Chapter 32 #2
“And he has no reason to do that,” Sander says gruffly, then swears as he closes his eyes. “I should have fought harder to escape sooner. Even if we could get out of here and get help, there’s no time to rally against all of Invem.”
He’s right, but my mind catches on something he said in the middle. “Escape? What happened?” I ask, gently touching the purple bump on his cheek.
He leans into my touch and sighs. “Helena and her goon happened.”
“You were overpowered?”
Opening his eyes, he glares at me at the same time he wraps his fingers around my hand and presses his lips to my palm. Mixed signals, for sure. “No, or I wouldn’t be here with you, but he put up a good fight. Probably because he’s loads bigger than me.”
Of course that’s the reason, I think sarcastically. I refrain from telling him that he hasn’t exactly been at peak form over the last few days, so it’s understandable that he got a little injured. Instead, I go for something far more helpful. “Sander?”
“Hmm?”
I smile despite exhaustion and overwhelm making my eyes sting. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”
So much emotion floods into his face—relief, gratitude, maybe even some shock.
“Me too.” His voice breaks, saying more than those two words, and I wonder how many people have underestimated this man.
How many people have only seen him as a mirror of his brother instead of the incredible person that he is?
Just like I did.
I curl my fingers into his shirt again. “I’m sorry I didn’t see you before.”
His eyes glisten as he studies my face with that careful deliberation I’ve come to love about him. Then he lifts a hand to follow the path of his gaze, his thumb brushing over my temple, down to my cheek, over my lips where it lingers as he brings his mouth closer to mine.
My breath shudders out of me.
“Is now really the best time?” a deep voice drawls.
Sander reacts faster than I do, grabbing something from the desk above us and hurling it at the man standing in plain view only a few feet away.
Blackmere swears and jumps back as the projectile hits his arm and clatters to the floor.
He holds up a hand in surrender while he uses the other to pluck a staple from his skin.
“Remind me not to challenge you to any duels, Prince,” he grumbles, kicking the stapler out of reach.
“As I was saying…” He glances at the door, then turns his attention to the bookshelf that takes up the rest of the office space so he isn’t looking at us.
“I thought you two might like to know that the signal jammer is about to experience a malfunction, in case you need to make a call or two. And pick a better hiding place; it was pathetically easy to find you.”
Without another glance in our direction, he saunters out of the room.
I’m speechless. Sander, on the other hand, swears under his breath and struggles out from under the desk to peek around it toward the door. “I don’t think we can hide here for much longer.”
I sigh. “No, we should— Wait, we can use our phones now!” I fumble for mine, almost kissing the screen when three signal bars pop up at the top. And if my phone has a signal, does that mean…? “Callum?”
Several Irish curses fill my ear through Callum’s earbud. “Thank the skies you’re alive!”
I grin. “Aww, Candora is rubbing off on you.”
“Sander?”
“Alive,” Sander confirms, fighting a matching grin. “I’m guessing you’ve heard nothing from the last few hours.”
“Not a word. What’s happening over there?”
Instead of answering, I start running through our options now that we can call out.
Sander and I can only do so much on our own from the inside, but we need to ensure there are as few casualties as possible if we don’t manage to stop the movement.
There’s only so much we can do over the course of a few hours, but anything is better than nothing.
“You’re thinking,” Sander says as his grin breaks free. Hearing him repeat those words from the last time we were at RIA headquarters together calms some of my nerves and helps me plan.
He’s right; we can’t hide here for long, and we have two separate problems to tackle. “We need to split up,” I tell him, scooting out from under the desk but remaining on the floor, as out of sight as I can be. “Callum and I will try to convince Virek to mobilize the RIA. San, if you can—”
“Put the Palace Guard on alert,” he finishes for me, grabbing his phone to pull up the number of the monarchy’s head of security.
“I should have done that before we left the palace. Would you be able to get in touch with Fennor? If he already has his suspicions that something’s happening, all he needs are specifics. ”
“Then he can alert other members of Lords to the real dangers.” I nod vigorously. “Callum, can you—”
“Sending you his mobile number as we speak,” Callum says.
I go through my mental map of the building, trying to think of the best place for me to hide while I make my calls. Somewhere I’m less likely to be heard and therefore found.
“Astrid.” Sander grabs my hand, his expression serious. “You need to try to talk Helena down.”
I gape at him. “What? No, you’re better suited to—”
“I’m the last person she’ll listen to. She already underestimated you once, and she’ll do it again. Prove to her that she’s wrong.”
My heart swells with gratitude and something I’m afraid to put a word to right now. “You’ll talk to Rowen?” I ask. “If anyone can get him to see things in a different light, you can.”
Sander nods and squeezes my hand, holding tight; my fears must be written all over my face. “No matter what happens, we’ll have done our best. You and me.”
“Together,” I whisper, loving the sound of that far more than the idea of losing.
“I’ll make a run for it first,” Sander says, peeking around the desk again. “If anyone’s out there, they’ll follow me and give you a clear path to—”
I grab him, pulling him back and crashing my mouth into his.
He doesn’t react at first, frozen under my touch, but then he comes alive and unleashes some of the fire that he usually keeps hidden.
Both his hands move to my face, fingers sliding into my hair as he draws me closer and kisses me back.
Sander doesn’t kiss with desperation like I do; he’s slow and steady like we have all the time in the world.
And when he pulls away, meeting my gaze, I see the brilliant blaze behind his eyes.
It looks like a promise. That that kiss was just a taste of what will come.
“Good luck, Storme,” he whispers, brushing my cheek with one thumb.
“You too, Prince,” I whisper back.
And then he’s gone, leaving me a melted puddle on the floor.
Callum clears his throat. “Did you just—”
“Not a word, Agent Doyle. You and I have work to do.”
“Yes, ma’am. Call Fennor first; I’ll get started on wearing Virek down. Tell me everything I need to know.”
I lay it out as quickly as I can, then run a hand through my hair and prepare myself for what’s coming. Even with what feels like an impossible task in front of me while I dash out of the room in search of a new hiding place, I can’t stop smiling.