Page 55 of Guardian

“Many things that cannot be disclosed, Alek,” he said as he stepped forward. He lowered to grasp the book, but I kicked it away to the podium.

“No,” I muttered while a rush ignited my veins and my bones, the ashes that constantly waited to be lightened emerging. “I’m tired, Brother, of being left in the shadows to fend for myself when all three of you have constantly thrown me into the pits of hell once I escape. Either you explain why you’re holding a treasonable book, or I risk all of our lives.”

“Watch your tongue,” he spat, “You will be met with repercussions.”

“I’d rather meet repercussions on my own terms than with yours or anyone else’s.” My fingers tightened into fists, the tips settling deeper into my palm. There was no stopping.

Christopher flared his nostrils as he took a deep breath. “Then what do you ask for, Alek? An explanation in exchange for your silence?”

Katerina’s words echoed.If you want to find the notebook, search in more ways than one.

I shook my head, grasping the opportunity luck had gifted me. “In exchange for keeping the whereabouts of the book silent, you’re going to assist me with Kaleb.”

Christopher didn’t utter a word. For once, the silence grew unbearable within the mausoleum.

“If you don’t choose wisely, Brother, then the first to discover your possession will be the Ministry.”

His composed appearance unraveled, emerging like a heavy veil, concealing the glaring eyes that responded without the need for words. He gripped the book and walked through the opening, my body utterly still until his presence dispersed.

My chest caved with sudden realization. The mausoleum's walls closed in, suffocating me wholly, and knots overtook my stomach. Had I finally spoken against my brother, the eldest at that?

Yes, and it felt intoxicating.

Suddenly, a thrilling spark swallowed the tension. The smell of salt and water seized the air, and I followed it until I reached the sand. Memories upon the pier came alive, along with the feelings that the view surged. Yet now, they were an echo that grew hollow beneath the adrenaline that captured my senses.

Leaves crunched across the forest ground. “I was searching for you,” Katerina said, her voice a symphony that called to me. “I went to the mausoleum, but you—”

I instinctively gripped her wrist and brought her to my chest. The motion was swift, the collision minimal, yet I’d never felt anything this natural.

“Alek, are you okay?” she muffled against me. “You’re trembling.”

“Yes, of course. My apologies, Katerina,” I quickly stated as I released her, Katerina’s eyes narrowing onto mine. She remained in my embrace, and her warmth eased against my skin. If she stepped away, I wasn’t entirely sure I could sustain putting distance between us.

She studied my features, my jaw quick to clench as I reveled in her focus on me.

This is absurd. Absolute madness.

“Is this the second phase of fooling your brother?” She chuckled, her smile faint. “Affection?”

She laughed, tears swelling at the corners of her eyes. If her voice was a symphony, this would be my blissful death.

“Wow, you actually listened to me? Glad to see someone taking my advice for once. Warn me when you plan on doing more of this. I might be out of practice from—” She suddenly stopped and took a step back. “J-just warn me beforehand.”

She tilted her head, and a flush deepened her umber skin, her eyes darkening as she met mine. “I will, Katerina.”

She cleared her throat and took another step back. My hands hovered along her upper back. I didn’t let her go, though. “But we’d have to do something else besides public affection, wouldn’t we?”

“You can teach me how to swim,” I murmured, Noah’s offer slithering into my mind. “As a part of our private affair.”

“Not very private,” she replied as she looked around. “But we could do that.”

Kaleb’s past affairs were all performances. In his mantle, I was expected to recreate the same. Yet this wasn’t a mantle, and I wasn’t a performer.

* * *

Tristan entered my chamber in the late hours when the household was at its stillest and my mind at its rowdiest. It was rare for him to meet with me at such times, but the USB and computer in his hand explained such queries.

He settled the items on the couch and took a seat after I did. “I was able to meet with Kaleb’s client.”

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