House of Dragons (Royal Houses #1) - K.A. Linde Page 0,77
into this.”
“Well, the assassin got away, and Dozan offered to help me find out who did it.”
“Dozan doesn’t offer to help people.” Clover looked worried. “What did he want in exchange for this information?”
“I agreed to do a fight… a big fight.”
Clover groaned. “You said you never wanted to be beholden to him.”
“I don’t… but this is important. Lyam’s death wasn’t an accident. No one believed me when I first said it. Not even you. But if I can get proof and take it to the Society, and then we can get justice for what happened to him.”
“Or you could die!”
“I’m not going to die. I’m bringing Fordham.”
Clover’s eyebrows rose sharply at that. “Fordham, huh? On a first name basis with the dark prince?”
“Stop it,” Kerrigan said, a flush rising to her cheeks.
“I mean, you have good taste. Dozan Rook. Fordham Ollivier. You like them big and bad with muscles and—”
“Please stop!” Kerrigan said, hiding her face. “Fordham and I are not together. I am not interested in him. He is just helping me figure out who killed Lyam.”
“And what is he getting in return?” Clover asked carefully.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t be naive. No one does anything for free.”
“I helped him with the last task. He’s returning the favor.”
“Seems like a big favor.”
Kerrigan shrugged. She wasn’t wrong. People weren’t altruistic. But this was different. “He saved my life from the assassin.”
“So, he really had no reason to be helping you. Favor already repaid.”
“Yeah. I don’t know,” she admitted.
“Maybe find out.”
“Yeah,” she whispered. “I, uh… should go get him, so we can make it to the drop point.”
“I wish I could go with you,” Clover said. “Dozan told me to come straight back. That he wants me on a table all night.”
“It’s better that you don’t. It’s dangerous.”
“Just because I don’t have magic doesn’t mean I’m not capable,” Clover snapped.
“I didn’t say that,” Kerrigan said quickly. “But I’d worry about you.”
Clover shrugged. “No sweat.”
“Clove, don’t.” She hated when she got defensive and retreated away from her.
“Dragons up, baby,” she said dismissively. “Come see me tonight after the weapons deal.”
“I will,” Kerrigan agreed and watched as Clover disappeared through her door.
Kerrigan ground her teeth together. That hadn’t gone how she’d wanted, but she really didn’t have time. She needed to get Fordham and get the hell out of here.
She changed into all black before heading down the competitors’ corridor. Many of the doors were open, and she glimpsed a few of competitors stretching or congregating, a few laughing together. Friends. They were friends here.
She ached for that. Darby and Hadrian had moved in with their new homes far away in the city. She missed their easy company and even Lyam interrupting them for his antics. She missed it all.
She swallowed back a lump in her throat and passed Audria’s room. She was inside, lying on her bed. Roake stood sentinel-like at the entrance. His eyes found hers, and they turned cold.
“What are you doing here again?” he asked.
“Just finding Fordham,” she muttered, uncertain of his enmity.
“Yeah, and what exactly are you two always doing together?” He suggestively raised his eyebrows, and her face flushed.
“They’re training,” Audria cut in. “Or haven’t you noticed, Roake?”
He looked back at Audria, and Kerrigan saw his whole face relax. She could see the blatant desire there.
“Why are you training with the dark Fae?” Roake asked.
“Leave her be,” Audria said. “No need to harass her for information.”
Even though she had done the same thing a few nights ago.
“Good luck tomorrow,” she told them both and then hurried away.
She knocked once on Fordham’s door.
When he didn’t reply, she entered without thinking. He sat at the small wooden desk. Papers were strewn in front of him. All of them littered with verses. She could see the rubbish bin was full of crumpled papers, discarded poems that hadn’t met his standard.
His head jerked up when she entered. His eyes were raw and open and intense. That darkness had leaked out of him and onto the pages. They bled with his sinister energy. But as soon as he realized who stood before him, he began clearing the papers away.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, the edge still tight in his voice
She swallowed. She felt as if she had intruded upon a moment for him and didn’t know how to fix it. Before she could speak, her eyes snagged on a black envelope with gold lettering on the dresser. She picked it up and inspected it, knowing what it was before it revealed itself.