Twenty Cameron

My bed jerked. My eyes snapped open, and I screamed. “Holy fuck! What a nightmare to wake up to.”

Kaden’s face curled into a sneer, and he folded his arms across his chest. I pulled myself up, grabbing the sheets and tying them around my waist.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” I cocked my head, tossing an arm up. “I’ve only been out with one of Nismera’s legions scouring Tarr for the last few weeks. Which, by the way, shows no sign of her.”

“There wouldn’t be. She fought, then left. It was a diversion and a fucking good one.”

“How would you know?”

His smile was venomous. “Because I overheard the eighteenth legion speaking of their trip to Jade City. The whole city burned and is now underwater.”

My heart thudded. “Sounds like her, but why there?”

Kaden waved his hand. “It’s not important, but we now know she isn’t in the East at all. She’s far closer to the north region of the realms.”

I blew out a long breath. “Okay, what does that mean for me?”

“It means I have a new mission for you.”

My chuckle was not one of humor as I stalked around my bed, the sheet dragging behind me. I stopped at my dresser and pulled out the fitted buckled gambeson and a pair of cuffed linen pants that were a part of our armor.

I half turned, Kaden still standing there waiting. “Do you want to see me naked or what?”

His jaw clenched. One second, he was near my bed and in front of me the next. It was so strange being this close to him. I could see every small familial similarity that connected him to Unir and Samkiel, the bridge of his nose, those piercing, damning eyes, and a jawline that could cut glass.

“You’ve been feeding recklessly. Isaiah had two bodies he had to dump yesterday. Both drained of blood and hidden in the waste area of the kitchen.”

A cold sweat broke out across my skin. I had been starving and had gone there to get something to eat. I sat down and ate the fruits and mash they’d made, but it wasn’t filling me up. The smiling cook, with hair the color of the sea, smelled better. I heard her pulse speed up when I looked at her, smelled the air tinge with arousal, and I . . .

“I didn’t mean to,” I said, lowering my head. “I was actually eating dinner, but she cut her hand watching me and . . .” I took a shuddering breath. “The second person just walked in on us, okay?”

“I don’t care what you do, who you feed on or fuck, but don’t make Isaiah clean up your mess or bring him into it.”

So that’s what he cared about, not the ones I had killed and drained. I saw them every time I closed my damned eyes. Kaden, however, only cared for his brother.

A snort left my lips. “Joke’s on you. I only fed and then left. I haven’t put my dick in anything but my hand.”

Kaden scoffed, taking a step back. “Let’s share less.”

“Sounds great.”

Kaden reached into the side piece of his armor, taking out an obsidian slate. It shimmered an inky black as he handed it to me.

“Take this. Head to River Bend, and I’ll contact you from there.”

Kaden turned on his heel, heading for the door.

“River Bend?” I called out. “Isn’t that a fishing town?”

“Yes,” he said as he reached the door. “Dianna was spotted flying over an island not too far away. She’s erratic, allowing herself to be seen far more than before. She’s looking for something, and I don’t think she cares who sees.”

A part of me wondered if Dianna was trying to get Nismera’s attention, but I didn’t voice that question. I wanted to find her, but for my own personal reasons. “Well, what are you going to do?” I asked instead.

Kaden paused, a smile tipping his upper lip. “I have to go see a witch.” And with that, he left.

I shivered in disgust. The image of him fucking Camilla made me want to hurl, but that was the talk all around Nismera’s palace. The two of them had been caught sneaking around at all hours of the night. A small smile curved my lips as I stared at the door.

They may have been caught in some compromising situations and shared a kiss or two, but one thing was for fucking sure. I didn’t smell a hint of lust on him now or before when I had bumped into the two of them. Kaden thought he had control over me because of Xavier, but he was hiding something. They both were. If I wanted to see Xavier again, I was going to use it to my advantage.

“Check fucking mate.”