Caelum.
For a couple of minutes, neither I nor Zevran spoke to each other.
We simply stood side by side, staring out into the distance. But I could tell that it was the sa thing we were thinking about. I could tell that the thought keeping restless was the sa that held him in a chokehold.
I cleared my throat after a long mont of increasing silence and muttered; "She would be fine, wouldn’t she?"
But even as I said that, I didn’t feel like I could fully convince myself especially since the mories of her in so much pain kept replaying itself in my mind over and over again, keeping on edge.
"I guess so." Zevran finally answered without looking at . But I didn’t miss how stiff his shoulders were. How utterly exhausted and devastated he seed.
His eyes squinted as he stared into the distance, and in a small voice, he muttered; "I don’t know for real, and that bothers more than anything."
" too."
A couple of minutes passed between us with neither of us speaking to the other, but then, as if suddenly possessed by so invisible force, we both moved towards the door at the sa ti and stopped, freezing as we asked;
"What?"
I turned away. "I want to find out if there’s anything she needs."
"I want to call Frostclaw to ask him to send her so help." Zevran answered coolly. "If she doesn’t want to be with us then she could be with him. She needs soone to be there with her, protecting her—"
"But I don’t want that person to be Frostclaw!" I yelled, interrupting him and surprising myself.
At the sound of my voice, the servants working nearby stopped to look at , and when they noticed watching them, they imdiately dropped their heads and returned to what they were doing.
Zevran however, was looking at like I had just sprouted a second head, causing the heat searing across my cheeks to burn even hotter. His brows creased together as he asked; "What was that for?"
Indeed, what was it for?
Why was I so mad at the idea of her being with Frostclaw especially in that state?
By the gods, is this jealousy I feel? Is this what jealousy feels like?
I could already imagine her, moaning and writhing while his finger trailed hot motions up the length of her body. And gentleman or not, I knew what the sll of a woman in heat could do to any man, talk more about a man who’s been interested in her for quite so ti now.
My chest burned with rage and whatever that other sothing was as I took a step forward so much that I was standing right in front of Zevran. Our chests brushed against the other and I seethed; "She’s in heat."
"And that’s more reason she should be with soone."
"Soone. Anyone. Anyone that’s not Frostclaw. Or have you quickly forgotten how she moaned out his na not yours when you touched her intimately?"
At my words, he frowned. His jaw ticked in that way that showed he was quite irritated. His ashen hand clutched onto his phone until the device creaked perilously, twisting in an angle that imdiately told that it would never co on ever again.
"We’ll send Gavin," he spat.
I clapped a bit too enthusiastically. "Perfect!"
"And we will ask him to go with his mate, her friend. What’s her na again?"
"Maya," I supplied,
"Maya."
—
After informing a surprisingly uninterested Kael about what had happened at Leilani’s house earlier today, we settled in for lunch.
A frown ford on my face right at that ti too because for so reason, the table consisted of everything. From wines and main courses to desserts and side dishes. By the gods, there was even a Chinese cuisine on display too!
It looked like we were having a feast.
I eyed the plates in front of skeptically and turned to cock my eyebrows at Zevran, unable to hide my confusion as I asked; "Are we celebrating sothing?"
Zevran shook his head. "No we aren’t. Are we?" He snapped, turning to look at Kael who for so reason had his head buried into his plate like it was the most fascinating thing to ever exist.
I wanted to ask him what was wrong. To know if he was also as worried about Leilani as we were; But before I could open my mouth to speak, he beat to it. He hissed;
"Micah is at it again."
My frown deepened. "Which of the Micahs? The one who we’ve all established is a mad man? The one who embarrassed himself and his father by stripping and dancing like so retired stripper?"
"He’s been going around telling everyone who cares to listen that he isn’t mad." Kael cut in, obviously not sharing in my jokes. His eyes flashed as he turned to glare pointedly at then at Zevran. He hissed; "...And that we may have secured the help of a witch to make him act up during Gavin’s and Maya’s engagent party just to ruin his chances at getting the throne and continuing father’s legacy." He continued, and as soon as I heard those words, my blood boiled.
Anger like no other rushed through my veins and I slamd my cup down on the table as I yelled; "What?!"
Kael shrugged; "Well now, we’re under close scrutiny. The elders are trying to find out the truth... and I want to do that before they do."
It wasn’t until then that Zevran finally looked up. He glanced between Kael and then asked; "What do you an?"
Silence.
Kael didn’t respond.
"Do you fear that one of us indeed did it? Is that why you’ve prepared this feast, to try to placate us with food while you interrogate us?"
The way Kael hesitated told everything I needed to know: It was the truth.
I dropped my fork and sat up straighter, my voice hoarse as I hissed; "is that it?"
"Can you bla ?" He spat, and frankly, at that mont, I didn’t think I could bla him. "What happened that day was a bit out of the ordinary! He didn’t sll drunk! He didn’t behave like a drunk, that I would bla the alcohol! He behaved mad... like he was possessed and that in itself is enough to make think..!"
My eyebrows shot into my hairline as I turned to Zevran then to Kael, my voice soft as I whispered; " I didn’t do it. Was it any of you?"
"I wanted to ask if it was any of you," Kael snapped back, sounding gruff.
But Zevran didn’t speak. Instead, he picked up a dumpling with his chopstick and tossed it into his mouth, chewing away nonchalantly as Kael and I watched him with curious intensity.
It was him.
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