Page 33 of Clash of Sin and Secret

It’s a freeing mantra and I feel lighter, having accepted the wisdom of those words.

So, what’s the problem?

I turn my attention inward and follow the unrest. It takes a moment to find the source of the issue, but when I do…pain radiates through my squire bond with Zane. It’s overwhelming and comes from everywhere all at once.

“He’s hurt.” I spring up, the meditative calm shattered.

“Who’s hurt?” Tucker is on his feet and beside me.

“Zane!” The name bursts from my lips as I dash out of the training room and through the adjoining royal residence. My pulse quickens with every step, a primal urge to get to him surging through me.

I shove open the double doors to his suite and scan for any sign of him.

Empty.

I pivot on my heel and sprint back to my suite and my room within. My phone is sitting in its docking station, and I grab it and sink into my desk chair. With trembling fingers, I swipe it open and track his location.

My breath catches when I see he’s outside the compound walls. “Damn it! He did it again! He left me behind and went offagain!”

My heart sinks at the thought of him out there and hurting. “He shouldn’t be taking risks without me by his side. I’m his Sacred Squire.”

“Forgive me for saying so, beautiful,” Tucker says, “but he was pretty pissed earlier, and you’ve made it clear you don’t want to be his squire.”

I slide my feet into my sneakers and grab a jacket and my purse from behind my bedroom door. “He was furious about me sleeping with Huntley, but that’s personal. I’m still his squire.”

“You slept with Huntley?”

I blink up and realize I’m talking out loud. “Yes, on the night Zane rejected me, I turned to Huntley when he came to check on me. One thing led to another, and a life-altering decision was made.”

And now that I know Huntley loved me and it wasn’t all about me being a conquest, I admit, it was a lovely first time.

My rubber soles pound out a frustrated rhythm as I bolt through the corridors, making my way to street level. “Anyway,Zane and I are supposed to be partners in this whole squire relationship, thing. He’s not allowed to just go off on his own.”

Tucker keeps pace with me easily and despite me being in my head and pissed at Zane, I appreciate that he’s here to back me up. “Technically, he’s the king and feels confident he can do what he wants.”

“Well, he can’t. And if it takes me handcuffing us together, I’ll make sure he doesn’t do it again.”

“You could, but that would make it very difficult to fight off attackers.”

I peg Tucker with a look. “Whose side are you on?”

He chuckles. “Yours, beautiful…always yours. But you only decided to be his squire half an hour ago. Zane hasn’t even heard the news. Calm down and focus on what’s important.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“Getting Zane home safely.”

He’s right, of course. Tucker doesn’t get flustered in chaos, he gets eerily at ease. And with him sauntering along beside me, my anxiety dissipates.

Right. Get Zane home safely.

Reaching the main exit, I access the tracking app to check his whereabouts. “He’s coming home.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

I blink up at those warm, caramel eyes and my pounding heart flutters. “It’ll make it easier for me to beat him senseless, so, yeah, that’s a good thing.”

The parking garage has a public section and a private section for the Vasari vehicles. I burst through the heavy doors and stop to check how far out they are.

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