Page 36 of Song of the Dragon Rider
“You didn’t let Maeve know you were sneaking out?” Damien murmured as we stood frozen on the street.
I shook my head. “No. She’s practically in love with my pretend brother. How could I tell her? She’d blab the first chance she got.” I turned to Damien. “Look, if Jacob figures out who you are, this won’t end well – for either of us. It’s best if you go.”
“Cat—”
I pulled my hand out of his grip and pushed him away. “Go!”
He hesitated for a second before darting down an alley and disappearing into the darkness, although I would put money down that he wasn’t truly gone and was still watching from afar. Damien wasn’t the type to leave a damsel in distress, no matter what he claimed.
“Arya, what in the immortals are youthinking?” Jacob scolded. “Father grounded you and you’re out at this hour with…” He glanced around. “Who was that?”
I waved off his question. “No one.”
“Didn’t seem likeno oneto me!” he fumed. “You were holding hands. From my understanding, Prince Damien can only come onto the mainland once a month, so your midnight visitor couldn’t have been him… unless…”
“It’s not!” I interrupted.
“Arya!” he exclaimed, his face a mask of scandalized horror. “You cannot fool around with multiple men. You have a reputation to uphold!”
I rolled my eyes and looked away. Only in this era did they really care about a woman’s reputation. Then again, it wasn’t so different in the twenty-first century, either.
Jacob's expression softened a bit as he saw my frustration. “I'm just trying to look out for you, Arya. You know how precarious our family's situation is right now. We cannot afford any scandals.”
Maeve finally caught up, her cheeks flushed from running. She looked from Jacob to me, her eyes wide with concern. “My lady, Lord Zacharia is furious. He's demanding to know where you've been all night!”
I sighed heavily, the weight of my borrowed identity pressing down on me. “I was just... clearing my head, Maeve. Let's go back. I can handle Father.”
“Clearing your head in the Southern District?” Jacob pointed in the direction I’d come from with a disbelieving sneer.
I looked over my shoulder and back at him with a bright smile and a wink. “Of course! The Southern District has some of the best taverns.”
“You would never go to a tavern in the Southern District, Arya,” Jacob said knowingly. “They disgust you.”
“I’m not the same Arya you knew two years ago, Jacob. Remember that.”
Jacob eyed me skeptically, trying to catch me in a lie, but eventually nodded. He sighed. “Let’s head back before Father sends the guards.” Without another word, he turned around and led us back toward the Ryder residence.
With each step toward that perfumed prison, the tension steadily built in my shoulders. I knew the confrontation awaiting me would be anything but pleasant.
Maeve leaned in as we walked, pitching her voice low. “Was that Damien? It looked like him.”
I glanced at her, a small smirk playing on my lips despite the situation. “Maybe. But let's keep that between us, okay? I need to sort some things out first.”
She nodded, her expression serious. “Of course, my lady. Always.”
As the ornate gates of the Ryder compound came into view, the reality of my double life weighed heavily on me. Inside, I'd have to continue playing the part of Arya, dealing with an angry father and a confused family. But outside, standing in the night shadows with Damien, I was someone else entirely — someone caught between worlds, making choices that could change everything. But at least I could be myself.
The challenge was keeping those two worlds from colliding disastrously.
Jacob glanced at me as we walked up the stone path, his brow furrowed with concern. “Arya, you know you can talk to me, right? Whatever is going on, you're not alone in this.”
I forced a smile, appreciating his attempt at brotherly comfort, though it felt hollow, given he believed I was someone else. “I know, Jacob. It's just been a long night.”
Maeve kept close, offering silent support with her steadfast presence. When we neared the front door, it swung open, revealing Lord Zacharia standing in the threshold with a thunderous expression.
“Arya, where have youbeen?” His voice boomed across the courtyard, drawing the attention of a few dawdling servants who surreptitiously peeked out from behind doors.
Everyone should have been asleep, but it looked like he’d woken everyone up to look for me. Up until now, he rarely cared what I was doing. What had changed?
