House of Dragons (Royal Houses #1) - K.A. Linde Page 0,116

We’ll need a plan of attack. I’ll be able to train tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said as they came to the crossroads where he would return to the competitors’ area.

She bit her lip, desperately wanting to bridge, but knowing she couldn’t. He truly believed he was cursed. And she didn’t want to push him.

So, she swallowed and stepped back. Stepped away from him instead of toward him. Even though her chest ached and her heart was in her throat and she wanted to do anything but walk away from him.

He stood as if on a precipice. That same haunted look in his eyes from the gazebo. The pain of seeing her step back from him. Then, with a resolute expression, he broke eye contact and muttered, “Good night.”

“Night,” she said, swallowing back her heartbreak.

All she wanted to do was rush back and throw her arms around him. But that couldn’t happen. Not now. Maybe not ever..

Kerrigan closed her eyes to fend off the pain and then headed down the hallway. She could traverse the mountain in her sleep. Despite wanting to sleepwalk through her life at the moment, she had to remain alert in case anyone saw her wandering. She had changed out of her party dress before sneaking back in, but it still might raise an alarm that she was out of bed at this hour.

She reached her room without running into anyone but paused at the door when she realized that it was ajar. Her heart rate kicked up as adrenaline coursed through her. Someone was in her room.

She could sense the person now that she was paying attention and not worrying about Fordham’s rejection or Helly finding her. Who the hell was in her room? And what did they want?

A minute was all she had to make her decision. She decided against using fire. It would blind both of them when it came down to it. Her eyes were adjusted enough to the dark. She silently pressed the door open.

Her stomach flipped as a figure stood at her dresser. She had a long mane of ash-blonde hair. Suddenly, Kerrigan felt like she was in the midst of her vision. The girl with the ash hair. Who was she? What was she doing here?

A sense of foreboding hung over the moment. Something was wrong. Was this person here to finish what Basem had started? Fear crept through her, and she tried to lash it down into place, but after everything that had happened tonight, she couldn’t stop it. She pulled up her magic quick, prepared to strike the assassin in her bedroom. She wouldn’t make the mistake she had made the last time in Ellerby’s home. She had trained that out of her. Now, she would attack first and ask questions later.

She whipped out with a tendril of air, grasping both of the girl’s wrists and twisting them tight together behind her back.

“Who are you?” Kerrigan demanded, stepping farther into the room and turning the girl around to face her.

“Kerrigan?” Valia asked in shock.

Kerrigan dropped her magic at once. A gasp of relief escaped her. It wasn’t an assassin or one of Basem’s men or anything. It was… it was just Valia.

“Valia!” Kerrigan gasped. “What are you doing here?”

“Gods, Kerrigan, you attacked me!”

“You’re in my room at night!”

Kerrigan ignited a flame and set it into the lantern by her bed, illuminating the small, mostly empty space. Valia rubbed her bare wrists. Kerrigan could see a line of red around them.

“I’m sorry,” Kerrigan said with a sigh, sinking into her bed. “I just… I’m jumpy right now.”

“I noticed that,” Valia said indignantly.

“But, really… what are you doing here?”

“Helly was looking for you.”

“Scales.”

“Yeah. I covered for you and told her that you were training late. But I knew you had been sneaking out, and if she found out, the punishment would be severe. So, I waited to see if I’d have to cover for you again.”

Kerrigan frowned. “How did you know I was sneaking out?”

“Because you’re really not that good at it,” Valia said with a small laugh. “But that’s coming from someone who is used to being alone all the time and likes finding ways to avoid notice.”

“Well, thanks for covering for me. Do you know what she wanted?”

Valia shook her head. “Not sure. She seemed sad.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to her tomorrow, I guess.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks. I think I’ll need it.”

Valia headed to the door, and then right before she walked through, she turned back around and looked at Kerrigan. “Where were