Page 109 of The Call of Crimson
CHAPTER NINETEEN
AURELIUS
Deep, petrifying panic fills my veins, violently ripping me from sleep. My chest rises and falls in sharp, shallow bursts as I scan the room, searching for the source of the threat.
It’s still dark outside. The soft moonlight filters through the single window, painting the stone walls in a pale glow.
My Hemonia Gift kicks in automatically, searching for any other heartbeats nearby.
Nothing.
No intruder, no danger I can see.
So why does my body feel strung tight, like a bow ready to snap?
Another wave of panic crashes into me, even stronger this time. It feels...foreign. My mind is calm, but my body is wound so tight it’s painful.
I rub at my sternum, trying to settle the erratic thudding beneath my ribs. When that does nothing, I throw back the covers and stand. There’ll be no sleeping until I figure this out.
I head into the halls, the castle eerily quiet at this hour.
Letting my steps guide me, I roam aimlessly at first, until a few turns bring me to the royal wing.
“Might as well get some reading in,” I mutter, feigning casualness even though my feet are already steering me toward the library Breyla favors.
I don’t get far.
Raised voices echo from further down the corridor, the sharp edge of distress cutting through the air.
Breyla.
Instinct overrides thought. I sprint toward the sound, every nightmare I’ve ever had of her bleeding out rushing back to the forefront of my mind.
The sight that greets me is vastly different, though.
I reach Ayden’s door, cracked open and spilling warm light into the hallway. Expecting the worst, I push the door wide open.
Breyla stands pressed against Ayden, a shadow dagger poised at his throat.
Ayden, to his credit, looks concerned but not afraid. His body stays relaxed, nonthreatening, as if he knows she’s not truly lost to the rage.
I remain silent, observing the interaction between the two people who don’t seem to notice me.
“I need answers, Ayden,” Breyla snarls, her voice trembling at the edges.
“And I would love to give them to you,” Ayden replies, surprisingly calm. “But I don’t know everything you’re asking.”
“Then you better start talking before I shove this dagger through your heart, Prince,” Breyla threatens. “Peace be damned, I will do it.”
There’s fear beneath her fury—raw, shaking fear.
Ayden swallows. “I believe you mean that.” His gaze flicks over Breyla’s shoulder and finds me. “Aurelius is here now. He can tell you if I’m lying.”
She doesn’t move, her grip on the shadow dagger tightening.
Slowly, carefully, I step forward. I lay a gentle hand on her shoulder, feeling the tension vibrating through her skin.
“Lower the knife, little demon,” I murmur close to her ear. “Killing the prince would cause a war none of us wants. Whatever he’s done, we’ll sort it out together.”
