A Shade of Kiev 3(3)

I’ll just have to deal with it when it happens. What’s done is done.

All this trouble for that witch. And why? I still didn’t even understand myself.

I still didn’t understand what drew me to her. Why I wanted her so. Why I was willing to risk so much just to see her.

After half an hour, I left the beach and walked back though the woods to the castle.

I headed straight to my quarters. Thankfully nobody saw me on my way up, for I was wearing no shirt and my pants were torn.

I locked the door and went into the bathroom to take a shower, careful to inspect my body and clothes for Mona’s long blonde hairs. I threw away my old clothes and put on fresh ones. Then I lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

I had touched another corpse today.

Only this time, I had not claimed the life myself.

I wondered if this day was the first time Mona had killed. Although she’d appeared to feel guilty afterward, she certainly hadn’t seemed to have any qualms while she was doing it.

Killing seemed second nature to her.





Chapter 3: Mona





As soon as I arrived back in Rhys’ apartment, I rushed to take a shower. I soaped myself from top to bottom and washed my hair to rid myself of Kiev’s scent. I changed into a clean dress and vanished my old clothes.

I was still in a state of shock as I paced up and down the apartment, trying to wrap my mind around what had just transpired.

I couldn’t believe that Celice was dead. But most of all, I couldn’t understand how I could have killed her. Rhys had taught me fatal curses in the past, but that was a long time ago. What disturbed me was how instinctively that curse had come to my lips. I’d thought that I’d forgotten how to even perform such powerful magic, yet it had come to me without even having to think.

I just murdered Rhys’ sister. His youngest sister. Rhys always had been most affectionate with and protective of his youngest sister.

Still shaking, I got into bed and pulled the covers over me. I closed my eyes, trying to steady my mind. Trying to numb the guilt that was tearing at my chest.

The door clicked open at some point past midnight.

Rhys entered. He whipped off his cloak and swung it over a chair. His dark eyes roamed me as I lay in bed.

“H-how did it go?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from breaking.

“A disaster.” He scowled.

I sat up, trying to assume a look of concern.

“Why were you gone so long? What happened?”

He sat down on the bed and removed his heavy boots. Leaning back against the headboard, he stretched out his legs on the mattress.

“The humans were gone from our island too. The dungeon’s door had been left open. Some of the old boats were gone.”

I clasped a hand to my mouth and gasped.

“But how?”

“We don’t know. But it’s clear now that we have a rat among us.”

He stripped to his underwear and slipped between the covers, lying next to me. He didn’t stop eyeing me as he rested his head on the pillow. He reached out and gripped the back of my head, pulling me closer against him.

“You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this?” His voice was soft but deadly.

My heart beat faster.

“How would I?”

Silence.

I sat up and stared down at him, doing my best to act indignant.

“How could you think I could have done this?”

“You’ve been acting strangely ever since we arrived on this island.”

I shook my head.

“I had nothing to do with this. I promise you.”

He continued staring at me.

Finally, he reached for me and pulled me against him.

Desperate to change the subject, I asked, “So you had to get a new batch of humans?”

“Hm.”

Although I was still curious, I didn’t dare ask where he got them from. It didn’t matter at that point.

“I need to rest now,” he said, rolling over onto his side. “It’s been a long day. And tomorrow may be even longer. I’m going to smoke out this rat.”

He reached out to the bedside table and switched off the light.

I lay trapped in his arms as I listened to him drift off.

Smoke out the rat.

What’s he going to do?

I realized how flimsy Kiev’s cover was. If anyone found out that he had gone with Tiarni to the island—and I was sure Rhys would sooner or later—Tiarni could reveal what happened. And even if she didn’t, Kiev would be under suspicion. That was something I couldn’t allow, especially now that Celice had also mysteriously disappeared.

“Oh, by the way,” Rhys said. “Have you seen Celice recently? Julisse and Arielle said they’ve been looking everywhere for her.”

“No,” I said. “I can’t imagine where she’s got to.”