19. CHAPTER 19 #2
Misha picked at another flower, slower this time. “He saw what no one else wanted to.”
My chest tightened.
“He stopped me.”
I looked at his sleeves. He tugged them lower.
“It’s fucked up. I know. Enemy Pakhan knows my biggest secret. But this summer… he saved me.”
I had nothing.
Misha looked past me. Not at the bike. Past it. Toward the road. His eyes narrowed.
“You’re still going after Moon.”
Misha threw his hands up. “Jesus Christ, Cil.”
“I’m not going to Aster.”
“You’re a shit liar.”
“I’m not.” I reached into my jacket and pulled out the folded note.
Misha stared at it. Then at me.
“What is that?”
I held it out. He snatched the note, fingers biting into the paper. His eyes scanned the page once, twice. His mouth tightened.
“Tonight?”
“No.”
His gaze snapped up.
“The winter ball,” I said. “I’m staying low. Following your brother’s orders.”
Misha looked like he wanted to call me a liar. He didn’t. He just folded the note carefully.
“Okay,” he said.
“Okay?”
“Don’t make me regret this reasonable shit.”
I held out my hand. Misha didn’t hand the note over right away.
“Be careful.”
I almost smiled. “Fuck, that sounded painful coming from you.”
“I’m serious, Cil.”
“So am I. Unfortunately.”
His fingers pressed into the paper.
“Declan’s already spoken to his brother. About you. About me. About Aleksei. The Carricks get annoying fast. Annoying turns violent when they’re embarrassed.”
I cracked my neck.
“They might come for you outside the grounds,” Misha said. “Somewhere stupid. Somewhere you think you’re alone.”
“Yeah.” I took the note back. “That’s the fucking mafia.”
Misha’s mouth flattened.
“I’m always a target,” I said.
“Yeah.” He looked away. “You’re not wrong.”
I tucked the note against my ribs. “You gonna be okay tonight?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mom. I’ll be okay.” His smile twitched, then softened. “I’m going out tonight. Adrian’s here.”
Air scraped raw down my windpipe. “Mirovsky’s at Evermourne tonight? For you or mafia business?”
Misha’s eyebrows lifted. “He said he was here for someone. He doesn’t tell me much, but I think it’s one of the professors.”
“A professor with ties to Adrian Mirovsky?”
Misha waved a hand. “Yeah, but don’t talk about it to anyone. I don’t need more trouble. Remember?”
I looked at him. “You sure he’s good to you?”
Misha nodded. “Yeah. I swear.” He crossed his heart with a crooked grin.
I shook my head. Misha’s family was a fucking mess compared to mine. I didn’t like Adrian Mirovsky. Didn’t trust him with Misha.
The bike sat beside us. Bad fucking idea. Aster waited beyond the trees. I swung a leg over and gripped the throttle. Misha watched me, then gave a lazy mock salute.
“See you later, brat.” He turned and headed back toward Briar House.
I kicked the bike to life and took off. Aster came into view too fast. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I killed the engine at the orchard wall, near Dahlia, back path toward Aster.
Close enough.
Technically.
Eloise Valemont stood beneath the black arch in ivory gloves, laughing with two Vesper boys. Pale, sharp-featured, always looking like she’d rather be anywhere else. She saw me and froze. Her smile dropped fast. Arms crossing tight over her chest.
“Ashbourne,” she drawled. “Should I start screaming?”
“Only if you want an audience.”
“How very Thorn of you.”
“And how very Aster to pretend you don’t get wet for the threat.”
One of the Vesper boys looked between us and backed up fast. “Yeah… I’m not doing business with the mafia.”
I stepped into her space until she had to tilt her chin up to meet my eyes. “Deliver this to Moon Hyun-seo.”
Her eyes cut to the note. “Poor Moon,” she said. “What did he do to deserve you?”
“Nothing he’ll admit.”
Her expression shifted. Just enough. “Vivienne told me about you.”
My jaw tightened, muscle jumping under the skin. “Lucky me.”
“About you and Moon.”
The smile dropped. She saw it and fucking liked it.
“Yeah,” she said, chin lifting. “That’s what I thought.”
“What exactly did Vivienne say?”
“Enough.”
“That’s not a fucking answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
My hand crushed the note until the paper crumpled. “Moon told Vivienne?”
Eloise looked me over slowly, split knuckles, half-buttoned coat, bruises on my neck from weeks of beating the rage out on everyone else in the ring.
The Ashbourne ring sat heavy on my bruised hand.
Her mouth tightened. “He told someone who actually gives a shit about him.” Her voice shook, but she didn’t back down. “Stay the fuck away from him.”
My throat closed.
“He said that? To her?”
She gave a slow, elegant shrug, chin high.
Paper buckled in my fist. He’d said my name to someone else.
To Vivienne. Talked about me. The thought punched straight into my ribs.
Maybe he didn’t want the note. Maybe he didn’t want me anymore.
My stomach dropped hard, a cold sick plunge.
I let it burn. Moon hadn’t told me to stay away. She had. That didn't fucking count.
Eloise watched it happen. “Good. You should look like that.”
I cracked my knuckles once. The old Ashbourne instinct, teeth, violence, pure fucking ownership, rose fast and ugly. I let her see every bit of it.
“Give him the note.”
“No.”
“Please.”
The word came out raw. It hit her wrong. Good.
It hit me worse.
Fuck. I’d just said please. Out loud. To her. Eloise didn’t smile. She just stared. I didn’t look away. Couldn’t. She had heard me beg. So had I.
“Fine,” I said, smiling like the good boy I wasn’t.
Eloise’s shoulders eased. She believed me.
Poor fucking girl.
I made it to the bike before I stopped lying to myself. No note. No fucking runner. Fine.
I started the engine and rode straight toward Aster like a man with nothing left to lose.
The west gate was locked. The side entrance near the old music hall wasn’t.
Sloppy as fuck. Cold stone. Ivy black with rain.
I parked behind the hedges, shoved the note deep into my coat, and walked up the steps.
Moon better be home. Because I’m about to do something very fucking stupid. Aleksei had told me to stay away. I had. For six fucking weeks. That was enough.
I pushed the door open. Warm air hit me, cedar, cologne, winter roses, money, control. My hands flexed. I kept walking deeper into Aster, jaw tight, blood roaring in my ears.
Six weeks of silence hadn’t fixed shit. It made me worse. I wasn’t thinking about the academy. I just needed him.