Novels by Rahmore

The Weight of ChoosingFourteen days. I woke to the number the way I woke to most mornings now, the count settling into my chest before I'd even opened my eyes, a small, constant pressure that had become as familiar as my own heartbeat.Kieran found me in the training yard before the household had fully stirred, my palm pressed flat against the dead oak's cracked bark, trying, as I did most mornings now, to call something out of it without waiting for fear or danger to force the power loose on its own."Anything," he asked, settling beside me."Nothing yet," I said. "Though I think I felt it want to, for just a second, before it settled again.""That's more than nothing," he said, and I let myself believe him, mostly because I needed to.We sat together in the cool morning air, and I found myself turning over everything Priya had told us the day before, the shape of the Keepers growing larger and colder in my mind the longer I sat with it."I keep thinking about what she said," I told

Elara's MotherWe went to see her the next morning, Elara and I together, the way I'd promised.The walk to her mother's cottage took us past the edge of the training grounds, and I caught myself glancing at the dead oak Kieran and I had spent so many mornings failing to wake, its bark still bearing the faint crack we'd never managed to widen past that first afternoon."She's going to know why we're here the moment she sees both our faces," Elara said, her hands twisting together the same way they had in the library two days before."She always could read me like that. It used to make lying to her impossible when I was young.""Then we won't lie," I said. "We'll ask her plainly, and let her decide how much of the truth she's ready to give us."Elara's mother, a woman named Priya with silver threading through dark hair much like Akira's, met us at her door with an expression that told me Elara was right.Whatever composure she'd meant to hold onto slipped the instant she saw us standin

Kaiden, Victor, and Marcus returned just before dusk. I felt the tension in the courtyard ease slightly the moment I saw all three of them ride through the gate intact, though Kaiden's expression carried a weight that told me the journey hadn't been simple, whatever they'd found waiting for them out there in the fading afternoon light."You found it," I said, meeting them as they dismounted. My eyes moved over each of them in turn, cataloguing every scrape and shadow for signs of a danger I hadn't been there to witness."I found it," Kaiden confirmed, unstrapping a weathered leather satchel from his saddle with careful, deliberate hands, as though the object inside deserved more reverence than the speed of the moment allowed."Buried exactly where I remembered, though the forest's grown up considerably around the spot in twenty-three years. It took longer than I expected to be certain I hadn't mistaken the location entirely.""Anything follow you back," Kieran asked, scanning the tree

Kaiden left at first light with Victor and Marcus, the three of them riding out before the household had fully woken. I spent the morning in the library with Akira instead, working through what remained of the damaged founding text, piecing together fragments of the release clause one careful phrase at a time.My eyes strained against the cramped, archaic script until the letters seemed to swim on the page.The work was slower than I wanted it to be. Akira worked beside me without complaint, her focus unbroken, and I found myself grateful, more than once that morning, for the particular steadiness she brought to every task no matter how frustrating it became.I understood now, better than before, some measure of what that steadiness had cost her over the years. All the silences she'd kept. All the grief she'd carried quietly rather than burdening anyone else with it."I don't know how you've done this for decades," I said at one point, setting down the fragment I'd been squinting at f

Akira spent two days with the damaged ledger before she found anything worth bringing to the rest of us. Two days during which the castle carried on its ordinary rhythm above the quiet, careful investigation running underneath it.Guards rotated through their usual patrols, maids went about their usual duties, and everyone performed normalcy while the truth waited to surface in a locked archive none of them knew to fear.I spent those two days training beside Kieran each morning, then sitting with Akira through the long afternoons. More than once I caught myself staring at the maids as they moved through the halls, cataloguing which ones lingered a beat too long near my door.I hated myself a little more each time for the suspicion, even as I couldn't seem to let it go."You're doing it again," Elara said, catching me watching one of the younger maids cross the courtyard. Her voice was gentle enough that it didn't feel like an accusation."Deciding whether she's the one," I admitted.

The Empty PageThe castle felt different that evening, every familiar hallway carrying a new weight."I hate this," Elara said, sitting with me as the last light faded. "I hate that I'm looking at people I've known my whole life and wondering which of them sold you out.""I know," I said. "I keep doing the same thing."Kieran called the inner circle together that night, doors locked, guards posted outside with orders to admit no one."Someone with access to this castle has been feeding information out," Kieran said. "I want no accusations without evidence. But I want everyone thinking carefully about who's had opportunity.""My mother came to my room the night before the hearing," I said. "She told me about a wanderer who said I carried old blood. She never said Morwenna's name. But if she knew that much, she might have known more.""You don't think," Elara started."I don't know what to think," I said. "I want to believe what she told me was real. I also know she spent months looking

Chapter TwelveMaya's POVAt 4 PM, Lina abandons her usual duties and helps me into the black velvet gown.Eva's gown.The one I have to return in perfect condition or we're both screwed.I turn slowly in front of my mirror, taking in my reflection.The waist is snatched so tight I can barely breathe. The off-shoulder neckline sits lower than I'd like. Not revealing, exactly, but close. The train pools around my legs like dark water. One wrong step and I'll face-plant in front of Chicago's elite.Perfect."You look..." Lina gasps behind me."I look what?" I glance at her in the mirror, smiling slightly. "Come on. Say it.""Alright." She reaches for the zipper and pulls it up the rest of the way. "You look good."I give her a pointed look. "Are you joking with me? Be serious, Lina.""I am serious!" She giggles. "Just make sure nothing happens to it, or…""We're both screwed." I finish her sentence. "I've got this. Don't worry."I pair the dress with silver earrings. Knockoffs, but they

Chapter ElevenMaya's POVThe closet door swings open.I step out slowly, one foot at a time, like I'm walking through a minefield. Heat crawls up my neck. My face is burning.This is mortifying.Jax stands in the hallway, arms crossed. His eyes meet mine first, then slide past me to where Finn is emerging from the closet behind me.Finn doesn't flinch. Just stares back at Jax, jaw set, shoulders squared."What's going on here?" Jax's voice is calm. Too calm. "Everything okay?""Fine." The word comes out too fast. Too high. "Everything's fine."Jax's eyes narrow slightly. "I told you to stay away from my girl."He's looking at Finn now. The air between them crackles.Finn scoffs. He brushes past us without another word. "We're done here."Jax watches him disappear around the corner. He doesn't move until Finn's completely out of sight.Then he looks at me."What was that about, Maya?""What? You mean Finn?" I force a laugh. It sounds hollow. "He just wanted to discuss the PR strategy.

Chapter TenMaya's POVFinn pulls me into the service closet before I can react.The door clicks shut behind us, and suddenly we're surrounded by darkness. The smell of cleaning supplies burns my nose. A mop handle digs into my shoulder blade.I yank my hand away from his grip. "What is wrong with you?""We need to talk.""In a closet?" My voice comes out louder than I intended. I force it down to a harsh whisper. "What do you think people will say if they see this? You're ruining everything for me."“I don't have to be involved with you. Do you hear me? Don't you understand?Tara made it clear that…”"I don't care." His voice is too close. Too rough. "Let them say whatever they want."I can feel his breath on my face. Hot. Unsteady.The space is impossibly small. Maybe three feet wide. Our bodies are inches apart, and every time I try to step back, I hit a shelf or a bucket or the damn wall."Finn, this is insane…""I need to hear the truth, Maya.""What truth?" I push at his chest,

Chapter NineMaya's POVI couldn't sleep at night. I am anxious about how bad things could get if Ray happens to know where i live.It felt like i was standing guard for Leo, while he slept.It wasn't a nice experience. My eyelids feel very heavy, and i find myself dozing off every minute. I suddenly wished for Leo to grow up quickly. If he was bigger, we would have taken turns.The stress is on another level.I finally fall face down on my bed by 1 PM.That is when i felt less threatened. And exhaustion has won me over.I shouldn't be going to bed by this time. I'll wake up disoriented in the morning.And I have to show up early at practice at the agency tomorrow.The practice rink smells like ice and sweat and too many bodies crammed into one space.I walk in slowly, gripping my clipboard like it's the only thing keeping me upright. Reporters line the walls, cameras already raised. Of course they're here. They're always here now.The practice session today could get messy if I'm not

Chapter EightMaya's POV"You can head home early today."I look up from my desk. Tara stands in the doorway of her office, tablet in hand, looking almost... pleased?"Really?""You've earned it." She taps the screen. "Keep doing what you're doing with Jax. We're getting the exact response we need."I nod, not trusting myself to speak.The second she disappears back into her office, I grab my bag and practically sprint for the elevator. I don't want to run into Celeste. Or Jax. Or,God forbid—Finn.The doors close, and I finally exhale.Lina's surprised when I walk through the door at three in the afternoon."You're home early!" She's folding laundry on the couch, one of Leo's dinosaur shirts in her hands."Tara gave me the rest of the day off." I drop my bag by the door. "You can go. I've got it from here.""You sure?" She glances toward Leo's room, where I can hear the faint sounds of him talking to himself—probably narrating some elaborate adventure with his toys."Positive. You des

Chapter SevenMaya's POVTen steps. Twenty. Thirty.I count each step as I walk into the agency, like the numbers can shield me from what's coming. By the time I reach forty, I know it's not working. I wanted to feel safe and let my guard down.But eyes follow me down the hallway. A woman from the accounting department.Sarah? Sandra?watches me pass, her lips curled into a smirk. Two guys from the marketing department lean against the wall, whispering. One of them doesn't even try to hide his stare. Like I've commited the worst crime and they are about to throw me to the dogs.I glance down at my pants. There’s no terrible stain. Nothing out of place.So why do I feel like I'm walking naked through a firing squad?The whispers start behind me. Soft at first, then louder. I can't make out the words,I wish i could. But I catch the tone. Judgment,Amusement,Speculation.My face burns. I walk faster.Don't react. Don't give them anything.I'm about to turn the corner toward my desk when a