Page 30 of Of Daggers and Deceit

But the thought disappeared as soon as my fingers made contact with the mottled brown feathers on his chest, which were so incredibly soft to the touch. Immediately, my hands sought to explore in wonder as I grazed them across his chest and down his arms to the rough, leathery skin of his forearms and clawed hands. He would be hard to spot, with the various browns colouring his shifted form. The only identifying feature in the dark would be the luminous eyes that glowed as vibrantly as the moon.

He was scary like this. I would hate to be someone who didn’t know of him, to come across him in the dark. I raked my hand back and forth across his feathered chest, the softness oddly jarring to his unsettling appearance. I stepped back with joy, aware that others were waiting expectantly on my thoughts. I hadn’t believed my opinion mattered so significantly, but seeing the looks on each of their faces, I could tell that perhaps, something about this moment was important. Perhaps my opinion of them, as someone who wasn’t like them, did matter.

“You all have beautiful shifted forms. It is incredible to have the opportunity to see for myself.” I meant every word, even for Klarissa.

The others’ expressions softened in relief as two long arms circled me from behind and spun me around. Bohdi breathed out a soft, “Thank you,” just for me to hear. The words were simple, but for some reason, the meaning behind them felt like so much more. My heart clenched, because even though he had lived with us for so long, this part of him he’d had to keep separate. They all had.

“Your turn,” Klarissa snapped, and I glared before stepping away from Bodhi’s arm. I wouldn’t give this Alpha a moment to breathe before she regretted being so rude to me.

I managed to cast a quick, dark smile at her before portaling directly behind her, my lips hovering right near her ear. “Scared yet?”

She ran directly into Bodhi’s chest, her eyes wide and angry. I laughed loudly until I noticed that Apple and Hayden had backed away slightly, their bodies more rigid than before, their wary eyes assessing me.

I silenced myself again after that; I knew I’d gotten too comfortable too quickly, and that same sad feeling twisted in my chest again. Although I was known as a defective Gifted, I would still always be considered a threat.

It was a fate I could never seem to escape, no matter how much I tried.

RILEY

Ilifted my freshly-painted nails up to the light, watching the ticking clock behind them. Any second now.

Anticipation rose inside me, my pulse throbbing as I craned my ears to listen. I’d been waiting and, for the first time, hoping Zander would leave tonight.

“I’ll be back in the morning, my love.” The lock clicked over on his bedroom door as he called out to say goodbye.

“I’ll be waiting,” I called back, the lie spilling so easy from my lips. I could go so far to say that it was, in the very least, a partial truth. I did enjoy his company and looked forward to spending time with him, but I wouldn’t be waiting on him at all.

Not tonight.

I strained my ears, eyeing myself in the floor-length mirror, waiting to hear the telltale ding of the elevator that indicated his full departure from our apartment. For some reason, I still wanted to look nice tonight. To impress, just not for our Supreme.

The corners of my lips tipped up.

Five minutes flew by as I waited patiently to confirm he hadn’t forgotten anything. He rarely did, but caution with Zander was always best.

I moved quickly and threw on some more casual attire than I was typically allowed to wear when in the apartment. A few of the guards had already seen me wearing it, so I figured it wouldn’t be a monstrous issue to wear it again: black tights, a black singlet, and some low black sneakers. The furthest colours from the purity that white embodied in the eyes of Zander, even if colours were mostly symbolic and for a show in front of the residents he led. This is what you will never be. Pure. Whole. Perfect. That was what it meant.

Somehow, the black felt fitting, given my plans for the night. I had a test of my own to deliver.

As I drew my thick, wavy hair back, my stomach began to flutter in excitement, a rush I hadn’t felt in such a long time. An adventure, no matter how small.

I unlocked my door and walked briskly over to the elevator, tapping the down button before ducking off to the side and out of sight. When I allowed my head to fall against the wall, I spied out the window and saw the silhouette of Zander striding forward between two guards in the direction of Benefactor Mitchell’s house. Likely another night of big gambling. They always did this the night before our shield thinned for the first time of the year.

The doors opened, and I quickly peeped around, scanning for any guards.

I waited one breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

But this, too, was clear.

I edged forward, hesitantly at first, and then with more purpose as I pressed the button for the ground floor. Soft music played in the background, doing little to calm me, though I still found myself humming along to conquer my nerves.

Movement ceased, and the doors opened to a waiting Sly, who was standing at the door to exit the building with a triumphant grin.

“It’s a good feeling to know you came to see me,” he teased, moving forward to stand directly in front of me.

I looked him up and down, feigning judgement. “You flatter yourself, guard.”

A small smile lifted his lips. “Is that a joke I hear, sweet Rose?”

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