The Bane of the Empire

Chapter 26

EARLY UPDATE! 😉

Despite her protests, Nic assigned Luke to keep an eye on her. Unfortunately for Dawn, Luke had taken his job quite seriously and went as far as stationing himself outside her chamber door during the nights leading to All Souls.

"Have you noticed the lack of sentries on this floor?"

He said as they were seated on the carpeted floor of the hallway. Luke sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him with her back against the opposite wall. After telling her he would be staying the night, she had grabbed a pillow from her bed and sat across from him in the hall. In the moment it had made more sense in her head.

"I didn't notice."

She lied and he arched a brow. He twirled an arrow in his hand, the matching bow stored somewhere else.

"Only you occupy this floor. Ever wonder why?"

Dawn furrowed her brow. "Where are these questions coming from?"

He shrugged. "I find it interesting that a girl such as yourself would be put on a floor, with no guards and no one around her. A sitting duck, if you will."

Luke rolled the arrow's shaft between his thumb and forefinger, the arrow head spinning and reflecting the light from the candle chandelier above them. He continued to look at the arrow as he voiced his next question.

"What makes you special?"

She didn't answer. Just continued to watch the predatory aura surround him. How did she miss this before?

He smiled. She felt her nose twitch as she clenched her jaw. He must have saw this because he leaned his head back and chuckled at her expense.

"What happened to the Luke that took me to his aunt and uncle's inn? Why are you like this?"

He arched a brow, an amused expression on his face. "Many people have masks. The sooner you realize that the better."

"And what mask was that?"

The amusement vanished from his features. "A mask of an oblivious boy in Ilaburn that a young girl like you would bare her soul to."

"You used me."

He shrugged. "Used. Manipulated. Coerced. Those are just words. It obviously didn't work so why the hard feelings?"

Maybe it was the time of night or the fumes from the burning candles but Dawn became the young girl that bore her soul to oblivious boys.

"I thought you were my friend. I really wanted you to be my friend."

She looked up and for a split second there was an oblivious boy looking back at her. His blond hair falling over his brow, the arrow held still in his hands.

"Well, isn't that a thought."

The boy was gone, and Luke returned.

"Yes, it is."

Their conversation stopped. Neither rose from their spots, his boot clad feet resting beside her ankles in the middle of the hall.

"All Souls is tomorrow. Nic says to watch you. Why?"

She arched a brow. "Is this Luke or the oblivious boy asking?"

"Lets say it's a friend asking."

The arrow started to move again. The arrowhead reflecting the candles as it spun in his hands. And again for some reason she threw all logic out the window.