Chapter 48

Chapter 48
OMARI

I didn’t sleep that night.
Even after going to bed, my mind kept going back to that blue light on Kael’s wrist.

I could still see it clearly every time I closed my eyes. I didn’t know what it meant, but it didn’t feel right.

It was almost dawn when I finally drifted off, and even then, I dreamt of shadows moving along the fence and red eyes glowing in the dark.

When I woke up, the room was filled with the soft sound of rain tapping against the window. 

The air smelled wet and cold. I sat up slowly, my body stiff, my head heavy.
The house was quiet. Too quiet.

Usually by this time, I could hear the triplets arguing downstairs or my mother talking to the cooks. But today there was nothing. Just the sound of rain.

I got up and went to the balcony, pushing the curtains aside. The yard below was empty except for two guards standing near the gate. 

The roses looked soaked, petals sticking to the ground.
For some reason, I thought of Kael again.
And the way he’d looked at me last night.
The warning in his eyes. 

By the time I went downstairs, breakfast was already over. The dining table had plates left untouched. Ashton’s cup was still half full. Leighton’s chair was pushed back like he’d left in a hurry.

Mom was sitting on the couch in the living room, a worried look on her face. When she saw me, she tried to smile.
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
“Morning,” I said, coming closer. “Where is everyone?”

“They went out to check the borders again,” she said softly. “Your stepfather said Kael found something in the woods last night.”

My heart jumped. “What did he find?”
She hesitated. “He didn’t say. But whatever it was, it made them all nervous.”

I sat beside her. “And they left already?”
She nodded. “Leighton wanted you to stay inside until they returned.”
I sighed, leaning back against the couch. “Of course he did.”

Mom gave a small smile. “He’s just being protective. You scared him last time.”
“I scare him?” I said with a small laugh. “He scares me.”

That made her laugh a little, but her face softened again quickly. “You know they all care about you, even if they don’t always show it.”
“I know,” I said quietly. “Sometimes I just wish they didn’t fight so much.”
She didn’t answer.

We both stared out the window as the rain kept falling.
It stopped raining by afternoon, but the sky stayed cloudy 

I went out to the garden with a small umbrella, pretending I was checking on the roses. But really, I just wanted to clear my head.

The air smelled clean after the rain, but there was a heaviness I couldn’t shake. I knelt near one of the bushes, brushing away a few wet petals.
“Thought I told you to stay inside.”
I froze. Then turned.

Kael stood a few feet away, his clothes damp, his boots were stained with mud.His hair was wet too, sticking to his forehead.

I straightened up slowly. “You’re back early.”
“Not early enough,” he said. “What are you doing out here?”

“Watering the roses,” I said, even though that wasn’t really true.
He gave a small huff. “They’ve had enough water for one day.”

I looked down at the flowers again. “You found something last night, didn’t you?”
His expression didn’t change. “Who told you that?”
“My mom.”

He looked past me toward the house, like he was thinking. “It’s nothing you should worry about.”
“That’s what everyone keeps saying,” I said. “But I’m still worried anyway.”

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re stubborn, you know that?”
“People keep telling me that too.”

His lips tilted a little, but the smile didn’t last. “I just don’t want you wandering out here alone.”
“Because of the rogues?” I asked.
He paused. 

“Because of a lot of things.”
I frowned. “That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one I have right now.”

He stepped closer, his boots crunching softly on the wet ground. His eyes looked tired but sharp.
“Kael,” I said quietly, “are you hiding something?”

He stopped right in front of me, close enough that I could see the raindrops still clinging to his eyelashes.

“If I said yes, would you believe me?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “Would you tell me what it is?”
He looked at me for a long moment. “Not yet.”
The way he said it made my heart skip. He wasn’t denying it.

I was about to ask more when a voice called from behind us.
“Omari!”
Leighton’s voice.

I turned just in time to see him striding toward us, his clothes still damp from the rain. His expression was dark.

“What are you doing out here with him?” he asked, his tone sharp.
“Talking,” I said quickly.
“About what?”
Kael’s eyes didn’t leave Leighton’s. “None of your business.”

Leighton’s jaw clenched. “You keep forgetting whose house this is.”
“And you keep forgetting who saved your life last week,” Kael shot back.
The air between them turned hot again. I could feel it, thick like smoke.
“Stop,” I said, stepping between them. “Both of you, please.”

Leighton’s chest was rising fast. Kael’s stare didn’t move.
Finally, Kael gave a small shrug. “Relax, Prince Charming. I was just making sure she didn’t fall into the mud.”
Leighton glared at him but said nothing.
“I’ll take it from here,” he said, his voice tight.

Kael didn’t move right away. Then his gaze met mine again, brief, soft, almost sorry.
“Stay close to the house,” he said quietly.
Then he turned and walked off, leaving Leighton standing there, fists clenched.

When Kael disappeared into the trees, Leighton exhaled sharply. “You shouldn’t talk to him.”
“He didn’t do anything wrong,” I said.
He looked at me, frustration flashing across his face. “You don’t know him like I do.”
“Then maybe you should tell me what I’m supposed to know,” I said.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. “Just promise me you’ll stay away from him.”
“I can’t promise that,” I said softly.
“Omari”
“I’m serious, Leighton. He helped save me. I’m not going to treat him like the enemy.”

His eyes darkened. “Sometimes enemies are your friends”
That sentence stuck in my head long after he left
That night, the storm returned.

Rain hit the windows harder this time. Lightning flashed through the clouds. I couldn’t sleep again.

I paced around my room for a while before stepping out to the balcony. The yard below was dark, but I could see movement near the gate again. Flashlights, shadows, figures walking fast.
The guards. And Kael.

He was out there, talking to someone near the fence. I couldn’t see who it was. But when lightning flashed again, I caught a quick glimpse of the glowing blue light on his wrist.

It wasn’t flashing anymore. It was steady.
Then he raised his wrist to his mouth and whispered something into it.
I froze.

A communication device? But who was he talking to?
My heart started to pound.
Before I could move, the door behind me opened.
“Omari?”

It was Ashton this time. His tone was calm, but his eyes were sharp. “What are you doing awake?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” I said.

He followed my gaze toward the balcony rail. “Did you see something?”
I hesitated. “No. Just the guards.”

He nodded slowly, but I could tell he didn’t believe me. “If you see Kael, don’t go near him tonight.”
“Why?”
Ashton’s expression darkened. “Because something’s off about him.”

The next morning, I found the triplets in the yard. They were all together this time, standing around my stepfather. His face looked tense , his eyes tired.

Kael stood a few feet away from them, hands in his pockets, silent.
When I came closer, they all turned to look at me.
My stepfather gave a short smile. “Morning, Omari.”
“Morning,” I said carefully. “What’s going on?”

He hesitated before saying, “We think someone inside the estate has been giving out information. About our patrols. Our routes. Our defenses.”

My stomach dropped. “What?”
Leighton’s eyes flicked toward Kael for just a second.
Kael noticed. “You think it’s me?” he said flatly.
“No one said that,” Ashton said quickly, but the look on Leighton’s face said otherwise.

Kael gave a small, empty smile. “Right.”

My stepfather raised his hand. “Enough. No one’s accusing anyone yet. But we’ll be keeping watch.”
He dismissed them, but the air stuck with tension.

As they walked away, Kael caught my gaze again. There was something different in his eyes now, something like anger, but also hurt.
I wanted to say something, but he turned and walked off before I could.

By afternoon, the sky cleared. Sunlight slipped through the clouds, soft and pale. It almost felt peaceful again. Almost.

I went back to the garden, needing the quiet. The air was warm now, the flowers dry again.
I sat on the stone bench, staring at the roses, trying not to think.

But I couldn’t stop thinking. About Kael. About that blue light. About Ashton’s warning.
Then I heard a twig snap behind me.
I turned and froze.

Kael stood there, his face unreadable.
But his eyes looked haunted, almost guilty. 
“We need to talk,” he said quietly.
My chest tightened. “About what?”
He glanced around, making sure no one was near. Then he stepped closer.

“There’s something you need to know,” he said. “Something about last night. About the rogues.”
“What about them?”
“They weren’t here by chance.”

I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”
He hesitated. “They were looking for someone.”
“Who?” I whispered.
He met my eyes. “You.”
The world seemed to stop for a second.

The birds went silent. The wind died down. Even my heartbeat felt too loud in my ears.
“Me?” I said weakly. “Why would they”
He shook his head. “I don’t know yet. But I’m going to find out.”

Before I could speak again, a voice shouted from the house.
“Omari!”
It was Leighton. He was running toward us.

Kael’s eyes darkened. “You need to act like we weren’t talking.”
“What?”
“Just trust me,” he said.
Then he stepped back, his face cold again.

By the time Leighton reached us, Kael was already walking away.
Leighton looked from him to me. “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing,” I lied. “He just showed up.”

Leighton’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t push it. “Come inside. Dad wants to see everyone.”

I followed him back to the house, but my mind was spinning.
They were looking for me.

The rogues.
But why?
And if Kael knew that then what else was he hiding?