Mirror of Embers (Book 1)

t h i r t y - f o u r

❀ Eden ❀

I HATE HER. I hate all of this. I never really liked Lokas, but I never wanted him dead. Never. He was one of us. He was a Bastard. I grew up with him, I wouldn't exactly call him a friend by choice . . . but he was family. He was part of our family.

And now he's gone. Minette and the king took him from us. I hate her I hate her.

She can tell how angry we are. She has not forced us to work yet. We've been in the training rooms. She wants us to be in top notch condition. For what, I don't know. She hasn't allowed any of us to grieve. She put all of us to work. Including Dilynn. Which is a little strange, but we can't question it. Dilynn seems a little confused as well, but she's keeping quiet. I can tell she's plotting something. Especially since the minute Minette came into the room Dilynn glamoured herself. From the king and her. She used whatever type of magic she has to hide her pointed ears and change her hair colour. She has now chestnut brown hair and rounded ears. I don't know what game she is playing at, but I'm not going to nark on her.

I'll keep my mouth shut until she does something.

Irina sighs, drawing my attention back to her. Minette gave us work to do, going over potential clients of hers. Shann sits across from us—right beside Dilynn. They've gotten close the past couple of weeks. It's strange.

Shann does not like anyone.

He keeps to himself.

And yet.

He's going out of his way to talk to Dilynn.

I think they are planning something. Something Irina and I do not know about.

Irina drums her fingers on the paper in front of her. "None of this makes sense," she says more to herself than me.

I prop my head on my fist. "What doesn't make sense?"

She brushes her curls out of her way. I get a good look at her tired face. She has heavy circles under her eyes, her face looks more angular. Not as full. Has she not been eating? "This," she says gesturing to us and the paper. "None of this makes any sense. We shouldn't be here. We aren't a team anymore. We're subordinates and she's forcing us to do her dirty work."

Shann's dark eyes raise from his paper. "We do her dirty work for a living, Rina."

She levels him a flat look. I bite my cheek to stop from chuckling. "I know that." She scowls. "I mean this is not what we should be doing. We should be up there, talking to Landon. Getting updates. Learning what happened to Ember and Faune. Minette has told us nothing. I'm worried. Especially because Lokas—" Her voice breaks off. Dilynn raises her head as well, her dark green gaze softening on Irina's. Shann looks uncomfortable, he looks anywhere but us.

I know he didn't like Fahl either—but he was family. He was our family. And we lost him. He doesn't know how to feel. How to react. I don't either.

I squeeze Irina's knee, comfortingly. She shakes her head and pushes on. "We should be up there. We should not be down here doing paperwork."

Shann sighs. "What are we supposed to do?" Shann asks, pushing away the paper in front of him. "I have tried multiple times getting to the king's room, but every time they drag me away. Not after I have punched them in the jaw," he smiles darkly. "but still, there is no way in getting in contact with any of them. And what would happen if we did get to there rooms without being dragged back by the guards? What would King Kamolinn be able to do with us? This isn't his country; he has no control over here. He's powerless. If he steps out of line it could mean war between Llyria and Moriella."