ArcKnight (The ArcKnight Chronicles #1)

Chapter Four

Lilliana

The rain pounded the windows with a furious violence. I imagined hundreds of frightened children and pets cowering under the covers tonight. Sometimes I wished I was young again; free of mistakes and wrong turns, fresh and brand new without history or future marring my existence. The things that could never be undone dug into my skin, forming invisible scars that no one could see except me.

The royal guard set his backpack down and shed off his soaked jacket before hanging it on one of the hooks lining the wall near the door. I dropped my own to the floor on top of my pack. I was soaked to the bone so it didn't really matter to me. I'd have to wash all my clothes anyway. Most of my stuff was probably ruined.

Still freezing, I hugged my arms around my frame as I scanned his apartment. It was cozy, warm, simple and lived in. It was far from immaculate, but it was safe. That was all that mattered. I was used to palatial accommodations, but this was paradise to me compared to the freezing rain outside. Picture frames lined the walls and tables, filled with smiling faces. Two young boys who were apparently related grinned toothy smiles into the camera. Only one was a formal picture of a man and a woman standing proudly behind the two boys. Their smiles were genuine and made their faces radiate.

I picked the last picture frame and studied it closer. I'd never seen such happiness in my parents. Though my sister and I had been loved and doted upon, I could barely remember my parents ever smiling with such joy, such vibrancy. My fingers ran across the smooth wooden frame, a rush of melancholy overcoming my misery. This guard had grown up happy, cared for. I wonder if he knew how much richer he was compared to me.

"You can take a shower if you like. The bathroom is down the hall to the right. Last door on the left. Here." He held out a dark green towel along with a shirt and some elastic waistband shorts. He must've guessed my stuff was all soaked through and through. I was relieved I wouldn't have to ask for anything, but there was one question lingering in my mind.

"Thanks," I whispered. He turned away and was headed toward his room to change. I assumed. "Wait!"

He paused and turned, awaiting my question. "Yes, m'lady?"

"Please don't call me that. Call me Lily or Lilliana."

His eyes looked thoughtful as he pondered this, but he didn't speak. I was sure it was against everything ingrained in his soul to call me by name. It just wasn't done in the royal court.

"What's your name?" I asked.

His eyes widened with a smidge of uncertainty flashing behind them. I couldn't quite make out all his features in the darkness of the apartment. I wasn't sure if he was offended or not. I couldn't wait to see his face in pure daylight.

"It's Ephrem." He continued toward the room on the other side of the apartment where he pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the floor. I couldn't rip my eyes from him and, naturally, he glanced over and caught me watching him. Great.

He definitely knew who I was. I wondered how he could know that. I stayed away from the cameras. No one was interested in the lowly younger sister of a crown princess of a royal werewolf line. In spite of my lineage, the way he caught me staring at him made my face burn scarlet like I was still a schoolgirl. I was never more relieved to be standing in the dark with my features cloaked by the dim light.

A flash of green at his chest caught my attention as he shifted his weight, turning to leave.

"What's that?" I asked, desperate for him to stay just a moment longer.

"Pardon?" Ephrem never looked down, but his jaw tensed. He knew what I was talking about, and I was even more curious now that he'd given me a reason to investigate further. He didn't want to straight out tell me what the talisman around his neck was, so I'd squeeze it out of him, whether he wished to volunteer the information or not.

"You know... that pendant you're wearing. What is that?"

He reached for the necklace, curling his fingers around the emerald stone embedded in a dull, platinum finish setting pressed with tiny runes. I'd never seen it before, yet it was oddly familiar.

"This was a gift from my mother." He searched my eyes for a moment. "Every royal-blooded family member has one."

"What do the runes mean?"

His eyes drifted to the window where he watched the rain pelting against the window. Swallowing, he cleared his throat and let out a breath. "It doesn't mean anything. Just a gift."

What a lie. He knew that I knew every royal family member had an Ardent talisman. It wasn't completely unheard of for minor royals like a king's nephews or cousins to join the ranks of the royal guard, but it was certainly unusual. And even then, their rank would make them captains, not scouts on the periphery of the court's domain. What was he hiding? I felt my anger pulse to my face, most definitely turning it an eggplant shade of purple. How dare he lie to me? I may be pampered royalty, but I felt the same emotions as everyone else. In fact, his deception burned into me like a branding iron.

"Where's your talisman, Lily?"

I reached up to my neck, feeling nothing where the metal of my pendant should lie. I felt vulnerable and weak without my necklace.

"I—I don't know."

I looked away, breathing in deeply so as to not lose my head over such a matter, but not a moment later I flicked my gaze back toward him when I heard his door click shut. The bastard had left me there to stew in my own anger. MarkTiers were raised differently from ArcKnights. They might treat royalty with the utmost respect, but they were more secretive than the CIA. But I'd get it out of him sooner or later. There would be nothing he could hide from me.

Damn. If only I hadn't caught sight of his well-developed, trim warrior's body before he'd disappeared behind the door. He kept in shape, that was a definite. I was pretty sure every soldier in our guard was required to stay in perfect shape, but I'd never seen one without his armor on. The way it made my body ignite underneath my skin had me beelining toward the bathroom to hide, my anger dissipated.

Once there, I pressed my back against the closed door and closed my eyes before I turned on the light. This tiny space was a sanctuary, and if all I had to do was deal with a hot, introverted guard, this was going to be a piece a cake. I just hated that I currently looked like a drowned rat. My reflection was horrid, and I groaned as I stepped forward and swiped the stringy strands to the side, squeezing the water from my mane.

"Drowned rat, indeed," I sighed. Looking away, I stared at the standard tub/shower combo and sucked in a deep, centering breath. Gone was the luxurious bath suite back home. This was my life now. Yeah, that royally sucked, but now that I had nothing, this was better than the alternative. Beggars can't be choosers.

At least now I had Ephrem. Whoever this soldier was, I intended to know more about my knight in shining armor. Maybe he could be an ally. A comrade. Maybe he could help me retrieve what was stolen from me and help me get my life back.

Maybe he was what I needed after all. I couldn't wait to find out.