Page 8 of Essence of the Throne

“How do you not see it? The girl has gone crazy! Her eyes were somehow even more emotionless earlier than they normally are. I’m worried for your safety if you do not rid of her.” Strange—I felt far toofullof emotions when I’d returned to the castle.

He’s just pissed that I ruined his sleeping arrangements. At least he's angry enough that he won't question just how I imbued his mattress with as much water as it would hold.

“I’m done talking about this with you, Gavriel. Bring it up again and we’ll have a problem,” the prince snaps, earning himself a growl from his brute of a friend.

I twist to my right and throw Caspian’s door open with my usual dramatic grace. “Aw, please don’t stop, Gav; I wanted to hear just how crazy I’ve become.”

The stalky guard faces me with a sneer that would make any weaker man piss themselves.

But I am no man.

“This is a private conversation, wraith.” My lips curve before I drop into a cushioned chair and wave a hand.

“Surely you’re aware half of Valoria could hear you barking at your prince,” I drawl, disinterested. Though my eyes snap up when Gavriel adjusts himself to be a barrier between Caspian and me—a rather unattractive one. “Don’t stress yourself too much, Gav. I won’t bite him.” My tongue runs along my lower lip as I meet the prince’s amused gaze. “Unless he asks, that is.” He swipes a hand along his chin, a slight twitch appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Gavriel’s face contorts. “You’re proving my point, wraith.”

I roll my eyes, crossing one leg over the other. “Oh please, as if you haven’t thought about it yourself. Perhaps you’re just jealous?”

The guard’s hand flies to the hilt of his sword, but Caspian steps forward, placing a firm hand on his friend’s shoulder. “That’s enough, both of you,” he says, his voice carrying the weight of his command.

I cannot help but smirk at the way Gavriel’s posture stiffens, his ingrained obedience to the prince overriding his hatred for me.

It’s almost endearing.

Caspian turns to me, his moonlit eyes softening. “Ariella, what brings you here?”

I shrug, feigning indifference. “I was bored.” I unsheathe my blade and rest my cheek on the point, needing some way to ground myself for the conversation to come. “And we need to discuss the Accord.” My eyes narrow on Gavriel’s face, and my suspicions are confirmed when he shows little reaction to my words.

Caspian indeed informed him of our little secret.

The prince sighs as he drops to his bed and leans back on his hands. “That we do. Gavriel,” he says, catching the guard’s attention. “You have training soon, so please inform us of what you’ve discovered.” He gestures a hand out as if in offering, but Gavriel’s lip just curls.

He doesn’t respond for a moment, seeming to contemplate something before deciding to ask. “You wish for her to hear?” Caspian nods once, leaving no room for argument.

The brute crosses his arms and faces the prince, widening his stance while he pointedly ignores my presence. Foolish fucking man.

“I was able to find a way into the tunnels without the other sentries suspecting, but I didn’t uncover much. There were,” he stretches his neck to each side as he pauses, “sounds.”

“Sounds?” I ask, my interest piqued despite my distaste for the messenger. “What kind of sounds?”

Gavriel’s jaw clenches, but he answers, still refusing to look at me. “Inhuman. Like…like something crawling—scratching—against the stone.”

A chill runs down my spine, but I mask the unease with a smirk. “Scared of a few rats, Gav?”

He whirls on me, eyes blazing. “These were no rats, wraith. Whatever’s down there is not right.”

Caspian leans forward, resting both elbows on his knees. “Could you see anything?”

The guard shakes his head. “No. It was too dark, and fuck if I was going to use a light. But I could feel them. Their presence.” He shudders.

Curious. My gut is telling me that his story is relevant to our current search, but how?

There’s something I am missing—something important. If I could just figure out what it is, I know that this will all make sense.

As much as I despise his presence, perhaps Gavriel could be useful. We need to know what the king is doing in the tunnels, and I will—with great enthusiasm—volunteer the brute to go in deeper. If one of us needs to be sacrificed for answers, it will be him.

I lean back in my chair, twirling my blade absently as I consider our next steps. Caspian stands, pacing the room with a thoughtful expression. “We need to explore further. If there’s something in those tunnels that could pose a threat to us or the city—even the Accord—finding it is a top priority.”

---