Chapter 223


    Chapter 0223


    “I can see you worrying.” Julian whispered to me. “You shouldn’t. You’d be stunning in anything.”


    A light blush filled my cheeks. I nced away, embarrassed.


    Farther down the table, Nichs watched us, his mouth pressed into a hard line.


    After the banquet, Julian led me to Nichs’s rooms, where Nichs was waiting to speak with us.


    When we came through the door, I was holding Julian’s arm. Nichs’s gaze focused in on that at once.


    He didn’t say anything, but his distain radiated off of him in waves, Increasing the tension in the room.


    “Did you miss us enough to make you so grumpy, brother?” Julian asked. He kept my hand prisoner for a


    moment longer than needed, before releasing me.


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    I immediately pulled away.


    The situation with Julian had certainly made everything more confusing. Even though we had agreed to


    forget it, I still remembered the fondness in his eyes and his touch. I felt a bit unsteady near him now, like


    I wasn’t sure what to expect.


    I tried not to be obvious about it, but I was never great at hiding things, especially from Nichs, who


    watched me closely.


    Swallowing hard, I looked away from both of them, finding the wall very interesting all of the sudden.


    “You wanted to talk about the tunnel, Nichs? Are there updates?” Julian


    asked.


    “I’ve had my personal guards watch the tunnel around the clock, and so far no one has used it since


    we’ve started our vigil,” Nichs said.


    I swallowed. Still afraid to look at them, I spoke to the wall, “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”


    “Both,” Nichs said.


    “Of course, we’d rather not have any shady characters sneak into the pce,” Julian exined. “But if


    they don’t, then we can’t follow them to see what they are up to. In fact, we aren’t even totally sure at this


    point if that tunnel is the main point of entrance.”


    “Terry mentioned it the other night,” I said.


    “Yeah, but who knows if he was telling the truth?” Julian said. “That guy likely has ns on top of ns.


    All he does is sit around and mastermind schemes.”


    “Like someone else we know,” Nichs said.


    “Hey,” Julian said, mock offended. “I don’t just sit around when I scheme.”


    The banter put me at ease some, so I dared to turn around and face the brothers. Julian was smirking at


    Nichs, while Nichs was scowling back at him. A sight so familiar it almost made me smile.


    “So what do we do now?” I asked.


    “We wait,” Nichs said. “We can’t make a move until they do.”


    Sighing, Julian crossed his arms. “Waiting is troublesome.”


    “Scheme something else then,” Nichs said.


    “Don’t think I won’t,” Julian replied.


    I shook my head. “If that’s all we can do, then we have to wait.”


    “Fair enough. For now.” Julian came toward me. “Shall l’escort you back to your room, Piper?”


    Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to ept Julian’s offered hand, but this time, I wasn’t so sure. Were his


    intentions innocent, or would he think to kiss me? Which of those two options did I want to happen?


    The innocent one, surely. Right? 1


    “Actually, I think you have isted enough of Piper’s time this evening.” Nichs came closer too. Hel


    red at Julian. “If anyone should walk her back to her room, it’s me. You probably have some scheming


    to do, after all.”


    Julian nced between the two of us. His smile never wavered. I had no idea what he was thinking.


    Eventually, he shrugged. “It’s all the same to me.” Then he excused himself and disappeared out the


    door.


    Nichs offered me his hand. “Shail we, Piper?”


    He stared at me with a stern expression.


    I had the distinct feeling I was in for some type of interrogation.


    Still, I was never afraid of Nichs, so I ced my hand in his. “Very well.”