Page 78 of Living Legend

A few moments passed before I heard the rustling of sheets. I heard creaking, as if to tell me she was repositioning herself. Her voice rang out, causing my slow drift to sleep to end.

“You are aware Lilith usually shows her face in her plans, one way or another? The fact she hasn’t for this long, especially when her prized pupil leaves, means something.”

“We already know someone is working with her, orforher.”

“I know, but just keep your fucking head on straight, because someone is watching us. If Lilith can’t do it, then someone else is.”

I nodded even though she couldn’t see it. “We know how you feel about Jonah, Elise. We get it.”

“Jonah or no Jonah, I don’t trust any of them. They have hardly given me reason to. Lilith is trying to destroy this place from the inside out and they’re just too stupid to see it. I swear Dani, I won’t be in the middle of it when it all goes to shit. Whatever you find out tomorrow could either fuck us or help us, remember that.”

“Where is this all coming from?” I asked, staring up at the dark ceiling.

“Have fun with your angel all you want, but don’t forget for a fucking secondwhoyou are…whatyou are,” she said in a lower voice, ignoring my question.

“I couldn’t if I tried,” I replied, waiting for her response, but all that came was silence. I felt my eyes slowly close, letting my mind attempt to settle, but I knew it would never reach that level of rest. My head was never quiet enough for a night of blissful slumber. There was always a voice in my head that never quieted. There was a warmth to it I didn’t understand, but it mumbled something to me. When I closed my eyes completely, whatever it was became brighter, as if it was trying to push to the surface, as if something was holding it back, but I never considered it too much to care. I didn’t have time to care. So, I pushed it back further into my head and watched as it retreated to wherever it came. Just like I always did.

“You really know how to make a girl feel special, don’t you,” I said, straining to move my wrists around in the golden handcuffs. Reese had all but grabbed my hands and shoved them into the metal contraptions this morning. I had asked him why I had to wear them, but I got no response, only an eyebrow raise and the jingle of the handcuffs in response.

His blonde hair fell in waves around his shoulders, and he had tucked part of it behind one of his ears. I couldn’t help but notice the way his white shirt fit against his chest, how his arms filled out the quarter-length sleeves, his bow strapped to his back. He took a step back, looking down the hall and tilted his head for me to follow him out.

“Bring her back in one piece, Blondie, or I’ll make sure you end up in many,” Elise said, loud enough for Reese to stop and roll his tense shoulders.

We had made our way down an array of staircases and before I knew it, we were almost out back. Reese was about two steps ahead of me during the journey and I couldn’t help but stare at the back of his head, knowing he could feel my stare like a slow burn.

“Can you not stare at me?”

“Where else would you like me to look?” I asked.

Reese shook his head. “Fuck if I know. Anywhere else.”

“But the back of your head is so pretty,” I said in the most girlish voice I could conjure.

I was just ignored. We passed sentries that nodded to Reese, going about their duties. There were a few who kept their eyes on me, and it took everything in me not to laugh at how ridiculous they were. We went down another flight of stairs, the hallway even darker this time.

Reese made a sharp right at the end of the hallway, and I had to hustle to keep up with him. The minute we turned, the air grew a bit colder, causing me to stop. Down the hall, I could see a large metal door, clearly steel, with two bronze handles. There was nothing remotely special about the door, but I knew what lay behind it was something entirely different. I stopped when I finally stood in front of it. The air around us chilled further, but not enough to make me shiver. Reese walked up next to me, completely unfazed by what I was feeling.

I looked down, noticing a tiny slit at the bottom of the door. Small puffs and whirls of smoke danced out of it. They encircled my ankles and then dissipated, leaving a phantom touch in their wake.He pressed on the handle, gold flecks wrapping themselves around his hand, white flecks close behind. I heard the crank and ticks of locks unhinging and bolts loosening.

I stared up at the side of his face, seeing the small bits of stubble that settled along his jawline and underneath. “Nicholas seems to be handling our presence here just fine. Why are you so unwilling to just trust we have absolutely nothing to do with this? It must be exhaustive harboring all that resentment.”

I heard a final pop, and he grabbed my arm, pulling me back as the door started to shift open and more smoke poured out in waves. Reese sucked in a large breath and blew it out through his nose. “Nick can do whatever he wants. He can think whatever he wants. I just don’t trust you as far as I can throw you.”

“I haven’t done anything underhanded to make you second guess me.”

“You haven’t really told me where you stand in all this to begin with, nor do I really give a fuck, so the next best thing is to get you in there, let you do whatever it is you do, and hope that the whole realm doesn’t come tumbling down in your wake.” He looked down at me, lifting an eyebrow and waiting for me to say something back. I started to answer him, but he put up a hand to silence me as the door came to a halt.

“You aren’t one to ask the hard questions, are you?” I said under my breath, as I looked examined the gold handcuffs decorating my wrists.

“Excuse me?” His hazel eyes stared down at me as I gave him my lazy attention.

“I don’t know, you just seem to go with whatever is easiest, which, in my humble opinion, isn’t always the best option. I would go as far as saying thatthatvery nonchalant way of thinking could be your realm's impending downfall.Notme.”

Reese pressed his lips together, hard enough for me to see his jaw clench. I stood my ground and waited for him to say another word. He clucked his tongue and clasped my arm, dragging me to the other side of the door. I heard the door starting to rumble as it closed us in. A thin fog surrounded our ankles, slowly making its way up our legs and spilling out around us. This place didn’t have the wet, damp feeling the tunnel to the Divine Library—no, it felt worse. The air was stale, and I had to adjust my breathing as we settled. The walls were a dull gray stone, fixtures on the wall that would be lit to create a pathway for the sentries. Our footsteps echoed loudly, making me realize no one could ever escape this place on foot.

Ahead of us, I could see a smaller version of the first door, a small glass window at the center of it, two men on the other side. I couldn’t make them out, but I could hear their muffled voices as we got closer. Reese stood in front of me, rapped his knuckles against the door, then looked through the window. I heard one of the men on the other side chuckle, but then the bolts and unlocking clicks rang in my ears. Reese pulled the door open and swung me to the other side. I blew my hair out of my face as I gave him an annoyed look.

A click sounded as he closed the door behind us. Reese and one of the men patted each other on the back and Reese said something quietly that I couldn’t hear. The man subtlety nodded past my direction. I thoroughly hated the idea of being left out, so I turned around to see if I could get a glimpse of what he was gesturing to when I collided with a hard chest. A muscled, hard, familiar chest.

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