Page 73 of A Touch of Gold and Madness

The young woman reached a door in the center of the hallway, rapping it lightly with her knuckles without hesitation. She tossed another skeptical glance at me before the door swung open.

Orion stood on the threshold with his forearm braced on the doorframe with an amiable smile. “Princess Gray.” The calm seas in his gaze brought a fraction of ease. “Thank you for meeting with me.”

I gave a brief nod and moved to step past the young woman who escorted me.

“And thank you, Aella. As always, your generosity is appreciated, my dear,” he said, turning his soft gaze to the lithe Elemental.

Aella’s lips pulled up into a tight smile, her eyes shifting to me. “Of course, Orion,” she said, her voluminous black hair bouncing with the nod. She adjusted her white, loose-fitting sweater before turning on her heels and drifting down the hall.

Orion stepped aside and swept his arm in a welcoming gesture into his office. Organized chaos best described the cluttered room.

“Please, have a seat,” Orion said and moved behind his broad desk, scattered with open books and two picture frames. It was a brief glimpse, but in one, there were three individuals all huddled together—one of them being a younger Orion. Smiles painted their golden-flecked faces.

Following Orion’s lead, I took a seat in the dark leather chair opposite him and fought to maintain eye contact with the gentle man facing me.

“You must have so many questions, dear.” Orion’s brows pulled downward as his focus trained on me with compassion.

“I do,” I said, nodding, my features tight. Glancing away from him, I scanned the walls lined with packed bookshelves.

“Once Chrome arrives,” Orion said with an endearing smile, “I’ll be able to give you your answers.”

My head tilted in question.

“It was at his insistence. He made it very clear he wanted to be present.”

“Why?”

The door opened behind us, and Chrome strode inside with tight restraint. There was an empty chair next to mine, but he remained standingby Orion’s side. “Are you settling in all right, Princess?” he asked me, all glamours removed from him. His golden skin, chromatic hair, swirling molten eyes, and silver currents all dominated the space, somehow making this room his just by stepping into it.

Fucking hell. Why did he have to be sexy?

“Yeah, as much as I can,” I said with a disinterested shrug. Seeing him in this environment changed him, somehow. Or, at least, it changed how I saw him.

Chrome was no longer just a survival partner; he was a respected leader. He carried himself with a distinct air—approachable yet unapproachable at the same time. It was clear this washisHollow.Hispeople.Hiswar against my father.

Chrome pinned me to my chair with his molten stare. My chest tightened from the emotion that poured from them. It was a silent promise that I wouldn’t be alone during this meeting.

Orion beamed, “Great! We’re all here. So, let’s begin, shall we?” I wasn’t sure if he noticed the silent exchange between Chrome and me or if he’d simply ignored it.

I shifted my eyes from Chrome to tune into Orion. “I’m still not sure if I even believe I’m part Elemental,” I confessed to Orion.

Orion nodded. “Of course. I’m sure you’re dying to remove that necklace to test the theory.” A pained expression entered his shiny blue eyes at the black crystal hanging over my chest.

I gave him a tight smile. In truth, I was, but I was also terrified. It would make everything more real and concrete, effectively changing everything about me.

Chrome seemed to sense this. “You’re not alone in this, Gray.”

I waved a dismissive hand at him and returned my attention back to Orion.

“When an Elemental comes into their magic for the first time,” he began. “Powers tend to be quite…volatile. With no way of knowing which Elements you possess, you could level the lodge unintentionally. We suspect that, like Chrome, your power is immense. So, we must take precautionsand plan accordingly.” Orion laced his fingers together on top of the desk as he gazed at me softly.

“Well, shit…” I said, still doubtful of whether to believe the claims of my potential strength or not. “Why do you believe I’ll be so powerful? My Kinetic side shouldn’t influence the strength of my Elemental, right?” I asked, shifting my eyes back and forth between the two men. My eyes lingered on Chrome’s overwhelming gaze longer than I intended as his quicksilver eyes drew me in.

Orion swallowed and looked down at his clasped hands perched atop the desk. He sighed, letting the tension linger. When he glanced up at me, his eyes were heavy with grief. “Your mother was an extremely powerful Elemental.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You know who my mother is? Was?”

Orion cleared his throat and sat back in the seat, as if the weight of the truth exhausted him. “Your mother was a very dear friend of mine. She was extraordinary. A powerful, fierce warrior with a heart as gold as our skin. She was grace, beauty, and kindness. And that’s how she ruled our people.”

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