Chapter 261: Chapter 261: The Stalker 2

THE AIR IN THE HALLWAY didn’t just get cold; it felt like the oxygen had been replaced by liquid nitrogen. Grayson’s arm was a heavy, warm band around Mailah’s waist, the only thing keeping her upright as she stared at the man with the void-black eyes.

“Caspian,” Grayson repeated. The name sounded like a curse.

The man in the grey suit stopped flipping his silver coin. He caught it with a sharp clack and tucked it into his palm. “You remember me. I’m touched, Grayson. Truly. I thought the ’accident’ might have cleared away the unpleasant bits of your history. Like me.”

Mailah watched them, her heart doing a frantic tap-dance against her ribs. She could feel the waves of hate rolling off Grayson.

It wasn’t the hot, explosive anger he’d shown in the library. This was cold. This was old. It was the kind of hate that had been aging in a cellar for centuries.

“You’re a long way from the High Council’s kennel,” Grayson said. His voice was smooth, but Mailah could feel the muscles in his arm vibrating. He was ready to snap. “Does Valerius know you’re off your leash?”

Caspian’s eyes flickered to Mailah. He looked at her not as a person, but as a piece of fruit he was deciding whether or not to peel. “I’ve heard about you,” he said, his voice dripping with mock curiosity. “The twin who lived? You always did have a soft spot for things that are easily broken, Grayson. Anyway, Valerius finds some of your recent actions… suspicious. He sent me to investigate.”

“Alright, who’s the guy with the spooky eyes?”

James stepped out of the conference room, looking entirely too chipper for the situation. He had a stack of folders under one arm and a half-eaten donut in the other.

He stopped beside Mailah, looking Caspian up and down with the critical eye of a man who spent his life judging suits.

“Are you with the city council?” James asked, taking a bite of the donut. “Because if you’re here about the zoning laws for the plaza, you’re late.”

Mailah almost choked. She looked at James, then at the ancient, terrifying minion of a dark lord.

James was currently pointing a powdered donut at a creature that could probably turn his blood into lead with a whisper.

Caspian’s black eyes turned toward James. The air seemed to darken around them. “I am not with the city council.”

“Too bad,” James said, unfazed. “We could use some fresh blood in the planning department. Though maybe not too fresh. You look like you haven’t slept since the Great Depression.” James turned to Grayson. “Gray, you know this guy? He looks like he’s here to serve us a lawsuit or a prophecy. Neither of which I have time for today.”

Grayson didn’t look away from Caspian. “He’s an old… acquaintance, James. He was just leaving.”

“Was I?” Caspian asked. He leaned in closer, ignoring James entirely.

He spoke directly to Mailah, his voice a low hiss. “Be careful.”

Grayson’s grip on Mailah’s waist tightened so much it almost hurt. “Leave. Now. Or I will show you out myself.”

Caspian stepped back, raising his hands in a fake gesture of surrender. “Enjoy your meeting, gentlemen. And Mailah? I’ll see you soon. You have your sister’s eyes. Let’s hope you don’t share her ending.”

With a final, mocking bow, Caspian turned and walked toward the elevators.

The doors slid shut behind him, and the oppressive cold immediately lifted.

“Okay,” James said, letting out a long whistle. “That guy was weird. Even for your friends, Gray. He had zero ’synergy.’ None.”

Grayson finally let go of Mailah.

He walked over to the glass window, leaning his forehead against the cool pane. His breathing was heavy, and for a second, the dark gray in his eyes deepened into almost black before fading back to silver.

“Grayson?” Mailah stepped toward him, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

He flinched away, then stopped himself. He turned to look at her, and Mailah saw something she never expected to see on his face.

Fear.

“He knew Lailah,” Mailah whispered. “What did he mean about her ending? Grayson, did they have anything to do with her death?”

Grayson’s gaze was haunted. “I don’t know, Mailah. I truly don’t.”

James stepped in, his usual humor replaced by something more grounded. “Look, I don’t know what kind of history you guys have with that creeper, but we need to move. The lobby is full of people, and if you start a meltdown, it’s going to be a PR nightmare.”

“He’s right,” Mailah said, taking Grayson’s hand. His skin was ice-cold. “Let’s go get that coffee you mentioned.”

Grayson looked down at their joined hands. He squeezed her fingers, his touch becoming warmer, more human. “The coffee. Right. The ’peasant’ drink.”

“That’s the spirit,” James said, clapping Grayson on the back. “I’ll handle the architects. You two go play for an hour. And Gray? Try not to snap at anyone on the way out.”

They left the building and walked down the crowded city street. To anyone passing by, they looked like a wealthy, powerful couple enjoying a morning stroll.

Grayson walked with a grim determination, while Mailah stayed close to his side.

But the world felt different to Mailah now. She looked at the pigeons on the sidewalk and wondered if they were spies.

She looked at the shadows under the awnings and wondered if Caspian was hiding there, flipping his silver coin.

“You’re shaking,” Grayson said softly.

They had stopped at a small, outdoor cafe. The sun was warm, and the sound of traffic was a comforting, human hum.

“I’m fine,” Mailah lied, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Just… a lot happened in ten minutes.”

Grayson sat across from her. He reached across and took her hand again. This time, he didn’t let go.

“Caspian is a Whisperer,” Grayson said, his voice low. “He doesn’t track like Valerius. He tries to uncover your regrets. He finds the thing you’re most ashamed of and he whispers it back to you until you go mad.”

Mailah felt a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. “Is that what he was doing to you? Whispering about the past?”

“He was trying,” Grayson said. He looked at her, his eyes intense. “But I couldn’t hear him. All I could hear was your voice telling me to think of the lemons.”

Mailah felt her heart melt just a little. “The lemons?”

“In the dream,” Grayson reminded her, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face. “The sun. The villa. You told me to focus on that to keep the Ember quiet. It worked. Even with him standing there, it worked.”

“So… I helped?” Mailah asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“Surprisingly,” Grayson said.

He leaned in closer, the space between them disappearing.

For a second, Mailah forgot about the briefcase, the High Council, and the creepy man in the grey suit.

She only saw Grayson.

He reached out, his fingers brushing against her jawline. “I don’t know who I was before, Mailah. But I know who I want to be right now.”

He leaned in, and for a heart-stopping moment, Mailah thought he was going to kiss her right there in front of the morning commuters and the pigeons.

“Hey! You guys want muffins with those?”

The waitress appeared out of nowhere, slamming two menus onto the table.

Grayson jumped back, looking like he’d been caught stealing.

Mailah laughed, the tension finally breaking.

“No muffins, thank you,” Mailah said, her face flushing pink.

Grayson cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. “Actually… I’ll take that. The powdered one,” he said referring to a donut.

Mailah stared at him after the waitress left. “You want a donut? The Prince of Ashford wants a ’peasant’ pastry?”

Grayson shrugged, looking adorably defensive. “James seemed to enjoy it. And if I’m going to be a human, I might as well eat like one.”

As they sat there, eating donuts and drinking coffee, Mailah kept glancing outside and thought about Grayson’s briefcase.

Caspian hadn’t even looked at it. He was too busy looking for a crack in Grayson’s mind.

“Lucson’s plan is working,” she whispered. “They think you’re just… playing house with me.”

“It’s a strange sensation,” Grayson admitted, wiping a bit of powdered sugar off his thumb. “Being watched not for my power, but for my failures. Valerius is suspicious, Mailah. He knows I’m not the same Prince. He sent Caspian to see if I’ve truly lost my edge.”

“And have you?” Mailah asked.

Grayson looked at her, and the intensity in his eyes was enough to make her heart skip. “I think I’ve just traded one edge for another.”

Something about what he said made Mailah want to swoon. She felt a strong urge to lean across the table and kiss him for real. But she remembered where they were.

“We should get back,” she said softly. “The ’routine’ requires us to be home before the afternoon shadows get too long.”

Grayson stood up.

He offered his hand to her, and as they walked back toward the SUV, Mailah felt a strange sense of peace.

But across the street, leaning against a lamp post, a man in a slate-grey suit watched them go.

He was looking at the way Grayson held Mailah’s hand—the way a man holds a lifeline.

Caspian pulled a phone from his pocket. “Valerius.”

He smiled as the SUV pulled away.

He knew enough.

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