Page 29 of This Cruel Fate

“What do you want?” he whispered.

It was infuriatingly intimate, the softness of his voice, his deep eyes locked in on her, the seclusion of it all.

And the question. What did she want? Rowan’s job? Rowan’s friendship? Marshall’s love? His judgement?

Or did she want the vice chancellorship? The thought of political office both excited and terrified her. Would Silas think she was suited for the job? He’s not here anymore. “I don’t know.”

Their waiter returned to take their food order. Too wrapped up in her thoughts, Xolia deferred to Adonis to order, not that she was really hungry anymore.

Once they were alone again, Adonis leaned back in his seat, almost an invitation for Xolia to lean forward. “I’ll show you the truth about Ris, Xo. You can figure the rest out later. In fact, I have a truth for you now.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“About who had you shot at the fight.”

“How’d you figure that out?”

He sipped his glass of wine. “I’m good at getting information.”

Xolia leaned back, not wanting to play into his game. “Spill.”

“Vice Chancellor Campion.”

“Atlas?” It couldn’t be him. She shook her head. They weren’t friends, but they had a shared history. A bond like that couldn’t be thrown away. Why would he even want to kill her?

But Adonis nodded. “It was easy enough to track down the shooter. All of his communication was done through encrypted digital channels, and there were multiple dummy accounts, but they eventually led back to Atlas.”

Xolia’s head spun. Peter just offered her the vice chancellorship, but if he had been planning on offering it to her, why hadn’t he done so at the gala? He might’ve if you hadn’t embarrassed him.

That could’ve led to the tension between Peter and Atlas that day. It wasn’t substantial evidence, but it was a start. “Could I talk to him?”

Adonis paused. “The shooter?”

Xolia nodded.

Adonis shook his head. “He can’t really talk anymore.”

It wasn’t a huge leap to imagine what Adonis had done to him. Even though he was more put together, dressed in finer clothes, he still carried with him that edge of danger he’d had when they were younger. He hadn’t gone soft like Marshall, or like Xolia herself. There was no doubt in her mind that Adonis was still capable of casual violence. If such a thing could be casual.

She didn’t know what it said about her that she wasn’t all that bent up about it. She rested her head against the palm of her hand, her fingers curling protectively around her cheek. If Atlas had tried to kill her once, would he try again? If she said yes to Peter, would that only further enrage him?

The waiter returned with their first course. A simple puréed soup that melted against Xolia’s mouth. For a brief moment, she forgot about everything else to focus on the taste. Of course, the ignorance couldn’t last. She rested her spoon against the bowl.

“What’s wrong?” Adonis asked, resting his own spoon on the table.

“Peter offered me the vice chancellorship,” she said, unable to hold onto the information any longer. Someone else needed to know, and if anyone else could understand, she hoped it’d be him.

He looked up at her. “He did?”

“I haven’t accepted yet,” she said.

“Why not?” he asked.

Xolia leaned back. “It’s a huge responsibility.”

“Xo, this could change everything for Ris.” Adonis leaned forward, earnestness dripping from his voice. “You have to take it.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to do.” Xolia crossed her arms over her chest.

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