn’t felt right—in her arms or in her life—because no matter how much she respected and liked him, he wasn’t Luka.
Luka must have suspected what she was thinking because he’d got that look on his face. The one that said he was either going to devour her whole or say something that shot a blade straight through the heart. And she’d been down this road before; he never devoured her. He always broke her heart.
She didn’t want to hear it ever again. But especially not tonight with the past so close to the surface.
She didn’t want to argue with him or be hurt by him.
She wanted to get over him. She wanted their friendship back.
So she fled instead. Not her finest moment, perhaps, but better than the alternative.
She set a punishing pace, with Luka following at her shoulder. Neither of them spoke as they strode through the city. They were almost at the outer ring of castle gardens when a shadow detached itself from the darkness beside one of the opulent stores that populated the upper side of the market.
They both stiffened, Luka growling as he stepped protectively in front of her, but they relaxed as they recognized their friend.
Aiden called a soft greeting as he swung a satchel off his shoulder and passed it across.
Luka opened the satchel and pulled out a bundle of their clothes.
“I grabbed those from the garden. I thought you might need them,” Aiden explained, his blue eyes twinkling in the dim light.
“I’m glad to see you both. It’s cold waiting out here, and I’d started to wonder if you’d decided to… stay out.”
Izzy snorted at how unlikely that idea was.
Luka growled and Aiden chuckled, but she took her cloak and thanked him as she gladly swung it over her shoulders.
It was late, and a sharp wind cut through the city.
If she’d thought about it, she would’ve worn her spare, but she was in such a hurry to escape, it didn’t occur to her until they were halfway back to the castle.
Luka disappeared deeper into the darkness and rejoined them a few moments later, fully dressed, with his armor back on.
All his armor. No emotion showed on his face.
There was no softness in his features or glint in his eyes.
It was as if, by returning to his commander’s uniform, he’d returned himself to command.
Damn. He’s gone, her beast rumbled.
Izzy had to agree. The moments of vulnerability he’d shown when they talked about Rayan were lost under his stony expression.
Luka gave a brief nod, as if something had been decided, and then met her eyes. “Would you go home now, Izabel? Please. I didn’t want to leave you there alone, but Aiden can see you back and stay to guard the shop.”
Stay to guard the shop! Not stay with her. And not Luka, of course.
At least he asked this time, her beast huffed. Even if he is still an idiot.
She lifted her chin, ready to argue, but Luka stepped closer, frowning as if he’d heard her beast. “It would be safer for you to go home.”
Her beast smirked, still irritated, but slightly appeased. Safer for whom?
Izzy frowned back. She’d run from their conversation, that was true. Maybe she’d even run from Luka. But she wasn’t going back to hide in her bed. While there was danger that she could help to resolve, she would play her part. “I think I’ll come in, actually.”
Luka put a hand out as if to stop her, but then pulled it back to his side, fingers flexing, before he could accidentally touch her. “What will you say? How will you explain wanting to go into the castle at this time of night? It was bad enough the first time!”
She blinked. Why did she have to explain anything? “Aren’t we going in together?”
Luka stilled. Scales flickered over his throat as he tilted his head to the side, listening. What advice was his beast giving? Was it as determined to send her away as Luka was?
“I’ll say I’m visiting Shane,” she offered when he still hadn’t replied.
This late?
She shrugged. It worked before. By now, the guards would have rotated, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a second royal visitor.
I get the feeling a second visitor wouldn’t be too much of a shock anyway, her beast muttered.
But Luka stepped even closer. Close enough that she could hear the rattle of his beast in his rough reply. “No.”
“No?”
“That won’t…. They wouldn’t….” Luka glared at her. “Just no!”
Izzy was tired. It had been a long, horrible night so far, and she didn’t have the time or the energy for games… or whatever this was. She spun away from Luka and caught Aiden’s eye. “Are you coming?”
Aiden flashed Luka a sharp grin, then turned a softer smile toward her. “Of course.” But then he sobered. “Not with you, though. I’ve already brought you this way once tonight, and I’d prefer not to create a pattern. I’ll hang back and come in a bit later.”
Wise man. I also wouldn’t get between us and Luka. There’s actual steam rising between you.
Fine. Izzy grunted. She would just go in alone.
Not alone, trust me.
Izzy held back a response. She had a great relationship with her beast, but she had to wonder if it wanted Luka badly enough that it sometimes—or often—misread the situation. She ignored them both as she turned on her heel and strode past the last of the shuttered storefronts toward the castle.
Three… two… one….
Her beast chuckled when Luka caught up to her as she turned into the avenue through the gardens. His face was set in grim lines, but he didn’t argue or try to hold her back. The guards could see them now.
She ignored his unhappy rumbling and strode up the marble stairs. She left her cloak open and the hood down, loose around her shoulders. Hopefully, the soldiers at the gate would recognize her and no one would associate her with the secretive cloaked woman from earlier.
The first castle guard raised his hands in a polite salute; fingers touching above, thumbs meeting below, to form the Infinite Circle in front of his heart. “Commander Luka, and—” He blinked. “—Mistress Izabel. Good evening.”
Izzy gave them a polite bow as Luka saluted them in return. “Mirkon. Branthos.”
“We’re very glad to see you, sir,” the guard said gravely. He seemed on high alert, with peridot-colored scales flickering over his jaw.
“And you, Mirkon,” Luka replied easily. “Is all well?”
“Sir, I—” Mirkon swallowed. “I’ll be honest, it’s a relief to see you here.” He lowered his voice. “The queen sent for you, but you weren’t in your room.”
Izzy shivered. Why had the queen sent for Luka? Had the others not been able to brief her on what happened?
“Can you tell us what happened?” Luka asked.
Mirkon clenched his jaw as his eyes flicked to her and back. A haze of scales glittered over his neck and face, as if he was debating whether to reply in front of her.
“You may speak freely,” Luka said. “Mistress Izabel is a friend of the royal family and well known to all of us for many years.”
Mirkon answered slowly. “Lady Narya, the most senior Kwanam lady-in-waiting, was found dead. There’s a rumor that an assassin got into the Kwanam suite and killed her.
It’s being said that to manage it, the killer would have to be able to fly.
” He coughed, then lowered his voice further.
“The archthane is with Queen Danikha as we speak. There wasn’t time to meet formally, so they’re in her private rooms! ”
Gods. If drakes were all suspect, it would point directly to the people she loved most—Cori, Aiden, Kai, Shane…
and Luka. All five were able to give themselves fully to the beast. They were all in the castle last night, and all of them had the opportunity.
But there was only one person she could save right now.
The one most likely to fall on his sword if he thought it would help.
Izzy didn’t hesitate. “Well, it couldn’t have been Luka. He was with me tonight.” Her cheeks heated. Enough that the flush had to be visible, even in lamplight. She hadn’t intended her comment to sound so sexual, but judging by the sudden interest in the guards’ faces, it definitely had.
Good idea. Claim him now, her beast whispered.
But Luka held himself utterly still, and for a long, horrible moment, she thought he might deny it. Deny her.
Their last miserable conversation three years before flashed through her brain. He’d stood in front of her, one hand resting on his sword, his eyes locked on hers as he’d said the words she could never forget. “We can’t ever be together, don’t you understand?”
She’d argued. Of course she had. And eventually he’d lost his patience.
“Even if we could be together, I don’t want that,” he’d barked, his voice half growl, scales glittering all the way up his face.
He’d shoved his free hand in his pocket, his lip twisted up on one side as he continued.
“I like the castle women… and they like me. That is where I plan to spend my energy.”
Was he thinking about that now? Was he irritated that pretending to be with her would limit him from being with anyone else? Was he about to step away? Would he point out that she was nothing to him?
Her beast rolled over. Why would he say any of that to the guards?
Maybe it didn’t make a lot of sense, but he’d said something cutting every single time she’d seen him for years, so it was certainly possible.
It was bad enough for Luka to push her away in the gray, misery-filled weeks after Rayan’s death when she knew he was struggling as much as she was.
To hear it again now, in front of his men, when his life could be in danger, would be worse.
She looked up at him, and he stared back at her.
Her heart thumped heavily in her chest. And then he did the last thing she expected.
He bent and pressed a hard kiss to her lips before tucking her closer under his arm, and when he lifted his head back to the guards, there was a bright gleam in his eyes.
“It’s true,” Luka informed them. His grin was sharp and full of teeth, and the gray of his eyes was ringed with the gleaming green-black of his scales. “I’ve been with Izabel.” And then he smiled, the exact same smirk that she remembered.
He’s lying.
Of course he’s lying.
Her beast twisted restlessly in her belly. No, I mean, look at him. One hand in his pocket. Not blinking. Staring straight at the guards, lip twisted up on one side. And lying.
Gods, now she couldn’t help but see it. Her mind dragged up the memory she’d just pushed away—Luka telling her he didn’t want her, one hand in his pocket, lips pulled up on one side.
Had it been a lie then too? Was it all a lie?
Why would he do that? And where did that leave her?
She swallowed and forced herself to smile at the guards.
“Exactly, and now we should go to see our queen.”