Chapter 147- A Fracture in the Facade

Lexy

I stood at the edge of the gathering circle; my arms folded lightly over my chest as I observed the final moments of the celebration. The fire in the center still crackled, though lower now, casting warm hues across the painted faces of warriors and volunteers mingling in a rare moment of peace. Laughter still echoed, and music played softly in the background, but my eyes weren’t on the dancers or the wine cups.

My gaze was fixed on Adrian.

He was trying too hard to look relaxed—leaning back against the wooden beam near the eastern tent, holding a goblet of dark wine with a loose grip. But I saw everything. I saw the subtle clench of his jaw whenever someone I smiled hard, the twitch in his temple as he looked around, and the way his fingers tapped impatiently against his thigh.

He was unraveling.

I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know it. Whatever confidence Adrian had walked into the alliance celebration with, was now fraying at the edges. His façade might have fooled others, but to me—trained in diplomacy and warfare, a queen forged through trials and flames—it was all too clear.

I tilted my head slightly, watching him lift the cup to his lips, only to set it back down untouched. He scanned the crowd, searching. For what, I wasn’t sure. His men? His allies? His leverage?

But the real tell came when one of her warriors, Nael, walked past him and gave a polite nod. Adrian barely acknowledged him, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Then, without a word, he pushed off the beam and strode quickly across the gathering, weaving through the crowd with calculated urgency.

I didn’t follow immediately. I let my eyes sweep the celebration one final time. Everyone else was still caught up in the moment—the joy of union, the relief of peace. No one else noticed that Adrian had bolted like a flame-choked wolf.

But I did.

I turned to CJ, who had just returned from seeing the last of the visiting elders to their quarters. “I’m going to check on something,” I said, keeping my tone light but clear. “Hold things down here.”

CJ’s green eyes searched mines for a moment before nodding. He didn’t ask questions. He knew me well enough not to.

I stepped away from the heart of the celebration and moved through the shadows toward the far wing of the tribe’s stronghold. My steps were quiet but purposeful as I made my way through the corridors carved into the ancient rock walls of our home.

Instead of heading to my quarters, I turned left at a corridor most believed was just a storage wing. At the end, I pressed my palm against the carved stone and stepped into the hidden passage.

The air grew cooler as I descended, the flickering torches lighting the path toward the chamber that had been long forgotten by most. But Tarria, CJ and I had repurposed it for exactly this reason—when secrecy was the only protection we had left.

I found Tarria waiting inside, leaning over a carved map table lit by a single lantern. Her arms were crossed, and her dark curls were tied back from her face, highlighting the stern focus in her features.

“He’s losing control,” I said without greeting, closing the door behind me.

Tarria looked up. “I felt it too. He was scanning the crowd like he’d lost something.”

I nodded, stepping forward. “He’s cut off, and it’s starting to show. He hasn’t been able to reach his men. He’s been waiting for a signal or confirmation—anything—and it hasn’t come.”

“Because we’ve silenced it all,” Tarria replied, her voice edged with pride and steel. “Every message meant for him has been intercepted. Every runner, redirected. Even the ones who tried to sneak out never made it past our third line of defense.”

I allowed myself a small, grim smile. “He thought he could outmaneuver us by smiling at the table and scheming in the dark. But we’re not playing his game—we’re rewriting the rules.”

Tarria leaned over the map again and pointed at a marked location. “One of the scouts reported strange movements near the northern border. Someone’s testing our perimeter. Could be one of Adrian’s hidden allies trying to reach him. If he’s smart—and desperate—he’ll bolt before we tighten the net.”

My eyes narrowed as I studied the lines on the map. “Let him try. He won’t get far.”

There was a brief silence as both of us let the gravity of the situation settle between us.

Then Tarria looked up again, her expression softer. “How did the crowd take the alliance’s closing? Did they sense anything?”

I shook my head. “Most are still riding the high. They want to believe the worst is behind us. But they’re watching me closely. I can’t afford to show too much interest in Adrian right now. Not yet.”

“He knows,” Tarria said quietly. “That’s why he ran back to his room. He felt you watching him.”

I exhaled, brushing my fingers on the edge of the map. “Let him feel it. He’s been playing a game of shadows, confident that his secrets are buried too deep for us to reach. But tonight proved something.”

“What’s that?” Tarria asked.

I looked up, my eyes burning with the same fire I carried into every battle. “He’s not untouchable. He’s not as composed as he pretends to be. Tonight, he showed the first real crack.”

Tarria’s expression shifted into a smirk. “And now we widen it.”

I gave a curt nod. “First thing tomorrow, I want full surveillance on Adrian’s quarters. I want to know who enters, who leaves, and who lingers near them. No one speaks to him unless they’re cleared. No messages. No privacy.”

“And if he tries to leave?”

My eyes narrowed. “Then we remind him this is my territory—not his.”

Tarria gave a short laugh. “You sound more like your father every day.”

A rare smile tugged at my lips. “That’s either a compliment or a warning.”

“Maybe both.”

I stepped away from the table and toward the sealed window on the far wall. Through the thin opening in the stone, I could see the distant lights of the fading celebration—embers flickering in the wind.

“I’ll let them enjoy tonight,” I said softly. “But tomorrow, we begin tightening the grip. Adrian is slipping. And when he falls, I want it to be by my hand.”

Tarria nodded. “I’ll be ready.”

I turned back toward her, my face now the picture of calm control. But inside, my instincts were flaring.

Adrian had made his first mistake. Now, I just had to make sure it would be his last.