Chapter 69
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
PHOENIX
Despite my efforts to wait for Daegel to fall asleep first, I fail. But I don’t sleep well. I am haunted by nightmares. Nightmares from my past, from my present, and even from the daunting future.
Thankfully, when I open my eyes it’s early morning and Daegel next to me is asleep. I can tell from his breathing and the stillness of his body against mine.
This is my chance.
I yawn and stretch my lazy limbs. Slowly, trying not to wake Daegel, I untangle my body from his and roll out of bed.
I grab the satin robe hanging over the back of the armchair, but pause.
If I find evidence, I’ll have to hide it somewhere.
Quietly, I grab my leathers and slide inside my pants and the jacket.
I don’t bother strapping my blades in—it would definitely wake Daegel.
With one last glance at his sleeping body in bed, I head out.
I don’t have much time, so I have to be smart about this.
I make my way downstairs and walk straight for his home office. I’ve only been here a couple of times. It’s neat and organized, not a single corner out of order.
Thankfully it’s a small enough space for me to search. I find nothing on the massive shelves that line all three walls. I check behind paintings on the wall behind the massive oak desk, but nothing’s hidden in the frames. No secret doors behind them either.
My heart races, adrenaline coursing through me. Anytime, Daegel can wake up. If he does, and goes looking for me…I don’t think I can lie my way out of snooping around his office.
I push those anxious thoughts aside and focus on searching the desk. It would be so much easier if I knew what I was looking for. I doubt he has the poison he used to assassinate Kitajo lying around. Caligos are better than that…
His desk is as neat as the rest of the place. No papers or random files. Just a quill with a bottle of ink on the corner. And a bust of some fae hero from the past. So, I start going through the drawers.
I’m very surprised none of them are locked. It could only mean one thing—he’s not keeping anything important in his desk. My shoulders slump, but I don’t give up.
Not until I’ve searched every single drawer. And find nothing.
“Fuck,” I mutter, resisting the urge to slam the last drawer shut.
As I try to organize the files the way they’ve been before moving in, I accidentally scrape the bottom of a drawer with my knuckles. The sound it makes is hollow…
I pause.
Quietly, I rap my knuckles against it. Just to be sure, I open another drawer, move the stuff away, and knock on the bottom of that one, too. It sounds nothing like the first one.
Ah, now it makes sense why Daegel needs no locks. There’s a secret compartment.
Kneeling next to the desk, I remove the files from that drawer, and then inspect the bottom to try and find a way to open it. Just when I’m about to give up, I push on one of the corners and something clicks. The fake bottom opens to reveal a secret compartment with a small leather notebook inside.
Immediately, I flip through the pages. It’s some sort of a log?
Frowning, I read Daegel’s writing. It’s nothing but some names, locations, times, and descriptions. I recognize some of the family names of Ezkai soldiers I’ve served with in the Order.
I have no clue what any of this means, but maybe Vera will. If Daegel keeps this hidden, it must carry some value.
Without hesitation, I shove the notebook under my jacket and secure it neatly in the waist of my pants. Then, I replace the fake bottom of the drawer and put all the files back the way they were.
I’m so relieved when I get back on my feet and rush to the door. Slowly, I open it to see if anyone’s around. But the house is empty, still sleeping.
Before I head upstairs, I need a cover. What if Daegel’s awake and wants to know where I went? I whirl on my heel and stride towards the kitchen.
I’m going to make myself a cup of coffee. Even make him one. Coffee in bed in the morning. He won’t question that, and it’ll excuse the time I was gone from bed looking for evidence.
From the cupboard, I grab two clay mugs and the copper pot to make coffee. I’m searching the cupboards for the coffee beans when I hear steps in the corridor. A couple pairs of steps.
A moment later, two voices reach my ears, too. Neither of them are Daegel’s voice. Shit.
Before I can think of a smarter plan, I round the corner and hide in the walk-in pantry, just to the side of the kitchen. I press my back to the shelves behind me and stand there quiet as a mouse. In front of me on the shelves is a muslin bag full of coffee beans.
I still hold two mugs and the coffee maker in hand. I may have forgotten my blades, but at least I can beat them to death if I must with a copper coffee maker…
The kitchen door creaks when it opens.
“He’s a pretty mess,” a man’s voice says. “You should have seen what Gal managed to do to him overnight. I’m surprised the shithead hasn’t broken yet.”
“Gal will break him. Sooner or later,” another voice, a female one, replies. “That’s why she’s paid so well.”
Who the fuck are they talking about?
“It’s a shame Daegel keeps her for himself,” the man says. The door to the cupboard slams shut. “She would have been so useful on the last mission we went to with the late Ezkai General.”
The woman snorts. “Yeah, I don’t think Kitajo Hiromasa wanted anymore Caligos in his ranks than he already had.”
“True,” the man says. “I’m starving. When is Philip coming to take over?”
“In about an hour. He’s got to find a way to cover up for us because the Taaslord’s been ordered to catch this motherfucker in the basement. Daegel doesn’t want Noire breathing down his neck while he deals with him himself.”
Oh, no.
Oh, no, no, no.
The man doesn’t sound too happy. “So, we’ll be guarding this kid for more than two nights, then?”
“It depends on how long he lasts.” I hear the amusement in the woman’s voice. My stomach sinks. “You’ve heard about his pedigree. Emerian crime prince. Clearly he’s more trained than he appears.”
Jax.
They fucking have Jax.
I press my hand to my chest where my heart races.
“I have enough to deal with already,” the man grumbles. “At least we don’t have to go chase that girl through Jaakii and drag her here.”
My heart drops.
“Did you see if they’re up?” the woman asks.
“Not yet,” the man says. “I say we wait for them to get downstairs. Then we capture her and bring her to her cell.”
Oh dear gods.
Daegel ordered his Caligos to capture me?
“Did you prepare it the way he ordered?” the woman asks, chewing on something. In a mocking voice, she adds, “Heads will roll if his princess is not cared for properly in her captivity.”
Now it makes sense. Why Daegel wanted to make peace with me. Why he promised he’d drop out. He wanted me unsuspecting.
First time I’m ahead of the game.
“Yeah, yeah,” man says, chewing loudly. “She’s got all she will need to live in comfort until the trials conclude. I hate that we have to play nannies to some human bitch.”
“It’s so fucked-up,” the woman says with a sigh.
Her voice drops a couple of octaves. “I don’t know what’s wrong with the Talbot heir, but something is not right in his head.
You remember that Leti? They way they were always fighting and breaking up.
The shit I’ve heard they did to each other…
He’s clearly got some issues to treat his girls like that. ”
“Bah, I don’t get paid enough to care about who he fucks or how he chooses to fuck ’em,” the man says. “Let’s go, this bread is stale. I need a fresh loaf.”
The woman’s voice is farther away now. “The chef is coming in an hour.”
I don’t hear what the man answers, because the kitchen door slams shut behind them and I’m left alone with my racing heart.
I shouldn’t be as shocked as I am. Not after everything.
The moment he told me his relationship with Leti was toxic, I should have run. It should have been the only red flag I needed. I told myself it was because of Leti, how toxic and ruthless she’d been. Daegel was so kind to me, after all…
But you can’t clap with one hand.