Page 132 of A Touch of Gold and Madness

I stabbed at a broccoli floret and shoved it in my mouth. “Orion’s office,” I said around my food. “Trying to find something on Forest’s secret treasure.”

“And?” Void asked dryly.

“And nothing concrete yet, but we found a suspicious-looking stone in the book. Orion’s gotta work on deciphering the text about it, so that’ll take some time. Although…” I took a sip of water. “It only appears for me.”

Everyone at the table looked at me skeptically, their expressions urging me to continue. I explained the phenomena, how it would disappear if I wasn’t looking at it, and how we believed that it was our best lead since it’s so well-guarded. River sharpened her features in thought while Void dropped his fork, rubbing his jaw as he chewed his food.

“What are you guys talking about that’s got you all looking like you’re playing a game of Clue?” Onyx dropped his plate on the table. Naturally, no space was left uncovered on it.

I set my fork down against the ceramic plate as I glared at him. How was he going to act like nothing had happened earlier?

“What?” he asked, already scooping heaps of food into his mouth.

“Where’s Chrome?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably his room. Why?”

It struck me odd how no one had said a word about the scout’s appearance. “What do you mean, ‘why?’ What happened with the scout?”

Onyx sighed. “Dead. Chrome killed him.” He took another massive bite. “Pretty brutally, in fact.”

I gaped. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“Because he’s dead. He didn’t know anything. He said he was the only one that knew where the Hollow was. He hadn’t had time to report it back to the king yet,” Onyx explained casually.

I rubbed my temples. “And did Chrome happen to get the information out of him on how he managed to get past the Hollow’s wards?”

Onyx stilled. Silence ensued around the table.

I pushed back from the table, no longer hungry. I snatched up my plate, ready to track down Chrome myself and confront him. Onyx’s words stopped me. “Don’t do it.”

“Why the fuck do all these men think they can keep ordering me around?” I asked the ceiling.

Without looking up from his plate, he said, “I’m not ordering; I’m advising.”

I laughed, but it held so much bitterness. “Advising? Because you’re Chrome’s little lapdog bitch. Always heeling to his orders, huh? You left one mindfuck of an asshole and fell right into the hands of another because, apparently, you can’t think for yourself.”

Hello, projection.

I knew I had gone too far. And there was no doubt I had been projecting my trauma onto Onyx, who wasn’t the target of my anger. I wanted tosnatch the words back as soon as they left my mouth as I stood there breathing harshly. I was supposed to be working on my quick temper.

Godsdamnit.

Everyone at the table might as well have turned to statues. Onyx slowly set his silverware down against the plate before rising to his feet. His jaw was clenched tight, and his amber eyes were hard when he looked at me—none of his usual mirth and warmth were present.

Onyx took measured steps toward me. It was in that moment that I truly took in his size. He looked down his nose at me with his lip curled, disgust written all over his expression. “Now, I see it.” And then he walked off, exiting the dining hall.

I didn’t spare anyone else at the table a glance as regret squeezed my heart and moved into my gut. “Onyx!” I called after him. I jogged to catch up as he shoved the double doors wide open. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said…”

As he crossed the threshold, I dodged through the swinging doors behind him. He whipped around, shoulders hunched forward, hands fisted at his side. Shocked by his twisted expression, I stumbled back a few steps as he closed the distance. “You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about, Gray. You’re so quick to judge others when you won’t even look at yourself when you don’t get your way.”

All I could do was open and close my mouth, speechless by his shift. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean it.”

“No, you’re just an entitled little princess,” Onyx sneered. “I see why people couldn’t stand you. And if you’re not careful, the ones who have taken you in will turn on you, too.”

A sharp ache struck me in the chest. “Onyx…” Tears lined my bottom lids. “Please, tell me you don’t mean that.” My hands shook at the possibility of losing someone who’d been nothing but welcoming and kind, all because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut and control my emotions.

Onyx shook his head in disappointment. “I don’t. But you see what false words do when you’re hurt? Perhaps you should think about that next time.”

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