Page 107 of House of Lilith

She lets out a laugh, tearing herself from the painting and looking me straight in the eye. “The sketch was taken on a beautiful day in August, a year before I fought my husband to the death, cut his heart out and took his throne for myself.”

She takes a step closer, making my breath hitch. “You know what I did next?” she leans in to whisper. “I went and Idrainedthe painter of this fucking portrait.”

Blood curdles in my veins as she pulls away a little.

“Why aren’t you in any of the history books?” I demand through gritted teeth. “Why aren’t you in our fucking graveyard?”

“Excellent questions,” she says, but then she appears so close, and I can donothingto stop her from forcing the knife from my hand.

The next thing I know, she has me pinned against the wall, my heart pounding as the tip of the blade presses against my throat. But it’s in a playful voice that she says, “But I’m more interested in the Games andthese things happening, as you so eloquently put it.Whatare they?”

“Um,” I start, swallowing carefully so as not to cut myself, “the Box acting weird and hurting players during the First Game, a murder happening that may or may not be related, the Guardian being relieved of duty, someone breaking in to tamper with the Box—”

At this, she pulls the knife away and takes a step back. There’s a chill in her voice when she demands, “Did you say the Box has no Guardian?”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I first rub my throat with my hand. “I did. They’re currently deciding who the next one will be, but they’ve put the Box in a safer place.”

“Safer place?” she echoes with a mocking laugh. Then she takes a step closer again, her eyebrows pulling down in a menacing frown. “Do you know how terrible the Box’s magic can be, girl? It’s not for nothing that itneedsa Guardian.”

“You’re talking as if I can do something about it,” I snap at her.

“Didn’t you say you were one of mine?”

“I am,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Well fucking take care of it then,” she snarls at me as she stabs the tip of my knife into the doorframe to her right.

Shaking and seething at the same time, I start moving, eager to get the hell out of this place. And I pull my knife out of the wood, but she stops me before I reach for the doorknob.

“Actually,” she says as I turn to look at her. She’s pointing at the nasty bruise on my wrist. The bruise that’s a lot more thanthat. “I suggest you first take care ofthat. Might end up dead if you don’t,” she adds matter-of-factly. “Andthenhow will you do what I asked of you?”

I don’t reply. I just grit my teeth and I watch her disappear back into the painting, Lady X returning to her garden in all her meek splendor.

And I’ve no idea what just happened, I think to myself as I leave the room and then the rookery itself. But I do know I’m going to bed knowing I won’t be able to sleep a wink.

Chapter 20 - Dahrian

Withapersistentgrinon my face, I slowly make my way out of Lilith Tower and down to the camp, thinking I’ll be going straight to bed with the smell of her still clinging to my skin and that little moan echoing in my head.

But as soon as I come close, I see the light in my tent is on.

And I frown and all my muscles immediately tense up, my fox starting to emit a low growl. I know there are no members of my pack who’d choose to disrespect my privacy like that, which is how I know theremustbe something wrong.

I practically run there, my mind scrambling in search of possible explanations. But when I fling the flap open and barge inside, there’s the Archon sitting on the chair in front of my desk, looking up at me from her phone with her eyebrows raised.

I breathe a sigh of relief and I walk inside, my mouth cracking into a smile as she stands up to greet me. “Ricky said you wouldn’t mind me waiting in here,” her strong voice booms through the tent as she claps me on the back.

“Course not,” I say as I grab a footstool from under the bed. “Though I sincerely hope you’re only here because you miss my delightful sense of humor,” I say with a tentative laugh as I take a seat in front of her.

“Wouldn’t know if I’d miss it,” she says flatly. “Never heard you say anything funny.”

I blow a laugh through my nose and she gives me a smile, but it’s a joyless one, and it makes me immediately turn serious.

“Dahrian,” she starts as she bends a little forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands, making both mine and my fox’s ears prick up, “what was it that I asked you before you arrived here?”

Fuck. Has something happened? “Keep the peace and stay until the end,” I recite, summoning determination into my voice.

She looks away for a second, squinting. “And would you say you’re upholding your end of the bargain?”

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