Chapter 9
“He killed him,” I say between breaths as I lean against the cold, black wall. I ran until I found a guard, never looking back.
“Who, Miss?” the confused guard asks, eyes wide as he glances at his partner.
“Daegan,” I mutter as I suck in more air.
“Who is Daegan?” the other guard asks.
“The dragon. I saw him murder a man.” I guess that’s not technically true. I saw him standing over a dead man with a knife in his back.
Finally, the guards gather their wits and look around. “Show us.”
“That way,” I say weakly. “Down the hall and to the left.”
But just as they step in front of me to lead the way, Daegan comes around the corner. His pace is unhurried.
The guards unsheathe their swords. “Halt right there.”
Daegan raises his arms, extending his long fingers in the air, doing as they ordered. I can’t believe his face still seems unaffected, indifferent to the horror I just witnessed.
One of the guards glances my way. I must appear a frail little female right now.
I wrap my arms around my waist, feeling cold again.
I shiver as I nod my head, confirming that Daegan is, indeed, the one who just brutally killed someone.
I curse myself for being such a fool, and the realization that perhaps his threats weren’t so empty after all washes over me.
“It’s not what it looks like,” he tells them.
“Put your hands behind your back. We’re taking you for some questioning.”
Daegan releases an annoyed sigh as he tilts his head back, looking up to the ceiling. He murmurs something that I don’t catch.
“He was the only other person in the room,” I mutter. “Someone needs to go… help him.” I know the guard is beyond help, but I can’t bring myself to say that the… scene needs to be cleaned up.
Daegan glances at me, and our gazes lock. I don’t cower, and as I watch him, it seems he’s searching for something. His eyes travel down my body, taking in my posture, and something flickers there that I can’t decipher.
“Did you see the female? The one crying?”
It takes me a moment to realize he’s directing the question at me. He watches me with unsettling steadiness as he waits for my answer.
“I—yes.”
“Find her,” he says in a softer tone that I’ve yet to hear from him.
My mouth hangs open for a moment, watching as they tie his wrists with rope. He doesn’t struggle, but instead stands as tall as ever, watching me. Assessing.
“Okay,” I say. I don’t know why I agreed to the request. I may be in shock. I’m not thinking clearly.
The two guards turn him away and escort him down the hallway. He looks over his shoulder and locks eyes with me one last time, wearing his usual stoic expression before he disappears.
I stand alone in the middle of the wide, cold, dim hallway. I guess they didn’t know what to do with me. Or they forgot about me.
The horrible image of the male’s dead eyes flashes through my head again, making me shudder. An unfamiliar, aching feeling takes over me and I crawl to the wall, lean my back against it, pull my legs into myself, and cry into my knees.
I feel so cold. Suddenly the knife I’ve been keeping in my bodice feels like a frigid, pokey thing, so I yank it out and toss it to the floor. The sound of it clattering to the ground echoes through large hallway, making me wince.
“Elle!” I lift my head at the sound of my name. Adrian comes striding down the hall in long, powerful, steps.
“Adrian,” I say, feeling relief that someone familiar is here.
He stands over me like he’s unsure what to do at first, then he reaches toward me, and I take the offering.
He pulls me up, takes in my tear-stained face and hair that I’m certain is completely disheveled, and he wraps his powerful arms around me, resting his arms on my shoulders.
He smells like a crisp forest. At first, I stand there, arms limp at my sides, because he’s never hugged me like this before, but then I lean into the warmth, the touch of another person, and I squeeze his large torso, burying my head in his chest.
Silence falls around us in the dark corridor for a moment, his slow heart beating against my temple the only sound besides his breathing.
“I—”
“I know. I heard. I came to find you as soon as I could.”
I slowly pull back, wiping at my eyes—though I know it’s useless—and look up at him. His expression is full of concern. “How did you know?”
“I was in a meeting with your father, actually, and he was alerted of the incident immediately.”
“Where did they take him?”
“He’s secluded for now.”
“I need to find the elf. She saw what happened before me. They need to question her.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know her name. I think she’s a maid, I’ve seen her face around here before. She was crying.”
Adrian nods his head, pensive.
“Daegan didn’t say anything?”
Adrian whips his gaze back to me. I’m not sure if I surprised him with how casually I used his name or what, but he searches my eyes for something now.
Finally, he shakes away whatever the thought was, and his lips pull into a gentle, reassuring smile.
“I didn’t talk to him. I came to find you as soon as I heard they left you all alone.
I know you don’t… get outside the castle walls much.
That must have been traumatizing for you to witness.
I’m sorry.” His expression is full of pity and concern once more as he takes my hand and wraps it in both of his, gently rubbing his thumbs along it.
Then he lifts it and presses his full lips to the back of it, keeping hold of it as he looks into my eyes.
“Thank you for coming,” I whisper.
He offers a soft nod, his lip pulling back subtly. “Can I walk you to your room?”
“Yes.”
His lips pull back just a notch further as he lowers my hand, but he doesn’t let go. He holds it all the way to my door as we walk in silence, and even then, he holds it as he stops and turns to face me. I don’t complain. I was cold and alone, and he came and offered me comfort.
His brows scrunch together with concern once again as he looks down at me. “Are you going to be okay?”
My hesitation causes him to reach out and tuck a strand of hair back with a gentle hand. I shiver. “Why don’t I… help you get settled?”
I nod without thinking, but I don’t move.
I’ve never had a male inside my chambers before.
Not even a friend. I tend to keep to myself, though in my youth I did go to other people’s quarters once or twice for parties, where they drank wine they weren’t supposed to and got into trouble.
Adrian was sometimes at those. I know he’s a lot more…
experienced than me. Suddenly, my stomach flips.
But it temporarily takes my mind off the trauma from earlier, so I lean into it, finally turning and leading him into my common room.
The lights in my room are brighter than those in the hallway, and they instantly sober me a little.
Now my stomach is fluttering for completely different reasons, but I would rather feel this than be left alone with my own thoughts, so I lead Adrian to a black, cushioned lounger for two, and offer him some tea.
“Sure,” he nods.
I grab a cup from my cabinet and wave my hand, conjuring water and then heating it instantly. I grab a bag of herbal tea that I get from the market in town and place it in the steaming water.
Setting it on the table in front of him, I take a seat beside him, crossing my legs and angling my knees toward him.
He eyes my dress with a slow, relaxed appreciation, and I don’t have to be experienced to know what that look means.
He doesn’t stare too long, because Adrian is nothing if not polite, but the hungry way his gaze traveled up my body fills my body with warmth.
“Can I start you a bath? Whatever you need from me. I’m here to help.”
I smile. “A bath would be nice.”
He stands and strides to my bathing room, and I hear the knob turn and the water start. I stand and join him in there, startling him from behind.
He turns and faces me, clearing his throat. “I’ve got it from here,” I say, waving my hand over the water so it’s the perfect temperature.
His lips pull into a thin, tight-lipped smile. “Take as long as you need, I’ll wait out here.”
“Thank you,” I respond.
I lean over the tub to pour my favorite soaps in and hear the door click shut behind me.
I undress, feeling more naked than usual knowing Adrian is on the other side of the door, and immerse myself in the warm water. For a moment, my mind goes blank. Then I think of Adrian in the other room, and it fills me with a warm, comfort feeling.
But then I remember why he’s here in the first place, and my blood goes cold again as visions from earlier flood my mind.
I quickly wash myself off and get out, wrapping myself in a silky purple robe that touches the floor and ties at my waist. I realize I didn’t bring anything else in here, so I’ll have to go out there and face him in this.
The material is very thin and leaves little to the imagination.
I take a deep breath, suddenly feeling panicked in this bathroom all alone, and open the door.
Adrian waits on the lounger with one leg crossed over the other, his arm resting on the back as he holds his cup in front of his mouth, frozen.
This time, he doesn’t stop his eyes from traveling up and down my body, taking it all in.
I walk toward him steadily as his eyes return to mine.
He clears his throat. “That was fast.”
“Yeah. I, uh…” I trail off, not really wanting to explain the panic I felt in there. Then I freeze, taking in the most beautiful assortment of flowers on my table.
“Did you make those?” I ask, my mouth hanging open.
He wiggles his fingers. “Just for you.” His voice comes out smooth and deep, and it does things to me that three simple words shouldn’t do.
“Thank you. They’re beautiful.” Adrian can control or recreate almost any living thing that grows from the ground. Before me is a stunning display of large yellow flowers with huge petals that I’ve never seen before. Not in person or in books. “What are they?”