Royal Games

Chapter 26

Isaac comes over to Ash House in the evening. As we pass Megan on the way up to my room, she gives us both a questioning look. Isaac gives her a smile and a thumbs up. I avert my eyes from her.

When we reach my room, I plop down on the bed as Isaac shuts the door. Then he sits down beside me.

"How are you feeling?" He asks.

"Not great." I fiddle with the hem of my maroon jumper. My nails are back to human length after I re-casted my glamours this morning.

"Let it all out, Ally. Come on, speak your mind to me." He encourages.

I take a deep breath. Let it out slowly.

"I... I never thought I would be so affected by something like this. It was self-defence. Obviously I have no desire to kill anyone, but, in a kill or be-killed situation, I was always prepared to fight for my life. But, seeing someone die like that. His blood..." My hands still. My eyes go distant.

Isaac rests an arm over my shoulders and pulls me in close to him. I feel safe in his comforting grasp.

"I know it's not a nice thing to see." He says.

"Is your wing okay?" I ask. Everything can't be about me and how I'm feeling.

"No. I kept going for your sake yesterday, but the pain was excruciating. I felt so much better as soon as I glamoured my wings away." He sighs. "But I am going to have to get it checked out by a magical healer." His voice becomes quiet. "I don't know if I can fly anymore."

"Even if you can't now, once you get your wing healed you should be able to..."

Isaac shakes his head. "Wings can't heal naturally. Even though magic can patch up the hole, my wings will never be as strong as they were. Yes, I probably will be able to fly again. But I might not be able to go as fast or as far."

"I'm sorry." I whisper.

"What have you got to be sorry about? You weren't the one who attacked me."

"But you weren't the target. I was. I brought him here. I made a mistake coming to university."

"No, you didn't." Isaac insists. "If you hadn't come here, we wouldn't have met."

"And you wouldn't have a wounded wing. You're only proving my point."

"No. You're not listening to me. I'm glad I met you. You're intelligent, charismatic. Even living under a dark cloud, you can still brighten up the room. You're stronger than you know. And beautiful too. Now that I know you, I can't imagine life without you."

I wonder if, after Isaac's flattering speech, he's going to profess his love for me too. I don't want that. With Liam it was simple; I have no romantic feelings for him. But, with Isaac... I see potential. Under different circumstances, I would probably ask him out in this instance. But now's not the time for a relationship. I'm emotional drained and mentally scrambled. And I'm still lying to Isaac about my identity. I can't start anything right now.

"That's really sweet." I reply, unsure what else to say.

"Would you be willing to answer some questions I have?"

I hesitate. They could be easy answers for me to give. Alternatively, they could reveal my true identity. It's not that I don't trust him. It's just that the more he knows, the more danger we're both in.

"You can ask, and I will try my best to answer."

"Okay. How well do you really know Liam?"

Relief flows over me. This is an easy answer like I wanted. "I've only known him about a year, but we quickly became very good friends."

"How much do you trust him, considering everything that's going on?"

"I trust Liam with my life." There's no doubt in my mind about it. Making him swear that oath a few weeks ago was just caution. The moment he said the words, I knew I could trust him. His confession this morning only solidifies my confidence in him.

"Do you love him?" Isaac's question catches me off guard. Is he jealous that another guy showed up from my past? Does he actually have feelings for me?

"No." I reply simply.

For a moment, Isaac doesn't say anything. His unasked follow-up question hangs between us. I'm not ready to give him the answer I suspect he wants.

"What do you know about the assassin?"

I let out a breath I never realised I was holding. "Three of them were sent after Princess Alyssa initially; two male and one female. I don't know anything else, although I assume the other two are also tracking trails they think might lead to the princess."

"Can you warn her?"

"I already have." I answer as honestly as I can.

"You're ahead of me then. Is there anything else I need to know? Something you want to get off your chest? You can tell me anything." Has he figured out who I am?

"I..." I want to tell Isaac the truth, especially considering the situation I put him in last night, but I know I can't do it. Not yet. Not until it's safe. "I can't think of anything else right now. I'll tell you if I learn more, but for now it's a bit of a waiting game. And I hope the next news is good news."

"So do I." Isaac moves the hand on my shoulder, rubbing it up and down the top of my arm. "This isn't exactly how I imagined my first year at university."

"Me neither."

I rest my head on his shoulder. We stay like that for a few minutes. Not talking. Simply taking comfort in the fact that we have each other. I don't want to be alone right now. I feel lost and helpless, but I also feel safe with Isaac's. I know he can help me through this nightmare.