The Bond and Other Curses || Book Two

CHAPTER 23 - ORION

We met two officials in green uniforms deep below the Capital Building. The room was small, bright, and bare, with only two sets of double doors—the ones we entered through and the ones the officials guarded.

The tall woman with curly black hair pulled back tight looked down at the screen in her hand.

"Your Highness, will High Councilman Holt be joining you today?"

"He will be running late," Rilyin said, then chuckled, considering. "I suppose we are the early ones."

"He better be," Vasprey said, her words full of venom. She hadn't taken kindly to being told she wouldn't get a chance to go back and speak with the entire council. Apparently, it had been the only reason she had agreed to come.

The shorter, brown-haired man joined the woman in eyeing the three, towering Kovei behind us.

"And will those be joining you?" the man asked.

"Of course they will," Pharro growled, like that was the dumbest question he had heard so far today.

Rilyin patted Pharro's shoulder. "Patience, my friend. They are simply doing their job."

Pharro didn't remove his glare from the official's face. "Then do it with more intelligence. His Excellency's time does not need to be wasted by a question as obtuse as that."

The man paled. "My Lord, I was only—"

"Uncomfortable with their presence. Yes, I gathered as much from your body language. May we proceed?"

Both officials bowed quickly.

If I hadn't been so nervous, I might've felt a little bad for them. I glanced sideways at Rilyin for a reaction. He only stood there, his arms hanging loosely in front of him, fingers intertwined, seeming unbothered by Pharro's sharpness, an almost satisfied smile on his face, clearly used to the way his friend handled things.

"Yes, sir," the woman said, pocketing the screen. "This way, please."

Both officials hurriedly touched the wall on either side of the double-doors simultaneously, and they swung inward, revealing a wide, white stairway that curved downward.

If it hadn't been for Tritteon's knuckles between my shoulder blades, I might have slowed and caused a scene. With surveillance watching our every move, the last thing I needed to do right now was act like the terrified child I felt like. I needed to prove to them every second I was here that I was a Guardian. I needed to, as Tritteon had said, robot the hell out of this.

"You just took down two full grown men all on your own, Orion," Lexicon said. "What do you have to be afraid of?"

"Just Onra," I thought, unable to stop myself from leaning back into Tritteon's hand as a shiver buzzed through me.

And with the memory Desraeon had given me, now that I remembered what his father looked like, would I recognize that terrifying resemblance?

Tritteon's other hand came up beneath my elbow as if to steady me. But I didn't need steadying. I needed a reassurance, just a little one even, someone to tell me Daniel's threats were ridiculous, that he wouldn't tell anyone who I really was, that if he did, no one would believe him.

What if he outed me while we were here? What if he hadn't said anything this entire time because he'd been waiting for this? Because then he'd have the proof he needed, standing in front of him, no Palace walls to hide behind.

But this was just an inspection of his state and cell, wasn't it? He wouldn't even know we were there. Right?

We stopped in front of a huge, white door made out of the same glowing, stone-like material as the holding cell at the Rest House. The woman pressed her hand to the control pad beside it and it rumbled and split down the middle, allowing us admittance. Five white hallways branched off from the doorway and the officials led us down the middle one.