Chapter twenty - six - Misty makes a comeback

It was only a matter of hours since Lorcan had left along other Venators up north. I'd trained, listened to Rydan explain why he was the greatest, and then Link asking me questions over Illias. It's the most I'd seen him speak, but with my head elsewhere, it was hard to act enthusiastic.

"So, are you going to tell me about this Lorcan guy?" Idris probes as we stroll through the streets of Chrysos. After explaining how they'd come with me to the Noctura ball, only Illias clapped in excitement. Idris's grunt of annoyance told me he'd despised the idea of a ball.

I shrug, staring down at the floor, hearing Illias and Iker going at it far ahead of us. "What is there to tell?"

Pleas from the side make my head snap to the left. A Venator and a man in tattered robes clasping his hands together as he says, "I beg of you, just until next week, I promise to have the money."

I frown solemnly. It's the day where they're collecting taxes. We'd experienced that before, the fear of never having enough to pay, the worry of being left on the streets or far worse.

"I know you, Nara," Idris cuts me from my stares at the man. "Illias knows you, Iker... well, he knows nothing most of the time, but the three of us can tell something is going on that you won't say."

My sunken mood was likely the giveaway when I met up with my brothers in the city today. Expelling a breath, I look up. "Idris, whenever I've told you something in the past, you've either argued with me for it or given me the silent treatment. Why should I tell you about a guy you'll likely want to scowl at if I even mentioned it was just a friendship."

My raised brow makes him frown. "I wouldn't do that."

"You would, and you know it."

He rolls his eyes, and I walk further along as Iker and Illias make their way towards us. "Look, Nara," Idris sighs and effectively I turn with curious eyes. "I want you to know that... love is so many things at once. It creeps up on you when you least expect it, and at moments you wish it wouldn't." He scrunches his lips trying to get more of his words out. "It makes no sense, it's just a word yet it can be such a strong feeling, so what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't ever hesitate to tell me something as important as that."

He doesn't see it, but for a second, my eyes go round, not for the use of the word love but because I'd not expected for him to say it so... longingly. Once, he'd had a lover but too soon was she taken by an illness that took my mother as well.

"I only want what's best for you," he goes on, his blue gaze like mine glossing over. "And sometimes my judgment when it comes to people can get in the way of that."

Idris has never spoken this way to me. We've always argued instead, and stunned, I attempt to respond. But Iker and Illias reach us, and I spot Freya, shouting my name from behind Idris.

She darts our way, her cloak catching between people as I smile, saying, "Freya! I never introduced you to—"

"Solaris, don't tell me these are your brothers?" She pants, gripping her hands onto her hips and smiling at each one of them. Then with a squint of her eyes, she starts pointing, "Iker, Illias, and—" Her head tilts for a second. "Idris."

Surprised she'd guessed them all right, I nod before her smile widens far out. "Oh, I've heard such wondrous things about you all! I know Iker loves to write. I once attempted that though sadly, I'm an awful writer, and then I know that Illias is an artist and—"

"Are you always this excitable?" Idris questions stoically, and I inhale a breath, mentally cursing for how abrupt he is though often that was me too.

Freya clears her throat, the smile disappearing from her lips as she stares him down and looks at me. "I see what you meant by grumpy."

I cover my mouth as I laugh, much to Idris's displeasuring gaze on her, but Freya doesn't yield. She raises her brows in a challenge, keeping her chin up.

Idris narrows his eyes, baffled but it glistens with something else, something unexpected just as Iker snickers. "It's true, he—"

"Misty!"

Laughter wiping itself off my face and eyes growing wide, I pale.

No, no, no.

Begging that it's my mind playing tricks on me even if I know it is not once everyone looks behind them, my stomach bubbles into confusion and shock.

Darius, in broad daylight, striding towards us as he nods at each stranger passing him.

How is he—

"There you are," he says, gesturing his hand at me with a huff. "It's been such a pain trying to find you, Misty, truly."

My gaze jumps from Idris, Illias, and Iker, pinching their brows together. Then Freya squinting her eyes and biting her lip as if she can't figure out who Darius is?

What is the Solaris is going on?

"Misty, our old horse?" Illias asks, looking at me to see whether he'd gather it straight away like he usually does with me but not this time.

"Old horse?" Darius jerks his head back with a frown twisting his lips. "No, no, that's her—"

"Will you excuse us for a moment," I cut in. My breathing becoming erratic as I clutch onto Darius's arm, dragging him before my brothers or Freya can say a word.

"Strong grip you got there, Goldie." He laughs, letting his steps drag from behind before I'm pushing him into the corner of a different street.

"How is it possible—" I shove him against the wall. "—You're walking around so freely, and no one is noticing who you are?"

He leans back, kicking his leg up with a casual smile. "Power of illusion, everyone around me except you right now believes I am someone completely different, sort of like a mask or glamor."

I've lost all patience. Of course, that was to be the case, a Merati power—tricksters of the mind. "Alright, then." I cross my arms over my chest. "Let me re-arrange my question. What the fuck do you want?"

A dangerous coquettish grin plays off him as he lowers his leg and steps away from the wall. He walks past my shoulder, and I turn with him as he spins, saying, "An update on my pendant, what else?"

Paranoid, I look everywhere before hissing out, "I'm still working on it. I told you it's a hard task!"

Humorously smirking down at me, he waits a few seconds to say something, but a man full of trinkets and posters in his hands limps down the road. "Help us capture the Golden Thief, and we will win a mass of awards from the queen!" He yells, sprawling them across the streets, his withered hand shaking as he passes a poster to Darius with a smile.

"We will catch that thief; don't you worry, sir," Darius cheers him on as the man continues down his path. Turning to look back at the poster, his lips pucker as he nods his head. "Whoever the artist is, they're incredible in their work, not a single fault," he mumbles thoughtfully. "Even my mask is perfect."

Unbelievable. "You're loving this all, aren't you?"

Huffing a laugh, he folds the poster and tucks it into the pockets of his breeches. "Having people say they will capture the Golden Thief right to me? Sure, but seeing your face turn red whenever I even near you is more... enjoyable."

Narrowing my gaze at the irritating wink of his, I exasperate and look to the side of him then at the other. "Where's your little friend?"

"Stealing bread for himself."

I press my lips together into a scornful smile. "Nice to see you taught him all your tricks."

"Only the best." He grins before another person walks past, carrying jasmine flowers in a basket this time. Darius looks over his shoulder, picking at one without the lady noticing as he turns towards me and extends it in front of us. "Here."

My fingers stretch out to grab it hesitantly as my brows close together. "What's this for?"

"You always smell of jasmine." He shrugs a shoulder, still grinning. "Take it as a form of my appreciation for your help in stealing a prized pendant."

I scowl at the apparent sarcasm in his tone before lifting my brows as I scrunch the flower in my fist and raise it, letting petals fall to the floor.

He watches it in humor. "So terribly rude, Goldie."

"You're insufferable."

Chuckling, he closes the single gap between us, lowering his head so his eyes align with mine. "Likewise," he whispers. His gaze is a shade darker during the day, yet they still glisten in the light. "But at least I'm civil."

"Civil?" I repeat with incredulity, leaning in. "If anything—"

His sigh cuts me off, dramatic and full of contempt. "Goldie, if you're going to give me a reason as to why you think you're in the right, I don't want to hear it. I'd hate to then counter that with why you're actually in the wrong."

I shake my head completely lost while scrunching my forehead as I say, "How can people fear you, honestly."

"Because I'm capable of a lot of things when it comes to protecting myself, Tibith, and those that are—" He runs his eyes over me. "Assets to me."

Oh... Now I understand.

"So, is that why you saved me from a bite?" I ask, and at the use of the word 'bite,' any form of amusement or derisive comments leave him as his jaw stiffens. I tilt my head and continue, "Because I'm an asset in your little quest for this pendant?"

"Well done, Goldie." The words ripple out harshly, matching his attempt at a smile. "Earned yourself a little point there, didn't think you'd ever catch on."

I clench my fists, blood boiling in my system even though I knew that would be the answer. If it were any other reason, I'd have to then think he actually had some sort of heart.

"You know," I start quietly, but the underlying anger is clear as day. "I've despised a lot of people in my life, those that came after my brothers and me, ridiculed them or hurt them in any way, and dragons for killing my father. But you?" I look up through my lowered gaze at the cold, knowing gleam in his eyes, coaxing me to say it. "I hate everything about you as a person and as a shifter. And I promise you, once I get the vial and you get your stupid little pendant, I will hope to Solaris I never see you again in my life."

"Don't worry, Goldie." A whisper I'd perceive as deadly. "I'm praying just as much as you that we never cross paths after this."

"Would you look at that?" A plaster of a fake smile envelopes my lips. "At least there's one thing we can agree on."

He mirrors that smile. "I'll be waiting on that pendant." Taking in my face once more, mostly my eyes, he finishes with, "Goldie."

I scoff, pushing my shoulder past him to get away, yet once I'm at the end of the street I'd rushed him into, I don't know what wills me to look back, but I do.

He hasn't moved from where he was standing, facing me. He's there with his eyes trained on the floor. However, I don't even think he's looking at it properly until his head whirls to me. And for the slight moment he meets my gaze, the seriousness fades as his lip quirks to form that arrogant smirk.

I roll my eyes turning around again but feel myself slowly frowning at how through that smile, it seemed forced and not like the ones he always shoots at me.

"Who was that?" Freya asks, her voice oddly entranced as I halt, not realizing I'd made it back to my brothers and her in the same spot as before.

Staring at them as if I'd committed a crime—though I'm about to—Illias and Iker tilt their heads, narrowing their gaze while Idris's brow lifts, and a dust of humor sweeps his eyes. It is something I'd not seen on him in a while, if ever.

I shake my head. "No one of importance." Looking over my shoulder again, I don't see Darius step out, and I assume he'd left the other way. But with the thought of his strange reaction, I turn back to my brothers and puff out a smile, wanting, needing to forget it. "Shall we continue?"