Page 89 of Hidden Kingdoms

“Then where is the issue?” He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands spread in question.

“Thereisno issue with her.” I frowned.

“Then, it’s settled. You will stay with Alouette or a member of her team.” There was a dark edge in his voice that should have signalled the end of the conversation.

But I didn’t give a fuck what he wanted.

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“And what makes you think I need to?—”

Whatever shit he had planned on saying was cut off as the door crashed open, wood shuddering in protest as it was thrown against the wall.

Energy flared from my body in reaction to the intrusion. I spun in time to see the paintings rattle, threatened with destruction from the impact. A blast of heat radiated close behind me for only a moment before it dropped away.

In seconds, the tall figure who had burst in was before me, hands gripping my arms tight enough to bruise. My body recognised them before my mind had a chance to catch up, and the magik that had flown from within me pulled back.

An entire storm was trapped behind Kaius’ eyes as he assessed me from head to toe, and my breath left me in a whoosh as I let him hold me up. How long had it been since I’d seen him?

“Why was I not told, Bastian!” Anger transformed him; he was no longer the beautiful Fae whose face transfixed me. Now, he was an avenging angel who had been sent for me.

“You were busy, were you not? I didn’t think you would have appreciated being called away to deal with something like this. Plus, Princess here is just fine.” Bastian settled back, crossing an ankle over his knee as we both faced him, his face of cool indifference fixed on Kaius.

A growl resonated in Kaius’ chest, and I pushed myself slowly away, ignoring the look of hurt I caught. I didn’t need to look any weaker than I already did. I hadn’t seen him in days, and now he wanted to swoop in and be my knight in shining armour.

Not today.

“Where is he? It’s my job to question him,” he demanded, as the shadows in the room deepened.

His job?

“No one can question him or find out who he was, thanks to Princess and Marcellus’ handywork.” He frowned as he looked at me, like I had totally inconvenienced him by fighting off my attacker.

“Find out who he was?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why would you need to find out who he was?”

Something I couldn’t catch flashed across Bastian’s face for a moment, before his mask of mild annoyance was back in place as the pieces fit together.

“He wasn’t a guard, was he?” Anger filled my chest as I looked into his stupid, pretty face.

“He wasn’t.”

“Then who the fuck was he?!”

“Andthatis my point, he can’t exactly talk, now can he?”

I rounded on Kaius, redirecting my rage, which had been fixed on the prince sat so casually upon his seat, onto him. Stood by my side, again facing off against his friend.For me.

“I told you about him, about him coming to my room. You said you would find him.” It felt wrong putting that on him, but it was the truth.

“Goldie, I?—”

“It’s not his fault you caught the attention of some strange man. Plus, he was busy, and he has more important things to do than be on the lookout for someone just because they made you cry.”

Anger bloomed within me in a powerful surge and with it my magik sprang forward, dancing across my fingertips.

Bastian’s eyes glinted as I stalked towards him. “Made me cry? He fucking attacked me!”

“And now,he’s dead.” Voice low with the edge of threat, one I knew he could easily carry out, he stood slowly from his chair as the room began to heat. “What more do you want,Princess?”

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