Page 14 of The Sorrow of Shadows

“You think mighty highly of yourself.” I smile at him.

“Someone has to.”

“Half of the ladies at court seem to think so as well,” I say, teasing him.

“Well, most of them probably have reason to.” He grins like the cat that ate the canary.

“You’re shameless.” I slap him lightly on the chest, and he catches my wrist in his large hand.

“You know you’ll always be my number one, B.” Like I said, shameless.

“Funny enough...Ophelia was under the impression we were more than just friends.”

He bursts into laughter. “I don’t know what would have ever given her that impression.”

“Probably your shameless flirting.” I stare at him.

He continues laughing. “Probably, but I flirt with everyone. Her included.” He was quiet for some time before he asked, “Did you know Aurelius summoned Julian and Jade to the capital?”

“He. Did. What?” I grit out. Julian and Jade, also known as the Twins of Death, were two of our childhood friends and nowhigh-ranking captains in the royal army. Their skill in combat had earned them the nickname and their spot on my war council. I had entrusted my soldiers to them while I was away. Aurelius had pulled my number two and three away from where they were needed. Not only was it reckless, but it was also dangerous and stupid.

I use my shadows to search for the male I know is still watching me. Immediately, I pull the shadows away from where he’s hiding and glare straight at him. I jump to my feet, Elijah behind me, Ryder and Zion not far behind him. I come to a stop just inches from him and shove him in the chest.

“How dare you!” I practically scream at him.

Aurelius smirks at me like he knows something I don’t. “There she is.” He trails a finger lightly down my jaw, tipping my chin up to look into his sparkling eyes.

“Excuse me?” I snatch his hand from my face, twisting it backwards in a hold that made most males whimper.

Not this male, though. No, his eyes widen in intrigue. “There’s the general I’ve heard so much about,” he says, grinning at me. It’s at that moment I know I’ve lost this game. He sees straight through me.

Since the meeting with my father’s ghost, I had carefully spent my time distracting the court so I could be free to roam the halls unbothered. I had already danced through the castle halls in my undergarments, given the children at the palace copious sweets before sending them to their parents, used the portraits of past monarchs as target practice, and set fire to the kitchens this week. The last one was a bit of an accident, but the kitchen staff had banned me from entering anyway. All that effort was wasted as Aurelius stared straight through me. He had purposely stroked my anger to elicit a reaction, and it had worked.

I release him with a snarl. He turns away from me and strides from the training yard. I’m breathing hard when Elijah says, “I could cut the tension between you with a knife.”

Apparently, Aurelius isn’t far enough away when he says this because we hear him yell, “That’s not how she uses her knives!”

I feel an arm wrap around me from behind right as I try to take off after the insufferable male. “Whoa there, tiger. Let’s not kill stepdaddy dearest today,” Elijah chuckles in my ear.

“I wasn’t going to kill him. I was just going to show him how creative I can be with my knives.” This has all three males behind me laughing.

CHAPTER NINE

AURELIUS

Iroll my head from side to side, trying to alleviate the stiffness that has crept into my neck. My investigation into Lord Seamus has gone nowhere. It’s maddening how little I can find out about him. I had learned he wasn’t kind to his servants and treated his daughter, Ophelia, almost as poorly. He appeared to despise all females, was exceptionally nosey, and a prick. I already knew most of this or at least suspected it. His son, Layne, was his glorified errand boy, often securing business contracts and acting on his behalf with merchants and contacts from other kingdoms. When I approached the spymaster, Lord Craylor, he had been tight-lipped. The most interesting thing I discovered was from my training yard encounter with Breyla yesterday. She had known I was there the whole time but still spoke freely.

It was worth noting that she and Elijah suspected something more was going on with Lord Seamus. They didn’t speculate much on what he might be hiding, but they seemed to think they would learn more at the next council meeting. Which I will beattending in precisely two days. With any luck, the Twins of Death would arrive by then. It had been a bit of a calculated risk summoning them to court, especially with their general already here. I knew they were crucial in defending our people and borders, but I still don’t trust Breyla’s intentions. I thought bringing them here would stir up enough to make the princess show her cards.

A sudden knock at my door draws me out of my contemplation. “Well, speak of the devil,” I say upon seeing Breyla outside my room.

“Yeah, I’m looking at him,” she says shortly and pushes her way into my room. Before I can get a word in, she’s yelling, “You had no right! They are my second and third in command. By bringing them here, you created a massive risk.” I can feel her rage from here as I close the door.

“I have every right,” I say calmly. My own rage flares inside of me, but she’s hot-headed enough for the both of us, so I remain calm. “I am the future king, and as such, I will do what I deem necessary for the safety of our kingdom.”

Breyla rears back and spits, her warm saliva landing directly on my cheek. “You are no king of mine.” Her words are venomous as her eyes narrow.

My jaw ticks as she’s nearing the end of my patience. I rub away the spit with the back of my hand and take a step closer to her. She’s aware I’ve seen through her act. Still feeling the need to rub it in, I say, “There she is. I'm so glad we dropped the broken, mad, drunkard act. It was unbecoming. I much prefer the angry, possessed demoness in front of me.”

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