I practically stumbled into the corridor in the rush to get to my bodyguard before he sent a female colleague into the bathroom to fetch me. Dim light and the noise of chatter bounced all around my panicked figure. The restroom door swung shut behind me with a thump, the loud sound so disconcerting I jolted and the hand resting on my throat fluttered upward like a startled bird.

Hellsgate. I needed to get a fucking grip.

Nervously patting my collarbone, I drew in a deep, fortifying breath. I needed to be calm and collected. Well, as much as I could be under the circumstances. Graysen couldn't know that I'd just spoken to my sister's spy. Although, as I chanced a furtive glance around the passageway, it seemed I needn't have worried.

My bodyguard was talking to a comrade a little further down from where I stood. Both of them were discussing something in low, urgent voices and were so caught up in their conversation that they hadn't realized I was there. Taking advantage of the moment, I twisted sideways and rose on my toes to peer around the marketgoers strolling up and down the corridor. Ahead, through the great archway, Graysen stood amongst the stalls. Just like my guards, he appeared distracted. The market's lighting poured downward and caught the crown of his bowed head, making the untamed mane of hair glisten like oil as he rapidly typed on his phone. The tense line in his jaw followed a path down his corded throat to stiff shoulders and the rigid bearing of his body. He suddenly glanced up beneath drawn eyebrows and his gaze honed in on someone out of my view. He cocked his head as if listening, then scowled, parting his lips to reply. I didn't hear what he'd said but I caught the pinched features, the shake of his head as if to say what the fuck before he turned back to his phone, his fingers flying over the screen.

What the hells was going on?

I dropped my hand to my middle, the gathered pleats slipping beneath my fingers as I brushed my hand along the skirt's high waistline. Rolling back to the flat of my feet, I walked over to my guards and cleared my voice. The rough, abrupt sound made both men snap their gazes my way, surprise flaring in their eyes. I didn't bother to wait for their instructions, instead spinning around to hurry off, hoping to draw them away from the restrooms so Dustin could steal away undetected.

I couldn't believe Dustin had managed to sneak in there, but seeing how preoccupied the guards were I realized it might have been quite easy. I frowned, wondering what had absorbed their attention. Graysen's too.

The wall carved with tall grasses and flitting dragonflies swept past me as I marched down the corridor. My quick movement had my tresses bouncing upon my shoulders and the ends of my scarf swaying across my chest. The guard's heavy footsteps shadowed me from behind as I stepped beneath the enormous arched entrance back into the market.

Surprise cracked against my ribcage and I ground to a standstill when I saw who'd joined us.

Caidan Crowther.

He darted an uneasy look my way and inclined his head. "Wychthorn."

Good afternoon, douchebag—I wanted to reply but I held my tongue. My bodyguards trailed behind as I padded along the market's back wall to stand beside a potted tree, tall with dappled light spearing through its canopy, and metal-crafted birds perched on its raised boughs. Supple branches and soft leaves spread around my figure like a cloak of leaves. I wanted distance but I also wanted to be close enough to hear what Graysen and his brother were talking about.

The bodyguards lingered nearby at a respectful distance. One kept a wary eye on the marketgoers, while the other watched the two Crowther siblings. Graysen was pacing back and forth. He jerked a hand upward, stopping Caidan from whatever he was about to say. Still staring down at his phone, he barked at his brother in a gruff, gritty voice. "Whatever it is it can wait. I need to get to Mela."

"I know you do," Caidan shot back. "That's why I'm here. Your team wasn't able to get hold of you this afternoon." He swiveled around. The sides of his hair were razored into an undercut and the tousled locks on the crown ruffled like beach waves teased by briney air as he shot another look my way, curiosity gleaming in his gaze. "Listen, I'll drive you," he offered.

Graysen glanced up. He shoved his phone into the back pocket of his jeans and took a long, leggy step back. "No. It'll be faster if I just hit the pavement. The subway isn't far from here."

The stoic, steel-haired Luther intercepted. He stood near the brothers and his curt voice cut through the tension-laced air. He canted his upper body forward and pointed a warning finger at Graysen. "I know you want to get there quickly but follow protocol."

"Fuck protocol," Graysen snapped back, scowling.

The withering look the bodyguard shot him would have had me cowering beneath its scorching intensity. Graysen's fiery glare faded and his voice gentled with apology. "I'm sorry, My apologies, Luther. You're right. We'll do it your way. But we need to go now."

The older man spun away, making a series of quick hand signals to his men and women, and the small groups scattered around us like satellites shifted formation and closed inward

"You have your weapons and armor?" Caidan asked.

"Of fucking course." Graysen pulled an affronted face. "Never leave home..." the words drifted apart. He shifted his weight to one hip and bent the other leg slightly at the knee as he tipped his head back to the ceiling with its puffy papier-mâché clouds. "Fuuuck," he hissed, dragging a hand over his face

"Thought so," Caidan drawled with a smug grin. He raised a hand, a battered weapons bag hanging off his fingertips.

Graysen's black eyes slid his way, shining with gratitude. He stepped closer to Caidan and clapped him on the arm. "Thanks." The brothers exchanged bags. Caidan handed over the weapons to Graysen while accepting the shopping bags that were shoved into his arms.

I remained apart, watching it all. I tried hard not to look back toward the restrooms. I didn't want to give myself and Dustin away, yet the urge was overwhelming. It was impossible not to look. I managed an inconspicuous twist of my upper body, pushing locks of hair over my shoulders as an excuse to glance around as if bored toward the entranceway to the restroom's corridor, sweeping my gaze through the patrons leaving.

Worry had my fingers tangling in the fringed end of my scarf and relief had my grip sliding loosely through the frayed threads. I couldn't see Dustin anywhere.

"Pet." It was that cold, cruel voice that had my gaze whirling back to Graysen's. That godsdamned nickname of his had my left eye twitching. He stalked my way, coming to a halt right in front of me, and stared down with menace. Cruelty flattened his mouth and narrowed his gaze as he spoke loud enough for his team to hear. "Pay close attention to my rules while I'm away, Pet." But with his back to the guards and the broad shoulders covering us both, he allowed the coldness to seep away. He dropped his gaze to my hand resting at my waist. He reached out and then stilled as if hesitant to take my hand. His fingers hovered an inch above mine and the energy arced from him to me and tingled my skin with delicious bursts of electricity zinging up and down my spine. "Listen, I have to go," he whispered.

"To the catacombs?" He'd revealed earlier that's where he went every day, but he hadn't told me why.

Graysen met my gaze and gave an almost imperceptible nod, his expression turning even more serious. "I'm hunting a creature for Sirro. I don't know when I'll be back home. When you get to the Keep, head straight to the tower and stay there until I arrive."

Blood rushed in my ears and the world around me seemed sharper, brighter, surreal. Everything had changed, the players on the board had shifted position, him and me, and with it the balance of power too. And he knew none of this.

I had the mites and I was going to escape.

He swallowed, dipping his gaze once more to my hand and this time he closed the gap. Heat sparked across my skin as he curled his fingers around mine and ran his thumb gently over the back of my knuckles. "Be careful," he whispered. I raised my face while his head dipped lower, the warmth of his breath caressing my cheekbones. We stared at each other and the moment was drawn out with so many things he wanted to say swirling in the black abyss of his gaze but couldn't.

I steeled myself against the stirring of affection he inspired. "You too," I whispered back. He let go of my hand. Cool air swirled between us when he stepped back, and for a brief moment, a strange bleak sensation tightened in my throat. His touch leaving mine felt like a beautiful tragedy.

A goodbye.

He continued staring at me while quietly addressing Caidan over his shoulder. "Get her home." His brother nodded and then Graysen was striding away at the head of a swarm of guards. Far too soon he disappeared amongst the sea of stalls and patrons and I was left alone with Caidan.

Caidan who had betrayed my sister's trust.

Caidan who I nonetheless might be able to leverage because of his affection for Evvie.

He swept a broad hand sideways, silently requesting me to begin walking back through the market. I lifted my chin airily and launched into motion. Caidan had his own small army of black-suited bodyguards and they fell in around us like a murder of crows.

It didn't take long before we were striding out of the day market and blinking into the harsh afternoon sun that edged the low-rises of the red brick district. Sweltering heat wrapped itself around my body like a muggy blanket and fat beads of sweat gathered at the nape of my neck. Caidan and I walked down the avenue, side by side, toward the bustling street with the jarring sound of traffic and city noise. By the time my toes met the curb's edge, Caidan's convoy had double-parked itself right in front of us. The deafening noise of car horns blaring their anger died the moment the bodyguards deployed themselves around the cascade of Crowther vehicles and turned severe glares on the traffic held up behind us.

I blatantly stared at Caidan's profile as he tucked a hand into the pocket of his suit pants and scanned the city street. I noticed something his brother hadn't. He was dressed differently from Graysen, who'd been wearing his typical attire of t-shirts and jeans. Caidan was dressed for a different kind of battle, one held in boardrooms and elegant surroundings. He wore a fine navy suit, formal with the debonnaire red tie and sunlight striking off the gold cufflinks at his wrists.

I chewed on my bottom lip. Graysen and I hadn't been at the Purveyor of Rarities that long. Certainly not long enough for Caidan to give this kind of attention to his appearance if he'd been dressed casually when he discovered he needed to quickly come to the city and deliver Graysen's weapons bag. Which meant one thing. He'd already been dressed this way. I popped a hand on my hip. "What were you intending to do in the city?"

All the tiny hairs on my body hackled in irritation at the rogue thought that he'd dressed up for a girl. I highly doubted he was heading off for a romantic date with my sister, not with the way I knew she'd treated him, slapping him after he'd told her most of the truth. I flicked my fingers to his tailored suit in an off-handed manner. "You seem to be rather overdressed for returning your brother's weapons."

Caidan's gaze slid sideways and he raised an eyebrow. A soft sound of crinkling paper came from the shopping bags when he shifted them all to one hand. "I have an appointment later," he replied vaguely.

Before I was able to push for more information, the driver in her smart black uniform arrived to open the limousine's door. I didn't bother waiting for Caidan to politely offer for me to enter first. This was my right as Wychthorn and it had been ingrained in me from birth that I led and others followed. Ducking inside, I lowered myself onto a seat, padded with quilted leather. A sharp burst of anxiety flooded my heart as the scent and scene of the luxurious car flooded my senses, a reminder that this was the first time I'd been in a limousine since that vile Pelan stole me. I fisted my fingers and gritted my teeth, swallowing the panic back down in slow, steady breaths.

Caidan entered soon after and sat down on the rear seat and placed the shopping bags down by his brown, leather brogues. The driver closed the car door and the sounds of the city were immediately shut out. The soothing sound of classical music flowed through the interior speakers. Caidan crossed his legs and angled himself to stare through the tinted window as the limousine pulled away and we glided through the city streets.

I smoothed the pale yellow skirt over my knees and then folded my hands on my lap as I sized Caidan up. We had a good hour or so before we returned to the Keep. Plenty of time to wear him down. I was going to make him squirm and then I was going to force him into helping me.

Caidan was different from his brother in looks and manner. Graysen was darker, broody, and sullen, while Caidan always carried a lightness about him, easy to smile with a mischievous sparkle in his violet eyes. As I considered whether I could twist him into taking the rope from my neck, I ran my gaze over his brawnier build, the broader planes of his face, the clean-shaven jawline slicing to the square chin, the dimples ghosting a lazy smile. Deep down I knew what he felt for Evvie was true. It might have started out differently, him seeking her friendship with betrayal at its roots, but how it ended was with truth. He cared greatly for my sister. Unfortunately, like Graysen, he didn't care deeply enough to put an end to his family's plans for me.

First, I wanted to start at the beginning and learn more about his relationship with my older sister. The leather groaned as I relaxed into my seat and absentmindedly tapped a finger on the armrest. "How long have you been friends with my sister?"

He glanced back, clearly a little startled by my forwardness. He double-checked to see if the privacy window was up. It was. Bringing his gaze back to mine, he eyed me thoughtfully. "A while now."

"How long ago?" I wanted specifics. I wanted to know how long my sister had been keeping this friendship a secret.

Caidan leaned forward and lifted a decanter from the mini wet bar. The cut crystal glittered when he jiggled it, silently asking if I wanted a drink myself. Part of me wanted to down the entire contents of the decanter, but I waved my hand in the negative. Alcohol might loosen his tongue and I wanted to remain sharply focused. Caidan shrugged at my answer and swiped a tumbler. Amber liquid poured in a stream into the glass and he took a long pull, looking over the rim at me as he drank.

My nose wrinkled with the smell of it wafting through the car's interior, my mind spinning back to the whiskey I'd drank with Graysen a few weekends back. A shudder jostled my shoulders in memory. Gods, I couldn't believe Graysen liked it so much. It was gross, as foul as swilling back petrol.

Caidan placed the decanter back into the mini wet bar. "We became friends the night you and my brother signed the Alverac."