Page 52 of Of Thieves and Shadows

Tension follows us from the balcony down the halls, somehow even more potent than it was before we left.

Aika has once again gone quiet, lost in her thoughts, her face pale and drawn. I suspect it has to do with more than our argument, but I’m sure that’s one of many things she won’t bother to divulge to me.

“I need to see my sister.” Aika pulls me from my thoughts, her voice barely above a whisper as we walk back toward our suites.

“Is this about the fire?” If it is, I may as well prepare myself now.

“Among other things,” she mutters.

I suspect that’s all I’ll get out of her for the time being. So I motion Lawrence to clear the hallways before I lead her to one of the passageways.

It’s a short enough walk to their rooms, thankfully. Gunnar opens the door to their suites as soon as we come in the hallway so we can hurry inside.

No sooner has the door shut behind us than Lady Zaina emerges from her bedroom, Khijhana in tow. The massive chalyx makes a beeline for Aika’s purse, and she holds the now-trilling bag up.

“Khijha,” Zaina scolds, and the giant cat looks almost ashamed of itself, though its eyes are still fixed on the small silk bag. “Dare I even ask what’s in your purse, A?”

Aika fusses with the strings and pulls the tiny monkey out. He is shivering in what I’m fairly certain is an overly dramatic way, designed to get her attention. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at the thing’s theatrics.

“See, now, this is why you can’t stay. It isn’t even safe for you here.” Her soothing motions on the monkey’s head belie her words. She looks up at her sister, grimacing. “It’s a long story.”

Khijhana is inching back toward Aika, turquoise eyes set on the monkey, when the menace climbs around to hide behind Aika’s intricately braided hair.

With a sigh, Aika removes him, walking over to the window and cracking it enough for him to leave.

“Go on, now.” She sets him on the windowsill, where he promptly turns around and climbs right back up her shoulder.

Zaina lets out a light laugh. The sound surprises me, coming from the serious woman.

“Your monkey doesn’t seem to want to leave,” Einar says, amusement coloring his tone as well.

“He’s not my—” Aika is cut off when the “not-her” monkey places a tiny adoring hand on her face.

Einar smirks, and Aika shakes her head. “Well, no one asked you, Grandpa.”

The king laughs, clearly unbothered by the insult, which is fair, considering he doesn’t seem to age.

Despite the small attempt at levity, Zaina reads her sister well. Her eyes sharpen, and all traces of amusement vanish as she homes in on Aika’s features.

“What’s happened?” she asks.

Aika flounces on the sofa, moving the monkey to her lap before it can get smashed against the cushions behind her.

“Aside from your newfound arsonist ways, you mean?” she replies, eyeing her sister.

Zaina sighs but doesn’t try to deny it, taking a seat on the adjacent sofa.

“Don’t you think it would have been suspicious if the vigilante had stopped just as you were removed from the equation?”

Aika doesn’t look surprised by the confirmation, but she does look troubled. She purses her lips and nimbly removes her tiara, twirling it in her hand. The firelight catches on the excess of diamonds, refracting on the ceiling and the walls.

“There’s something else,” Zaina says, more a statement than a question.

It’s Aika’s turn to sigh. “I saw our favorite brother today, all healed up like the pristine little sociopath that he is.”

Fear was another emotion I wasn’t expecting to see on the indomitable Lady Zaina’s features, but it’s unmistakably painted on every line of her ashen face. She smooths her features out, though her breaths are still shallow.

“So she’s not only let him off his leash, she’s rewarding him now?” Einar asks.

---