Page 127 of The First Spark
Hushed voices passed between dark figures huddled around the projector. The lights were dimmed, and the screens were all inactive. Beside Father, Mother’s pale hair stood out like a light in the darkness. Selene stood on her other side, and next to her…
Kalie’s jaw fell open. “What are you doing here?”
Shimmering lights glinted off Haeden’s onyx studs. As he knelt, he wore the same smirk that had convinced her to sneak out to the tempor bike races as kids—the smirk he’d turned on their furious guards when they’d been caught. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”
Kalie bolted across the room and raised him to his feet. Throwing her arms around him, she buried her face in the collar of his rumpled purple jacket. He smelled of citrus and the sea, and when she closed her eyes, she could almost smell Ariah standing next to him, her rose oil perfume always slightly stronger than his.
Cold air blasted down on them as he rubbed her back. Selene muttered something snide, but she ignored it.
“Are you alright?” Kalie gripped his arms. “Is everyone safe? They didn’t tell me anything. What’s happening, why are you here?”
The door slammed open, and she jumped.
As Zane barged into the room, his expression was wild. “Who’s this?”
“Haeden Stone, Baron of Covington, one of my oldest friends… What in Zagan’s name happened to the two of you?”
Theron traipsed in beside him. Both sported grass stains on their grubby, sweat-drenched clothes, and the pungent stench of body odor clung to them as they approached the table.
“I think it’s obvious, sister. They were fighting. Over your lost honor, I’d assume.”
“Enough of that,” Theron snapped at Selene, as Kalie’s nostrils flared. “Baseless allegations are how rumors spread, and that’s the last thing we need. I have no quarrel with Wells.”
Zane’s eyes shifted away from her. “It was a friendly fight.”
Kalie tensed as everything clicked. His recent exhaustion beforetheir morning lessons, his dirty clothes, his casual references during their nightly talks toTheron,Theron’sdaughter,Theronsaid. Not the Crown Prince.Theron. There was only one passion they could’ve bonded over, and there was only one reason Theron would’ve made the time.
“No. No way.”
Theron met her gaze impassively, but Zane didn’t look at her.
Kalie marched towards the table, flattening her palms against the cool metal surface. “I know what you’re doing, and—no. We’re not doing that.”
Selene sniffed. “What’s she on about?”
“We ran into each other at the sparring grounds,” Theron said. “There was no one else around, so we decided to practice together. That’s all.”
Kalie glanced at Zane, but he wouldn’t face her. Her fists clenched. That was all the confirmation she needed.
Haeden cleared his throat. “Pardon the interruption, but I don’t have a lot of time.”
“Yes, of course.” Kalie shook her head. Worrying about Zane and her idiot brother could come later. “I’m sorry, you said you have a message for me?”
Shrugging off his jacket, Haeden pulled a knife from his pocket. He flipped the jacket inside out and sliced a seam, removing a blank slip of paper, a lighter, and a helium drivchip.
Frowning, Kalie flipped the paper over. “There’s nothing here.”
“Try the lighter.” Haeden set the drivchip down on the table, flicked on the lighter, and held it under the paper. Kalie jerked her hands away on instinct, but the glimmer of fire revealed an unfamiliar symbol. She shifted the slip of paper over the flame. Pale brown letters crept across the page. Two lines, in a foreign language.
Kalie’s brows pinched together.
Father plugged the drivchip into the base of the holoprojector, and light shimmered as a projection flickered to life. He selected a file. As it fizzled onto the holo, Kalie held her breath, but it only showed random strings of data.
Zane grunted. “Encrypted.”
“Do you have any idea what it means?” Haeden asked.
“I should be asking you.”
