Page 91 of Hidden Kingdoms

“Fine, you can have your books.” His long legs were stretched out in front of him as he watched me, eyes glinting as much as the circlet of rubies nestled in his golden curls. “You can leave. I’m done with you. For now.”

A fresh wave of anger swept over me at his dismissal, it was almost enough to douse the excitement at the promise of books and the relief of being able to walk away from here. Energy pricked in my fingertips, and forcibly turning my back to him, I walked to the door. Kaius moved with me, and I looked at him, noticing the shadows that darkened his eyes, but I was too angry at them both to care right now.

“Alouette will take me,” I said, as I reached for the door. Grateful that when I opened it, she was indeed still outside, leaning against the opposite wall twirling a dagger in her fingers and smirking at the guards who were doing their best to ignore her.

Without a word, I headed the way I was pretty sure we had arrived from, and she fell into step next to me, leaving Kaius behind.

It wasn’t long before we left the corridor behind, and I relaxed slightly as we walked, me in a stunned silence of disbelief that I was headed back to my room.

35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

KAIUS

As Elodie disappeared, I went back in, the door sealing shut behind me as I sank into one of the leather chairs that had been brought in. Bastian was already at the cabinet that held the good liquor, pouring us both a generous glass. He handed me mine before taking the seat opposite. My eyes wandered to the carvings of flame that adorned the chair he had vacated; I knew he hated sitting in it just as much as I would have. Draining my glass in one gulp, tiredness tugged at me.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wasn’t aware I needed to inform you on everything she did, or is your infatuation with her that deep? Perhaps you would like a list of her meals to inspect? You had more important things to deal with.”

“Don’t be a dick, Bas,” I said, scraping a hand through my beard and letting my eyes fall shut, exhaling deeply. He had kept me really fucking busy these past few days, and I got the feeling that was partly to keep me from Elodie. As desperate for sleep as I was, I knew it wouldn’t be in any way restful.

Not unless I was next to her.

“I would never dream of it,” he retorted, and a reluctant smile tugged at my lips.

Bastian may be a bastard, but he was also the only person I had ever been able to rely on. Even my own parents—though they hadn’t known it at the time—had let me down. Which is how I ended up in his company in the first place.

The only interruption to the silence was the crackle of flames which was a constant in this palace. I peeled heavy lids open to look at him, focused on the glass clutched in his hands. So much was on our shoulders, but at least I wasn’t the face of a kingdom.

“Who was he?” I asked, anger feeding my magik at the image of his hands over Elodie, of him chasing her through the halls of the palace. I ground my jaw together, squeezing the glass in my hand as I fought the need to go to her. Desperate to soothe every inch of her body and mind until I had fixed it all, chased away all thoughts and every touch he dared to lay upon her. I knew it would never be that easy.

I couldn’t begin to comprehend the barrage of emotions that overcame me when I’d answered the call that told me my Goldie had been in danger, and I hadn’t been there. No, I’d agreed to go on a stupid fucking mission just to stop Bas’ whining.

Marcellus had been there, though.

He looked up, and I could swear I also saw the same anger coursing through his own eyes before he reined it in. Bastian had plenty of practice keeping his emotions in check, which was why seeing Goldie affect him was so entertaining.

Until they were both trying to murder each other.

Although I couldn’t deny she looked sexy as hell wielding all that power.

How Bastian couldn’t see she was the answer to our problems was beyond me. I could easily see she was the answer to mine.

Frowning, he answered. “No idea. He was wearing a guards uniform, even had a golden two flame signet on, but he wasn’t part of the Palace Guards.”

“You didn’t recognise him at all?” Guilt was thick under my skin, why hadn’t I tried to find him once Elodie told me about him? I should have done more. I should never have left.

But I would make it up to her.

“There wasn’t really much left to recognise if I’m honest. Didn’t have much of a face by the time I got there.”

I knew first-hand the damage Marcellus was capable of, but Goldie had done her part, too.

Fuck, I wished I could have seen her in action, though if I had been there, there was no chance he would have even touched a single hair on her perfect head.

Bastian took his phone from his pocket before pulling up the photos from the scene and handing it to me. He was right, there was no longer anything left to recognise, a few tufts of hair and the red stitched signet sticking out from under gods know what.

---