Chapter Twenty-Nine

Madison

E verything went downhill after lunch.

“This was nice. Thank you.”

Laura smiled at me as we rose from the table, lunch finished. “Yeah, it was. We should do this more often.”

“I agree. Next week, maybe?”

“Making plans a week in advance? You weren’t kidding when you said things with Cal were going well.”

I laughed. “They go well whenever his first mate isn’t mentioned or brought up. I know I shouldn’t be doing this, that I should be creating space, but damn it, I just—”

“Want to be around him, and you don’t know why,” Laura finished.

“Exactly,” I said, not needing to rehash what we’d already gone over.

She understood the pull better than anyone else, and it was such a relief to have someone who understood what I was going through on such an intimate level. For Laura, it had happened while Vicek was in human captivity. If anything, it had been harder for her to deal with.

“Things will smooth out eventually,” Laura said. “Just give it time and don’t push in the meantime. He’s feeling things, too, but he’s also probably conflicted.”

“Yeah.”

“He’s also a guy,” she added with a shrug of one arm.

We shared a laugh at her joke, despite its accuracy, and then said our goodbyes before heading our separate ways.

For me, that was back to the rooms I was sharing with Cal, who should be done with his guard shift and waiting for me. We’d discussed going to see some more of the lands around the palace to help me get used to riding dragonback.

Nervous though I was, my lips were still pulled back into a smile as I pushed open the door.

Cal’s name died on my lips as I took in the state of the room.

There was stuff everywhere . Papers. Clothing. Drawers were opened, contents strewn about.

I froze, my brain immediately jumping to the worst of possible conclusions. Someone had ransacked our place.

Cal!

Looking back into the hallway, hoping a guard or someone would be nearby, I tried to temper my worry for him. Had something happened? Was it about the investigation? Had the other palace guard come to try to stop him?

The halls were empty, however, leaving me with little choice. I either went running for help or—

“C’mon, there’s gotta be something here!”

“Cal?” I called. “Is that you?”

A moment later, his head popped out of his room. “Hi. Sorry about the mess,” he said before disappearing again. There was the sound of items being moved haphazardly.

Confusion overtook alarm as I entered, watching my step.

“What the hell happened? Did someone break in?”

“No,” he said, voice raised so I would hear him. “Why do you think that?”

“Oh, you know. Normally, when I break into places, I leave them pristine, and so I figured that, given how clean it is out here, someone with my taste in conducting criminal offenses must have visited us.”

The noises stopped, and a second later, Cal was in the doorway, leaning on the frame. His eyes took in the mess of the common area.

“All right. You may have a point,” he said, smiling.

I smiled back and made my way over to him, going in for a hug. He squeezed back, even kissing the top of my head.

As I leaned against his chest, still feeling relieved that he was okay, my eyes took in the state of his bedroom.

“Were you going through my stuff?” I asked, pulling away from him and stepping into the room.

There was women’s clothing everywhere, including bras. But a split second after the words left my lips, I knew they weren’t mine.

Callum didn’t respond.

Slowly, I turned back around to face him.

“What is going on here?” I asked, meeting his eyes and not letting go.

“I went to the archives today,” he began.

“That’s not answering my question.”

“It will,” he said, voice hardening. “If you let me finish.”

Clenching my jaw against the rebuke, I indicated he should continue.

“The receptionist again denied that they were giving me the runaround, that I was in line and they would get to me ‘when they got to me.’ That wasn’t good enough. So, I forced my way in and found the reports myself. In less than five minutes.”

“You did?” I asked, shocked.

“What do you think happened next?”

“I don’t know.” I shook my head, still distracted by the clothes behind me. “You solved the mystery?”

“No.” His eyes widened, filling with fury. “The receptionist attacked me and, in the process, burned the reports, turning them to ash. On purpose. Then he ran off.”

“ What? ” I yelped. “He attacked you? Why?”

“Because something is going on. Someone is covering up events around Noa’s death, and I need to find out what it is.”

“I understand all that,” I said. “I do. It makes sense. Walk me through why a bunch of her clothing and things are now spread all over your apartment.”

“I’m out of ideas,” he said, frustrated. “There has to be a clue, Maddie. Something has to be a clue as to what the hell happened.”

“Again. Your logic makes sense. But, Callum. Why are her clothes here ?”

He frowned. “Because I’m going through them. Why are you so upset over that?”

“Are you serious? Can you not figure it out?” I was yelling now, but I couldn’t help it. How could one man be so obtuse!

“I’m trying to figure it out!” he said, growling in frustration. “Did you not just hear me say that’s what I’m trying to do?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about! Callum, she died two years ago! Why do you still have all of her clothes? Her bras? Was this all just in your closet?”

“Yes,” he said. “Is that a big deal?”

I stared at him. “I came in here today thinking that things between us were progressing. That we were … I don’t know, becoming something. Which is crazy, and I’ve told Laura as much. That I’m stupid and insane for even considering that I might care for you. I should be running for the hills because you’re a dragon I only met a couple of weeks ago. Yet, instead of fleeing, I’m fighting a mental battle against myself to stay. Because I can’t stand being away from you.”

“Maddie—”

“No.” I cut him off with a slice of my finger through the air. “Now, I get in here, and I see you’ve still got her clothes. Two. Years. Later.”

Callum looked down, then back up at me. “They’re just clothes.”

I took a deep breath. “I can’t believe I’m still entertaining this. I’m an idiot. I really am. I have to be. But, Callum, there’s something about you. Something I really like. Something that—I really can’t believe I’m saying this—something I like. A lot. I could see myself, see us, being something more. But not unless you can look me in the eyes and honestly tell me that you’re over Noa. That you’ve moved on. Because I’m not going to be her replacement. I’m not going to be the second her. I am the first me. And you have to know that, be aware of that, and be okay with that.”

He stared at me.

“Can you do that? Do you want to do that?”

I finished speaking. The floor was open to him. He could say whatever he wanted in the giant, gaping space I’d created between us. Anything he wanted. Instead, Callum did the worst possible thing to do at that moment.

He hesitated.