Page 92 of A Reign of Storm and Madness

“You would stand out too much,” Ruen replies as if he can sense my increasing need to bind this female to me, despite her lies and treachery—perhaps because of them.

“I will send one of my familiars,” I say, just as Theos speaks.

“I will go with her.”

All eyes fall on Theos, including my own. I scan him, with a cloak—dirtied, perhaps some different clothes. I glance at the skinny boy standing half behind Maeryn. Maybe if they changed their attire it could work.

Before I can say anything, however, Theos moves to Kiera and turns to face Ruen and me. “I’m not taking no for an answer,” he snaps. “The two of you knew what was going on before me, you fucking owe me this.”

I don’t like it. Not going myself. It makes my skin prickle with irritation. Ruen and I exchange a glance. Usually, it is Theos and I against Ruen’s stoicism and nettlesome fastidiousness. It is strange to find us on the same side for once. Not since the day of my mother’s death have I felt this kinship with Ruen, or maybe the memory was simply percolating at the back of my mind all these years, just waiting for a moment to rear back up and remind me of the deal I’d made with my elder brother.

“Nightfall,” Ruen finally says, turning away from me. “You leave after dark and you come back before dawn. Is that understood?”

Relief flashes across her face before she tempers it and reaches up, adjusting the lapels of her coat, stuffing the note inside—no doubt she’ll burn the evidence later. I’d seen the remains of old notes, charred to ash in the metal tray of her candle stick holder on her nightstand.

“We should get back to our residences, too,” Maeryn announces. “With classes canceled, I don’t suppose I’ll see any of you for a while.”

My eyes flick to her and darken. “Kalix, walk them out.” Ruen’s command is ripe with an undertone of warning. My smile comes easily.

With pleasure, I think, knowing that ensuring these two don’t reveal our little liar’s secret is another reason he’s saddled me with this task.

The Terra boy’s wide brown eyes flick up to meet mine before a squeak sounding like that of a frightened mouse erupts from his throat and he jerks his head down once more. Maeryn scowls at me and steps closer to him as if I intended to scare the pathetic excuse for a male. Rolling my eyes, I turn away from my brothers and Kiera and head towards the door.

Leaning around Maeryn and her Terra, I open it and usher them both outside. A quick word of warning to both of them fueled with my own brand of force will likely leave the human urinating in his trousers. Maeryn, however, will likely threaten to disembowel me.

Why my little liar wishes to keep weaklings like these close to her, I will never understand.

Chapter 46

Kiera

Astrange sort of sinister dread sits in the pit of my stomach as Theos and I make our way out of the Academy an hour after sunset. Though he had wished to wait a bit longer, my instincts are screaming at me to listen to my gut and my gut says that I have to get back to Madam Brione’s. As soon as I was able, I sent a message to Regis—not Carcel—informing him of some of the changes that have taken place since the early morning. Carcel will likely run immediately to Ophelia and I’d rather try to figure out the best way to break this news to her with Regis before she finds out about the wretched disappointment I’ve become since she last saw me.

We use the same illusioned exit and entrance that Ruen had brought me back through earlier in the day. Theos whispers the strange spell of the ancient language, too fast and low for even me to hear—just as Ruen had—and the vines twist away from the carved opening for us to pass through. Once we’re on the other side, we keep to the wall and sneak around the exterior of the Academy, avoiding the sentries’ eyes.

Unlike how it had been traveling with Ruen and his easy illusion that would mask our presence, Theos keeps me closer to his side, practically covering me with his cloak as well as my own as if I’m not the one trained to move in the shadows. The moment we’re out of eyeshot of the sentries, I push away from him and stride towards the open path that crests the next hill down into the city of Riviere.

Theos doesn’t speak for a long time, simply following along as I hail the two of us one of the many public carriages the moment we get far enough into the city streets that they become more commonplace. Clambering inside, his face twists at the stench of body odor, but he doesn’t comment and takes a seat next to me, across from a slumbering and snoring man with his fat arms crossed over a protruding stomach.

I cast my gaze to the window, spying the clouds hovering overhead, parting just enough for the moon to shine through where it’s hanging in the far away distance. For several moments I debate ridding myself of my tail—Theos. As if he senses my intentions, his hand comes down and his fingers graze mine. He weaves them together and I bite down on my lip, wishing I had the nerve to jerk away from him, but he agreed to a blood contract to keep my secrets. I have no reason to hate him now.

Yet, still, an unnerving queasy sensation has taken root in my intestines, twisting and coiling them tight until they’re so constricted, I swear they’ll rip apart within me. I close my eyes and count the stops the carriage driver makes. At the fifth one from the time we enter, the big man across from us snorts himself awake and hollers about missing his stop, leaping from the cab with surprising, if not bumbling speed.

The sixth stop has a set of young women getting into the carriage, their small giggles and incessant fluttering lashes as they stare at Theos, despite the fact that he’s changed into drab peasant clothing meant for human skin rather than a Mortal God’s. The seventh, thankfully, is their stop and they get off without any further attempt to talk to either Theos or me.

“Are you going to remain silent the whole way there?” Theos finally asks.

I blow out a breath. “Do you want me to talk?”

“I think it’d be preferable to this uncomfortable awkwardness.”

“What’s uncomfortable or awkward about riding in a cab?” I ask. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m sorry if it offends your delicate sensibilities.”

The heat of his gaze lands on the side of my face, prickling at my awareness. “Don’t do that,” he says.

Finally, I look at him. “Do what?”

Golden eyes lock on mine. “You know what,” he says. “You’re getting defensive because you’re scared. We agreed to the blood contract, Kiera. We won’t betray you. I’m only coming along to make sure that you’re safe and that you don’t try to run off.”

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