Chapter 45 #2
He runs a hand through his hair with a sigh. “I mean… all of this. The training, the magic, all the shit you’ve been looking for. You know, like if you’re going to stick around once you find out?”
The question sits heavy between us, pressing into my ribs like a weight I don’t know how to carry yet. I don’t answer right away, because the truth is, I don’t know the answer. I've thought about it several times and still can't figure out what I want.
I swirl my drink, watching the liquid spin as I gather my thoughts.
I guess I’ve been trying not to think too far ahead.
“Everything’s happening so fast, and it’s easier to just focus on the step right in front of me instead of trying to piece together some grand, life-altering destiny I didn’t ask for.
Ya know? Besides, I doubt I’m the girl everyone thinks I am. ”
Tyler nods, his usual teasing is nowhere to be found and that's what worries me. “Fair enough.”
There’s something I’ve been dying to ask him, and he seems to be in a chatty mood. So, here goes nothing. “Why haven’t I met him yet?”
“Who?”
I shrug, hoping he doesn’t notice how casual I’m trying to be. “The King. Or the Queen?”
The air in the room tightens and he sets his drink down, but the way his jaw ticks tells me I’ve hit a nerve. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… I’ve been here for weeks. I’ve met a bunch of people, been training, learning, trying to figure out whatever the hell is going on with me.
But he’s supposed to be the one in charge around here, right?
” I tilt my head, still coming up short.
“Shouldn’t he be involved in some way? Shouldn’t I have seen them by now? ”
He holds my stare for a long second before looking away, drumming his fingers against the table. “The King… doesn’t get involved in things unless he wants to.”
I narrow my eyes. “That’s a vague non-answer. What the fuck Tyler?”
His lips twitch, but the amusement doesn’t reach his eyes. “That’s the only answer you’re getting.”
The wine is making my brain slower, or maybe it’s making me too aware, because something about his response doesn't sit right with me. He’s usually pretty open when I ask him questions. He's never actually shut me down like that before.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
He exhales sharply through his nose, shaking his head like he’s regretting even entertaining this conversation. “You should drop it, Bird.” The nickname comes out as a warning this time. Which only makes me more curious.
“Tyler.” I fix him with a pointed stare. “You know something.”
He hesitates. Just for a second, but that’s all I needed to know. Just more secrets. More lying. Of course.
His eyes shoot to the window and my stomach is in knots. I can hear the thunder in the distance, which means I need to calm down.
“Look,” he says, quieter now. “The King isn’t just some guy sitting on a throne, making decisions about taxes and trade deals.” He lifts his drink again but doesn’t take a sip. “He’s not someone you seek out. If he wants to see you, he’ll find you.”
My pulse picks up. “So why hasn’t he?”
When he finally meets my eyes, something dark flickers behind them. “Maybe, he already has.”
A chill rolls down my spine as he finishes off his drink, and I can tell the conversation is apparently over. Whatever he’s not telling me, I’m going to find out.
The days pass, blending seamlessly into one another as I settle into a routine that’s both exhausting and strangely satisfying.
I wake up to the soft glow of dawn filtering through my window, and I can feel the crisp air. After a quick breakfast, it’s straight to training with Elle, so I better grab a sweater.
Most days, she hands me my ass without breaking a sweat.
Turns out, she really was going easy on me that first day, and hasn’t let me forget it.
Her sessions are brutal, and they're designed to push every limit I thought I had.
And then push them further. Every punch, every dodge, every swing of a blade carves away at the weaker version of myself.
Despite the intensity, I can feel the difference in my body.
My reflexes are sharper, and my movements feel more deliberate.
I’m getting stronger, faster, and more in tune with my instincts.
It’s not just physical though, for the first time I can feel a connection beginning to hum under my skin.
My mind and my body might finally be on the same page.
Elle, of course, doesn't let me dwell on it for too long.
“Focus, Rae!” She shouts, and I barely dodge her next swing.
When we're finally done, Tyler joins us for a much-needed lunch break. It’s the only time of day we’re all together, and they’re not trying to teach me something. Which mostly means they spend it teasing me about how much I still have to learn.
Once lunch is over, it’s time for my session with Cam.
These moments are usually a lot quieter, and there's a lot less laughing. Which is ironic, because Cam is usually always the one cracking jokes.
He has a way of balancing his natural confidence with an impressive amount of patience when he walks me through exercises. I know they're designed to help me tap into my magic and all, but I struggle to find that control.
“It’s about intention,” he reminds me as he watches my frustration grow. “You have to feel it, direct it, own it.”
There are days when my frustration boils over, where nothing clicks, and I question everything. But Cam never wavers. He always stays calm, telling me I'm right on track. He’s a damn good teacher.
Slowly, bit by bit, I’ve started to see progress. They're not massive breakthroughs, but the small victories I did have, felt monumental. It feels like I finally have a sliver of control over something I barely understood weeks ago.
By dinner, I'm usually so exhausted I can barely lift my fork, but Cam always insists I eat. Either Cam or Lynn are always scolding me for not eating enough.
“You won’t make it through tomorrow if you don’t fuel your body.” His tone never leaves any room for argument. I honestly just laugh it off, because truthfully I’m always starving. Exhausted, but starving.
Most nights, I’m asleep before my head even hits the pillow. My body's usually wrecked from the intensity of the day, but for the first time in a long time, the exhaustion feels earned.
I’ve been here for nearly eight weeks now, and hate how much I've come to love it. The people, the routine, the way I don't flinch every time the wind changes. I've made progress—real progress.
But lately…something feels off. Like the ground is shifting under me again, and no matter how hard I try to ignore it, part of me knows it might be time to go back.
Surely, enough time has passed that Kane must be wondering where I am. I’m assuming even by now, I have messages from Rachel.
Cam, for the millionth time assured me that isn’t the case, but still, the nagging thought lingers.
So last night, I decided to try sneaking out again to find answers, only this time without Tyler.
Despite what he says about me needing to realize I have people, he does talk too much, and Kody always catches us because of it.
And every time I think we’re about to find something, Kody appears like he’s waiting for us, and I’m starting to think Tyler rats us out. I know I’m good at sneaking around, considering I did it all the time with my grandparents when they thought I was sleeping.
I waited until the halls were empty, and Kody was looking the other way, sticking to the shadows. I want to try to find where the King and Queen stay. Maybe if I can just get a peek, then I can come back in the morning and demand to talk to them.
I can’t get what Tyler said out of my head. He’ll find me if he wants to? No thanks.
Why let me stay here, just to leave me in the dark, and then do absolutely nothing about it?
The castle's a never-ending maze of hallways and shadow-drenched corners. Every step I take feels stolen as I hug the walls, barely breathing when the silence gets too thick. It feels like this whole place is holding its breath with me.
I've never made it this far without getting caught. Not once. This has to be a good sign.
Except, every door I tried was locked and every hallway stretched into more dimly lit nothing.
I somehow stumbled into a hallway I hadn’t been down before, and at one point, I thought I heard something. I could've sworn I heard voices echoing from somewhere down the hall, but the moment I turned the corner, they vanished.
I was just about to turn the knob of the first door that wasn’t locked, when I hear footsteps.
I pressed myself into the shadows, waiting, praying that it wasn’t Kody.
The footsteps eventually disappear down the hall and I genuinely thought I was going to get caught. I opened the door, only to find out it was just an empty room with two doors in it. Both locked.
When I finally closed the door, and turned around, I ran right right into Kody.
He stood there with his arms crossed, like he’d been waiting for me the whole time.
“Are you serious?”
He didn’t even flinch or look surprised. He just shook his head like he’d expected to see me.
“Come on, kid. I’m impressed you made it this far.”
In quieter moments, usually in the mornings before Elle bursts into my room declaring I've had more than enough beauty sleep, my thoughts always seem to drift to Kane.
It’s not intentional, but he’s always there, on the edge of my mind.
I've lost count of the nights I've sunk into the bath only to end up right back in the library. The way he looked at me. The way he touched me. The way his voice burned through my veins. And yeah—every single time it leaves me hot, restless, and ridiculously turned on like some desperate idiot
One particularly heated memory had me taking matters into my own hands, and even that wasn't enough to satisfy the ache.
I don’t know how it happened, but… I miss him.