Page 51 of Magic Forsaken

But he stayed silent.

“I’m so glad to hear it.” Callum still sounded coldly furious. “But from now on, feel free to stay out of my affairs, Elduvar.”

Wait.

Elduvar?

I looked at Draven. Something in those silver eyes seemed to soften.

“Who are you?” I asked, through lips that had somehow gone numb.

“Draven Elduvar.” The words held old bitterness. Old pain. “By birth, I am the eldest son of Dathair Elduvar.”

Kira’s fiance was not just an assassin. He was also Elayara’s stepson.

But he’d also been a part of the team who’d helped to destroy her ambitions. Who had hunted down her accomplices until they were entirely accounted for. And from what he’d told us yesterday, he was probably even familiar with the underground facility where I’d spent most of the last ten years.

Did he know what they’d done in that labyrinth? Was there anything about me that might tell him I’d walked the same halls? Trained in those caves? Screamed myself hoarse in those dark cells?

I knew they’d left records. But had anyone read them before they destroyed them? Worse yet… What if they hadn’t been destroyed?

“I…” What was there to say now?

“Well fought, by the way,” Draven said casually. “You have a creative approach to dealing with glamour, and you’re clearly used to fighting without the use of sight.”

“And I hopeyouhave a creative approach to cleaning up this mess,” Faris grumbled, “because Irene will be here in less than an hour. Next time you want to test someone, don’t do it in my kitchen. Do you hear me, Elduvar?”

The assassin just shrugged, clearly unrepentant. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

“And you.” Faris turned to look at me, brows drawn. “Come with me.”

I set down the mop. Set down the spoon. Looked at the clock on the wall.

It wasn’t even nine in the morning yet, and I already needed a nap.

TWELVE

I followedFaris out of the kitchen and up the stairs, trying not to look over my shoulder. Trying not to wonder what Callum was thinking as he followed us into Faris’s office and shut the door.

He was definitely going to have questions.

When he came to a stop beside me, in front of the desk, I could feel him looking down. Assessing me. Maybe even judging me…

“Are you all right?”

It wasn’t the first question I’d been expecting, but I forced a nod.

“I’m fine,” I muttered. “Perfectly fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine? I just came into work for the day and was attacked by an invisible assassin.” My mouth, for whatever reason, didn’t seem to want to stop moving.

“I tried to step on him once,” Callum murmured, “But he’s faster than he looks. Someday I’m just going to eat him.”

Also not what I’d been expecting from my stern, grumpy dragon boss.

“Wait.” I turned to glare up at him. “You actually had an opportunity to get rid of your clearly deranged future brother-in-law andmissed?”

And there I went again. Arguing with people who could kill me.

His mouth opened as if he couldn’t believe what I’d just said.

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