Page 37 of The Last Guardian
Zaidkiel kept on, asking, “Why did you run away?”
“Why do I have a mark like your tattoo on my wrist?”
Zaidkiel’s face showed nothing when I mentioned it—no surprise, no curiosity, not even fear. I couldn’t tell whether he knew what I was talking about or not.
And of course, he didn’t answer.
Neither of us wanted to talk. It was pointless.
“Make no mistake here, Commander…” I got up from the couch. The corner of his lips lifted as I mentioned his title with bitterness in my voice. “I find it hard to trust you, even though you may have saved my life. You’re the famous commander, yet you’re probably in your thirties, or even younger. Were you allowed to fight battles at ten years old?”
Zaidkiel laughed, and I continued, “I’m glad this all amuses you. Really. But I don’t have time for your twisted games. Maybe you saved me to hand me back to my father in exchange for something—or maybe you’re bored. Either way, let me tell you something: he doesn’t give a damn what happens to me. So, if you’d be so kind, just knock on my door when we come ashore—so we can both avoid wasting any more time on each other.”
I headed for the door, ready to return to the quarters below. Even if it was me and my thoughts alone. The moment my hand reached the door and turned the knob, a large hand closed the door in haste.
My gaze found Zaidkiel behind me, his green eyes darkened as he said, “Did Haedeon attack you before or after he saw the mark?”
MY BODY FROZE.
Had he known from the beginning that Haedeon had attacked me? And the mark…
I stared at him, observing him as his eyes shadowed with something I couldn’t quite make out, his jaw clenched hard.
“Excuse me?”
Zaidkiel leaned in and whispered, “You heard me, Princess. Now, please answer.”
My head was throbbing from days of endless self-doubt and constant questioning. “How did you know?”
“Is it typical of you to answer a question with another one?” Zaidkiel replied, stepping back and pointing to the side of his neck with his tattooed fingers. “I recognize Haedeon’s markings.”
My fingers fought the urge to reach for my neck. To touch the two tiny nodes embedded in my skin.
“How?”
“Before I answer all your questions, Princess…” Zaidkiel leaned against the wall, his gaze fixed on mine, uttering the words with the same bitterness I had expressed before. “I need you to grasp a crucial point. First,” he said, voice low, lifting one finger, “the answers you seek will change everything you think you know—and not in a good way.”
He lifted a second finger. “Second, they’ll only bring more questions—questions you will find I’m the only one willing to answer. And since you’re so eager not to spend time in my company, I’d suggest you stop digging. Are we clear?”
His tone cut through the air, each word edged with irritation—and something else beneath it. Resentment, maybe. A warning.
I blinked, caught between offense, confusion, and fear.
He wasn’t just concealing the truth—he was daring me to let it go. And the worst part? I almost did. His voice didn’t align with his gaze, though; his eyes held mine again, refusing to yield.
A challenge.
Oh, I had misjudged the situation. He wasn’t warning me to stop digging. No, he dared me to dig deeper.
“I am listening, Commander,” I replied, folding my arms over my chest.
A mischievous smile played on his beautiful lips, his eyes shining in the twilight that bathed the room in a golden glow.
Hells, life was unfair. This man was handsome. I had never seen such beauty before. Like the woman I met this morning, Nefeli.
“What do you know about the High Mages’ powers exactly?” Zaidkiel asked with a twinkle in his eyes as he led me to the couch.
I sat again and said, “All we know is that the High Mages created the border using their power to protect us from Keraneeth—and to banish the corrupted magic the Keraneethians had cast upon Perygan. But the origins of their powers are unknown.”
