Chapter 68: Chapter 68

LENORE

Fabien’s presence was like being doused with cool water during a heatwave, and I finally felt like I could breathe properly while the second prince let go of my wrist. He didn’t remove his hand from my waist or back up though.

“Oh, Fabien,” the prince said, smiling at Fabien like they were friends, while Fabien marched over, his face contorted with anger. The moment he got to us, he grabbed the prince’s right arm, which was still wrapped around my waist, and practically pried his hand away from me.

I immediately took the chance to dart away from him and behind Fabien, my hand going to my left wrist—the one the prince had grabbed. There was a weird sensation on my skin, like he’d covered it with something sticky, but running my fingers over it revealed there was actually nothing there.

“How do you think His Highness would react to this?” Fabien bit out and the prince tipped his head to the side, his smile widening.

“Technically, I’m also His Highness,” he answered, his gaze drifting to me, and when neither Fabien nor I said anything, he let out an exasperated sigh. “Let go of me. I get it.”

Fabien released him rather harshly, shoving him back in the process, and I tensed. The second prince was as exasperating as he was unsettling, but he was still a prince. I didn’t want Fabien to get in trouble because of me.

The prince shot Fabien an annoyed look but otherwise didn’t seem bothered by what he did. Then he shifted his attention back to me and said, “See you around, Lenore.”

I really hope not.

As he walked away, Fabien turned to face me, immediately scanning me with a small frown on his face. “Are you okay?” he asked after a moment and after I nodded, his frown deepened a fraction. “Why didn’t you let me know when you were leaving?”

I furrowed my brows slightly before remembering he’d followed me to the audience room. When the King dismissed him, he left the room through the door we’d used together—and presumably stayed outside it—but my father and I left through the other door in the room. He must be what I’d been trying to remember.

“I couldn’t hear anything from the audience room and Alaine only let me know you already left about a minute ago,” he added, and I grimaced.

“I’m sorry. There was another door in the audience room and my father and I left through there.”

His frown remained, and after a couple of seconds, he exhaled sharply. “Did anything happen?”

“They just talked. My father wanted to get me out of the city and the King said no,” I answered, frowning when the King’s not now, not ever rang in my mind. Fabien raised a brow but said nothing, and I asked, “Why couldn’t you hear anything though?”

He worked his jaw. “Blocker,”  he said and when I simply stared at him blankly, he added, “It prevents people from eavesdropping.”

“Oh… Thank you for getting me out of that.”

At that, he frowned and glanced over his shoulder at the direction the prince had walked off in—I couldn’t see him again, so he’d probably gone around the building or dashed off—before saying, “Let’s head back.”

I nodded and turned in the direction of Killian’s palace, walking over to the path with Fabien in tow. Less than a minute later, we came across two pack representatives—the girl who had attacked me because she thought I was sleeping with Killian to get the werewolf crown, and her friend who had tried to stop her from attacking me—and the moment my gaze clashed with the former, she sneered. I immediately averted my gaze, giving them a wide berth on the path, and though she didn’t say anything, I could feel her glare digging into the side of my head as we passed each other.

I pressed my lips together.

The first time I saw the both of them was when I’d gone to get my things from the main palace to move them into Killian’s and they’d been with Cate. I hadn’t checked on Cate since then, and I didn’t even know if the rogue attack left her unscathed. I should go check on— ah. Everyone believed I was trying to cheat my way to the crown, so she most likely did too… I should still find out if she was okay at least.

“What did the prince want?” came Fabien’s voice, snapping me out of my thoughts, and a small frown crawled onto my face. Not at the question but at how the prince had behaved. I didn’t even want to think of what could have happened if Fabien didn’t show up.

“Nothing,” I replied before frowning again. That was right—he hadn’t actually wanted anything. Why had he found it necessary to talk to me? “He asked me to call him by his name.”

“...Is this your first time meeting him?”

“No. I met him five days ago.”

“And what happened then?”

I felt like I was being investigated. “Nothing important really… He kind of acted the same.” Minus the grabbing and cornering.

When Fabien didn’t speak for several moments, I glanced over my shoulder to see his brows furrowed like he was contemplating something, and after realizing I was staring, he cleared his throat and said, “You should mention it to Killian.”

I paused. “Is he—” Awake? was meant to be my last word, but I swallowed it because of Fabien’s warning. Any vampire close by could be listening to us after all—exhibit A being the second prince eavesdropping on my call with Virginia.

“Not yet,” Fabien answered and I shifted my weight from one foot to the other while tugging at my sleeve.

“When?”

His expression grew tight. “Hopefully soon.”

…What? What does he mean by ‘hopefully’?

“Lenore!” That was Cameron’s voice and a quick glance in the direction the voice had come from revealed him jogging over with his guards behind him. Then I turned back to Fabien, giving him a wide-eyed look because what the hell?

“He’s okay. I promise,” he said, but that did little to reassure me.

Hopefully soon?!

“He’ll explain when he’s back.”

Which, according to him, was T minus hopefully soon hours.

Vampires slept like humans did, so, as far as I knew, this wasn’t a vampire thing—there was also the fact that Fabien had said waking him would be dangerous. Then I also remembered he’d said Killian wasn’t exactly sleeping. What exactly was he doing then? And what if he didn’t wake up today? Or tomorrow? Or the day after that?

A mini vortex of unease swirled in my chest and I tightened my hands into fists just before Cameron got to us.

“Where’s dad?” he asked and my thoughts went blank for a moment, like a television screen flickering before finding the correct signal again, and I turned to face him.

“He already left.”

Cameron scowled. “What?”

“Hmm. We said goodbye to each other.” Azure eyes flashed my mind, making my eyes twitch, and I nodded.

“No, why are you still here? He was meant to get you out.”

“The King said no.” …Wait. “You knew he was going to do that?”

“Mom called me. She said he wanted to get us out, but I figured the King wouldn’t let me leave. Why didn’t he let you go? What did dad say?”

The King telling our father Killian was fucking me slammed into my mind, and heat rushed to my face while I exhaled harshly. “Let’s take this indoors,” I said and resumed walking, pulling him along, while his guards fell into step behind Fabien.

“He just left?” Cameron asked, sounding like he couldn’t believe it. “Did he say anything to you?” he added and I shook my head.

The only thing he said to me was my name,,, Oh! “We said goodbye to each other.”

“Anything else?”

“...No?” I stopped, tilting my head. Did I tell him the tournament was a lie after we left the audience room? I— We said goodbye… A light throbbing bloomed behind my eyes.

“Lenore?” Cameron called and my brows lifted before I glanced at him.

“Yeah? Let’s talk indoors.”