Page 69 of House of Ydril

Once I’m inside and the door is shut behind me, I don’t dare look around. The two of them are sitting on the bed. To my surprise, the ghost that Longborn told me about is here as well, standing right beside them.

I nod at her. Moswen, I think her name is. She just looks at me with suspicion in her eyes. They’re all waiting for me to start talking, Longborn and Nuala looking as if neither of them has slept in days.

I turn to Longborn. “Still don’t want to tell the Pied Piper the whole truth?” I ask.

“You’d want that,” Moswen cuts in, making my eyes dart to her. “Wouldn’t you?”

My eyebrows pull down, but before I can say anything, Longborn waves her hand and says,

“I told you what I think happened in there. You can say what you want, but I’m not changing my mind.”

For a second, I let myself look into her eyes, searching for something without knowing what. Deceitfulness, I guess. But I find none. So I nod, I let out a sigh and I say, “Alright, but even if never breathe a word of it to anyone else, the way you want me to, I’m still involved.”

“I guess,” she starts, letting out a sigh. “But there’s nothing I can do about that now.”

“There is,” I say, noticing her eyebrows shoot up a little. “I hope you understand that I won’t just be sitting idly by as someone tries to kill us all. So I’ll be taking over the investigation.”

“What is he on about?” Moswen cuts in again. She turns to Longborn to shoot her a look, instantly making my blood boil. “Like we need some kind of leader.”

“I agree with Moswen,” Longborn says flatly. “We’re in no position to refuse help, so sure, you can help, buttaking over the investigation? The last thing we need is for you to be pulling that alpha shit on us.”

Nuala looks away, still silent and red in the face. I let out a frustrated groan. “I don’t know what kind of realityyoulive in,” I start as I turn back to Longborn, my voice raised a little, “but in mine, it takes a lot more sense for it to be led by someone withactualresources.”

Moswen lets out a scoff. “Of course he’d try to buy you.”

It makes me grit my teeth. What the fuck does she have against me? I choose to ignore her and I turn to look at Longborn.

She’s pursing her lips just a little as she considers my words. “What would those resources be?” she finally asks.

I fucking can’t believe how much convincing I have to do, but I make myself take in a breath and spit out, “A web of spies, to start with.”

“That should definitely come in handy,” she says to Nuala, in a voice so flat, it makes me want to grab and shake her.

“I hope you’re not seriously considering teaming up with him?” Moswen asks in a voice full of bitterness. “Isn’t he the one who practically assaulted you?”

Thenerve, I think as an urge to attack her overwhelms me. I’m already leaning forward, my fangs slightly bared. But at the very last second, I stop myself.

Once I’ve snapped out of it, I notice Longborn studying me, her eyes darting to my clenched fists.

I loosen them up and I notice her face relax.

“Alright, you can help coordinate things,” she finally concludes.

But I’m still fuming that that ghost of a woman would want to turn her against me like that. So it sounds quite aggressive when I add, “That’s not all. From now on, you’ll no longer be training with the Vipers.”

That makes Longborn get up. “The hell I won’t. In case you’ve forgotten, there’s shit that’s gonna go down during the Third Round.”

“I’m aware,” I say through gritted teeth. “And that’s why I’ll be the one training you.”

Moswen immediately starts protesting. “Quinn, I think this nonsense has gone on long enough.”

To my satisfaction, Longborn just whispers, “Sorry, Moswen,” and snaps her diary shut, making her disappear.

Then she turns to Nuala and says, “Would you mind leaving us alone?”

It makes my heart skip a beat. And while Nuala’s grabbing her stuff and making her way out, I busy myself by glancing around. What I see surprises me. For some reason, maybe because it’s been like that with every girlfriend I’ve ever had, I expected the room to be crammed with clothes and trinkets. This one is practically bare, only a few posters taped to the wall and a bunch of books on the shelves.

It’s only when I hear Nuala close the door behind her that I force myself to face her again. All of a sudden, my mind is acutely aware of every detail on her face and body. But the bigger problem is that I’ve no idea what to expect.

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