Alouette sits back against the shelves, her heart hammering in her chest. She has to stay away from the camera at the front of the library if she wants to have a chance to make it out of there alive.
She tries to come up with a thousand different excuses that could explain her being in here if she gets discovered, but none of them is believable. She has no reason to be here— she isn't even supposed to know this floor exists. If someone comes in, she'll be done for.
The book copies on the shelf right behind her seem to be calling to her, but she doesn't touch them again. She has to be ready if it comes to it. If Harry not only finds her in the library, but also discovers she touched them... She doesn't dare to think of what he'll do with her. She knows how he deals with his enemies. It's been some months since the day he killed Markberg, but she's most definitely not forgotten.
Asher Markberg.
Daniel Ivenhart.
Ezra Larson.
Of the three original leaders, only one is still standing. Even though Harry only got rid of one of them himself, he's about to win. Alouette wonders if he knows. If he discovers she's part of the Revolution, she fears what he'll do to her— or what he'll force her to do.
He can never find out.
It's easier said than done, though, because she's the one that's trapped in a room with no hope to escape. How long will it be before he realises she's missing and comes looking for her? Will he even find her, or will he stumble upon her accidentally a couple of days from now when he'll need something from the library?
She checks the time. It's now half past seven. She should've left a while ago, but the cameras turned back on too soon.
Did Nathan get caught, did he betray her? Should she expect guards to storm the place at any second and capture her?
She remembers the night of the celebration, now some weeks ago, when Harry killed a rogue that dared to hold him at gunpoint out of heartbreak. You killed my son, he said. Even she empathised with him, with the truth of his words. But Harry didn't.
That's who he is.
What will he do to her when he finds out she entered the Palace to spy on him and, ultimately, kill him?
A shiver runs down her spine. If there are indeed dungeons in the Palace, something tells her he won't let her get there alive. Or even worse, what if he finds out who she is? Who her father is to the Revolution? He'll make an example out of her. He'll make sure to ruin her and everyone she knows. He'll destroy them all.
She doesn't even dare to breathe too loudly as she waits, and waits, and waits for her end to come.
She didn't even say a proper goodbye to Amina. And Elijah, he expects her to be home in a few days from now, if he doesn't already know she asked for more time. He's probably disappointed if he does. And so is Ezra. And the council. And everyone else. She disappointed everyone.
There's a clicking sound, and the library falls in the most complete darkness.
Alouette frowns and checks the time. It's a little past eight. She spent the last hour freaking out on the floor. She hesitantly stands up and checks the camera again.
This time around, the green light on it isn't on.
Nathan.
She knows she has to be quick. She opens the door and puts in the code again, wasting no time before disappearing into the staircase.
Her heart is in her throat as she runs up the stairs, and she could cry of happiness. Now she only has to make it back to her bedroom alive. She doesn't know what happened though, why the lights came on again earlier than they should've, and it makes her uneasy. Is she in trouble?
Alouette reaches her floor and carefully listens to the sounds coming from the corridor. Nobody seems to be around. They're probably still in the dining room.
She opens the hidden door and slides out, making sure it's closed well before walking away. She takes a few deep breaths, hoping to hide the fact that she just ran up six flights of stairs if she meets anyone.
When she's sure she isn't about to die anymore she resumes her walk and looks into her pockets. She should get herself a coffee before going back to her room, so that it'll make up for the missed meal. It'd be less suspicious than showing up to dinner so late.
She frowns when she can't find her wallet. For a dreadful second she believes she lost it in the library, but then remembers. She changed into more comfortable clothes earlier today, but she's sure there was nothing in the pockets of her pantsuit but the codes she stole from Harry. She must've forgotten her wallet back at the office.
With a sigh, she goes back to the lift and gets inside, pressing the button of the floor right above hers. Briefly, she wonders if Harry has already come back to the Palace. If he knows what happened. Now she wishes her and Nathan could text— it makes her uneasy not to know what happened.
But whether he was caught or not, whether Harry knows who she is or not, she has no choice but to act like nothing happened. There's no point in running— if they know she's guilty, she'll never make it out of the Palace even if she tries. She can just hope that isn't the case.
The doors of the lift open again and she steps out. She acts as nonchalantly as she can as she walks to Harry's office and stops in front of her desk.
Nobody is around and everything is exactly as she left it, and she finds some solace in it. Surely if they knew who she was they would check her belongings first.
She moves some papers around and smiles when her gaze falls on her wallet, hidden between some folders and the screen of the computer she was given. She takes it and turns around.
She finds herself face to face with Harry, and her heart drops out of her chest.
He stares at her as if she's in the middle of a crime scene, his hand still on the handle of his office door. Alouette's eyes are wide and she looks the part in her black sweatshirt and jeans. It takes all she has not to throw up at his feet.
Some moments go by, and then Harry relaxes and lets out a dark chuckle. "Did I scare you?"
"I'd say you're the one that got scared, Harry," Alouette covers up her own surprise quickly, trying to revert to her usual behaviour. She's still shaken because of what happened though, so it's harder than she'd expect.
Harry doesn't seem to notice and tilts his head, finally letting go of the door and locking it. He's still dressed as he was earlier, his black topcoat draped over his forearm. "I expected to be alone," he replies truthfully.
"Hiding something?" The question comes out cheekier than she expects, and she puts her hands up in defence. "I didn't mean—"
"Relax, Lark. I'm not out to get you." He offers her a smile, but it's not reassuring in the slightest. She's been around him long enough to know his smiles are just as dangerous as his glares. One can never know if he's actually pleased or if he's simply looking forward to screwing someone over.
Alouette smiles kindly. "Is that so? I thought it was your favourite pastime."
Harry laughs. It's the first time she hears him laugh, genuinely laugh, with his dimples showing and his chest vibrating, and he sounds so innocent that it leaves her so breathless but so warm inside. "My favourite pastime is watching you squirm, Lark."
"Isn't that the same thing?" Warmth floods her cheeks.
"It is not," he replies. "I have no care for what others do."
"But me?"
"But you." He takes a step closer to her. "Should I be honest with you?"
Her heartbeat quickens in her chest. "Please."
Harry grazes her cheek with his finger. It's cold, and her skin gets hotter in the wake of his touch. "I believe I find you as intriguing as you find me, Lark."
"Is that so?" Now she's the one that moves closer, so unexpectedly that Harry instinctively takes a step back. "What are you going to do about it, then?"
He chuckles, moving around her to regain his advantage. "You seem to be a little too confident for being someone I caught in the office after dark. Don't you know that's against the rules?"
Oh.
She was so focused on getting her wallet back that it slipped from her mind completely. She has to hold back a laughter at the thought of going down because of that, out of all the things she's done today that could easily lead her six feet underground.
"Am I in trouble?" she asks, following him down the corridor.
Harry turns around and gives her a sly smile. "Are you?" He asks her innocently, and for some reason it makes her smile as well.
They reach his rooms and Alouette puts a hand on his shoulder and kisses his jaw, catching him by surprise. "Am I, Harry?" She asks in a whisper, not missing the way his expression suddenly turns serious as she steps back.
"Don't you know bribing is also against the law?" He whispers back.
She pretends to fix his tie. "Does that make me a criminal, then?"
"I might turn a blind eye."
Alouette looks up at him. "Wouldn't you be breaking the law as well, then?"
The corners of his lips turn up. "Oh, Lark, how could I?" he murmurs, irony hidden in his eyes. "I am the law."
She doesn't know if that scares her or excites her, and Harry takes it as his opportunity to turn towards his door. His fingers hover over the touchpad for an excruciatingly long second, and then he frowns.
With sheer terror, Alouette realises she forgot to lock his door again earlier that afternoon. She tries her best not to look terrified. Even if he suspects something and checks the cameras, nothing will come up. Nathan took care of it, she's safe. She just has not to give herself away.
Harry just shakes his head and opens the door, stepping inside. Alouette hovers in front of the entrance, debating whether she should try to distract him to make sure he won't think too far on it or take it as her opportunity to leave.
He makes that choice for her, though, because he turns to look at her. A strand of his brunette curls falls in front of his eyes with the movement, and he brushes it back again. He looks so good that it makes her sick.
"Have you been out until now?" she asks fast before he can open his mouth. She's terrified of what he might say if she gives him the opportunity to.
He shrugs. It's a nonchalant action, maybe even rather childish, but he makes it look refined. "I came back a few hours ago, but I had some meetings—" he starts, putting a folder she didn't even notice he was holding on the tall table on her right. He seems to suddenly realise what he's saying and pauses, sending her an odd glance. "Why are you asking?"
"Oh, no reason." The last thing she needs is to be deemed suspicious by him.
He hums and motions her to come closer with a finger. She does and closes the door behind herself. Now they're alone in his rooms. It isn't her first time in here, but this one feels different. She isn't here to help him get dressed nor to spy on him. To be fair, she doesn't know why she's in here at all, and even though it should scare her, it doesn't. If he'd known anything about her he would've already made a move.
"I believe you wanted to see me earlier?" he asks, and it comes so unexpected that she can't hide the surprise on her face.
"What?" she asks back, and a second later the memory of what she told him earlier today comes back to her. "Oh—"
Harry slightly narrows his eyes, as if he's daring her to dismiss it. "Seemed urgent."
Alouette looks away, trying to think of something. She wasted so long trying to come up with reasons for her being in the library that she didn't even think of coming up with one to explain her words from earlier. "It isn't important anymore..."
"But it seemed quite important." His tone is gentle, but there's an icy edge in his voice as he takes a step towards her. She suddenly feels like she's alone in the middle of the ocean and he's rounding her like a shark.
"I liked spending time with you the other night." She says the first thing that crosses her mind, the only one she knows will break through his façade. She tilts her head, studying him, looking for an opening in his wall. His defences are up high, she knows she has to slip through them again if she wants him not to get suspicious. "I was hoping we could do it again sometime soon." She smiles at him now. "Actually, I was wondering if you were willing to get a coffee with me. I'm afraid I'm not wealthy enough to treat you to a dinner that would be satisfying to you."
He seems to be taken aback. Good. "You think I have expensive taste?"
"I'm pretty sure everything about you is expensive, Harry."
He laughs again, that enchanting sound that surprised her so much earlier. He's amused. "Is that how I come across?" He's teasing her now, like the young man he is. This side of him is so rare that Alouette can't help but feel honoured he's showing it to her.
"I'm afraid so."
He loosens his tie, a bemused smile on his lips. "You don't seem to be scared of me."
Alouette frowns. "Pardon?"
"You're alone in a room with me," Harry says. "That'd be enough to terrify most people."
She takes a step closer to him and looks around the living room, letting her gaze fall over every object in there for some long seconds. She looks back at him, and he's confused. He's trying not to let it show, but he's completely lost. She shouldn't find it so endearing.
"I don't see any knives lying around," she tells him before sliding her hands under the black jacket of his suit and pulling him closer to her by the waist. His topcoat falls to the ground. "And you have no firearms on you," she whispers against his mouth. "Truth be told, you look quite harmless to me."
He lets out a surprised laugh, that is suffocated by Alouette's mouth when she presses her lips against his.
He hums into the kiss and tugs her closer to his chest by the back of her neck. Her hands are under his jacket and grabbing his perfectly ironed dress shirt, his coat a dark puddle at their feet. The floor isn't under Alouette's feet anymore and she hangs on to him like a lifeline. The stress of her day fades into nothing and he's the only thing she can think about.
Harry. Harry. Harry.
She's losing her grasp on reality. The ocean she was barely swimming in earlier has dragged her into its depths and there's black water all around her. He's pulling her into his darkness, deeper and deeper, but she'll only realise she's drowning when his touch fades away and with it the thrill he brings to her. She's sinking too quickly, and when she'll discover he is the only one that can breathe underwater it'll be too late for her to resurface.
"Tempting," Harry murmurs against her mouth. "While I'd love to see where this will lead us, I'm afraid I have a dinner appointment."
"Am I holding you back?" She whispers, looking up at him. His eyes are too green, too bright, too light.
He lets her go and gives her another of his smiles. "I'll think about that coffee and let you know, Lark." He brushes his finger against her lips and then turns around, taking off his jacket and throwing it on the leather couch, brushing his fingers through his hair.
She knows it's her clue to leave and nods. "It was fun to catch up with you, sir," she says playfully, and then turns around and leaves.
She leans back against the wall as soon as she's out of the door and takes a deep breath. She doesn't know how she managed to survive that day as well. She's been so lucky lately, and she can't help but wonder when her luck will run out.
Her bedroom welcomes her like a long lost friend and she throws herself on her bed.
She isn't in the mood to get coffee anymore and so she resorts to lying down on the mattress and counting all the purple lights she can see through the floor-to-ceiling window. When she's done counting the purple ones she moves on to the blue ones, and then the green ones, and the orange ones, and then red, pink and yellow. Then she starts all over again, and again, and again.
The room is dark and the only source of light is the city, with its tall buildings and glimmering screens blinking down at her as usual. She rolls around and takes her sister's letters out of the secret space she hid them in, lying down on her side and rereading them. She misses her.
Alouette takes the piece of paper with the codes and hides it into the letters before putting them away again. She should get rid of it, she knows. And she will. Just not now. Knowing the codes of Harry's rooms and library could come in handy.
When the alarm clock on her nightstand shows it's two in the morning, she gets up and gets out of the room.
It's easy to avoid the cameras on her floor and she makes her way down the usual staircase quickly and easily. After all she's been through, her late night escapade most definitely doesn't scare her anymore.
Nathan is waiting for her in their usual spot.
"What the hell was that?" She hisses at him when she's close enough. "I almost got caught!"
He sighs. "The President came back earlier. They ran a quick check of the entire building as soon as he arrived to make sure everything was running smoothly. They always do that, he doesn't like to be the one catching things not working. They saw the power was off on that floor so they fixed it. I had to wait until everyone was distracted to turn it off again."
"Did they suspect anything?"
He shakes his head. "Things like that happen in a building as big as this. How did it go?"
Alouette looks down. "Honestly? I have no idea. I think I found something important, but I just can't make sense of it." She rubs her eyes, exhausted and stressed. "I think my father was talking to someone in the Palace? Either that or Harry stole something that belonged to the Revolution. I'm not sure."
"What's next?"
She lets out a sigh. "I don't know," she replies, defeat in her voice. "I'll think about this again when my head's feeling clearer and hopefully I'll find out what to do."
He nods. "Let me know."
"I will."
As she walks back to her room, she wonders if she's in too deep for the first time.
Is there truly no going back?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter x
Miki