𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𖥸 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝘼𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙨

Epilogue | Regrets

     "Has anyone seen Kyran at all today?" Ciaran asked, his eyes narrowed to slits as he looked around at the court.

     Gabriel blinked once, "I haven't. In fact, she hasn't left her room since she and Asteria got into that fight last night."

     The male strode into the throne room further, looking around again. "She wasn't in her room this morning."

     "The guards would have said something if she had left." Luca offered, pursing his lips. "Do you think she snuck out her window?"

     "Why in Erdas would she sneak out?" Pythios demanded, looking annoyed. "The fight wasn't that bad."

     Ciaran crossed his arms. "From what I heard, it got physical. Asteria struck her."

     "Struck her how? She's slapped us all a bunch of times." Luca tilted his head.

     "The guards tell me that Asteria slapped her. Out of reflex."

     The silence that followed was uncomfortable, until Pythios broke it. "If Asteria hit her, then maybe she did leave."

     "Do you really think she just left after everything we've done for her?"

     Gabriel shook his head, a sad expression on his face. "We learned long ago that we didn't know her as well as we thought we did. Maybe she would." He paused. "Besides, what have we truly done for her? Ciaran treats her like garbage, and the rest of us have come to believe that she was the one who nearly killed Asteria, and we believe she murdered the handmaidens and guards. I personally wouldn't want to live in a place where I'm always the suspect, bloodoath or not."

     Ciaran narrowed his eyes.

     Luca was nodding along with Gabriel. "I noticed that she couldn't seem to settle here. She was afraid. Of us. She didn't trust us anymore, not like she did when she first took the oath."

     "Can you blame us?" Pythios grunted. "She took our trust and shattered it like glass. She tried to murder Asteria. She killed thirteen guards and six handmaidens in the span of two months."

"I can't believe you." Ciaran pushed off the wall. All eyes turned to him. "Do you really think, after she spent every single ounce of her worth to prove to us that she was worthy of the oath, she would turn around and betray us like that? She didn't run off. She was stolen."

     Luca eyed him. "How are you so sure?"

     "Because, I may not like her. Hell, I might even hate her. But Kyran is not the type of girl to run away from her problems. She would rather die."

     "So what do you think?" Pythios asked.

     "She was taken. Whoever has been doing this, committing these crimes, has been targeting her." Ciaran answered. "Child or not, bloodsworn or not. She is one of ours. The Greencloaks learned long ago that you don't hold a bloodsworn against the ruling of the court. Whoever took our partner might as well learn the same thing."

     Gabriel raised a brow. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

     "Kyran was stolen from us." Ciaran responded. "You know what we have to do now." He looked each of them in the eye. "We're thieves. We'll steal her back."