Another day? What do you mean? Another day implies you plan on spending a lot of time with him in the future when in reality this partnership will end as soon as the Culling is over.

  When the Culling ends so will this brief alliance, I remind myself. I just need to know that I can trust them until that moment comes.

  “Why do I remind you of this girl that you speak of?” I ask instead.

  This time when he smiles there seems to be something exuberant about it. A soft touch brings my gaze to my knee where the tips of his fingers just barely touches it. My lips part slightly as heat forms along my skin and I quickly try to hide it.

  Elyjah observes me, his touch never leaving. He leans forward slightly before seeming to remember that I asked him a question. “You look like her, almost,” he explains. “Your eyes, blue like cascading water, long locks of golden blonde hair.” His eyes trail to my lips. “I’m not sure that I’ve seen you smile exactly but I’m sure it's an experience to behold.” He lets out a small laugh as his eyes meet mine. “But it's funny because you remind me of her physically but otherwise you couldn’t be more different. She was soft and sweet like chocolate on a warm day and you, Roxanna, you’re cold and hard.” His hand grips my leg, tightly but not enough to cause pain. It catches me off guard and my eyes snap back to his, finding them alight. “However, the best diamonds are.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “That’s the dumbest fucking idea I’ve ever heard of.” Walker throws something across the cave, and it shatters, shards going everywhere. I try to get a look at what in the hell he threw but I can’t because my attention is brought back to the argument that has been going on for at least thirty minutes now.

  “Walker,” Elyjah hisses for what must be the millionth time. He folds his arms over his chest as he stares up at his taller friend. “Stop being unreasonable.”

  Not long after Elyjah’s confession, the others returned, saving us from the awkward silence that had fallen in the cave as Elyjah’s words floated in the air. Unfortunately, what proceeded may be even more troubling.

  “I just don’t understand why in the hell you think it’s a good idea for you and Orrael to go back to the fucking castle,” Walker spits out harshly. His fists clench at his sides as he faces off with his best friend.

  I hate to admit it but he’s making a good point.

  Why do the men need to go back to the castle?

  “We need to go back and get any crumbs of information that we can,” Elyjah argues and he’s also making a good argument, which is why I decide not to dip into this little debate. “I need to have Porter informed on how to contact us if everything goes sideways or if he learns anything new. I also need to talk to my mother-”

  “Which is fucking ridiculous,” Walker shouts, cutting the prince off. “That woman will be onto you the minute you walk into her throne room, and then what?” Walker takes a step closer to Elyjah and I can practically see the anger radiating off of him. “She’ll chain you, that’s what! She’ll chain you like an animal and then she’ll beat you and torture you until the skin on your back is no longer there and you won’t even be able to form the words she wants to hear because you’ll be five sheets past delirious. You’ll be close to death! And then she’ll let you recover enough to start the process all over again.”

  Silence permeates the room after Walker’s brutal words. I find myself eyeing the big man as my heart pounds harder in my chest.

  Is that what happens to him anytime the queen is displeased with him?

  I know that Walker has found himself in the clutches of the queen and not in a good way. I’m not sure how many times it has happened, but from what I’ve gathered it's an occasion that’s quite common.

  I found out after Walker saved my life, much to the displeasure of the queen. The man paid for it by being beaten to the point that I thought he’d been broken. The other royals asked me to keep guard over him and I’d only done it because I owed it to him. No matter how I may have felt about the man, he did save my life and he faced the repercussions for it knowing it was going to happen.

  But still, hearing him talk about it, acknowledging how the queen likes to break him, it sends an unpleasant shiver down my spine.

  My eyes trail to Brielyn. He’s sitting a few feet away by Orrael. His mouth is open in shock and his brown eyes are wide as he watches the interaction between the two men. I know he’s still confused about everything and what’s going on, and this can’t be easy to keep up with. Most commoners think that everything is pretty glass and gold within the ranks of the royals. I know better, but for Brielyn this has to be an eye opener for him. As if hearing my thoughts, his eyes wander over to me and his gaze flickers back and forward between the men.

  He’s itching for an explanation.

  I give him a barely there nod, hoping that he understands I’ll try to explain everything to him later, as soon as this brewing battle is over. He presses his lips together but returns my nod before turning away.

  Now I just have to think over how I’m going to explain this all to him.

  “Walker.” Elyjah sighs, his eyes soft. “I know what I’m risking by going back, but you have to trust me to be able to handle this.” He places a hand on his friend's shoulder.

  Walker tenses up and I watch as his jaw clenches. He stares at his friend for a moment, a conversation of eyes happening. After a few seconds, he blows out a deep breath of air and takes a step back. Elyjah’s hand falls away. “Okay.” All of the fight is visibly gone from the man.

  Elyjah appears to be slightly shocked at the man’s agreeance but he only nods. He turns his head to look at me briefly before his gaze moves to the twins. He clears his throat, taking a step back. “Orrael and I will go to the castle. We’ll gather any supplies we may need and any updates of information that we can find. You guys should look for another shelter since this one is compromised.” His eyes flit to the mouth of the cave where the sun seems to be setting again already.

  Time is moving so quickly here, just as quickly as my plan is crumbling.

  “We’ve already been here too long but wait until daylight comes again before you go scouring.” He beckons Orrael forward with a wave of his hand. “If you guys move, we’ll still be able to find you,” he says. “If there’s an emergency, use the cell phone.” He looks at Walker who still has the cell phone that he used to call the others here. If it weren’t for their status, I'd ask more questions about how they came across the contraband.

  Hell, they were probably distributed to them by the queen herself.

  I pause, my breath catching in my throat as I move closer to the guys. Their eyes flit to me. “Where did you get the phones from?”

  A crease forms between Elyjah’s brows. He looks at the others before looking back at me. “We have a connection outside the castle.”

  I blow out a breath of relief. “So, they didn’t come from the queen?”

  “No.”

  “Good, they could have been tapped,” I say, voicing my worries since they’re all shooting me weird looks.

  “No, we trust the connection we got them from,” he reassures me with a shake of his head.

  “We should get going,” Orrael interjects. His eyes move between our group. “If you guys move before we get back, burn the ottoman. I don’t want to take it back to the castle, it’d be too much of a hassle, plus it has blood on it. But it can’t be left here or anyone that comes here after us will have questions.”

  I shouldn’t be surprised by the man’s thinking. He’s proved to be a strategist, analyzing every little thing but I still can’t help the bit of appreciation that flows through me.

  “Okay,” Orrtyn says, moving next to Walker. His back is straight, but a small smile curves his lips. “Be careful,” he tells his twin and the prince. “And if you can, bring me some better rags, these have suffered greatly.” He frowns down at his blood covered shirt that has managed to also accumulate some rips.

  Elyjah lets out a soft laugh and the sound surprises me. His grey eyes dance with humor. “Only you would be worried about your outfit in the middle of all of this, Orrtyn.”

  Orrtyn smiles at him, “What can I say? I like to be stylish even when in the middle of a warzone.” He glances at his nails where the bright polish has started to chip.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Orrael says, eyeing his brother with a frown.

  “What?” Orrtyn asks, feigning innocence as he presses a hand to his chest.

  “We will not bring you more nail polish, so don’t bother asking,” his twin says. There’s slight amusement in his eyes but his words are sharp and serious.

  Orrtyn opens his mouth as if to deny that that’s what he was going to ask before snapping his mouth back shut. He sends Elyjah and Orrael an evil eye.

  I blink, trying to push back unwelcome laughter. There’s just something so odd, yet not really out of place, about this interaction.

  Why does this feel normal? And welcome?

  I stiffen my shoulders, not wanting any of the men to see the brief crack in my exterior. Sure, I’ve agreed to work with them, and the goal is for them to think that I’m being open and honest with them. However, I have to make sure that I don’t allow myself to actually fall into the trap of their companionship.

  Walker shakes his head, sending his black hair flying. I catch the small grin that takes over his lips as he looks at Orrtyn. Finally, he looks at the other twin. “Orrael, make sure to grab any healing properties that you can,” he says. His eyes drift over to me briefly, something dancing behind the green orbs. “I have a feeling that we’re in store for a lot more trouble and since some of us are more injury prone than others…”

  He makes it sound like an insult and I know it’s his intention, so I don’t bother to award him with a frown or a rebuttal. Instead, I turn my gaze away from him, refraining from clenching my fists.

  “Already planned to grab some things,” Orrael says. Unlike Walker, there isn’t any shadiness in his words. His blue eyes meet mine, “But with that in mind, do try to remain safe and try to avoid any more wounds or injuries.” It feels like he’s speaking directly to me instead of the whole group and unlike with Walker, his words sound less like an insult and more like a concern.

  Dangerous.

  I don’t bother with a response. Instead I walk away, moving closer to Brielyn as the men exchange final words. Brielyn lifts an orange brow at me and I only glare at him in return. When I turn back around, Elyjah and Orrael are gone, leaving Orrtyn and Walker standing beside each other.

  Walker’s eyes snap to mine and the green irises narrow. A blur moves through the cave before Ragna is sitting on his shoulder, both of the murderous creatures watching me in a way that I don’t like.

  Orrtyn moves forward and places a gentle hand on Walker’s shoulder. He mutters something low enough that I can’t catch it and Walker gives a sharp nod. He briefly glances at Orrtyn before reaching to grab his bow and arrow. He places the quiver on his back, Ragna fluttering out of the way before resettling on his shoulder in a way that looks weirdly synchronized.

  Walker doesn’t say another word before he’s stomping forward, moving past Brielyn and I. A gust of wind brushes my shoulder, he moves by me so quickly and harshly. I clench my fists, refraining from throwing a sucker punch at the back of the man’s head.

  I’d like to go at least another day before we result to physical blows.

  You’d think with the alliance that we’ve formed that it would be off the table, but it’s clear to me from Walker’s attitude that I’m not the only one unhappy about this new partnership.

  Fucking great, how am I supposed to fall into this role if I want to constantly choke the shit out of Walker… and that fucking bird.

  Orrtyn clears his throat, moving forward with his hands slightly tense at his sides. “We’re going to go out and find dinner. We’ll be back before the sun fully sets.” His eyes lock on me briefly, something swirling in the blue pools. After a moment, he offers me a soft smile before following Walker.

  It seems to be what he does best after all.

  It's one of the things I haven’t quite pieced together: the relationship between Orrtyn and Walker. I know that they’re intimate but it's obvious they aren’t in an actual clear cut, monogamous relationship from what I’ve seen. It bugs me for a reason that I can’t quite explain.

  Maybe because no matter how much he aggravates you, you can’t forget the hot kiss that Walker gave you before you went back to being mortal enemies. Or maybe it’s because you wouldn’t mind for Orrtyn to also kiss you… nice and slow.

  I shake the thought away, feeling my skin warm.

  My gaze locks with Brielyn’s and he lifts a brow, a silent question in his eyes. He lets out a sigh as he reclines against the cave wall. His orange hair is all over the place and I don’t miss a few twigs within the bright strands. “There’s so much to explain that I’m not even sure where you should start,” he says in such a carefree way that it makes me relax slightly. “I mean, gods, Roxanna.”

  I let out a sigh of my own as I prop up against a rather large rock so that I can face him full on.

  He wants to know what in the hell is going on here and I can’t blame him.

  But I’m not quite sure that I actually have an answer for my friend and still…what do I want to share with him?

  I eye him as I debate it over. Brielyn has already proved to be a complication. If Conrad or Uleb found out about him and the way that he has shifted my decisions, in a different way from the royals, they’d tell me to kill him. Yet a pang goes through my chest at the mere thought.

  How did I let this silly, way too soft for this competition, man into my heart?

  Because I know that’s exactly what has happened. I’ve let Brielyn in in a way that only one other person has gotten close to me: Ru. And when I think about it the answer is clear why. The two are so much alike and yet so different.

  They’re both wild, free spirits who are always looking for a thrill. But where Ru wouldn’t hesitate to snap the neck of a man or woman she’s slept with, Brielyn is barely made to kill the men he signed up to kill.

  It was such a stupid decision for him to sign up for The Calling.

  “Earth to Roxanna.” Brielyn waves a hand in front of my face. His brows are wrinkled as he watches me.

  I pull my lips together in a frown. What do I tell him?

  The truth, or at least a version of it.

  I glance at the mouth of the cave, but there’s no sounds or movements.

  We’re alone.

  “Okay.” I blow out a breath. “Brielyn I’m trusting you with this information and I want you to know that if you betray my trust, I will kill you.”

  His nose scrunches a bit and his lips tilt downward. “I’m not sure whether to take it as a compliment that you trust me or to be offended that you just threatened to kill me when I thought we were becoming besties.” At my glare, he rolls his eyes. His shoulders relax slightly, “Okay, I won’t betray your trust, oh mighty one, and it’s not because I know you’d make good on your threat, but because I actually like you, Roxanna, though that may be a foreign concept to you.”

  I don’t give a smart retort to that as I think my words over. With one more brief glance at the mouth of the cave, where the sun is setting, I tell my story to someone new for the first time in over a decade. “I… I’m not actually Roxanna Delamontee. I won’t tell you my true identity, but my family was close to the Deightyn Dynasty.” I twist the truth just a little. “They were loyal to the crown and the night of the fire… they all died. I just barely survived.”

  Brielyn’s eyes widen and his posture stiffens but he doesn’t interrupt.

  “I’m here to avenge my family and the Deightyn Dynasty.” And those are the most dangerous words in Caelumine.

  It’s treachery and I’m admitting it to a man that I shouldn’t trust.

  Yet, I continue.

  “The Calling is my way into the Fawcett’s circle and once I’m in, I’m going to destroy them… one by one.” My hands start to sweat slightly so I wipe them against my pants. “It’s why I’m working with the royals. I need to get close to them, to earn their trust.”

  “They are the key to avenging a family that should have never been betrayed in the way that they were and I’m the weapon.”

  Silence fills the cave and for a moment, Brielyn and I only watch each other.

  He blows out a deep breath of air, breaking the silence in the room. “Gods,” he mutters, pushing a hand through his hair. “I can’t... Fuck, I knew something was up with you and you were way too rebellious to actually want to protect the prince, but this is something else.”

  I’m not sure what to actually make of the statement, so instead I remain tense as I watch him, waiting for any sign of how he actually feels about this.

  Will he try to rat me out the moment the royals return?

  Or will he keep my secret?

  I watch as he wavers slightly before those brown eyes meet mine. “I thought that you were actually starting to like the royals… or at least the Bae twins and the prince.” I note that he leaves Walker out and I’m unsure if that’s because he isn’t actually a royal or because he’s aware of the chances of homicide occurring when we’re near each other.

  “I know the queen isn’t a nice woman, all of Caelumine knows it. She’s locked our people into a dictatorship. She keeps our resources, chooses to let certain villages starve, and never lets the commoners forget their place. I’d understand why anyone would want to kill her and her closest confidants, even without a need for vengeance in their blood.” His lips pull tight and his eyes grow hard. “But the others, they’re always helping you, saving you. And I’ve seen the way you respond to them…”

  He lets the sentence trail off much to my displeasure and I have to keep from begging him to finish his sentence.

  How does he think I respond to the men and is he right?

 

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