Page 17 of An Empress of Air & Chaos

Pleasantries, Gideon snorted internally.

“Did you bring her up to speed?”

“I will.” Torin’s shoulders relaxed.

“My name is Cally, by the way,” the blonde girl announced. There was a little hesitance that coated her voice, but she was confident. Sitting upright in her bed, wearing the clothes she had come here in, she stared at both brothers.

Gideon looked away instantly, realising that she too was in some sort of undergarment made for fantasies. And she wasn’t keen to hide it. She owned it.

Fuck! was Gideon’s first thought.

And the second was how stupid was his father? The commander of the Blacksteel clan had ordered Torin down here to focus and be professional. Gideon was about to witness the epitome of unprofessional. Torin would be in his element. The one thing he loved more than swinging a sword into a demon’s skull and drinking rum was women. Women who he could dance with, flirt with, and drink shots out of navels with. Torin never slept with a woman more than once or twice; he wasn’t interested in forming any attachments. He had always alleged it was better for him that way, and so Gideon never challenged him. That was his prerogative.

Torin walked around her bed and sat in a wooden chair near the fireplace with a causal but confident grace. Cally watched him as he walked, her eyes burning through his body, already giving him the look.

Gideon knew that look.

He’d seen it on the faces of many women when they headed to the tavern or the streets of the Huntswood markets. Or even when he felt like he needed a little something more than demons or bows and arrows.

“Sorry to interrupt, but your friend is awake, and she is asking for you,” Gideon coughed towards the blonde.

Cally’s eyes lit up and she bounced off the bed. “Oh, my Gods. Can you take me to her?”

Gideon pushed out a hand. “Okay, you need to get dressed before you go anywhere.” He looked down so that he didn’t need to make any eye contact with her. “Torin, if you will, please see to it that Cally has something that covers her up before leaving this room. The underage hunters will have a meltdown if they see her walking around the tower like that and we need them sharp for training.”

It was exceedingly rare for any hunter who hadn’t gone through the selection to have the time to be in the presence of a female. Let alone a half-naked one. So, when the opportunity arose…

“You should have something leftover from one of your sleepovers that should fit,” he threw a verbal jab at his brother.

He knew it had been a low blow, but he understood how to dig his brother out without going too far. It was also a warning shot to Cally. Maybe she wouldn’t be stupid enough to fall for Torin’s charms. Although, judging by the look on her face, Gideon wasn’t hopeful.

Torin shot him back a look as if to say, “Nice try, brother.”

Bidding them both farewell, he spun on his heels quickly and darted down the corridor to leave Torin to it.

Arriving at his room, Gideon ripped off his tunic and leathers and kicked off his boots quicker than he had left Torin with Cally. What he really craved right now was a steaming hot shower to burn off the night, cleanse his soul, and straighten out his mind. A grumble wiggled free from his stomach and he realised he hadn’t eaten in about ten hours. He hadn’t even thought about food last night; other things had taken priority when he’d returned from the mission.

He pushed her face to the back of his mind.

Instead, he thought about what he could have to eat as he soaked himself in a piping hot shower that turned his skin pink. Musk and lemon filled the shower room as he lathered himself with soap. As he looked down he could see the trail of blood, dirt, and demon gunge run down the drain for good.

She couldn’t believe she had cried the way she did. Emara had let her emotions pour from her—in a stranger’s arms, of all places—and she couldn’t stop it. She shook her head, staring at the trees below her as she stood against the bay window. Her grandmother had always instructed her how to control her emotions; she had always insisted that in every lesson.

The minute you let your head get the better of you, you are defeated.

Her grandmother had home-schooled her since she could talk, delivering lessons in art, literature, cookery, and fitness. She would endure lessons about the Gods and deities that had created the worlds and all the ancient history that came with it. Her grandmother also tried to instil lessons in etiquette and politics, but Cally (who had also attended the classes) had vowed them outdated and voted for new topics such as textiles and sewing. Her Grandmother had been impressed by her negotiation skills, but also saw the requirement for her to learn about ancient history.

So, with a little bit of persuasion from the girls, Theodora had added textiles and sewing to the lesson plan. Everything her grandmother did, she had done to build her into the young woman she was today.

An unimaginable pain tightened in her chest. Emara couldn’t help but wonder if she had been preparing her for this. For her inevitable death. She’d known thatshe would lose her one day, but she hadn’t thought that day would come so soon. Her heart cracked open a little more and she pressed her hand against her chest, desperate to keep it from breaking entirely.

The heavy mahogany door to her room opened and Cally’s face peered around as if she was making sure that Emara was in the room before bursting through it. She wiped away the wetness on her face.

“Hi, you,” she said tenderly. Cally walked slower than she normally did, wearing a white, baggy shirt that was three sizes too big for her. She had a slight limp, but she would never show that she was in pain. After all, she was used to walking around dirt roads in the highest heeled shoes she could get her hands on, somehow never managing to break an ankle.

“Hi,” Emara mouthed back. She gave a small smile as it was all she had the strength to do, holding back the inevitable wave of grief that threatened to crush her.

Cally crawled onto the bed in the middle of the room and gestured for her to sit down beside her.

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