Chapter twenty - one - Treacherous game of love

It took a few days for everything to return to normality. For most, this was just a blip in their life. Others had lost homes, lives. And the wall carved with names of the deceased Venators grew in numbers.

Even with the queen's proclamation over the castle balcony that one-day shifters won't torment mortal lives no more didn't ease the high spirited.

"Something seems to be bothering you lately," Rydan says beside me with Link next to him.

A lot is bothering me lately. The Venator trials, the Golden thief or Darius in this case. Knowing something is hidden deep in the city of Emberwell, these new creatures, and Lorcan...

Unconsciously, my fingers fly up to my lips as we stop patrolling outside some Jewelers store owners fixing the cracked doorways.

For days I'd thought of that moment with Lorcan in his room and days I'd tossed in my bed, burning in desire to feel it again.

"How do you know what bothers me and what doesn't?" I ask Rydan as I look at him. "Last I checked, I barely even know you."

He ignores that statement and hums knowingly. "Is it Lorcy?"

A dip in my chest unnerves me, and my brows curl upward, ready to become defensive towards that idea. Rydan, though, beats me to it as he carries on, "It's certainly obvious he's lusting for you—"

"Rydan!" I whisper harshly, wishing we weren't in public so I could smack his head.

"Maybe Nara is facing the stress of the Venator trials approaching." Link tries to amend, smiling awkwardly at me.

"I think that is more you, Link," Rydan looks pointedly. "You go pale whenever the General comments on it."

"No, I don't."

"You almost spilled your guts onto the training grounds when the General said 'dragon.'"

"I'd overeaten that day."

"You're stuttering right now—"

This is getting ridiculous.

I shake my head, ignoring the two, although grateful the attention had been taken off Lorcan and me. Gazing straight ahead, I look towards the city's center when three men get out of a carriage by the stables.

Paints of all colors coat the dark green tunic, and my eyes widen in hope.

Could it be?

"Illias?" I say, and when he spots me from afar, I realize it's truly him. Illias, Idris and Iker. A grin stretches across my lips as I shout this time, "Illias!" And sprint straight away, bumping into the occasional civilian and yelling out apologies as I reach them.

I take Illias by surprise as I drag him down into an embrace, squeezing him around the neck. They're here. They're actually here.

Not a dream or something I imagine after everything that'd happened. It's them.

"What are you all doing here?" I let go and do the same to Iker, then Idris.

While Illias and Iker are all smiles, Idris's hard stare lingers on me, the missing glove over my scar and the Venator attire as I step away from him. His hair slightly passes his shoulder, but his face... the darkness under his azure eyes makes it known he's tired.

I pray Ivarron hadn't gone hard on him how he did with me most days when trapping.

"We wanted to surprise you," Iker says, and I pull a humored face at the grumpiness of his tone.

"Did we come at a bad time?" Illias questions, glancing at the central, his gaze widening at the marigold tree and the castle walls up head.

Certain roofs had burned down during the Shifter attack. I assume he meant that along with the broken wood plank residues, people are trying to clear off by taverns.

Word never got out much from the city to smaller villages. Near the south where we were from, the only gossip received was Ivarron or Miss Kiligra hearing from the nosey neighboring towns. I didn't think I'd need to worry my brothers about the attack.

"No, you came at the perfect time." I smile the most I have since I first came here before looking behind me. "Link, Rydan!" I gesture my hand as they approach us. "These are my brothers, Illias, Iker, and Idris."

They all incline their heads at one another as Link stays staring at Illias in admiration. Some color creeps up on Illias cheeks as his gaze wanders off to the sides, thinking no one caught it, but I did.

I had a knack for noticing Illias's feelings towards others.

And as Link doesn't drop his gaze once, I cock my head to the side, holding back another smile before Rydan steps in, opening his arms far and wide. "Ah, my future brothers-in-law, lovely to make your acquaintances."

Just like that, I'm back to scolding.

"In-laws?" Idris asks unamused, glancing at me and then at Rydan nodding.

"Yes," he says, coming up beside Idris, hooking an arm around his shoulder. "I plan on marrying your sister. Although she keeps saying no to me, but the way I see it is that she's playing a treacherous game of love while trying to get me jealous using Lorcy—I mean Lorcan."

I exhale roughly, wishing I'd not introduced Rydan to my brothers. It should have been evident from the start he'd say something like this.

"Who is Lorcan?" Illias asks, frowning before it smooths out into a look that tells me he realizes something. A look that means Idris won't like this at all.

Rydan heaves a loud sigh, shaking his head. "My common enemy in this love affair—"

"Lorcan!" I blurt out on accident and far too eager as he appears from behind them. The timing was not perfect, I must admit, not when everyone's heads whirl to him and Idris stands tall and strong—his usual stance of vigilance when it came to me.

Lorcan's gaze shifts to me, and flashes of his hands on me, on my body pushing me closer to him, slide into my mind forcing me to bury the tightness in my chest.

"Idris." Somehow the air has been pushed out of my lungs, and my voice is tremendously high. "This—"

"We've met," Idris cuts in, staring Lorcan down. Dear Solaris and Crello, save me. "You were the one who told Nara to join the Venators."

Lorcan sends him a curt nod. "I saw potential." He looks my way. "Couldn't let someone like her get away."

I don't think he's talking about my role as a Venator, not with that starkness in his gaze.

You let me get away the other night are words I'd exasperate if we were alone right now.

"Do you plan on staying for the Noctura festivities next week?" I clear my throat and change subjects as I glance at Idris. His frown deepens beneath the sun, still looking at Lorcan.

Illias looks to answer, but Idris quickly interjects, "Occupying an inn for that long will cost us far too much in the city. We'll leave before the week is over."

Right, I can't even help cover any of the costs.

Nodding though, anyone can tell the disappointment in my eyes, I plaster on a smile. It's the first time I'd be celebrating without them.

"I can help."

I stop blinking, and in silence, we all shift our gaze to Lorcan.

He waves a hand, and I try not to look Idris's way. "You can put it all on my tab. It'd be an honor to have the Ambrose's here for the festival."

"This is the most I've seen you talk—"

"If it makes Nara happy." Lorcan cuts Rydan off, keeping a sharp stare as he raises a brow at him. "Then I'd be glad to help in any way."

My heart knocks against my ribcage. If it makes me happy. "I can't accept your offer to pay for my brothers, Lorcan, it's—"

"I'll make sure to repay you for your gratitude," Idris says, and I whip my head at him in puzzlement, as does Iker and Illias. Knowing how prideful Idris can be, I'm surprised he hadn't declined.

Lorcan nods deeply and appreciative as he says, "That won't be—"

Whistles and Venators strolling nearby signal for Lorcan to join them. As Lorcan turns his head again to us, he excuses himself along with Rydan and Link explaining how they are heading back to patrol the city.

I watch as Lorcan strides past the moving carriages and people chattering as their bright orange dresses swish across the floorings. For the slightest second, I carry on staring; Lorcan looks over his shoulder, a subtle glance my way but gone is it when they're all no longer in sight.

I face my brothers again, hoping they didn't hear the sigh that'd come out under my breath, and walk up to Iker's still pouting expression.

"What's wrong with you?" I grin, ruffling his chestnut curls. He shakes away from me.

"He's just annoyed that Idris gave Dimpy over to Miss Kiligra to look after," Illias snorts, and Iker jabs his arm.

Of course, he'd be annoyed at that. Miss Kiligra would likely run away at any second the rabbit hopped around her cottage. "Come on." I jerk my head to the side. "Let me show you around the city." Or what's not been destroyed of it.

***

We spent the entire evening walking through the city as we entered Salus district. Thankfully the libraries were salvaged here, and Illias smiled at each narrow path I took him down where the paintings embellished the walls before setting down for food at a tavern.

Illias had subtly mentioned how Ivarron had grown keen on them visiting me. And I knew then he was hoping for some sort of news on Darius.

I'd seen him enough times now, and each one, he'd escaped one way or another. I'd grown tired of it, hating the idea of admitting defeat because I never have over anything before.

"Gosh, I've missed Nara scuffing down her food like there's no tomorrow," Illias remarks as I finish my strawberry pie.

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, laughing. "At least here I don't have to fight Iker over the table for the last piece of meat."

Iker furrows his brows, tsking at that, and I turn to Idris on my right, expecting him to be laughing, except he's not. He'd stayed quiet for the majority we'd caught up.

"Where's your carving?" He taps sturdy fingers on the wooden table, looking at my waist where my sheath strap would usually be.

My crescent. "Back at the barracks. I've not felt the need to use it as luck," I mumble, drawing my brows together as I shift to look at the tankard in front of me. Something like guilt ripples through me. Even if the carving was a small thing that others at my village categorized as foolish, unimportant, it'd been my source of luck for so long.

I'd stopped carrying it around since... since the night Adriel and Oran were attacked.

Idris places something in front of me, wrenching me from my thoughts.

I lean closer, grabbing what seems to be a hilt made of sleek ebony wood, but no blade is attached. "What's this?"

"A gift."

I throw him a look of suspicious edge. "A gift for what?"

He rolls his eyes and huffs. "A gift because I know how much you've needed a new dagger, and despite this one not useful for carving, I thought it'd be a good time to upgrade to something more... Venator suited."

I jump as he presses something underneath the hilt, and two blades shoot out at both ends, barely a forearm's length.

"I didn't add any designs to the hilt since, knowing you, you'd want to personalize it yourself."

I stare, gobsmacked at the sheen of the newly sharpened blades. "How much did this cost you?"

"He made it himself," Illias says, as my eyes shoot up at him, sipping on his mead.

Instantly I return my gaze to Idris. He's shaking his head at Illias as if he wasn't supposed to admit that. Idris's modesty never fails to impress me.

"You did?" I ask, my tone relatively soft, almost in awe. I remember Idris carving and working on weapons since the moment I'd just learned to walk. He'd befriended our village blacksmith, and I'd questioned why he never took on that role instead of a woodcutter.

"It took a few sleepless nights to get the device working, but I got there in the end."

That's why he looks so fatigued.

"Idris." I take a sharp inhale, not knowing where to start. "Thank you... for everything, you've done for us, for me. You didn't need to do this."

We've always fought the most, never seen eye to eye on anything but his loyalty and love for us I'd admired from a young age.

His lips crack into a smile. I know he wants to tell me it's nothing, to say he'd do it for anyone and not to make a fuss out of it, but he keeps to himself.

"How come you get a gift, and it's not Yule yet?" Iker moans across us, rubbing the sides of his head. "All I get is an earache from Idris about letting Dimpy shit on his bed."

Illias chokes on his mead, sparks of laughter burst out of him that finally cause Idris's smile to widen, silently chuckling at Iker.

I titter, staring at the three, content they're here with me after weeks. Never have I gone without them for more than a day, and now I can only wish that they'd eventually move out to the city with me.

***

After dropping my brothers off at an Inn within reach and unaffected by the attacks, I stroll down the pathways gilded by the moonlight while holding the blade Idris had gifted me. I smile, tracing the indents on the wood, already thinking of ways to carve something onto it. Perhaps the sun again, or my brother's names entwining between leaves of the Marigold tree I adored so much.

Whichever option I choose, the thought is put to a halt. My smile vanishes as I notice a figure resting its body inside a crescent-shaped hole on the wall, overlooking the other side of the city.

Walking closer, orange fur scurries in front of me, and the figure reveals to be Darius. One leg dangles off the moon, and the other is pulled back with a hand draping over the knee in such tranquility.

He leans his head against the curve, tilting it slightly to look at me. "Hello, foul mortal," he greets, a dark smirk dancing across his lips.

Annoyance replacing itself with a sudden vex, I press the button on the hilt and lower my brows as twin blades slide out at the side. "Dragon pig."