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“Possibly,” I answered truthfully.

He frowned, for a moment lost in thought, before shaking himself out of it. “So, Ms. Esteal, let me cut straight to the point. I heard it through the grapevine that you’ve made a new friend lately.” He gave me his full attention, eyeing me like I was merely an object in his way.

I still didn’t move an inch, nor did I blink an eye.

“Please tell me, Ms. Esteal.” He leaned forward with a scathing smile. “How does a modest librarian like you have friends in such important places?”

I shrugged, knowing very well he was referring to Arkane. “What does that have to do with you?”

“I want to see him.”

“You want to meet Arkane?” So that was why he was here. For Arkane, not for me. Interesting that he didn’t want the Covent to know that certain information.

“Yes.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with me.”

“I’m sure you know the Covent is watching my every move. I can’t risk meeting Mr. Stormhold behind their back.”

“Is that so—?

“Darling, are you ready to go?” A smooth, powerful voice interrupted me. I looked behind to see Arkane walking toward me in his usual triple black vintage suit, his sole focus on me like I was the only being worthy of his attention.

And my heart suddenly surged to life, beating in a rapid flutter.

The energy in the room swirled around him like it all belonged to him and him alone. Pure power radiated almost like an invisible cloak around him. So dark yet beautiful that you almost want to touch it, but you know that touch would burn you for life.

The expression on Timothy Walters’s face collapsed upon Arkane’s arrival, but the sick glint behind his eyes was still peeking through. Even then, he couldn’t hide his fear. His previous cockiness fell like water on a concrete floor as he straightened—he was terrified of Arkane.

“Mr. Stormhold.” Timothy Walters put on his best smile as he greeted Arkane. “It’s an honor to meet you again, sir.”

Arkane didn’t even bother giving him a reply as he settled by my side. Wrapping an arm around my shoulder, he pulled me close to him like we were lovers. What was he doing here? And how did he get here so fast? Either Arkane had eyes on me or, like me, figured that Timothy Walters deceived his tail.

“Missed you,” he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead, like it was the most natural thing to do. And I had to contain everything in me to show no reaction. I knew he was putting on an act, but still…

I could feel the subtle rage radiating from Timothy Walters as Arkane ignored him so blatantly. Like he wasn’t even a speck of dust in Arkane’s untouchable world. But deep down, I could tell that Arkane must be burning with anger to be in the same room as the man who put his mother in a coma, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it right now.

When Arkane’s eyes finally lifted to him, he asked, “Who’s this?” Like he didn’t know who exactly that was.

“Timothy Walters.” He stepped forward despite the nervous shake of his voice. “I apologize for intruding, Ms. Esteal, Mr. Stormhold. I only came here to request a meeting with you, but my lucky day, here you are. You must understand I had no other choice.”

“Everyone has a choice, Walters,” Arkane replied coolly. “I’ll give you five minutes to determine whether you made the right one or not.”

A trembling swallow worked through Timothy Walters’s throat. “The White Hand killed my brother. He betrayed u-us,” he stammered. His fear gave away his perfectly composed act.

What? How did he arrive at that conclusion? Confusion swept through me until I saw the look on Arkane’s face. He wasn’t surprised at all. I had no doubt that he turned the tables to his advantage. How dangerous was Arkane Stormhold, and had I even touched the surface of it?

Arkane simply asked him, “What does that have to do with me?”

“Help me,” Timothy Walters said. “Help me avenge my brother’s death. I want the White Hand dead as much as you.”

“How do you know that’s what I want?” Arkane flicked a brow in question. “And even if I want to, I simply can’t.”

“I know the reason that’s stopping you.” Timothy Walters replied, something eager crossing his eyes as they met Arkane’s. “I know something about the Sanctum Sollus that not many know, and I also know what the White Hand is planning to do with the Invictus.”

Sanctum Sollus? What was that? I had never heard of that before, but from what Latin I knew, the words would loosely translate to “the complete sacred.” But what did that mean?

“Is that so?” Arkane asked with no emotion in his voice. “I thought you had no ties to Harvey and that you are not a part of the Covent.”