Chapter twelve

Chapter twelve

Astrid;

I stared at the ceiling, wondering if the gold trim on it was actually real or just painted to look expensive. Just how much money did my mum's new husband have?

A thought suddenly hit me. Arthur had told me he was my father's second, and he was this crazy rich. That meant my father must have been rich too. And since I was his heir, I was loaded.

And yet, I grew up living like a bum.

I burst into laughter at the thought of that. It was all beginning to look like the thriller movies Hattie always loved watching.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I said, sitting up.

The door opened and Leon slipped inside, leaning against the doorframe like he thought he was starring in some sort of romance novel.

“Settling in okay, Princess?”

I rolled my eyes at him, “It's Princess now, not Heir? You guys should stick to a fancy title already.”

He narrowed his gaze on me,
“You don’t like being called that?”

“Not unless it comes with a magic wand and the ability to turn annoying men into frogs.” I said sarcastically. I already knew who I was going to turn into a frog. Annoying new stepbrother

“Noted.” He laughed and strode towards me. “So are you enjoying your new room?” He sat on the couch, just beside the bed.

I arched an eyebrow. “Oh, totally. I love sleeping here. Really gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside and makes me forget that I’m being hunted by people I know nothing about.”

His expression softened a little. “Astrid…”

“Don’t. Don’t ‘Astrid’ me like you’re about to break bad news. Just spit it out.”

He hesitated and I scoffed.

“You knew,” I said flatly, and his eyes flicked to mine. “That was why you didn't want the marriage, you knew my life was in danger. Is that why you hung around me all afternoon?”

“No, I mean, it was part of the reason, but I just wanted to find out more about you.”

“Why didn't you tell me? Instead we were sneaking around sharing alcohol like some rebellious teenager.”

“First, you're still a rebellious teenager.” I glared at him, but he ignored me and continued. “I didn't tell you because it wasn't my place to do so.”

I felt my chest tighten, but I masked it with a shrug. “Cool. I love being the last one to know my own life story.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking remorseful, but I didn’t care.

“I wanted to tell you at the stairs earlier. Not the entire thing about your life being in danger, about who you really were. But…” he clicked his tongue, “...Caroline thought it would be better if you didn't know. We didn’t think the Serpents would attack so soon. We thought we had time.”

I sat up, hugging my knees to my chest. I tried to suppress the anger from flaring.

“For my safety, huh? Always for my safety. Funny how that always translates to ‘keep Astrid in the dark until it’s too late.’” I scoffed.

Leon’s gaze softened. “I get why you’re angry. But don’t be mad at her. Caroline’s only ever wanted to protect you.”

“Protect me by what? Pretending to be someone she’s not? Dragging me into this mess without a heads-up? She had plenty of chances to tell me, Leon. But instead, she hid us away, making us live through hell. As if that was the wise solution.”

“She was scared,” he said quietly. “Not for herself. For you. You’ve been living with a target on your back without even knowing it. She left her entire life here to hide you from danger. Do you have any idea how that must’ve killed her?”

I blinked at him, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. Damn him for being good with words.

“Fine,” I muttered, looking away. “Maybe I get that. Still doesn’t mean I’m not mad at her, though.”

He smirked. “Fair. You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t a little pissed off at the world,” he chuckled. “Your mum did say that you were a tough one.”

A reluctant laugh slipped out of me. “She’s not wrong.”

We sat in silence for a long time before he spoke. “This room used to belong to some noblewoman who demanded rose petals in her bathwater every morning.”

I snorted. “Wow. I can’t believe I’m occupying such sacred space. Should I apologize to the ghosts of some spoiled aristocrats?”

“Probably,” he said with a straight face, and that made me laugh harder.

“You’re ridiculous,” I said between chuckles.

“Take one to know one.”

I rolled my eyes, but there was a small smile tugging at my lips. “You’re not as annoying as I thought you’d be. You’re better than the grumpy one.”

“I’ll take that as the highest compliment,” he laughed.

“It is. And you’re lucky. I don’t give out compliments ever.”

“I'm highly honoured then.” he chuckled. I glared at him, but he laughed. The sound was so contagious that I ended up laughing too.

I started wondering if transitioning into this new life wouldn't be as hard as I thought. I would certainly get along with Leon. I wasn't sure about Carter though.

“So,” he said casually, “Stealing Carter's bike?”

“In my defense, I didn't know it was his.” I raised my hand defensively.

“It was his fault for parking such an expensive bike carelessly on that side of town, where people are striving for survival.” I snorted.

Leon's smile slowly faded, the expression in his eyes shifting to sympathy.

“Caroline told us everything. I'm sorry for everything you went through, Astrid.” he said.

“It's not a big deal. It's pretty fun, actually. Rain leaking through the roof of every dump we stayed in. Rats the size of cats running about the neighborhood. Oh, and let’s not forget the five-star cuisine, stale bread and whatever I could steal from the market.”

His jaw tightened, but I kept going, because humor was easier than pity. I didn't want anyone's pity.

“One time, I actually found a whole roasted chicken left out by some idiot who didn’t know better. Best damn meal I’ve ever had. Got food poisoning, but it was still worth it.”

Leon shook his head. “I’m sorry, Astrid.”

“Don’t be,” I said quickly. “I survived. That’s what matters. Besides, if I hadn’t grown up like that, I wouldn’t be as resourceful as I am now.”

He tilted his head. “Resourceful, huh?”

I smirked. “Yeah. You try outrunning three grown men chasing you for stealing their fruit cart when you’re twelve. Helps build character.”

He laughed. “Remind me not to underestimate you.”

“Please,” I scoffed. “Everyone underestimates me. It’s my secret weapon.”

Leon’s laughter faded as he studied me, something serious flickering in his eyes. “Astrid… things are going to get worse before they get better. You know that, right? But you have us. Every member of the Shadows will lay down their life to protect you.”

Okay..this was becoming serious. Laying down lives to protect me? Damn!

I swallowed hard. “Define worse.”

“The Serpents won’t stop. They’ll come after you again. Stronger, smarter. And right now…” He hesitated.

“Right now what?” I pressed.

“Right now, you’re vulnerable,” he admitted. “Too vulnerable. That has to change.”

I frowned. “I can hold my own. I’m good at running.”

“No,” he shook his head. “What I'm trying to say is that you need real training, so next time, you won’t be running for your life, you’ll be fighting for it. Because there will be a ‘next time’.”

I sucked in a breath and the words sunk in.

“Great,” I said finally, leaning back on my pillows. “Nothing says welcome to your new life like preparing for imminent murder attempts.”

He chuckled. “You’ll thank me later, Astrid.”

“Doubtful,” I muttered, but deep down, I knew that he was right. “But you can Sign me up for your super-secret ‘How Not to Die’ course. I'm sure it'll be fun."

Leon rose from his seat, his hands in his pocket.
"You should get some rest. Tomorrow will be...long."