Chapter 45 #3
Despite missing Kane, I’ve actually grown close to people here, which means every time I think about him, I also think about leaving. And apparently, I don't get to want both.
I’ve even grown close to Kody—the guy who barely acknowledged me when I first got here. Everyone told me he was just doing his job. And yet, somehow, I wore him down. Turns out he's got a surprisingly sharp sense of humor. Guess sneaking out was good for something after all.
When I can’t sleep he’s always there, leaning against the wall. With his arms crossed, ready with some dry remark that never fails to make me laugh.
Our late-night chats have become something I’ve come to love.
He pretends to be annoyed when I disturb his work, but I've caught the amusement in his eyes more than once, especially when we start talking about sports and Aristotle, which I find absolutely hilarious.
He’ll insist I go back to bed, grumbling about how I'll regret it in the morning, but I can tell he secretly loves it.
Most of our conversations are me teasing him about his overly serious demeanor, and him throwing it right back with a perfectly timed comment about how if I spent more time learning about magic than harassing him, I wouldn’t be awake in the middle of the night.
But last night, when he caught me sneaking around again, something was different. I don’t know what it is, but I know I’m getting closer to something they don’t want me to know. Why else would they care where I go?
That’s why, sitting in Cam's office—Cam's empty office—the urge to snoop is impossible to ignore. He's usually glued to this chair before I even show up. The fact that he isn't yet feels like an opportunity I'm not about to waste.
I haven’t seen much of this place beyond the parts Cam, Elle, and Tyler keep me confined to with their relentless routines.
For all the space this place has, my world here feels ridiculously small. Even the people I get to see are limited.
So right now, the need to know something outweighs common sense. I start to look around the room and it’s surprisingly sparse. There's no pictures, no little trinkets. There's actually nothing personal at all. It's almost like the space is designed to give nothing away.
A thought creeps in, and it's one I’ve had a few times, but keep shoving it aside.
Could Cam be the King?
I’ve never heard anyone mention the king by name. And every time Cam disappears, it’s brushed off as him doing Cam stuff, which feels like a convenient excuse.
It would explain a lot. Like why everyone defers to him. Or why he's constantly pulled away by responsibilities at the most inconvenient times.
I shake my head, laughing to myself, trying to shake the thought. That's ridiculous… Right?
Except, nothing about this place is normal. And if anyone could keep a secret like that, it would be Cam.
I wander over to the nearest shelf, trailing my fingers along the spines of the books. Most of them are in languages I don’t recognize. Their titles are written in intricate, looping scripts that look more decorative than practical, and curiosity gets the best of me.
I grab one at random and flip it open. The text is crammed in so tight I can't make sense of a single word, and just skimming it makes my head spin. Hard pass. I turn the page, earning myself a paper cut, and snap the book shut before putting it back on the shelf.
“Ow.”
I stick my finger in my mouth like that's going to do anything. There's so much I don't know about this place or the people in it, so I keep snooping. The room gives me nothing. Shocker.
Could Cam really be hiding something that big?
There’s a difference between being private and being calculated, and the longer I’m here, the more I wonder if there’s more to Cam than he lets on. It’s not paranoia if the pieces fit, right?
The thought hangs on, pressing heavier the longer I stand here. I try to piece together scraps of conversation, the way people get weird around him, and the way he disappears without warning… I'm starting to think they're all adding up.
When the door swings open, I jump, schooling my expression like I wasn’t just snooping.
Cam comes in like he owns the place, because maybe he actually does.
He looks like he's out of breath, and his usual composure is just off enough to make my stomach flip. His hair is tousled, like he’s been running his hands through it, and there’s a faint flush on his cheeks that tells me he’s been doing something that requires some effort.
“Raven.”
The way he says my name like he knows exactly what I was up to makes my nerves spark. His gaze sweeps the room before settling on me. “Sorry I’m late, I got caught up in something.”
I straighten, shoving down the nagging questions clawing up my throat. “No worries.” I watch him closely, trying to read between imaginary lines. “Everything okay?”
He takes a deep breath, rolling his shoulders like he’s shaking off whatever just happened. “Yeah, I just had to… handle some things.”
His voice is distant enough that it only makes me more suspicious. He’s being intentionally vague, again. Which only adds to my theory.
His eyes dip to my necklace and then right back to me. “Where did you get that necklace?”
“My grandparents gave it to me,” I say, reaching up to touch it. Its warmth is a familiar comfort.
“Interesting.”
I let out a soft chuckle, trying to ease the strange tension that’s settled between us. “Is it?”
His eyes flick back to mine. “It looks familiar, is all.”
A prickle of unease slides down my spine. Familiar? How would this look familiar to him?
“Cam, I have something I need to ask…” I hesitate, then rip off the Band-Aid. “Are you the King?”
He bursts out laughing, tipping his head back like I just said the funniest shit he’s ever heard. The tension evaporates in a single breath as his entire body shakes with amusement.
“Fuck no.”
That was a lot of laughter for what should’ve been a simple no. If he’s telling the truth, then I’m right back to knowing nothing. None of this makes any sense.
“I’m the King’s right hand, though. Have been since before he was even the King. But no, I’m definitely not him.”
That explains… something. Or at least, it should. But the relief I feel is almost drowned out by the dozen new questions flooding my brain.
“Then where are the King and Queen?” I ask, grasping at whatever scraps of information I do know, desperate to make sense of something.
Cam’s laughter fades, and something guarded settles in its place. There’s a flash of something in his eyes but it’s gone too fast to pin down.
“That’s… a complicated question.” His voice is quiet, and I almost step closer just so I can hear him. “The King is… handling business matters.”
“And the Queen?”
Cam’s jaw clenches just enough for me to notice as he runs a hand through his hair. “There is no Queen.”
No Queen? “Why not? What happened to her?”
His posture goes rigid. I can feel the air in the room shift, and it suddenly feels like something's sitting on my chest.
“It’s a long story, Raven.” He says it like he’s done talking about it. “One that’s not mine to tell. But I promise, when the time is right, you’ll know what you need to.”
That… sounds a hell of a lot like another non-answer. A part of me wants to push past whatever wall he’s clearly putting up, but the look in his eyes tells me it’s pointless.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for everything they’ve done for me, but I’m getting really fucking tired of all the secrets.
I see the way they trade looks when they think I’m not watching. The conversations that die the second I step into a room. Even Elle, who usually blurts out whatever pops into her head, has started filtering herself around me.
They think I don’t notice. But I do.