Page 12 of He Who Ignites The Flame
“Here,” I said, taking it from her. She held up her wrist for me, and I clasped the bracelet in place, the chain a touch too loose.
I frowned. “We can get it adjusted.”
“No. I love it as it is.” She lifted her wrist, and her smile widened as she read the message again.
“I love you so much,” she said as she stretched onto her toes to wrap her arms around me and press a kiss to my cheek.
“I love you more.”
“I love you most,” she said with a snicker.
I arched a brow. “What are you really up to?”
She stiffened before glancing nervously to the entrance. “I, um…”
I gave her a knowing smile, and she slumped.
“I met someone.”
My stomach dipped, and I hated that it was my first reaction to something that should be special. “Who?”
“A… Just someone from the market. We bumped into each other, and we started talking, and?—”
“Cali, do you know what would happen if Father caught you sneaking out?” I said, a cold sense of dread winding in my chest. “And to be seeing someone?”
She put her hands on her hips, lifting her chin to meet my gaze, but she didn’t have Father’s steel eyes as I did. Hers were softer, an almost greenish gray—like wild sage. It was a trait she’d inherited from Mother. Some of the aristocracy frowned upon the color of Mother’s eyes when she and Father were bonded. The presence of green in the silver was a sign that, somewhere in her bloodline there had been a mixing—whether with human or fae, we didn’t know.
They were the eyes I wished I’d been given. Sadly, I’d inherited Father’s, cold and hard as steel, and it was one of many traits that left me subjected to Father’s talks of how I would be like him—how I would carry on the family name, become a warrior of The Order, and one day take over his position as Kyrios of House Stoicheion.
I’d have rather died than follow in his footsteps, continuing the farce of perfection he displayed to the outside world.
“He won’t find out if you keep quiet,” she whispered loudly, and I let out a sigh.
“It’s not safe for you to go out this late,” I said, glancing toward the main room where Mother and Father were likely relaxing for the evening. “What if a darkling finds its way into the village, or you bump into the wrong person? Did you stop to think about that?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, a cocky smile curving her lips, and I braced myself for the snide remarks to follow. “Two weeks into recruitment training and already, you know everything about the darklings and their activities?”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t start that. You know I’m?—”
“He’s arranged my bonding...” she admitted, and my heart lurched.
“He what?” He hadn’t mentioned anything like that to me. “When did this happen?”
“He told me a few days ago.”
Something fractured inside me at the way she hugged herself, at the way she averted her eyes.
“Did he tell you who?” When she didn’t answer, I grabbed her arms, forcing her to look at me. “Cali, who is it?”
Her eyes finally met mine, and my stomach plummeted at the sight of the tears welling within them. “Jude.”
“Jude Galanis?” I confirmed, and she reluctantly nodded.
I felt the blood drain from my face. He was the son of the Kyrios of House Leukós and had been bonded once before. Rumors arose shortly after his bonded suddenly passed away, but they had been quickly silenced. I’d seen him once or twice while accompanying Father to meet with the other council members. He was a smug bastard, cocky and entitled, and I’d personally interrupted him getting overly familiar with a female servant who was clearly uninterested in his advances—intervened when he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Would she end up like his first bonded? Or worse?
“Cali, he can’t?—”
