Page 98 of This Monster of Mine

Kadra had been right.

After an eternity of walking, Aoran Tower drew in sight. Her hands left bloody trails on the gate when she unlocked it. Around her, the world slumbered, soundless but for the night creatures going about their tasks. At least she wouldn’t have to face Kadra. He was probably in his office, unaware and uncaring of what she’d faced.

This close to sanctuary, the tears that had choked her throughout the walk rose unimpeded. She should have learned her lesson four years ago. Justice was a mirage, a game of lies and platitudes played by politicians whoensured they weren’t held to the same standards as the populace. And no friendship was immune to that game.

“Bless her, I think she believes she’s rescuing you,”Aelius had said. The worst part was that Sarai believed it too.

She shuffled toward Kadra’s tablinum and paused at the line of light snaking out from under the door. Had Cato left a candle burning? As she stared, the light blurred. Legs giving out, she collapsed against the door, agony flaring across her neck at the impact. Wetness trickled from her barely closed burns.

She dimly recognized that her body had gone as far as it could. But she wasn’t safe yet. Not until she was sequestered in her room and the Sidran Tower Girl could sob her heart out.

Clawing at the jamb, she dragged herself to her feet and tottered into the study, only to freeze at the man blocking her path, eyes boring into hers.

“Kadra,” she whispered a second before she pitched forward.

His hands closed around her shoulders, halting her fall. A whimper left her when his fingers swept over her burns, and he stilled. Brushing her ruined braid aside, his gaze went from her ravaged neck to her face before turning murderous.

“Who?” The word was as cold and hard as ice.

“Tullus.” The world grew unfocused.

Fingers tipped her chin. “Sarai, can you see me?” Kadra asked grimly.

She tried to focus on his face, but her eyes wouldn’t hold still, circling from the travel dust on his robes to the clenched set of his jaw.

The door thudded open, startling her back to clarity. Cato strode in with a cheerful smile, cup of tea in hand, and went stock-still.

“What the—”

Kadra plucked her off the floor and deposited her onto a couch as Cato hurried to her side.

“What happened? Drenevan, don’t tell me you—” He cut himself off with a shake before turning to her. “Let’s get you to a healer.”

“No,” she whispered, but Cato was having none of it. “Wait, I can’t—”

“She asked you to wait.” Kadra’s voice sliced through the tablinum, and the older man shot him a glare only to falter when Sarai nodded weakly. “Then …?”

“I can heal it,” she lied. She couldn’t have a healer seeing her scars. Drawing upon her precariously stretched reserves of magic, she poorly clotted one burn and hoped it would satisfy them. Both men blinked.

Cato still looked worried. “Was it the Guild?”

“Tullus.” Kadra looked close to breathing fire. “See to the wards. And inform Gaius that I want his head.”

Cato departed with a nod.

Kadra crouched by her, the sleeves of his tunic rolled to his elbows. “I’ll help you upstairs.”

“No.” She’d had too much time to think on the walk back to Aoran Tower. Enough to realize that he must have known who Helvus’s clients were all along. He’d stayed quiet because he’d known he couldn’t take on Aelius and Tullus and had used her instead. This was the result.

Her thoughts must have shown, because his face smoothed into a hard-eyed mask.

“Did you know this would happen?” She was proud of how the words came out. Empty, indifferent.

He studied her like she would bite if he turned his back. “Gaius was supposed to watch you.”

“To protect me from the Metals Guild, I’m sure. If he’d known he was guarding me from two Tetrarchs, he wouldn’t have left tonight.” Despite the cotton wool lining her throat, she laughed. “Imagine that. You keep your secrets, and I pay the price.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw, but he extended a hand to help her up.

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