Page 34 of Glass Hearts
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“Morning, brothers. I will be heading to Arabella’s roomshortly to make a deal with her. Clearly, we cannot confine her in her room any longer. I also wonder if we should relocate her to the servants’ quarters,”Sylas says down the bond.
“Why would we do that?”I inquire back as I get ready for what will probably be another long day, buttoning my pressed white dress shirt.
“She isn’t what we should be focusing on. We should focus on finding a wife. She is a distraction, and her being so close isn’t helping.”
“No.”I say as I head out of my room to Sylas’s room. Grayer must still be knocked out from his drunken night, given his silence down the bond. I would imagine he would feel just as upset about this change in Sylas.
Archer is already in Sylas’s room once I get there, stroking Jett’s fur as he sips a coffee. They have been forming plans without Gray and me.
“Had a delightful night between Adrianna’s thighs, Arch?” I sneer.
“Why so mad, brother? Upset someone from our list has already offered herself to me?”
“Cut it, you two. Koi, you came in here ready to rip my head apart. Say your peace.”
“You are such a controlling prick, Sy. We make decisions as a unit, as a bond. Yet here you two are deciding without consulting Grayer and me.”
“You are right, brother.” Sylas sighs, running his hands over his face. “But she cannot remain up here. She is just causing more problems. How is Grayer supposed to move on when she is so near? Can you understand why we would want that?”
“It’s not going to be that simple, and you know it.”
He nods pensively. “It is true, but I talked to a councilman, Hendrickson, Mendez & Clarsef before leaving the cocktail event last night. I didn’t say Arabella’s name, but I asked what theirthoughts were if one of us had fallen for a regular citizen. They were not pleased and threatened the security of our crowns.”
“Fuck.” My hope deflates.
“We’d better go break the news to her now, before we have to head out for today’s courting activities. Arch, want to go sober up Gray?”
Hesitating for only a moment, Archer nods and leaves.
“Do you have any ideas on how we can get Gray to stop obsessing over Arabella?” Sy asks as we head towards her room.
“Not a clue.” I reply. I struggle to stop myself from constantly thinking about her.
We are both stunned when we open the door to find our little thief already packed up, wringing her hands sheepishly.
“Prince Koi and Prince Sylas, good morning. It was not intentional, but Kip overheard your conversation. I am heading to the servants’ quarters then? Does that mean I am not in lockdown anymore?”
“Are you spying on us, thief?” Sylas grits out.
“Oh! Ah—No, I am sorry. Like I said, it wasn’t intentional. I sent Kip to see if food was coming at all. He said he smelled food in a room and went into it, then overheard your conversation. Just a misunderstanding. Nosy mice and all that.” She laughs awkwardly.
“You didn’t eat this morning?” I ask.
Grimly, she smiles and shakes her head. That’s when I notice her tray is from yesterday’s breakfast service.
“You didn’t receive dinner last night either, then?” Finally, Sylas clues in and curses under his breath.
“Honestly, no worries. I am pretty used to not having regular meals. I was just more curious as to whether I had missed breakfast, or if it just hadn’t arrived. So anyway… servants’ quarters then?” She lifts her measly bag and smiles. Fuckingsmiles, as if we weren’t constantly messing with her life and starving her.
“Look, Arabella. We don’t want to put you in the dungeon. But we also can’t have you running off into the night asThe Shadow. We will have many eyes on you. Got it?”
“Yes, Prince Sylas.” She nods seriously. I try to hold back my smile, figuring that if she had an opportunity, shedefinitelywould vanish into the night. Adorable.
“Now to get to the servants’ quarters, head down the stairs, you will want to ma-”
“I will take you there,” I cut Sylas off.
