Chapter 21
Shortly after the ceremony,73Please respect copyright.PENANAZRSyBdRFHL
everyone went into the ballroom where the servants had completely transformed73Please respect copyright.PENANAd1yz2MfNQ7
the area into a massive dance hall with many dozens of tables and seating73Please respect copyright.PENANAQv7VieBM0b
arrangements. The tables were covered in purple table clothes as servers73Please respect copyright.PENANAqXT4zuJrWZ
wearing black and white uniforms were walking around carrying trays of73Please respect copyright.PENANARo3XYZ3GU2
champagne. There were four long tables filled with food with plates on the ends73Please respect copyright.PENANA1arFHD8XUD
for guests to go and help themselves to the spread. There was a band of bards73Please respect copyright.PENANAunCFAzbUZI
playing traditional Bricenian music in the corner. Soon people would be getting73Please respect copyright.PENANACRUAO9kXjD
up to dance and he hoped to be out of the way when that happened.
Cuvera and Kiara73Please respect copyright.PENANAooc5txWWic
walked over to the head table with his father and Eliza walking right behind73Please respect copyright.PENANAZkdv7y7g0s
them. Vander knew that there was a spot for him at that table, but he wanted to73Please respect copyright.PENANAn1Zj2uJfww
make sure the Blades were doing their rounds properly, so he excused himself.73Please respect copyright.PENANAaE7P2Mx0jD
That was just an excuse. He couldn’t tolerate the noise for long, so he wanted73Please respect copyright.PENANAD94m11ZbAq
an escape to be closer to the outside. Shea followed along behind him making73Please respect copyright.PENANAXxFyWn4pzX
sure to stay close lest anyone make the mistake of stepping on her tail. He was73Please respect copyright.PENANAqxKRWbj8sY
close to the door when Malakai Whitesun blocked his path.
“Do you have a moment, Captain?”73Please respect copyright.PENANAoalQNyKiNJ
the warden asked. Vander didn’t know too much about him. All the interactions73Please respect copyright.PENANAYFEkKlh6x7
he had seen were such that he was well liked and respected, but the two of them73Please respect copyright.PENANAGBm2qPy9IX
had never had a real conversation before. He didn’t see why Whitesun would want73Please respect copyright.PENANA0ErL8PnhPx
to talk to him, but it would be rude to refuse.
“Of course, Warden.” Vander bowed73Please respect copyright.PENANA7kn9TxbgZZ
his head. “I have a moment to spare, what can I do for you?”
“I just want to thank you for the73Please respect copyright.PENANAAhxM9VKW5U
security detail you put together.” Whitesun smiled warmly. “I can see no gabs73Please respect copyright.PENANA68tCeihaOr
in their rotations, and they have been trained incredibly. Would you be willing73Please respect copyright.PENANADQHIhD7StD
to come with me to Godsville to train some of my soldiers? I’m sure they would73Please respect copyright.PENANAdivvD2q1XJ
benefit heavily from your tutelage.”
“That’s very nice of you.” Vander73Please respect copyright.PENANAsV3pNam96Q
gave him a genuine smile. “You would have to talk to my grandfather about it,73Please respect copyright.PENANAcvgIhhq5IG
but I don’t mind as long as Shea can come with me.” He stepped aside giving the73Please respect copyright.PENANA5atIcUTCfS
warden access to his companion. He looked down at her with genuine interest.
“So, this is Shea, I have heard so73Please respect copyright.PENANANH7sZVECWC
much about her.” He frowned as he studied her. “I thought she was a shadow73Please respect copyright.PENANAseeGSvrK08
beast, but she looks like a regular wolf to me.”
“There is nothing regular about73Please respect copyright.PENANAckwG29dLWg
me.” She snarled. Vander stepped in front of her again so Whitesun wouldn’t73Please respect copyright.PENANAJeYgtbXTKM
see her anger.
“She is, but since she has bonded73Please respect copyright.PENANAIIgHjqnfJ9
with me, she lost many of the aspects that makes her resemble a shadow beast.”73Please respect copyright.PENANAulHZ2uxhmU
Vander explained. “However, she is still prideful, please don’t insult her like73Please respect copyright.PENANAd60oRAe90O
that again.”
“Of course.” Whitesun bowed. “My73Please respect copyright.PENANAypzr6XEhvm
sincerest apologies.” The man stuck out his hand. “I hope you and I can work73Please respect copyright.PENANAYNAo1TO3C4
closely together in the future.” Vander gripped the heavily calloused hand and73Please respect copyright.PENANAkc5opg3dc8
shook it. He felt his hand tingle, but he brushed it aside as nerves.73Please respect copyright.PENANALfTO1eKhnx
Whitesun’s mouth turned up into a grin as they broke contact. “I look73Please respect copyright.PENANA1k0KQublE3
forward talking to you again, Captain.”73Please respect copyright.PENANAKErrxzHoVd
With that the warlord walked away to talk to Visc who was standing nearby.
“That was weird.” Vander muttered73Please respect copyright.PENANAF8yRI727td
to himself. He looked down at his hand but saw nothing wrong. He wiped it on73Please respect copyright.PENANARIyBagkRlb
his pants as he walked to the castle doors. Rooster and Eve were standing there73Please respect copyright.PENANAHHOkbriCiD
in their Blade uniforms trying to look as intimidating as possible, so Vander73Please respect copyright.PENANAIX4Gbmy76p
decided to prank them. He crouched down then slowly started walking towards73Please respect copyright.PENANAJWz37F0dHe
them. Once he got close enough, he grabbed Rooster from the back and shouted.
“Ah!” Rooster jumped forward73Please respect copyright.PENANAUCuqK5qp5c
reaching for his weapon as he did. Upon seeing Vander laughing himself silly he73Please respect copyright.PENANAZvKoEqPP8e
relaxed, but his face turned bright red.
“You an asshole.” He snapped.73Please respect copyright.PENANA6BNv9G44oU
“You’re lucky I didn’t stab you.”
“You couldn’t stab anyone being73Please respect copyright.PENANAzIrbLiyAyL
that flustered.” Eve said coolly. “Your head should always be on a swivel. I73Please respect copyright.PENANAyxYTaTolPS
knew he was coming a couple seconds before he got you.” Vander had noticed that73Please respect copyright.PENANA6YooJv5nWQ
she didn’t jump once he scared Rooster. It was surprising, but not all the way73Please respect copyright.PENANAIppY5FF2J9
unexpected.
“The two of you get something to73Please respect copyright.PENANAf1oyZpj8da
eat.” Vander smirked. “I’ll watch the door until you return.”
“Forest and Briar are scheduled to73Please respect copyright.PENANAz1F3eW6pBc
replace us in a half hour.” Rooster explained. He pulled his uniform down73Please respect copyright.PENANAPA8ijJwjgH
before brushing off the nonexistent dirt. “We can wait until then, plus you73Please respect copyright.PENANAexnsC9oQB1
don’t even have your sword on you. You wouldn’t be able to protect anyone that73Please respect copyright.PENANA2wtAoThQ7d
way.”
“Oh?” Vander asked, lifting Eve’s73Please respect copyright.PENANAFjvNuvEelY
sword. “I don’t have a sword?” Eve’s eyes bugged out of her head as she looked73Please respect copyright.PENANAUuBWdllDfr
down and realized that he had taken it. “Then where did I get this?”
“Give it back.” She snapped,73Please respect copyright.PENANAhFVwmrDJkK
lunging for the sword. Vander stepped back keeping it from her grasp.
“Don’t do that,” Vander warned.73Please respect copyright.PENANAnsqDrXiydL
“You’ll end up hurting yourself.” He flipped the sword around offering it back73Please respect copyright.PENANAzRigI1Lu4M
to her hilt first. “Now go grab a plate. Everyone who was invited is here.”
“But-“ Rooster protested, but Alex73Please respect copyright.PENANAyIl9LEpxaJ
walked up to stand next to Vander.
“Obey your Captain, trainee.” Alex73Please respect copyright.PENANAkyySJu2hQf
smirked. “Now go before you get punished for disobeying an order.”
“Alright.” Rooster nodded his73Please respect copyright.PENANASXrWRbRl35
head. Along with Eve he ducked through a crowd heading towards the buffet.
“You are doing alright?” Alex73Please respect copyright.PENANAzgfhRbQDnb
asked. “I know parties like this are draining for you, especially with all the73Please respect copyright.PENANAAV8x6BcsYt
sounds and smells.”
“I’m doing my best to block it73Please respect copyright.PENANABpCVzB3fLB
out.” Vander sighed. He leaned up against the door then looked around the room.73Please respect copyright.PENANAaqWMc1boe0
His eyes quickly found Eliza and settled in on her. She must have noticed his73Please respect copyright.PENANAgJb0Ft2PEF
gaze because she looked up then winked at him.
“She likes you.” Alex said. “I73Please respect copyright.PENANA04mlSexhOM
could tell from the first moment the two of you saw each other you were made73Please respect copyright.PENANA8voNqmelhc
for one another.”
“Did you get that from a romance73Please respect copyright.PENANA2DXV7hxsKi
book?” Vander snorted. “Besides, I’m damaged goods. She could do much better73Please respect copyright.PENANAmnpJmphn9b
than someone like me.”
“You aren’t damaged goods,73Please respect copyright.PENANAkv3yO2EWq1
Vander.” His friend sighed. “You’ve just been heartbroken. It can fix, if you73Please respect copyright.PENANAhz8JwKGmXG
allow it.”
“You sound like Julianna.” Vander73Please respect copyright.PENANAddx5PIkwb2
laughed. “I have too much going on right now to even consider a real73Please respect copyright.PENANAqf0lUcbvtq
relationship. Perhaps in a few months when things calm down I will consider73Please respect copyright.PENANAc44xLIRGIr
it.”
“Don’t wait too long my friend.”73Please respect copyright.PENANAnNKf40lK52
Alex clapped him on the shoulder. “Love waits for no one.”
“Now I know you got that from a73Please respect copyright.PENANANxue4NRK8e
romance novel.” Vander jabbed him in the ribs. “If what she says is true, she73Please respect copyright.PENANApmy2QGPfoF
will wait for me.”
“Why, what did he say?” Vander was73Please respect copyright.PENANAmsnQsowf3y
safe from answering because right at that moment Forest and Briar walked up to73Please respect copyright.PENANA0FLiefyF3w
take the place of Eve and Rooster.
“Did the two of you get enough to73Please respect copyright.PENANA3DUoCEkoFv
eat?” Vander asked them. “You won’t be too sleepy to take the shift or need to73Please respect copyright.PENANAa0D1RbsZeT
use the bathroom?”
“If he does, I’ll just slap him73Please respect copyright.PENANA2TFMQHGHgv
awake.” Briar pumped her fist.
“I’d like to see you try.” Forest73Please respect copyright.PENANA9XdJsz3gvK
taunted. The two of them squared up, but before they could do anything about73Please respect copyright.PENANAsa2LMmOf7P
its Vander grabbed their hands then slammed them together.
“Enough of that.” He snapped. “The73Please respect copyright.PENANAcEXdS13GQm
two of you are trainees learn to act like it.”
“Sorry,” the muttered rubbing73Please respect copyright.PENANAStOa8yKUfd
their heads. They shuffled off to their positions to do what was requested of73Please respect copyright.PENANA2AGWAIdpHL
them. “We’re going to have a time getting them to fix that habit of theirs.”73Please respect copyright.PENANALqzVhZSWAZ
Vander said as the two started walking away.
“Nah, the two of them just need to73Please respect copyright.PENANATPsJaSIgxA
fuck and get it over with.” Alex snorted. “All that pent up frustration is73Please respect copyright.PENANAjCuAjgMSDU
taking its toll on them.”73Please respect copyright.PENANA9dZAh9Cltq
73Please respect copyright.PENANAz9PcSmkAMC
“Alex.” Vander laughed.73Please respect copyright.PENANAk47R9YcaCy
“What the hell has gotten into you today?” He looked over to see Alex looking73Please respect copyright.PENANAAFf8TtDQPS
embarrassed and that’s when it dawned on him. “You found some. What’s his73Please respect copyright.PENANAFkv7enSMsE
name?”
“Paul.” He muttered. “He found me73Please respect copyright.PENANALfM8kR3p1U
the other day in the bar when I was drinking. We hit it off then I took him73Please respect copyright.PENANAimI0fvSoLZ
back to my house for the night. We have plans later if you want to join us.”
“Don’t you have to wait until at73Please respect copyright.PENANAioX2f6RExp
least the third date before you introduce him to your family?” Alex73Please respect copyright.PENANA2sOGUzvpy4
half-heartedly shoved Vander.
“Shut up.” He growled.
“Of course I will meet him.”73Please respect copyright.PENANA7463plCvRh
Vander laughed. “We can go in a couple of hours, how’s that?”
“Great.” Alex beamed. “I’ll come73Please respect copyright.PENANADFqnY23dGe
and grab you when it’s time to go.” He clapped Vander on the back before73Please respect copyright.PENANAwawotAB78J
shuffling off.
Vander and Shea made their way to73Please respect copyright.PENANAPkTv85wLzi
the table where Cuvera and Kiara were talking to well-wishers. Malcolm and73Please respect copyright.PENANAMwFdNW5PcN
Charles were nowhere to be seen, so it was just the two of them, Eliza and73Please respect copyright.PENANAD1JfOwBZ2k
Leon, who decided to guard Cuvera in Vander’s absence.
“Leon,” Vander greeted. “Did my73Please respect copyright.PENANApWzZbYpTFN
grandfather have you watch the prince so he could protect Malcolm?”
“You weren’t here,” Leon shrugged.73Please respect copyright.PENANAtQ6FnYeqYt
“Only twenty minutes into the party and you already left your post.” He73Please respect copyright.PENANAozYzmC7sYW
snorted. Vander resisted the urge to sock him in the mouth.
“He’s my best man, Captain.”73Please respect copyright.PENANA6rYpD8JmR5
Cuvera responded, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. “It would be73Please respect copyright.PENANAsmrM0gj8Yu
weird if he had to protect me on duty while he was doing something for me.”
“Yes my prince.” Leon bowed his73Please respect copyright.PENANAI9JIZBuAE6
head. “My apologies.”
“Now that he is here though, you73Please respect copyright.PENANALCTHxpdIBf
may go.” Cuvera dismissed him with a flicked of the wrist. Leon stiffened but73Please respect copyright.PENANAFhczthpzQw
did as he was asked, though he shot Vander a dirty look on his way out. “I73Please respect copyright.PENANAQwLA1BGo3m
don’t know how you stand that man after everything that has happened.”
“What happened?” Kiara asked.73Please respect copyright.PENANAybtVBGF3vE
Cuvera quickly explained everything that had gone on between the two, including73Please respect copyright.PENANATXWWykJUS6
his wanting to marry Bree before her father got in the way. Eliza sat there73Please respect copyright.PENANANoRzCIu6Gu
mortified, but Kiara’s expression was one of shock and anger.
“I’ll rip her apart.” She said.73Please respect copyright.PENANAfzsGewXLal
Kiara placed her hand on her little sister’s arm.
“You’ll do no such thing.” She73Please respect copyright.PENANAQyFAD1rkRR
laughed. “Vander, have you had a chance to eat yet?” she asked trying to change73Please respect copyright.PENANAywGVEprJfN
the subject.
“Not yet.” Vander smiled. “With73Please respect copyright.PENANA7bA0Mv5WZr
all the noise and smells, I haven’t got an appetite yet.”
“Pity.” She opened her mouth to73Please respect copyright.PENANAKbOx3IxA4a
say something else, but Malcolm strode onto the dance floor.
“Quiet everyone!” he shouted. It73Please respect copyright.PENANABMV3bkNh9j
took a few moments for the room to quiet down long enough for him to speak73Please respect copyright.PENANAdk0OVhG6Jp
again. “As tradition whenever someone gets married, they get the first dance of73Please respect copyright.PENANADGceiDzyZI
the night.” The crowd separated to create an aisle for Cuvera and Kiara to walk73Please respect copyright.PENANAooh6n6w31c
down. “If you would be so kind.” The king held out his hand. Cuvera stood up73Please respect copyright.PENANAuW07hHBGOl
then offered his own hand to his wife, which she accepted with a slight blush73Please respect copyright.PENANAscjMc74FfX
on her face. The two of them walked down to the floor, then the bards began to73Please respect copyright.PENANAztzsxlMqQj
play.
Kiara must have been practicing Eluvian73Please respect copyright.PENANAM9ISWnqukv
dances, because once the two of them started dancing she didn’t miss a step.73Please respect copyright.PENANALUrV7d8dve
Cuvera took her hand in his then his other arm wrapped around her waist pulling73Please respect copyright.PENANAK2694yG9BK
her close to his chest. They moved around the floor slowly at first, moving in73Please respect copyright.PENANAv1zUJoqv5K
step with each other before he spun her away, grabbed her wrist then pulled her73Please respect copyright.PENANAzhSqL49FxX
back in. They did that a couple more times before the song ended when they73Please respect copyright.PENANAGEtPphokaJ
stopped with him holding her as she bent backwards. They stood to thunderous73Please respect copyright.PENANAA6O4llrIuG
applause then, as the band started playing again, more people joined them in73Please respect copyright.PENANA47r8GGgh8b
dancing.
“Tell me Vander,” Eliza smiled at73Please respect copyright.PENANAH0WX2ZMAYn
him. “Do you dance?”
“Not if I can help it.” He73Please respect copyright.PENANA4CbPHox7RX
snorted. “I learned when I was younger, but since I received this curse, I73Please respect copyright.PENANAZnS9g5cIQj
stayed away. Too many people surrounding me makes me a little flighty.”
“Well, let’s go then.” She said.73Please respect copyright.PENANAYOYdsjp3xZ
She got up from her chair and offered her hand. Vander stared at is73Please respect copyright.PENANA3Zvlmklk4F
suspiciously. “I’ll help you manage your condition, just join me.” Deciding to73Please respect copyright.PENANAmz8SD3pJMp
trust her, he placed his hand in hers then allowed himself to be brought onto73Please respect copyright.PENANAqN7626lwHV
the dance floor.
He placed his arm around her waist73Please respect copyright.PENANAu54IOfi4iV
then pulled her tight against him. If he wanted to admit it, he would have73Please respect copyright.PENANAXPCstdHJy6
thought that it felt good to have someone who seemed to truly care about him in73Please respect copyright.PENANAha0j6THxzL
his arms. The way she held him back made him realize that he never really had73Please respect copyright.PENANA85wKcqLs87
someone like that, not even Bree, who always wanted to keep him at arm’s73Please respect copyright.PENANAzmeHP54O6K
length. Despite that though, he wasn’t willing to let his guard down entirely.
“So, how will you make me forget73Please respect copyright.PENANAbQKsn0esO8
about the noise?” he asked, already starting to feel flighty.
“Just let me lead.” She smiled.73Please respect copyright.PENANAktcTqXTGSU
“Keep your eyes focused on me and I promise you, you will forget that anyone is73Please respect copyright.PENANAPq9s3o07SO
even around us.”
“Sounds good.” He said. Without73Please respect copyright.PENANA9bBowCwrat
waiting for permission, she started dancing. Their eyes locked together and73Please respect copyright.PENANAZFEq772y00
true to her word, he began to forget anyone else was there and was instead73Please respect copyright.PENANA8HnmUWlXGh
focused solely on her.
She was slightly shorter than he73Please respect copyright.PENANAaID4HsoiH2
was, but not by much. It causes him to have to look down at her as she looks up73Please respect copyright.PENANAE55j7YNiBd
at him causing him to want to look away, but he controlled himself. He looked73Please respect copyright.PENANAPmc1ZCjuYV
into her almond-shaped eyes and started to notice all the other things about73Please respect copyright.PENANAinXiU3LED0
her face that he glanced over during all their meeting together. She had73Please respect copyright.PENANAQ76i6fxg7H
freckles dotting her face. They blended in with her skin for the most part, but73Please respect copyright.PENANAAEnzBZWVWf
they were a shade darker, easily missed unless you were looking straight at73Please respect copyright.PENANAfKJz2eBNzU
them. The hair on her head was brown, but the strands dancing along with them73Please respect copyright.PENANApQiEYi2PTM
were almost blonde. As he studied her face, he eventually saw her lips which73Please respect copyright.PENANA8FBiGzdfUW
looked soft, soft enough for him to kiss. As must have noticed before, her lips73Please respect copyright.PENANAZgEZt8WgDz
turned into a smile as her pupils dilated.
“See anything interesting?” she73Please respect copyright.PENANA5RClOq2xKd
whispered into his ear.
“You have flecks of gold in your73Please respect copyright.PENANADr1B4cWCAd
eyes.” He whispered back. “They are simply stunning.” She pulled her head back73Please respect copyright.PENANAVT9Ey93846
so she could stare back up at him.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“Your lips are very inviting.” He73Please respect copyright.PENANAl5mPKnyqo3
smiled.
“Well, are you accepting?” she73Please respect copyright.PENANAGJbo9Xt4m6
asked, leaning forward. He decided that he couldn’t be scared forever, so he73Please respect copyright.PENANAivNWKjh68z
accepted her challenge. Her lips were as soft as he thought they were. She73Please respect copyright.PENANAoCxkpz4rFi
removed her arm wrapping both around his neck and keeping him there, with her,73Please respect copyright.PENANA07Fx68BGHq
for a several seconds before someone tapped him on the shoulder. He broke73Please respect copyright.PENANAIuJHvIVDRa
contact to look at a very pissed off Bree.
“What the hell are you doing?” she73Please respect copyright.PENANAplWSdupUdM
shouted. He hadn’t seen her this entire time, but she had changed her clothing73Please respect copyright.PENANA6RCTdroJC8
since the wedding. She was wearing a long, sleeveless blue dress with white73Please respect copyright.PENANAA3Az0k4mrz
gloves that stopped just above her elbow. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail,73Please respect copyright.PENANALBJPafMRLm
but her outfit had nothing on how angry her face was.
“Dancing.” Eliza stepped between73Please respect copyright.PENANAHl18fDZvLU
the two of them with cold detachment on her face. “I’m not sure why you’re so73Please respect copyright.PENANA3WFibdvm4k
angry, you dumped in for someone else. What right do you have to be here?”
“Eliza, I’ll take care of it.”73Please respect copyright.PENANAzEhCNmHPPl
Vander placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll meet you back at the table in a73Please respect copyright.PENANAQlZmbisxWJ
little bit.”
“You better,” she warned. “Cause73Please respect copyright.PENANAO7knMq0MWH
next time I’ll break her pretty little nose.” Eliza gracefully walked away73Please respect copyright.PENANAxGSQvssqx4
while Vander turned his attention towards Bree, slightly upset that he had to73Please respect copyright.PENANA6FvMSDJXkN
turn his back on her ass.
“Come with me.” Vander grabbed73Please respect copyright.PENANAwNhOmPZ00Q
Bree by the arm, pulling her away from the crowd. He took her to an obscure73Please respect copyright.PENANAEI9rTlTAgk
corner where he knew they wouldn’t be overheard. He felt Shea following them73Please respect copyright.PENANAdDw0kFPRb1
but making sure to stay hidden. He pushed her up against the wall. “What do you73Please respect copyright.PENANAvKV41fgwnx
want, Bree?”
“I want you back.” She stammered.73Please respect copyright.PENANAMzTxBRqyRP
“I made a mistake accepting my father’s proposal with Leon, but I didn’t know73Please respect copyright.PENANAlCoaR3YbaA
what else to do. I will break it off if you-“ Vander placed his finger on her73Please respect copyright.PENANA8LLpidvTW2
lips.
“No means no, Bree.” He said73Please respect copyright.PENANASwEwLiZRpX
softly. “You made your choice months ago. You longer have the right to demand73Please respect copyright.PENANAVizVoCBphT
things of me. Not now, not in the future.”
“But we were so good together.”73Please respect copyright.PENANAebl4Z88fjY
She pouted. “We were in love.”
“We might have been, but it wasn’t73Please respect copyright.PENANAg8D1i6nr1F
true love Bree.” He said. “Not for me anyway. I needed a distraction from my73Please respect copyright.PENANATDFzUkMhkX
life, and you came at just the right time. You need to go and make your own73Please respect copyright.PENANAR1va3lAUQ7
life, without me Bree.”
“But I want to.” She grabbed his73Please respect copyright.PENANAIXmreoefBL
arm. “Please.” Vander sighed. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he didn’t know73Please respect copyright.PENANAr9iZu3EXK8
what else he should do.
“This is getting pathetic.” He73Please respect copyright.PENANA9TKCt0s21G
ripped his arm away from her. “I want nothing more to do with you Bree, I was73Please respect copyright.PENANA8dMk78NhnK
happier without you in my life. You need to go, now.” Bree brought her hand up73Please respect copyright.PENANAJuqkeA0NI2
slapping him across the face. The crack echoed across the room causing those73Please respect copyright.PENANAME2C3HASE3
around him to quiet down and turn their heads to stare at them.
“You’re such an asshole.” She73Please respect copyright.PENANAnxoN5ANJ3a
said, as tears poured down her face. She ran off covering herself with her arm73Please respect copyright.PENANAHiMrbNpwUQ
as she rushed through the crowd.
“Sorry about that.” He muttered to73Please respect copyright.PENANA83hd2FgdxF
those around him. There was no way that wasn’t getting back to Jasper, but that73Please respect copyright.PENANATJZWS2lu7P
was a problem for another day. Now was the time he chose to go upstairs to find73Please respect copyright.PENANAVeRGTK4kkI
the book Boar and Eliza had told him about. He looked around, but when he saw73Please respect copyright.PENANAlPyC1Qipmn
Malcolm and his grandfather talking to Peyton near the tables, he quickly ran73Please respect copyright.PENANAK4rdxafb61
up the stairs with Shea right behind him.
He greeted the Blades who were73Please respect copyright.PENANArm9KUwd9hA
walking around the second floor. He chatted with them for a few minutes to see73Please respect copyright.PENANAgMJvOmXjjS
how they were doing without raising suspicion about why he was up there. As73Please respect copyright.PENANALUFvlsb1cU
soon as he said goodbye, he snuck down the hallway heading towards the side73Please respect copyright.PENANAvu8d1n0GgN
staircase that would lead to the third floor. He couldn’t hear or smell anyone73Please respect copyright.PENANA31rIuqEyBp
nearby, but he still moved as quietly as he could. He didn’t want to be missing73Please respect copyright.PENANAjWWIRNAFxg
for too long or his grandfather might get curious as to where he went.
Since he knew where he was going,73Please respect copyright.PENANAc9XICeabC2
it was an easy task to find the library. He stationed Shea down the hall to73Please respect copyright.PENANAugztYGlHLS
warn him in case anyone decided to pay him a visit. He carefully opened the73Please respect copyright.PENANAR5ck8eBHPY
door and stepped inside.
The room was dark since no one was73Please respect copyright.PENANAf3CitogJZY
in there, but he could see in the low light very easily. The trouble was going73Please respect copyright.PENANA5v4LMscReA
to be finding the book because he wasn’t sure if Malcolm had placed it back on73Please respect copyright.PENANAtkL3elH9uO
the bookshelves or if he left it on the desk. Luckily for Vander it was right73Please respect copyright.PENANAvnsVHhMHDt
there where he left it the other day. He guessed Malcolm must have been busy73Please respect copyright.PENANANBMfZELBVK
with the wedding preparations to put it back. Vander tucked it into his jacket73Please respect copyright.PENANAl5SL6Ajgy3
then headed towards the door, but he ran right into Malcolm.
“Vander?” The King asked. “What73Please respect copyright.PENANAmqJhvvuXLB
are you doing here?”
“Uhm.” Vander stammered.
“You came for the book?” Malcolm73Please respect copyright.PENANA46SiJ6Ndym
asked. “You didn’t have to sneak around during the wedding, you could have just73Please respect copyright.PENANAzVRjawkqFi
asked for it.”
“Really?” Vander frowned. “I was73Please respect copyright.PENANAJKgumM0tmK
told I had to get the book tonight without being seen.”
“Who told you that?” Malcolm73Please respect copyright.PENANAKUlCpJ1lji
asked.
“It came to me in a vision,”73Please respect copyright.PENANALFHHCYfFts
Vander explained. “I was visiting the tombs with Cuvera earlier and Boar came73Please respect copyright.PENANA0AnNVPqatZ
to me and told me to get the book.”
“Boar?” Malcolm asked73Please respect copyright.PENANAtDqRph15Tn
incredulously. “The first Blade? How would he have known about this book?”
“I never thought to ask that.”73Please respect copyright.PENANAUOfZhsJdPj
Vander frowned. “But what are you doing here? And where is Shea?”
“I didn’t see her when I was73Please respect copyright.PENANACXEkObxD1A
walking down the hall?” Malcolm said.
“Shea?” Vander asked73Please respect copyright.PENANA98LBfC7N4M
through their bond, but there was no response. “I think something is wrong.”
“Wrong, what do you..?” Blood73Please respect copyright.PENANA2yQzhKTd6d
poured from the King’s mouth as he looked down to see a sword shoved through73Please respect copyright.PENANA1GO6yKB4XE
his chest.
“Malcolm!” Vander shouted. The73Please respect copyright.PENANAOrw42OGE2v
sword slid back out then the King fell to the floor barely clinging to life.73Please respect copyright.PENANA2xHYvwG7pY
Behind him stood Peyton with a giant grin on his face.
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“Give me the book Vander.” He73Please respect copyright.PENANAYhaaLwZvJO
said. “Or you’re next.”