CHAPTER 10

Lyra's POV.

I stumbled backwards, almost colliding with the ground, save a hand sneaking out to catch me.

I exhaled softly.

Lucius stood behind me with an impressed smile. "Never knew you had it in you. It's beautiful to watch." He winked.

"Yeah," I grinned.

A loud cough broke our staring match, and I turned towards the culprit. Camille

Could she give me some space?

"I see that you're one of those people who love to be pushed before they can finally take steps. Not a really good thing if you ask me." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"It's a good thing she wasn't asking you then." Lucius stepped in on my behalf.

I was proud of myself for having someone like this stand up for me in the process of everyone because it sealed my fate.

"Come with me lyra." He beckoned.

My legs jumped into action instantly.

"Aren't you too eager?" He joked.

His lips remained in a tight line and if I was being honest I was a little bit afraid.

Was he leading me up to the slaughter?

"What does Camille have against me?" I demanded, breaking the silence.

He didn't answer till we got into the confines of his study. "I should be asking what you're having against her instead. She is one of the sweetest people that you could meet but a little bit of a fire cracker if you push her hard."

That explained why she was really hard on me but at the same time I was trying to figure out if she was doing this because she thought that I was trying to actually steal him from her.

"I think she likes you and that's why she's been misbehaving towards me. Why can't you push on her telling her that I do not have anything to do with you?"

He looked me in the eye and burst into even more after that made me feel more stupid than I had ever been.

"Are you serious? Camille is my sister."

"Like your sister? You have been together for so long and you cannot imagine another title to give to her besides siblings?" I question him.

I guess he was only giving me leverage because he wanted something from me and I needed to find out.

"Why are you asking these questions? Do you think that you'll be able to get out of this place without anyone leading you out?"

It was a rhetorical question that didn't warrant an answer or else I was going to make a fool out of myself.

"No, I'm only asking because she has been dealing with me weirdly and it seems like you are too blind to see it." I raise my hands in the air refusing to have any personal word about that woman.

"Women are constantly in battles with other women but I didn't think that you're going to be one of those people." He pointed out like I had to commit a crime.

I let him speak more because it looks like he had something to hide too.

"Or maybe you could just go ahead and tell me what I should be careful of instead of leaving me in the loop and expecting me to tell you everything about myself?" I said sarcastically.

I was pushing him no doubt but at last I needed to make it work.

I needed to change everything around and then begin on a new slate.

"Then you better get on with it darling. I've told you severally that this is a cutthroat area and nobody really cares for the next person. It's only what you can get." He smiled.

He led me towards the inside of his study, the smell of new books permeating the air.

"I never took you for a reader."

"You never took me for anything serious besides a rogue like you have been taught. Don't beat around the bush about that." He snapped.

I jumped.

"I don't know what else to see you besides what you've shown me and for now honestly I think you are..."

"Forget that. I hear that your ex mate is trying to host a ball? He's willing to take another mate."

A bit of silence passed between both of us as we kept staring at each other waiting for the first person to break.

"How do you feel about that information?" He asked.

I shrugged nonchalantly even though my heart was breaking inside. "It's a pity that I'm not there to witness the kind of woman that he would be bringing to the throne."

He didn't look convinced but didn't also call me out which saved my dignity.

"I have a plan that's going to help you get this man back."

My eyebrows hiked. "And I might just believe that you are the moon goddess."

He grinned, revealing perfectly set teeth.

"I was thinking you were going to fall for it."

"No way do you think I'm going to fall for that trap right?" I was reminded just to be sure.

His response was everything that I needed to hear. "Okay... So do you think that I have a chance or is this one of the things that you..."

"I'm not trying to do anything because if I was, honey you would know." He got an instant reminder.

The only thing that I was good at was making sure that I had been able to clear everything off.

My eyes landed on a large tattoo on his arm. When did he get that?

"A symbol?"

"Nosy much?" He mused.

I ground my teeth. "You can't blame me for always wanting to know."

"I can blame you for many things, and you would be at fault for all of them." He replied.

I swallowed. As playful as this conversation was, there was nothing remotely joyful about it.

"So in that case, I'm sending elsewhere for some time. It's going to help you get better."

"What?"

"It's a ‘dunges’ training." He grinned. "I hope you can survive though."