by Meg Anne
“At least allow me to escort you back to your room.”
The distraction from her thoughts would be a welcome reprieve. Even if it only lasted for a few minutes.
“Okay.”
He waited as she made her way toward him.
“You were training.”
It was not a question, but Effie felt compelled to answer anyway. “I was.”
“With your tutor?”
Effie eyed Smoke. “Was I not supposed to?”
“Physical exercise is good for the mind. It can help put things in perspective.”
Ah, more vague non-answers. It was comforting that some things stayed the same.
“You might find that the Guardians make for apt partners. They are skilled in such things.”
“As opposed to Kieran?”
Smoke shrugged. “Merely a suggestion, depending on what you hope to learn.”
Her shoulders sagged at the thought of Lucian and what he’d seen. “I don’t think my Guardian will have any interest in training with me.”
“Have you asked?”
“No, but—”
“Then you cannot know.”
Effie frowned. “I guess not. But he said he would be busy with some errand you’d given him.” She knew it was probably a futile attempt to get more information.
“He’s not the only Guardian.”
“True, but he’s the only one I’ve met.”
Smoke stopped and turned to face her. “Kael was supposed to be assigned to you.”
Effie shrugged. “I guess I’m not the only one who’s been busy.”
“Ah, yes. The vision. Have you succeeded in deciphering it?”
“I think so. Should I tell you about it?”
“There’s no need.”
Her brows furrowed. “Why not?”
“Your Guardian told us what you Saw.”
“Oh.”
Apparently, Lucian thought it was important enough to pass on even if Kieran didn’t. At least someone believed her. The thought bolstered her some.
“Here we are.”
Effie had been so distracted by their conversation that she hadn’t realized they were already back to her room.
“Oh, well. Thanks for walking with me.”
Smoke dipped into a shallow bow. “My pleasure.”
Somehow, she doubted that, but appreciated the platitude all the same. “I’ll see you soon?”
“Only the Mother knows.”
Of course his answer wouldn’t be as simple as yes or no. Effie shook her head, laughing to herself as he walked away.
Still smiling, Effie grabbed what she needed and made her way to the shower, her earlier grief forgotten.
Towel drying her hair, Effie stopped short as her eyes landed on the dimpled grin of a stranger.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Effie eyed the man whose ebony skin had a subtle sheen under the soft lights of the hallway. His head was shaved but his jaw was shadowed with a well-maintained, close-cropped beard. He was leaning against the wall opposite the door she’d just left, his position relaxed, but she assumed that was part deception. His crossed arms rippled with muscles and his thighs were easily three times the size of her own. This was no bookish scholar. But his eyes shone with secret amusement and his smile was open and friendly.
Effie slowly resumed drying her hair. “Then maybe you should try not standing directly outside of the women’s bathing chamber.”
His smile grew, causing his twin dimples to deepen. “Practical advice.”
Something about the man set her at ease and Effie allowed her body to relax. “If you’re waiting for someone, you should probably know that there was no one else in there.”
“I was waiting for you.”
The admission should have frightened her, but instead only piqued her curiosity. “For me? Why? Have we met?”
She knew that she didn’t remember meeting him, but she had also been unconscious for the better part of a week, so there was no saying for certain.
The handsome stranger hid his smile behind his hand and straightened, pushing off of the wall he’d been reclining against. “No, much to my chagrin. I’m Kael.”
That explains it.
“So, you’re the one my Guardian keeps trying to pass me off to? I should warn you, I’m a bit of a pain. You might have been better off continuing to avoid me.”
Kael’s dark green eyes crinkled around the edges. “So I’ve heard.”
Effie scowled. “Of course, you have.”
He tilted his head. “It’s okay for you to warn me you’re a handful, but not Lucian?”
“Exactly.”
Kael’s answering laugh was warm and deep. Effie liked him immediately.
“I am sorry if I startled you. It was brought to my attention that I had been derelict in my duties. I sought to remedy that as quickly as possible.”
“Brought to your attention? By whom?”
His enigmatic smile told her all she needed to know.
“But if Lucian is back, why bother giving you grief at all? Aren’t I still his responsibility?”
The first hint of seriousness crossed Kael’s face. “It was my duty to look after your well-being in his absence. I failed.”
Effie’s brows furrowed. “How is that remotely possible? I spent the afternoon with my tutor. I hardly consider that as the type of situation that requires a guard.”
Kael lifted a shoulder. “Be that as it may. Lucian left word for me to come to you, but I was finishing up with other matters and the day got away from me. I apologize, Effie. I will not let it happen again.”
All trace of his smile had vanished during his earnest speech, and his eyes bore into hers. Effie noticed the flecks of emerald that ringed his pupils, and while the colors were different, she couldn’t help but be reminded of the metallic flecks in Lucian’s eyes.
“While I appreciate the apology, none is necessary,” she assured him, not liking the idea of this man carrying any guilt on her behalf.
His lips twitched. “I respectfully disagree.”
“Oh, well as long as it’s respectful I suppose I’ll allow it.”
They shared a smile.
“I didn’t mean to keep you from your evening,” he said.
Effie shook her head. “You’re not. The only thing waiting for me is my bed and a book.”
“In that case, would you like me to walk back with you?”
What is it with these men and trying to escort me everywhere?
“Only if you tell me something scandalous about Lucian.”
“Planning on blackmailing him?”
“One never knows when such information may come in handy,” she responded primly, but ruined her feigned disinterest by grinning wickedly.
Kael laughed, his dimples flashing. “Remind me to stay in your good graces, Effie.”
“Don’t be a stubborn, pig-headed bully and we won’t have any problems.”
He chuckled some more as they began the short walk back to her room.
“He’s really not that bad you know.”
“He has his moments,” Effie agreed, only slightly disappointed Kael wasn’t going to share something juicy. As Lucian’s brother-in-arms, she didn’t really expect him to divulge anything to begin with.
“I was told you were interested in resuming your daily weapons training in addition to your studies with your tutor.”
Effie threw him a startled glance, his choice of topic and knowledge of her admission unexpected. “I might have mentioned it.”
“I guess I’ll see you in the morning, then.”
His smile was playful, and Effie found herself returning it with one of her own. “I guess you will.”
They came to a stop at the end of her hallway.
“I trust you can find your way from here?” he teased with a lift of his brow.
Effie glanced at her bedroom door, which was clearly visible from where they stood. “Your belief in m
e is overwhelming.”
He lifted his hand in a wave. “Until tomorrow.”
“Good night,” she called after him.
Alone once more, Effie puzzled over why Smoke would have made a point to tell Kael about their earlier conversation. Had he been the one to chastise Kael for not introducing himself earlier? It didn’t seem like something one of the Triumvirate would bother themselves with, but it definitely explained why the handsome Guardian had made a point of seeking her out.
With a shrug, Effie decided it didn’t really matter. After what had almost happened with Kieran earlier, it was probably better if the two of them avoided participating in any physical activities together.
Grimacing at the reminder, Effie hung up her damp towel and climbed into her bed. That was a problem she’d deal with tomorrow. For now, all she wanted to do was pretend it never happened and try to get some sleep.
Yawning, she rolled over and closed her eyes.
Chapter 20
Effie whimpered as she fought to lace her boot. Ronan could learn a thing or two from Kael. The Guardian had held nothing back as he trained her that morning, making her perform a series of drills with and without various weapons to test her strength and current ability.
It wasn’t pretty. For all that Effie thought she’d learned over the last year, it was clear she was still a novice. The only time she felt remotely proud of herself was when she’d managed to sink her dagger deep into the wooden target on her first try. Kael gave her a nod of approval and then demanded she do it again. She wasn’t as lucky the second time, or the fifteenth. Having his steady gaze watching and evaluating her threw off her concentration and her aim never made a full recovery.
Every muscle in her body ached and the thought of walking anywhere was intimidating enough that she briefly considered spending the rest of the day in bed.
Not that anyone would let her.
As it was, she had maybe another twenty minutes before someone came pounding on her door wondering what was keeping her.
Tying off her shoe, Effie stood with another tortured groan. It was going to be a long day.
Her hand had just closed around the knob when the knock came. I didn’t even make it five minutes without one of them coming for me.
She pulled the door open mid-knock, startling Lucian whose hand was still poised in the air.
“I’ve already been tortured by a Guardian this morning,” she warned him.
Lucian raised a brow and lowered his hand. “Tortured?”
“What else should I call what Kael did to me?”
He smirked. “Training.”
“Not uh, no way. I’ve trained before, whatever that was,” she said, gesturing vaguely, “was sadistic and cruel.”
“I very much doubt it.”
Sighing, Effie moved out of the doorway and closed her door. “Speaking of sadistic and cruel, what do you have planned for me today?”
It lasted less than a second, but Effie caught the smile that tugged at his lips.
“I came to tell you that you’d be spending the day with Kael.”
As it had the last two times, news of Lucian’s departure from the citadel brought with it a wave of foreboding. The accompanying tension settled in the back of her neck, the weight of it impossible to ignore. After her vision, she had no intention of doing so. Whatever was waiting for them out there, she needed to see it. To understand the threat so that she could warn the others.
This was her purpose. Why she was here in the first place. It was never really just about learning how to decipher her visions, but to help her friends find the answers that would save them all. That was going to require her to do more than hide in the citadel and wait for the answers to come to her. If she wanted them, she needed to seek them out herself.
“Scouting again so soon?”
Lucian nodded.
“I want to go with you,” Effie said neutrally, bracing herself for a fight
There was no way Lucian was going to readily agree to her request. It would go against his very nature to willingly put her in harm’s way. Luckily, she had some practice in that regard. Fighting with Lucian was like second nature at this point. One could argue she was starting to enjoy it, not that she’d ever admit it.
He glanced down at her as she tried—and failed—not to wince with each shuffling step.
“You can hardly walk.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“The answer is no.”
“I don’t remember asking you a question,” she pointed out.
He let out a frustrated breath. “Effie, it’s not safe.”
The pressure built, knotting the muscles in her neck and spurring her on.
“I’ll be with you. Are you telling me you can’t keep me safe?” she taunted, knowing that his massive ego would not allow him to say otherwise. It was a cheap shot, but she needed to go with him. She knew it as certainly as she knew her name.
Lucian scowled at her. “I can’t do what I need to do and have to watch out for you at the same time.”
“So, bring Kael along.”
He crossed his arms, studying her. “Why are you so adamant about this? Your place is here, learning how to better deal with and interpret your visions. Not out scouting for potential threats.”
“First of all, I’m not a prisoner here, so my place is wherever I decide it is. Second, my visions are based on my knowledge of the world. Going with you can only help me to better understand them.”
But that was only partially true, and not the real answer to his question. The expression on Lucian’s chiseled face told her he knew it too. If she was going to convince him, she needed to lay everything out on the table.
“I think . . .” Effie trailed off, not sure how to explain the instinct that was currently guiding her.
“Say it,” he demanded.
“I think . . . no,” she paused to correct herself, “I know this is something I need to do.”
His eyes were inscrutable as he stared at her. “I don’t like it.”
Effie shrugged as more pressure settled into her chest. It was a warning not to back down when he was so close to caving. “I don’t care.”
“You’re a brat.”
“Deal with it.”
“Were you always this mouthy with the Kiri? I can’t imagine Helena and her Circle tolerated this level of constant disrespect.”
Effie blushed. The short answer was no, absolutely not. It wasn’t until she came to the citadel and had to start dealing with the Keepers that she’d developed the habit. But a certain Guardian definitely brought it out of her more than others.
“Some people value my opinion,” she muttered.
“Hmm.”
She peeked up at him. Maybe if I appeal to his constant need to be in control . . . “What if I promise to behave and do whatever you say?”
He let out a bark of laughter. “You wouldn’t last a second.”
“I will, I promise.”
“Fine, let’s test it. Stay here.”
Her dismay must have shown on her face because Lucian’s smug smile slipped.
“If I agree to this, I want to make one thing very clear. I will not make a habit of letting a fledgling boss me around. I do not take my orders from you. In fact, out there, I am in charge. Disobeying me could get us all killed. Do you understand?”
Some of the tightness in her chest eased, but for the first time it didn’t leave entirely. That was a warning in itself. Effie nodded, afraid that if she said anything else right now, he might change his mind and leave without her.
He studied her for a long moment before sighing. “Fine. But we leave in an hour. You should tell your tutor that you will miss your lesson today.”
Effie made a face.
Lucian pinned her with his gaze, missing nothing. “Why does the thought of speaking to him upset you?”
“It doesn’t.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw.
Effie held up both of her hands.
“I promise. It’s nothing. I will take care of it. Where should I meet you?”
“Kael and I will meet you in the portal room.”
“Portal room?” she asked, her eyes growing wide. How come she was just hearing about this now?
Lucian shook his head. “Never mind. Meet us in the central archive. I don’t have time to waste hunting for you when you get lost.”
He turned and walked away. Effie made a face at his retreating back.
Her body still hurt, but a flood of adrenaline numbed her to it. She made her way through the citadel quickly, waving when Jo and Tess called out to her, but not slowing down to chat. She wanted to get this over with.
After two sharp raps on the door of what had become her and Kieran’s unofficial study room, Effie pushed it open to find him already waiting for her.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to see you this morning after what you said yesterday,” he admitted, relief flickering in his eyes before his expressionless mask dropped back in place.
Effie leaned against the doorway. “I’m just here to let you know I’m going out with Lucian today.”
Kieran stood and walked over to her, his expression cold. “Why?”
“I really don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“If you’re going to skip our lessons, it certainly is. Especially when I have to answer to the Triumvirate.”
She flinched at the accusation but held his gaze. “I told you yesterday. Something’s coming. I can feel it. Whatever mission the Triumvirate are sending Lucian on is related to my vision. I think the only way to understand what’s coming is for me to go with him.”
He rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. I already explained to you that your understanding will come from experiencing the vision again. Something we are slated to help you do today.”
Effie straightened to her full height and glared at him. “I’m doing this, Kieran.”
“Then I’m going with you.”
She opened her mouth to argue further when his words registered. “Wait, what?”
He lifted a shoulder. “If you insist that you need to do this, then I will go with you. Anything related to helping you better understand your visions falls under my care.”
More than a small part of her had been looking forward to some time away from Kieran and what had happened between them. For some much-needed perspective, if nothing else. Now he was going to tag along, and she’d be stuck with him and two Guardians.