Cardinal Tower (Trinity Central Book #1)

Chapter 6

He wears a black tailored blazer, unbuttoned, and a white collared undershirt with the top button forgotten. His hands are shoved in his black dress pants, and he's leaning against the doorway, staring at me with an expression I can't seem to decipher, though it defines his jaw even more. His eyes are bluer than I remember, his hair falling over them in a mess that's somehow tangled yet put together. He attempts to push his locks back, but they keep falling into their original place.

He's grown since I've last seen him, he must be at least six feet at this point. I haven't spoken to him since we were children, but part of me can't help but notice how attractive he's become.

"Castelle," he begins, "It's been a while." His eyes remain hard as he stares at the wall, shooting me a courteous glance every now and then. Neither of us say more for at least a minute. I sit there, my mouth opened dumbly, with my eyes jumping up and down his body, trying to assess his tone, his face, his stance, something. But he's a book that I just can't seem to read. I must look idiotic.

"What? No hello?" he continues, looking at me wholly now, "As cold as ever. But I guess it is understandable considering what you did." His expression falters, but that doesn't bother me as much as the fact that he can still bear to look at me. "It's a shame, you and Monica used to be friends." He says the last bit as an afterthought. Had I been anyone else, it wouldn't have been heard, but the way he swallows hard stirs something in me. Guilt maybe? I still might not be aware of what I've done, but I do know I don't regret doing it. So how is this man making me feel guilty with just a glance?

His boyish eyes remind me that I used to be very close to the Blaire's until Monica became the Blaire Witch that I remember her as now. That was six years ago, making Kai nineteen now.

I force myself to remember who he is now. What he's done to his country, the people on the streets, the aristocracy laughing at us. He's no different from the rest of them. I force myself to remember what he's allowed Stafford to do, and how's he's just sat by while it was all happening. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, I force myself to remember how he's allowed all of this to happen. He's the reason why my life turned out this way, way I've grown so accustomed to fighting.

The past is the past, but right now he's the enemy.

Kai must notice my cold expression because he starts towards me and I subconsciously back away, feeling smaller in his presence than I've ever felt before. "I knew you hated my younger sister, but I never realized how much." His words make me swallow, but I refuse to look away, not giving him the satisfaction.

"What are you doing?" I managed to say without my voice wavering.

"Just catching up with an old acquaintance." He looks up and down my person, and suddenly I notice I'm wearing nothing but a medical robe. Aware of how vulnerable I am, I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and start to wish I had my jacket with me. There are at least a dozen thoughts fighting in his mind, but he just looks down, and meets my eyes again. "Why did you do it?" he asks, looking genuinely hurt now.

"I'm sure you know why," I glared at him intensely. Probably not the best time to act petty, but I don't care, he deserved it.

Kai's staring at the ground. I can tell that he wasn't mad, but his eyes hung helplessly, "I'm sorry. But at least you got your revenge." He stood up, turning away from me.

"Well then, just kill me already." I call out to him much louder than I intended, not realizing how badly I want my request to be granted. "Get your's."

He turns to me with another look that I can't decipher, "You're right, I should kill you." He pauses, choosing his next words very carefully. His sadness is put away, and his eyes turn just as cold as mine in an instant, remembering that he's talking to a prisoner. "But there's no need to chastise you, at least not yet. You have much too great a purpose to serve. It'd be a waste to get rid of you now."

My eyes unconsciously flick back to my arms. One is carved with the strange black indent, another adorned with a piercing dagger, both exposed for the first time. My mind runs, wondering which he could possibly be referring to. "Why not?"

"My motives will be revealed in time, first there's a little task I'll need your help with."

I want to laugh, baffled by his lack of resolve to punish me. "I killed your sister and you want me to run an errand for you?"

"Trust me, it's no simple errand. I'll have guards sent to you soon to escort you to your new quarters. I'll request your company as soon as the arrangement is settled, so be expecting that as well." His strict business tone sounds foreign coming from his mouth. "And I'm glad that we got a chance to talk. I can't believe I missed you growing up so much."

"It's hard to believe that you missed me at all," I muttered mostly to myself, but by a slight turn of his head, I can tell that he heard me.

His tone doesn't change, his face doesn't soften. He remains the exemplary, unfeeling Commander in Chief he's been raised to be. "That's a shame to hear Ms. Berkeley," he looks away, believing the response was enough.

"Enough of the niceties. Just tell me, what are you going to do with me?"

He clears his throat. We're no longer the close pair we used to be, just two strangers in a room speaking business. "I can't give much information, but I'll give this. You're going to Trinity Central."

"Welcome to Cardinal Tower."