Serpent in Shackles

Chapter Thirty One

The ride back to the house remained silent. I could barely look at him or talk to him after that dream. I knew that as soon as I saw his face again, mine would go beet red. And the thought of knowing that he could tell when I was aroused.

I didn't know if I could ever look at him the same again.

The team sat in the dining hall eating their lunch when we arrived and I took my usual seat, staring at the array of food spread out across the table before grabbing a chocolate muffin from the basket. With all the food I was eating there and the intense training I did with Danver and Naia, I regained a lot of my muscle mass and my appetite.

"You two look well rested," Naia teased as Caeden took his seat.

He glanced across the table to Mia who was already waiting for information.

"What did she say?" Mia asked, setting her empty mug on the table.

Caeden pulled out the map and laid it across the table. "She drew the locations of the guards on the layout, but she doesn't know about their shift changes. There's a guard that was fired from the palace not long ago - he might be able to help. If we can find him."

From the side, I watched Caeden's eyes slip to me, but I kept my focus on the map. I nodded along as he filled them in on the rest of the information the escort gave us. Though, my clear avoidance of Caeden didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the team who were now openly staring at me, confusion riddled on their faces.

I tilted my chin, glancing at their stares briefly before turning back to the map. "So now we have a map of the palace and information about the guards from the escort. When will we go look for the guard?"

Warmth spread through my face, my cheeks, as a hand spread underneath my chin. With two fingers pressing against my jaw, Caeden turned my face toward him. Embarrassment flooded through me as our eyes met, but I couldn't look away. Not when his fingers were still holding my chin.

He pulled his hand back, leaving my face burning hot from his gaze. "In a couple days. Tomorrow is our day off."

Danver huffed, leaning back as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm having severe deja vu

right now."

Their heads snapped to him, glaring. Immediately, regret crossed over his face.

I stared at Danver, prodding him into giving me information. "This isn't the first

time you've gone to the palace before?"

Danver refused to speak, not after he had accidentally blurted out information I wasn't supposed to know. His gaze cut to Caeden.

"No," Caeden answered hesitantly.

"Then why'd we have to go through all the trouble of getting this map?"

"The palace has changed since the last time we were there."

"And when was that?"

"During the war."

I threw my hands up in annoyance. "Can someone please just tell me the damn story? I

am so sick of all these vague tales and cryptic messages."

Mia cleared her throat, waiting for a reaction from Caeden. When he finally nodded, she proceeded, "our mother was the Queen of valoria. She was born human and lived in a small village in Abneer. When she was young, her father forced her to marry an older man in the village. The man abused her and forced her to bear his child. Caeden."

My stomach twisted. I turned to look at him, but his eyes were settled on the table.

"After I was born," he said, swallowing, "she feared for our safety. She decided that she wanted power like no other so that she'd never have to fear for her life, or my life, again. And never have to deal with that abuse again. As she was fleeing from the village, she found Mia abandoned in the street. So she saved Mia and moved us here where she had herself turned into a monster."