Chapter 32

Thirty-Two

"You look awful," Ensley says when she slides up next to me in the hall as I'm on my way to first period.

"Thanks," I answer sarcastically, but she's not wrong.

After climbing back up the drainpipe to sneak into my room, I didn't have a chance to shower this morning and so my greasy hair is piled on top of my head in a knot. I barely paid attention when I was throwing on clothes and only realized when I got to school that the shirt I'm wearing has a stain on the front, and the jeans I chose are from last summer and too short. The redness of my eyes and the dark smudges under them complete the look.

I don't look at her, but I can feel Ensley silently assessing me until she finally says, "Why do you look so sad? Everyone is buzzing about you making it to the finals. You now have a one in six chance of winning, but even if you don't you're already a legend. You should be on cloud nine."

I steal a glance at her out of the corner of my eye and she appears genuinely confused. "Have you seen Becks this morning?"

She shakes her head. "He was already gone when I got up. I just assumed he had an early morning practice. Why, what happened?"

"He picked me up from the trial. Someone must have texted him the location, and we got in another fight." I look over at her and lower my voice so we can't be overheard. "I think we broke up. Or at least however you can break up before you're ever really together."

She gasps. "No you didn't."

I nod, snapping my mouth shut because tears are starting to well in my eyes.

Grabbing my arm, Ensley yanks me into an empty room and demands I tell her everything, and so I do.

"Oh, Locklyn," she says when I stop talking. "I'm so sorry. But you have to know Becks adores you."

I look away from her to keep tears from spilling over. "Even if he does, that may not be enough. It may not have ever been enough. There's just so much against us." I glance back at her, sure my heart is shining from my eyes. "I'm not sure we ever even had a chance to begin with. Maybe I just built this all up in my mind to be something it's not."

She's shaking her head before I even finish talking. "No. Don't say that. It isn't true. What you and Becks have is real."

"You're just saying that because you love both of us."

"I'm not," she says forcefully. "Anyone who cares to look can plainly see what's there between you two. You two just fit together."

"I don't know. I just don't feel . . ." Cherished. Pursued. Wanted . I sigh. "Everything is just so messed up right now. Becks and I have been off since the news of his arranged mating came down and Chaos started. I don't know how to get back to being us."

She tilts her head. "But you don't really want to go back to where you were before anyway. Right? Your relationship with Becks is evolving."

"It feels like we spend half our time fighting. We never used to do that before."

"That's not unexpected since you both are under a considerable amount of stress right now. You have to admit the last month and change hasn't exactly been typical. There have been some pretty big speed bumps."

I sigh. She's not wrong.

"Change can be hard," she continues. "But some things are worth it. Don't you think you two are worth it?"

"I do." But I'm not convinced Becks does. At least not anymore. "I don't know, Ens. Maybe this is just it for us. We gave it a try and it didn't work." My heart screams at me to shut up even as the words come out of my mouth.

Ensley sighs. "I think you just need a little time right now. And I think Becks needs some time as well. Boys are slow. We can't expect them to be as quick on their feet as we are," she says with a grin that makes me laugh. "You know Becks. He overthinks everything. Give him a chance to catch up."

I make a noncommittal noise in the back of my throat, and Ensley gives me an encouraging smile. I guess only time will tell what happens between Becks and me, but in the meantime I should probably put my energy toward Chaos anyway now that I'm stuck seeing it through. The competition seems determined to take its pound of flesh from each competitor, and I'm starting to worry that it's going to try to take a lot more than that from me.

I manage to avoid Becks for the entire day, and after two bus rides and a long walk I make it to Talon's house on my own. He lives with his uncle, Drake Brayden, in Crested Heights, a gated community on the west side of Everton. The homes here can't really be considered houses. They look more like mini palaces and castles, each on their own sprawling multiacre lot. Once I make it past the gate guard at the base of the neighborhood—at least Talon remembered to give him my name—it's another ten-minute hike up a steep hill to his uncle's mini castle. My body is already worn and exhausted from lack of sleep and the physical and emotional stress of the trial the night before, so by the time I find myself in front of his door I'm mentally cursing Talon for making me come here. Couldn't we have just met in the academy library or something?

To my left and right, stone dragons flank the ten-foot black double-door. When I raise my hand to knock I half-expect a butler in a suit to answer. What I don't expect is for Drake Brayden himself to open the door.

With black hair and steel-gray eyes there's a faint resemblance to Talon, but the similarities stop there. Standing at least six seven, Drake is broad chested with a full beard and wearing an imposing frown. He's a large man—then again, most dragon shifters are—but as he stands looking down his nose at me he seems even more so. I'm not ashamed to admit, at least to myself, that I'm intimidated. Talon's warning about how ruthless his uncle is comes back to me, and I'm suddenly very glad he handled Drake himself.

Drake doesn't move, blocking the entrance with one hand on the door. He cants his head, and I realize he's waiting for me to say something.

"Oh, sorry. I'm here to see Talon." I didn't mean to, but it comes out a little like a question instead of a statement.

"Are you now?" he asks, not cracking a smile or moving an inch.

"Yes. We're working on a project together," I say, using the same excuse I gave Becks a couple weeks back, and Drake's eyes narrow. Shoot, maybe Talon told him something else. I shouldn't have said that. "We go to school together. I'm Lock?—"

"I'm very aware who you are," he says, taking me aback.

"You are?" I ask, confused.

Drake's gaze travels over my shoulder and I twist to see Titus come up behind me.

"Titus. What are you doing here?"

His gaze bounces from me to Drake and back again. "Probably the same thing as you. I was summoned by Talon."

Just then the second double door opens, and I can finally see past Drake and into the two-story grand foyer. To say it's opulent would be an understatement. There's a sculpture of a fire-breathing dragon in the middle of the room that's at least ten feet high, and beyond that a double curved stairway leads to the second floor. Everything is decorated in shades of black and gray with hints of gold.

After opening the door, Talon steps forward, casual as usual in dark jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. His hair is damp like he might have just gotten out of the shower, and his feet are bare. There's no denying he looks good, but I quickly acknowledge it and move on. I've always thought Talon was attractive, but I don't miss the dark circles under his eyes as he invites us in.

Talon doesn't hold my attention too long because Drake stares me down as I pass him, his gaze stormy and hostile. Does he know I was going to try to blackmail him? The look on his face says he does; there's a real possibility Talon told him.

I avert my gaze, pretending to be interested in the gaudy dragon statue, but Drake's stare makes the fine hairs on the back of my neck stick up.

"This way," Talon says, waving Titus and me to follow him without so much as acknowledging his uncle.

I sneak a peek over my shoulder as we follow Talon up the stairs and find Drake's gaze still trailing me, just as dark as it was before. A chill races down my spine, and I'm relieved as soon as we are in the hallway and out of view.

I come even with Talon and hiss quietly, "Does he know?"

"Does who know what?" Talon asks, looking down on me.

"Your uncle. Does he know about the thing that we had planned?"

"No. Why?"

"Because it looked like he'd like nothing more than to barbecue me back there. And he knew who I was when he opened the door."

Talon's eyebrows lift at that. "Interesting," is all he says before falling silent again. His nonchalance makes me want to wring his neck, but instead I just clench my fists and follow him through the maze that is Drake Brayden's home.

I lose count of the turns we take before Talon finally opens a door and gestures for us to enter what looks to be a combination of a home library and old fashion game room. I feel like I've stepped back a century in time. The room is ringed with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and in the center there are chess and backgammon tables, and a seating area set up in front of an unlit fireplace.

Titus quickly surveys the space and then turns to Talon, crossing his arms over his chest. "Okay. We're here. Care to let us know why?"

"Maybe I'm just looking to make new friends," Talon says, and I roll my eyes. He had more friends on his first day at Nightlark than I could hope to have in my entire life.

Titus shoots him an annoyed look. "We know this has something to do with Chaos. Are you looking for an alliance or something? Because if so, it's a little late. We're headed into the last trial, which means it's every creature for him, or herself," he finishes, tipping his head in my direction.

I smile, appreciative of the acknowledgement.

"No offense, because I like you both," Titus goes on, "but as far as I'm concerned, you two are the enemy."

Talon opens his mouth to respond when the game room door opens, and Drake appears. "I found two more of your guests," he says, and then Becks and Ensley enter the room.

Becks' gaze finds me immediately, and when our eyes connect my heart rate kicks up and something twists in my chest. He looks as miserable as I feel, and I both wish we were alone right now and am grateful that we aren't.

"Thanks," Talon says, a clear dismissal to his uncle.

Drake scowls at his nephew, and then eyes Becks and me, where we're standing at least five feet apart. There's a calculating gleam in his eye that starts to make me nervous when he doesn't turn and leave.

"I've got it from here," Talon says, prompting his uncle to leave us alone.

Drake's nostrils flare in annoyance, but he finally leaves, closing the door after him.

That was weird .

"Why didn't you invite your parents over as well?" Talon asks Becks, eyeing Ensley with a look of frustration.

"We're not here for you. We're here for her," Becks says, nodding toward me.

Ensley crosses her arms over her chest. "Like it or not we're a package deal. That's how this friendship works."

Talon shakes his head but doesn't complain anymore.

When Titus introduces himself to Becks and Ensley, I don't miss the appreciative way his teal gaze travels up and down Ensley, or the way her eyes light up when it does. Neither does Becks, who steps forward and offers Titus his hand to break up whatever is going on between the white-haired fae and his sister.

After introductions are over, Talon tells us all to take a seat on the couch and chairs around the unlit fireplace. Becks and I take opposite sides of the same couch. I don't look in his direction, but I feel his gaze brush over me like a warm summer breeze. I have to bite my lip to keep myself from sneaking a peek.

Talon stands at the mantel with the rest of us seated around him. His gaze trips from Becks and me as he reads our body language, and a smirk lifts one corner of his mouth. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Quit stalling, Talon," Becks says. "Why are we here?"

The smirk melts off Talon's face and then he purposefully looks away from Becks and Ensley to focus on Titus and me. "Chaos isn't what you think it is. I thought I could do this on my own, but I was wrong. I need your help, and I realize if I'm going to get it I have to let you in on some of the truth."

" Some of the truth?" Titus asks with a raised brow.

"As much of it as I can," he answers, and then proceeds to tell everyone the same story he told me when he came into my parents' store about Shadow Striker and the Vampire King.

When he's done, the room goes silent. Titus looks thoughtful and Ensley is on the verge of tears, which I get. That story is just as heartbreaking the second time I hear it as the first. Becks looks unconvinced.

"Are you trying to get us to believe the Chaos prize is a real artifact with the magical ability to give creatures powers?" He huffs out a half-laugh. "Only a fool would believe that."

I duck my head. Umm. Ouch .

"You can believe whatever you want," Talon says to him. "I'm only concerned with what these two believe," he says, indicating Titus and me.

Titus leans back in the brown leather wingback chair he's sitting in, looking just as unconvinced as Becks. "Why should we believe this dagger is some fabled artifact from an Ancient I've never heard of?"

I keep my mouth shut because I already know what Talon is going to say, and sure enough he explains what he already confessed to me about how Shadow Striker has been in his family for years and was stolen.

"Why would someone steal the dagger just to turn around and give it away?" Becks asks.

That was my thought exactly when Talon told me, but at the time he wouldn't give me any more information. I study him now, wondering if he's ready to let go of more of his secrets.

Talon rolls his tongue in his mouth. I'm sure there's something he doesn't want to tell us, but he's coming to the realization he's going to have to in order to get Titus and my cooperation. Finally he says, "We think someone stole Shadow Striker to activate it."

I sit up straighter. Now this is information I haven't already heard.

Becks leans forward. "Activate it? What does that mean?"

"If the dagger is linked to a specific creature, its powers can't be used by another until it's been activated again. Only one creature can use Shadow Striker's powers at a time. And that creature is linked to the blade. When the Vampire King wielded the dagger so many millennia ago, it was linked to him, so no one else could use its powers. We think the thief knows what needs to be done to sever the connection between the dagger and the creature it's currently linked to, and that's what Chaos is really about, activating Shadow Striker."

"So you think Shadow Striker is still linked to the old Vampire King?" I ask, finally speaking up. Surely the Vampire King from the Ancient is long since dead, but maybe that doesn't matter.

Talon hesitates before answering. "My family hasn't had the dagger forever, so we can't say what happened to it before it came into our possession. But it has to be linked to someone if they need Chaos to activate it. Otherwise they'd already be using it, not making it the prize."

The way Talon talks about this mysterious "we" makes it sound like some sort of underground spy organization or something.

"Who's we?" Becks asks, and Talon presses his lips together in a hard line.

"My family and I, mostly," he says, not giving a straight answer.

"Do you have any idea who the thief is?" Titus asks.

"We have some leads," he hedges. "And before you ask, I've already tried to take out the game master. He's protected by some sort of shield magic. I can't get within three feet of him."

Titus leans back and crosses his arms over his chest. "So you want us to help you get back a family heirloom? No offense, but why should we care who has the dagger?"

"There's a prophecy about the Shadow Striker," Talon says, looking annoyed he has to give up more secrets. "Real end of the world stuff if it falls into the wrong hands."

"Easy solution," Titus says. "I'll just give you the dagger after I win it."

Ensley snorts. "Just like that, you'd hand over a powerful artifact that could give you unlimited powers?"

Titus looks over at her and shrugs. "I'm powerful enough. I don't need it."

"Then why did you even enter Chaos?" she asks. "For funsies?"

He smiles back at her and winks. "For the glory."

She purses her lips, but I'm not fooled. There's interest in her gaze.

"That won't help," Talon cuts in. "If you win Chaos, then the dagger will be linked to you."

Titus shrugs. "So what?"

" So what is that if you win Chaos, the dagger will be bonded to you, and whoever stole it isn't just going to let you keep it. The wielder of the dagger is vulnerable before they use it for the first time. If the dagger can be used against the one it's bonded to before they use it to obtain any powers, then the bond will transfer immediately."

"And when you say used against . . ." I ask.

"I mean kill," Talon says, looking me straight in the eye. "So if one of you wins Chaos, whoever stole the dagger in the first place is going to kill you to bond to the blade themselves, which will probably set off an apocalypse, but I guess that won't really be an issue for you because you'll already be dead and won't care."

Becks curses under his breath and some color drains from Titus' face.

"You're telling the truth about this?" Ensley asks. Her face has gone ashen as well.

Talon nods.

"So you want us to help you win the final trial so the thief will kill you instead of us?" I ask, not believing for a minute that Talon's as altruistic as that.

A wicked grin spreads on Talon's face. "They can try."

I roll my eyes. "Wow. Conceited much?"

"The best I can figure is that they are banking that a weaker competitor wins, one they can easily get the dagger from. But when I have Shadow Striker back, no one is taking it from me again," he says with conviction, and I just shake my head.

"This is nuts," Ensley says, leaning forward in her seat. "So to recap, you're saying that the Ancient about Shadow Striker that you just told us is real and that someone stole a dagger made by demons from your family and is using an underground competition to activate it so that they can trigger some apocalyptic prophecy that ends the world? Is that the gist of it?"

Talon flicks his tongue against his canine tooth, his patience with us running thin. "More or less."

"What if you're just feeding us a story to get us out of your way?" Titus asks with a look of suspicion on his face.

"There's a way for you to tell if I'm telling the truth," Talon says with a pointed look at Titus.

Titus' brows shoot up. "How do you know about that?"

"I know a lot by looking at someone," he answers, and for a brief second his gaze flicks to me before returning to Titus.

"What are you talking about?" Becks demands.

Talon just looks at Titus, who blows out a breath of air with a huff. "I'm a truth reader," he says, and it's my turn to raise my brows.

Truth readers are fae who have the power to detect lies. It's an old magic that is very rare these days. I'm starting to believe Titus when he says he isn't interested in Shadow Striker's abilities. He must be an extremely powerful fae.

"If you know that about me, you know how powerful I am. I can take care of myself if I win."

"Test these words," Talon says, urging Titus to use his truth reading abilities.

Getting to his feet, Titus places a hand over Talon's heart, and after a moment it starts to glow with silver faelight.

"I know exactly how powerful you are," Talon says, his stare unwavering as he looks back at Titus. "But I'm more powerful."

Titus sucks a quick breath through his nose.

"Everything I've told you about Shadow Striker is true," Talon goes on. "If I don't get it back, all our lives are in danger."

Titus removes his hand from Talon's chest, the light fading from his palm. They stand face-to-face and I hold my breath, waiting to see what is going to happen next.

"Well," Becks prompts.

Still looking at Talon, Titus says, "Tell me what we need to do."