The Underworld Crown (Series)

Chapter 33

I stretched under the covers of my bed, relishing in the feeling of soft cotton sheets. I yawned and opened my eyes blearily to a dark room lit by soft candles. My entire body was in a blissful state of calm, like I'd just had the best sleep in my entire life. For a few moments I just lay there, a small smile on my face as I felt energy and happiness thrum through me.

At the sound of footsteps on floorboard, my heart skipped a beat and I sat up straight, trying to clear my head. I stayed silent and strained to listen. Slowly, the sound of footsteps grew louder and louder, and then seemed to fade away.

Someone else was in the apartment.

I looked around my room for a weapon, but there was nothing that would do enough damage. Then I noticed my lingerie-clad body with horror, having no recollection of undressing or even making it back to the apartment. My clothes were freshly washed and dried, hanging over a chair.

I searched back through my memories. The last thing I could remember was Jackal, sitting atop a horse, and a woman, emerging from a plume of smoke with an army of people behind her. Cleo.

My eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and I stilled when I saw a cascade of dried blood on my hand. But other than my initial horror, it didn't look like my hand had been injured at all. The memory of a sharp knife embedding in my back burned a hole in my mind and I softly touched the skin at the memory, feeling more dried blood but no open wound.

I must've healed in my sleep.

As if on autopilot, I leaned over to grab my clothes and got dressed, fully intending on taking a shower. But first thing's first: I needed to find Alek. If memory served me correctly, the Crown Guard could be in the city at any moment and we needed to get out as soon as possible.

I fumbled with the door and stood in the archway to the kitchen, taking a moment's respite and leaning against the frame. I also took the time to spy on Cleo standing with their back of me, stirring something in a dish. She hadn't looked at me yet, but I had a feeling she knew I was here. I narrowed my eyes in on her while she wasn't looking, my gut instinctively not liking her despite her giving me no reason to.

Jealousy? Perhaps.

She was stunning. And Jackal had made no attempt to hide the fact there was something between Alek and her. She'd freshened up in the time I'd been asleep, donning a freshly washed white shirt, jeans and pair of small heeled stilettos. Her hair was different, too. In the Aplista's prison, she'd had an uneven cut below her shoulders. Now, her shiny hair was cut in a sharp angle above her shoulder, giving her an aura of confidence.

"Alek's not here," she stated loudly, turning to look at me. She smiled, but it was the kind of smile a woman gives another when they're seizing them up. It made me feel better for instantly disliking her.

I crossed my arms. "What about Jackal?"

"Out trying to convince our dear father that the explosion had nothing to do with you. Or Alek."

I nodded, despite my stomach sinking at the knowledge of being left alone with someone who clearly held a similar apprehension of me, too.

"I'm Serena," I introduced, as Cleo threw more ingredients into the pan and the oil sizzled.

The corners of her lips tugged up. "I know, Jackal filled me in on the details on the way back. I'm Cleo."

"I know," I responded simply, unable to resist the dig.

Cleo turned her back on me, continuing to stir the dish. "I'm making dinner. You can have some after your shower, if you want. I'm making some for Alek, too."