I stormed down the dimly lit hallway of Leora's castle, my boots hitting the stone floor with a force that echoed through the empty corridors. I was fuming, my mind spinning like a cyclone of curses and unspoken thoughts.
I had half a mind to just get the hell out of here, return to my own castle where things made sense, where I wasn't tangled up in this confusing mess of emotions that Aeliana had dragged me into.
Fuck, what was I even doing here?
The training session earlier had done wonders to burn off some of the frustration, but as the adrenaline wore off, I realized maybe, just maybe I'd gone a bit too far with Aeliana. I'd been overprotective, coddling her like she was some fragile thing instead of the fierce warrior she was.
She wasn't some damsel in distress, and deep down, I knew that. But seeing her hurt, struggling, had brought out a side of me I didn't like to acknowledge a side that was too soft, too fucking vulnerable.
With a heavy sigh, I stopped in the middle of the hallway, running a hand through my hair. My fingers lingered in the tangled mess of it, and I scowled at the sticky feeling of dried sweat and dirt clinging to my scalp. I needed a damn shower, something to clear my head, to wash away this irritating clinginess that I couldn't seem to shake.
I found one of the castle's bathrooms, a spacious chamber with walls of polished marble and a large tub that sat like a gleaming invitation in the center.
The moment I stepped inside, I stripped off my clothes, leaving them in a careless pile on the floor. The cool air prickled against my bare skin as I turned on the water, letting it run until steam began to rise in soft tendrils.
Stepping into the shower, I let out a groan as the hot water pounded against my muscles, soothing the tension that had been building for hours.
I leaned against the wall, letting the water cascade over me, my mind still racing with thoughts of Aeliana. What the hell was wrong with me? Why couldn't I just keep my distance, like I always did? She wasn't supposed to be different none of them were.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get her out of my head. The way she'd looked at me during that argument, the fire in her eyes, the way her voice had trembled with anger fuck, it had gotten under my skin.
And then that look Nathaniel had given her during the training, the way he'd hovered around her like some fucking knight in shining armor. It made my blood boil just thinking about it.
I shut off the water with a snap, the sudden silence almost deafening. I grabbed a towel, rubbing it briskly over my skin as I tried to shake off the frustration. But even as I dressed, pulling on the clean clothes I'd brought with me, the tension in my chest didn't ease.
Just as I was about to leave the bathroom, the door creaked open, and Leora stepped in. Her presence was like a cool breeze in the stifling air, calm and composed, as always.
"Ciara," she greeted me with a nod, her gaze flicking over me with mild curiosity. "I was wondering if I'd find you here."
"Leora," I replied, forcing my voice to sound casual, even as my irritation simmered just beneath the surface. "What do you want?"
Leora raised an eyebrow at my tone, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest. "I heard about the argument with Aeliana," she said simply.
Of course, she had. Nothing stayed secret for long in this castle. I shrugged, not really in the mood to rehash the details. "It's nothing. Just a misunderstanding."
"Is that what you're telling yourself?" Leora asked, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. "Because from what I hear, it seemed a bit more than that."
I clenched my jaw, the tension in my muscles returning with a vengeance. "Look, I know I messed up, alright? I was too fucking protective, and she called me out on it."
Leora nodded slowly, her gaze piercing. "And what are you going to do about it?"
I sighed, raking a hand through my damp hair. "I'm going to apologize," I muttered, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "I know I need to make things right."
She nodded again, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Good. Aeliana is in her room second door on the left down the west corridor."
I nodded, turning toward the door. "Thanks."
"Ciara," Leora's voice stopped me just as I was about to leave. I turned back to look at her, and she held my gaze with that unnerving calmness of hers. "Don't let your pride get in the way."
I snorted, giving her a half-smirk. "Yeah, yeah. I'll try."
With that, I left the bathroom, my footsteps echoing through the corridors as I made my way toward Aeliana's room. My mind was a chaotic mess, thoughts spinning around like a storm. What the hell was I supposed to say to her? 'Sorry for being a controlling bitch'? 'Sorry for acting like I own you'? Fuck, I didn't even know where to start.
As I got closer to her room, my heart started pounding in my chest, an unfamiliar feeling of dread curling in my gut. But before I could reach the door, it swung open, and out stepped Nathaniel, a bright smile plastered across his stupidly handsome face.
I froze, my eyes narrowing as I took in the sight of him his tousled hair, the relaxed, almost smug expression on his face, and then I caught it a subtle scent that clung to him, a scent that wasn't his own.
Aeliana's scent.
Rage flared hot and fierce in my chest, and I stepped forward, my voice coming out as a low growl. "What the fuck are you doing here, Nathaniel?"
Nathaniel turned to me, that smug smile only widening. "Oh, just checking on Aeliana," he said, his tone light and casual. "She seemed a bit down, so I brought her some food, kept her company."
My hands curled into fists at my sides, every muscle in my body tensing as I fought the urge to knock that smile right off his face. "Kept her company?" I echoed, my voice dripping with venom. "You think you can just swoop in and play the hero, don't you?"
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the effect he was having on me. "Why so angry, Ciara?" he asked, feigning innocence. "Jealous, maybe?"
I took a step closer, my eyes blazing. "You stay the fuck away from her," I snarled. "Aeliana's mine."
Nathaniel chuckled, a dark, mocking sound that made my blood boil. "Yours?" he repeated, amusement dancing in his eyes. "She doesn't seem to think so. In fact, she seemed pretty damn comfortable with me in there."
My heart pounded in my ears, my vision narrowing as I glared at him. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"Oh, don't I?" Nathaniel tilted his head, his smirk widening. "She even kissed me, Ciara. And you know what? I think she liked it."
I saw red. Pure, unadulterated rage surged through me, and before I knew it, I was moving, stepping forward with every intention of wiping that smug look off his face for good. But then, in a moment of clarity, I stopped myself, my fists shaking at my sides.
Kicking his ass wouldn't fix this. It wouldn't make Aeliana forget about whatever the fuck just happened between them. No, it would only make things worse.
So instead, I turned away, my heart pounding, my mind a whirlwind of emotions I couldn't even begin to untangle. Without another word, I teleported out of the castle, the familiar pull of magic yanking me back to the safety of my own room in an instant.
The moment I arrived, I collapsed onto my bed, my entire body trembling with rage, frustration, and something else something that tasted a hell of a lot like heartbreak.
"Fuck," I muttered under my breath, burying my face in the pillow. I wanted to scream, to punch something, to do anything to rid myself of this unbearable feeling.
But instead, all I could do was lie there, the darkness of my room closing in around me as I fought to keep the anger from swallowing me whole.
Aeliana was supposed to be mine my perfect match. So why the hell did it feel like I was losing her?
With that thought gnawing at me, I finally let exhaustion take over, slipping into a restless sleep, my mind haunted by images of her of Aeliana in Nathaniel's arms, smiling at him the way she'd never smiled at me.