The Play-Toy Of Three Lycan Kings-Chapter 377: Troubled III

SAGE

The candle flickered beside me, its flame swaying like it, too, was trying to resist sleep.

On another night, I would have pinched it off, would have let go of the magic that had conjured it into existence, and sleep off too.

But tonight was different. I was restless. I felt inadequate. Somehow, I felt unprepared for the task ahead, a task which was about to be upended by Darius and his group of ancients.

If they came—and I was sensing that they would—I wanted to be ready. Although, how I would fight off a group of ancients, when one was enough to drain me of my magic, was beyond me.

It was why I let the candle burn. Let its herby smoke slither into my nostrils; something that was supposed to calm me down.

Supposed to..: because I couldn’t stay calm.

I exhaled loudly, looked at the ceiling, thenI dragged my gaze back to the spellbook, jaw clenched, breath softening as I forced myself—again—to focus.

Power. I needed more of it. Real power. My own. Something I could rely on if El ever decided to abandon me... or if the prophecy demanded she turn away.

I had faced Darius. I had felt, painfully, humiliatingly, how small my strength was without her. Without my other half.

And El belonged to the goddess. A borrowed blade. A conditional ally. It meant there was a very real chance she wouldn’t help me with the one thing my life was now built around—revenge.

There was every chance she would leave me hanging midway, that she would refuse to even fight against the ancients, against Darius.

My second helper from the goddess.

So I dragged my eyes back to the page. Forced myself to memorize the sigils, the motions, the intent behind every line of the spell.

Focus, I whispered to myself. Do not waver.

But my mind—traitorous, wandering thing—slipped anyway.

Back to him. Darius.

He hadn’t said a single word to me since last night. Not even a goodbye before he left. A clean severing. No glance. No message. Nothing.

I shouldn’t care. I didn’t have space for caring. Yet the silence scraped under my ribs like something lodged between bone.

Why? I couldn’t tell.

It must be the memories surfacing again. I surmised. The destiny I wanted to outrun pressing at the edges of my thoughts.

It made me emotional—weak—and I hated it with everything I had. So I’d simply stopped thinking. About destiny. About El. About what Makeh said. About the queen’s lie.

Because I was lying to her, too.

I had told her to call off the vampires for now. And I still hadn’t mentioned Darius... Makeh... the prophecy... any of it.

She didn’t know the real reason I was sent here. She didn’t even know that I was sent. She didn’t know that she was branded evil by the goddess.

For surely Makeh wouldn’t say that, if the goddess hadn’t?

The Queen didn’t know either, the truth I carried like a blade hidden between ribs.

A sharp bang rattled my door.

What now?

Isla better have good reasons for disrupting my sleep.

My palm slapped the spellbook shut as Isla burst into the room without knocking.

"What the hell!" I snapped, bolting upright. "Isla, I swear—if you don’t have a damn good reason for barging into my room—"

She rolled her eyes, chuckling crazily. "Sage... Adam is in the living room."

I stared at her. Blink. Blink. Then I frowned. "What?"

"He’s here," she repeated, quieter this time. "King Adam. He’s... asking for you."

"If this is a joke—"

"It’s not."

I cursed—loudly, creatively—and shoved away from the table. "What does he want?"

She lifted both hands, helpless. "He only asked for you."

Another curse tore from my chest. "Fine. Get out."

Isla nodded and fled, pulling the door shut behind her.

She must have seen the frustration on my face, seeing as she didn’t drill me further or celebrate of the King finally falling to his knees.

My pulse, meanwhile, was a fast drum, curiosity and anxiety overlapping until I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.

Had Darius said something to Adam?

That old, stubborn fool.

What had he told him? What had he hinted at?

The man was a walking mountain of secrets—why now, of all times, would he decide to loosen his tongue?

Heat flashed through me as I paced, losing my cool completely. Damn him. Damn all of this.

I yanked open my wardrobe, grabbed the first outfit within reach—a simple strapless wear—and pulled it on. No thought for the biting cold outside. I barely remembered it existed.

I tapped my wig, smoothing it, adjusting it. Good. Secure. My lenses were already in. One less problem.

I took one breath. Then another. Neither helped.

I stalked toward the door... then stopped. Pressed my palm flat against the wood. Be calm.

And when I finally stepped out, I walked the hallway with the lazy, languid confidence of someone who owned every shadow in it.

By the time I reached the living room, the veil of seduction, of playful danger, rested on me like a second skin.

"Adam," I purred, leaning on the doorframe as though I’d been expecting him. "What are you doing here? Couldn’t wait for me to come to my new abode before seeking me out?"

His lips tightened. A tell I instantly noted.

His eyes flicked—once—to my exposed neck, my bare arms, then back to my face. His stare was sharp enough to cut. Heavy enough to feel.

Almost enough to make me forget how annoyed I was. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Let’s go for a walk," he said simply.

No explanation.

He turned and opened the door, stepping out into the night without giving me even the courtesy of a backward glance.

I watched the door swing wide. I felt the cold spill in, brushing against my skin like icy fingers.

Then I inhaled... slowly... deliberately.

Fine.

If the king wanted a walk at this hour, he was going to get it. Maybe more...