A male lingered.
His sun-bleached blonde hair fell in messy waves, and as he turned, Graves caught his bright blue eyes, lined with kohl. His gauzy blouse fell off his shoulders, revealing light blue scalesrippling over his lean, muscled chest, which was draped in glittering body chains.
A trident was in his hands, the ends burnished gold, reflecting the dimming sunlight as it cast its rays over the white-dappled, stone kingdom.
The male’s lean muscles rippled as he stalked forward, bare feet silent over the stone. As he stepped into the shadowed tunnel, his scales seemed to glow.
"Come out," the male said. His voice was like water rippling over smooth ocean rocks.
Graves retreated deeper into the shadows. Beneath his cowl, his lips twitched.
Curiosity clung to the air as the male finally moved close enough to see that he was not alone.
With honed grace, he moved until the three-tipped prongs of the trident were a hair’s breadth away from Graves’s throat.
Maybe it was Graves’s fault—hewasconcealed after all.
"Who are you?" the male demanded.
Slowly, the Knight raised his gloved hands, palms out, and reached for his cowl, tugging it down to reveal his face. He tipped his head back, hoping the male could see his face beneath his hood. He knew the sight would be grisly—his scar and dead, soulless eyes.
One by one, his fingers released their death grip on the trident, and he moved back, the staff-like end thumping on the ground. "I could’ve killed you!"
"But you didn’t," Graves rasped.
Sea breeze filtered through the tunnel.
"After all this time… Why are you here in Syreni?"
"I’m here, Cassius, because I need Syreni’s aid."
"My father already turned your King down. He received the missive last week. My sister told me. Cassiopeia said our fatherrefused aid to Serpentis." Cassius’s glittering blue eyes searched Graves’s. "You didn’t know." It wasn’t a question.
Graves kept his face still. He didn’t answer. He knew the way Cassius worked. His mouth was bigger than his brain—but not his heart. The mer Princedidhave a big heart.
"I wanted to help. You know, if it were up to me, I would. But my father, he won’t listen to me—not like he does Cassiopeia. I’m not the one in line for the crown." Pain flitted through Cassius’s eyes. "I cannot help you, Graves. I’m sorry."
Still, Graves’s eyes remained unreadable. But within, he was a mass of fuckingdisbelief. Vale had reached out to Syreni for aid? And he hadn’t told him? Graves suddenly remembered the stacks of parchment Vale had been busying himself with.
Anger simmered inside him, but alongside it was a sense of relief—at least Vale had been trying. He hadn’t given up.
"The Tenebrae won’t stop at the fae kingdoms," Graves vocalized. "Once they’re conquered, he will come for the rest of us. He’ll turn his sights east—and beyond. Your kingdom is not safe."
"I know, believe me, I do," Cassius murmured.
Peals of laughter echoed into the tunnel. The male’s hands curled around his trident, and Graves touched his amulet, preparing to shift if he had to.
When it grew quiet, they both looked to each other once more.
"The last I heard, your war prize from Solis had been stolen."
Graves tried—he really fucking tried to keep his expression intact. He was a wall, impenetrable. But at the words, cracks formed.
Cassius’s eyes flicked over his face, studying him. "Is that what this is about? I’ve heard the rumors, but I thought they were just… rumors. Some say it’s the dragon King who grew to care for her, others think it’s the Prima. I’ve even heard that yourprize has stolen the heart of the Advisor. Or the King’s shunned, demon guard. But not you. The rumors haven’t touched you—the Knight who stays in shadow."
Cassius was a—friend? If Graves could have friends. But Graves hadn’t even told the others what he felt for Luella. Could he possibly let the words slip free in this tunnel, in another kingdom, far from anyone who knew him?
"I care for her." Graves said the words slowly, testing them out. He licked his lips, liking the way it felt. "I care for her deeply."
