36
Riggs
My eldest brother was dead.
Maybe that would have affected me more if I could actually remember him. Or if he wasn’t implicated in taking my past from me, and almost my life.
But it didn’t bother me. Not one bit. What did, was that Tyrez had been accused of his murder.
“Is he alive?” My voice didn’t sound at all like mine, and my heart felt like it was in a vice.
“They are holding him, pending an official execution,” she replied.
A tremor ran through me, and Breana folded her hand around my arm. And just like that—the images flooded me. Of racing through clouds, chased by his Dragon. Of drinking imported beer. Of getting my blasted dick pierced on a dare…
“You’re remembering,” Breana breathed aloud. “You remember him.”
“Yep,” I whispered.
Cara’s eyes were riveted on me. But all she said was, “I need Riggs to go to my suite.” Her eyes fell on Breana. “I need you to stay here.”
“What?” Breana looked at the Watcher as if she’d lost her mind. “I’m coming with him.”
“Everything counts now, Bree,” Cara’s voice was low and intense. “Our every move. I have come up with a reason to haul Riggs out of classes—there has been a flood in his cover-story homeland, and many are dead. It’s the perfect excuse, but I can’t explain you out of classes, too.”
“We aremates,” Breana stated, and the word pierced the images flooding my mind, sending a pulse of heat straight through me.
“Not everyone knows that,” Cara pointed out.
Breana’s mouth opened and then closed. I glanced around. Students were looking, wondering why the Watcher spoke with us.
“Go,” she told me. “I will speak with the instructors and then join you.” She met Breana’s gaze. “You are flying cover for us. I need you to be a student today, Bree. Can you do that? For him?”
Breana’s beautiful gaze searched my own.You are with me, wherever I go,I said.
Frustration surged along the link, but then she nodded. Cara moved off to the instructors, and I reached to slide my fingers along Breana’s jaw.
Be careful,she said.You should take the sword.
My rejection was automatic and thorough.No. You need it to hold that monster in check. Caliel is too weak.
Her eyes were rife with worry, but she nodded. I sensed how badly she wanted to kiss me, but with everyone watching, it would give too much away. So instead, she sent the mental equivalent, a rush of warmth and love and support that almost took me out at the knees.
Then I was walking through the back entrance, my heart pounding. Taran was dead. That left his heir, Daize, as the next Emperor.
And Tyrez could die for a murder he did not commit.
Are you sure he didn’t do it?There was pain in Breana’s voice, and I sensed her struggle for calm.With everything that Taran is doing—maybe he finally pushed Tyrez one step too far.
It only put my own doubt into words, but something within me dismissed it.My brother would never stoop to killing him. He would challenge him honorably. Tyrez follows the rules.
Breana hesitated, and then said,He didn’t follow them when he saved Dani.
That was true. But Dani had been his fated mate. I couldn’t think of anything that would push Tyrez to kill Taran without a formal challenge.Ash will know what happened.
Ash should have foreseen this. Why didn’t he stop it from happening?
She had a valid point. Why had Ash insisted that his mate attend the funeral?
