Kaige

My body was pressed against the cool stone of the barracks, waiting for the last of the royal guards to leave for their nightly duties. I quickly sped through the quiet halls, toward the largest atrium where the military planes were kept. The lavish royal ones for the family and other nobles were stationed on the opposite side of Castle de la Divin. Those wouldn’t do me any good without an experienced pilot.

I returned Solaris to the cabin to wait for me. She hated the idea of spending more time alone in the cramped space, but I could hardly take her with me.

An ache twisted my chest. If things went well, this would be our last night together. Just a few short hours and she’d be home.

I shook off the irrational feelings. Solaris belonged in Imera, far away from any nocturnes—including me. It was too dangerous for both our races. And that was the reason I was about to commit another crime.

Cold sweat rolled down my neck, leaking into my shirt as I stalked toward one of the small, two-seater machines. Xander and I had both learned the basics. I could get from point A to point B without incident. I simply needed to do it quickly and quietly.

The dim overhead lights cast a soft glow around the smooth, matte charcoal body of the plane. The Draconis symbol was blazoned on one side in deep crimson paint.

A shudder rolled down my spine. The color reminded me of the blood bags we found on the jet. Before leaving, I’d pushed the plane, along with its damning contents, into the lake. Unless someone decided to dredge the body of water, it would never be found.

The small plane had the bare minimum and was mostly used to patrol the aevitas fields. It was nothing like the Cessna that Solaris had crashed. She was probably going to laugh at it.

My fingers shook as I snatched the correct key from the lockbox behind Captain Ferran’s desk. The tiniest scuff of a shoe against stone had my muscles clenching. I spun around, cold trepidation sinking through my veins.

“Xander.”

“Kaige.” The slight twist of his lips was menacing, prickling my skin. It was like looking into a mirror that showed my darkest parts. “The good prince finally graces me with his presence.” He was leaning against the very plane I was about to steal.

My fingers curled tightly around the key, masking it in my palm. I swallowed hard, choking back the panic bubbling beneath the surface. “What do you want?”

He tsked. “Is that any way to treat your twin?”

“If you have nothing pressing to discuss, you can leave,” I snapped.

Xander pushed off the plane, his navy eyes glancing around the empty barracks. “What exactly are you doing in here?”

“Training,” I lied. “I’m waiting on Officer Maxum to go over flight drills.”

“Training?” His hand brushed across the smooth surface of a wing. “We’re not doing any flying in the trials.”

My fingers tightened around the key so hard the edges bit into my palm. Soon it was either going to cut me or I’d crush the metal. “There won’t be any actual flying, but whoever is to be king should know basic military procedures.” I shot him a hard glare. “It could very well come into play during the trials.”

His lips thinned. “Maybe I should join. We’re supposed to be equally educated.”

I shook my head. “This is a private lesson. You can schedule one for yourself.”

Something flashed in his eyes. “A private lesson?” He slowly walked toward the left, pretending to examine another plane when really his attention was all on me. “Have you been doing a lot of private lessons?”

I angled my body away from him and shoved the key into my pocket. “No. I’ve been training as usual.”

His brow arched. “Funny thing. Hazon said you missed the training you were supposed to have this morning with Captain Ferran. That’s very unlike you Kaige.”

A bead of cold sweat ran down my nape, disappearing into the collar of my shirt. “There was a scheduling error,” I lied. “A mistake. I was working with an alchemist.”

“Hazon has seen you dart off to the woods, day and night.” Xander continued with his interrogation, my explanation having no effect. “He’s also reported seeing you, on several occasions, hop into your car and fly out of here like a bat out of hell.”

My jaw clenched and I used my tongue to force my fangs back into my gums. Hazon was a royal guard and one of Xander’s closest friends. “Is Hazon your new lap dog these days? Shouldn’t he pay attention to his royal duties instead of spying for you?”

Xander’s head tilted, his brows arched. “Is that a hint of anger in your voice, brother? Has something done the impossible and ruffled your feathers?” He brushed past me on the way to Captain Ferran’s desk. His gaze roamed the area, looking for anything suspicious. “What’s out in those woods but that little old cabin we used to visit?”

My pulse spiked. Xander would be able to hear the frantic beat of my heart if he stood any closer. Years had passed since he’d mentioned the place we used to hide out as kids. No one could find what I was keeping there, least of all him. Solaris’s life would be snuffed out within days, and if implicated, I’d be next.

“Having others do your dirty work isn’t surprising,” I said, trying to divert his thoughts from the cabin. “You were always one to cheat.”

Xander’s laughter echoed off the walls, crashing loudly against my skull. “Oh, look at you.” He turned toward me, his eyes sparkling as they traced my features. “You’ve got a little fire in you today. What happened to that cold stone shell of yours? What yanked it off?” His hand reached for my shoulder.

I moved fast, my fingers catching his wrist before he could touch me. “Back off, Xander. You don’t want to start this,” I warned. If an actual fight broke out between us, I’d win. My brother was underhanded and cunning, but he was also reckless.

He stared at me for several long, heavy moments. I shoved my emotions down, choking on them. All I could think about was what would happen if he found Solaris.

It wouldn’t happen. I wouldn’t let it. All I had to do was get this plane and take her home. That would be the end.

Xander’s nostrils flared. “You smell like Abscondam.”

I swallowed. “I was working with the alchemist earlier, remember?”

Darkness melted over his features, blotting out any of the usual humorous disdain. “Something is different about you, Kaige.”

My lungs squeezed, shrinking my airways. “Stop getting Hazon to spy on me,” I spat. “If I see him, I’ll report him to Captain Ferran for shirking his duties.” I released Xander’s wrist.

His hard gaze remained on me as he rubbed the area I’d held. “Keep training, Kaige.” He flashed an eerie smile made even more ominous by his fangs. “The trials will be here before you know it, and I might be more competition than you expect.” Xander spun around and marched out of the barracks, his words lingering in the air.

A shiver rolled down my spine. I hated to imagine the lengths my brother would go to best me in these trials.

I sucked in a lungful of air and dragged my fingers through my hair. That was too close. Xander had his friends following me. If I didn’t get Solaris out now, she was going to be trapped in Draconis. Time was running out. Things were spiraling, and one wrong move could snap the thin line we walked on. Was it already too late? Had we toyed with fate and the prophecy too much to escape unharmed?