𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐄

Chapter 16

Kaida is in the Tome the very next morning.

She browses the shelves and her fingers skim across the spines of many neatly organised books.

She remembers when she used to work here, stacking books all day long. Back then, she was nothing but her father's bargaining chip.

Simpler times.

Kaida muses.

"Ah, ha. Found you."

She pulls out a volume from a series, exactly what she was looking for.

At the same time, someone had reached over her head to tug at a book out of her reach, on a top shelf.

There was already minimal space, especially the deeper you got, and she was very far down the rows.

Kaida was pushed against the horizontal slabs of oak.

"Tuh."

It slips out of her mouth from irritation.

"Excuse me."

Kaida keeps a cool tone, but she wonders sarcastically if the intruder was blind.

She turns around to see who was invading her personal space.

Her fingers curl around her book, clutching it to her chest and she narrows her brown eyes.

Maven stares down at her.

Just as she said, her bloody eye was already fading.

He smoothly lowers a big book, carefully over her head, all while holding her attention.

They do not say a word to each other and Kaida edges past him.

When Maven emerges at the circular entrance of the Tome where all the shelves led to an open space, he sees Kaida seated at the round table with her book open.

Her eyes skim from left to right.

Naturally, Maven takes a seat opposite her.

It had always been his intention to spend the morning here anyway.

Kaida does not even look up.

Maven opens his own book and stretches his legs out.

His knees end up brushing against Kaida's.

The small table they were at, seemed even more cramped. The roundness of it did not help either.

Kaida flinches at the contact, but she does not move her legs away.

She was here first.

And so they remain in silence, slightly connected under the table, but neither acknowledging it.

Kaida feels the warmth from his leg, even if it is just a brush and she relaxes into it passively.

Maven peeks a look at her page and from upside down he spots some House Skonos history.

She was researching.

"It's not the first time a Skonos has mounted a rebellion against the monarchy. It's partly why they were sanctioned in the first place."

Kaida's attention is broken by his low voice, cutting through the silence.

"Yes. I'm well aware. You-"

Kaida's eyes slowly rise from the page.

She notices he has cut his hair, just a little, and he does not look so plain anymore.