No one else raised their hand.
The announcer cleared his throat dramatically. "Going once… Going twice…"
All eyes shifted to Lord Harken. He scowled, fingers tapping his armrest—but finally leaned back, defeated.
"Sold! To the honored guest in the balcony."
Applause broke out—some polite, some grudging.
Jesse remained still, his expression was quite unreadable.
But I knew one thing for sure: whatever that amulet was… it was more than just a relic.
After the final bid was called and the crowd began to disperse, we were escorted down a private corridor—one lined with guards and velvet curtains that muffled the sounds of the auction house behind us.
"This way," the attendant said with a respectful nod. "Your item is waiting in the secure chamber."
We followed him into a richly adorned room where the Blood Serpent Amulet rested on a silk cushion inside a crystal case.
But we weren't alone.
Standing casually by the wall, arms folded, wearing an expression of smug satisfaction—was Prince Julius.
I froze for a moment unsure of how to react to his sudden appearance.
His gaze slid over us slowly, assessing.
He tilted his head, a lazy grin spreading across his lips. "That scent… it's oddly familiar."
Jesse's jaw locked. Without a word, he reached up and removed the hood of his cloak.
"Brother," he said coolly. "What a surprise."
Julius laughed, stepping away from the wall. "Oh? I came for the same reason as you, I imagine. You're going undercover too, aren't you?"
Jesse's eyes narrowed. "Did you really come to investigate… or are you here to cover your tracks?"
A flicker of something dangerous passed through Julius's eyes—but it vanished almost as quickly, replaced by another smirk.
"You wound me, Jesse," he said with mock hurt. "You think I'm behind the poison incident?"
"I think you're the most suspicious."
Julius shrugged. Then his gaze flicked to me.
"Well, that hurts. she's here with you? That's… interesting." His tone turned mildly curious, but I heard the edge beneath it. "Where's Joel? Isn't he your go-to partner for missions like this?"
Jesse didn't answer immediately.
I stepped closer, keeping my head high despite the heavy weight of Julius's stare.
He smiled wider. "You've changed your taste in company, brother. Or is this more than a simple assignment?"
I opened my mouth, unsure what to say—but Jesse cut in first, voice like ice.
"Careful, Julius."
The tension between them was palpable, like two wolves circling before the fight.
The attendant looked between the princes nervously, then cleared his throat. "Should I… leave the item with you, Your Majesty?"
Neither of them responded. The attendant bowed and left after dropping it at a nearby table.
Julius stepped closer, the silk-lined floors muffling his movements, but his presence filled the room like smoke. "You're awfully defensive today, Jesse. Makes me wonder what you're hiding or should I say protecting?"
Jesse didn't flinch. "I don't need to explain myself to someone who's most likely the culprit of the nobles poisoning."
Julius's smile faltered for a split second, then twisted into something colder. "Is that what you think of me? That I'd stoop so low?" He laughed under his breath. "How very disappointing."
"You also disappoint me every time you open your mouth," Jesse snapped, voice filled with restraint. "Just stay out of my way. And you'd better not let me find out you're doing what would be considered as treason."
Julius's eyes glittered. "That'll be difficult if we keep walking the same path, brother. Or is it your path that keeps curving toward mine?"
They stood nearly chest to chest now, and I could feel the weight of their power pressing against each other, invisible but suffocating. It was like watching two storms collide.
And me?
I just stood there.
Caught in the middle.
Again. Just like the other time.
I clenched my fists at my sides.
How had I ended up here again? The last time, it was in the palace halls, the aftermath of a disaster I couldn't stop. And now, it was here—in an underground chamber where secrets and blood were traded like currency.
Why do I keep getting pulled into this?
And worse—why couldn't I walk away?
A wave of dizziness slammed into me so suddenly it knocked the breath from my lungs.
The room tilted, the walls pressing in. I staggered, barely catching myself on the edge of a table before everything blurred into streaks of gold and black.
"Bella!" Jesse's voice pierced the fog, sharp and laced with something that sounded alarmingly like fear. "What's wrong?"
I tried to respond, to tell him I was fine—but no words came out. The floor disappeared beneath me.
Darkness swallowed everything.
I wasn't fully gone.
Even in that strange haze between waking and sleep, I could hear Jesse. His voice—low, urgent—echoed close to my ear.
"What's wrong, Bella. What's wrong?"
Then arms wrapped around me, lifting me from the cold marble. His scent warm spice and woody washed over me before everything slipped away again.
I don't know how much time passed, but when my eyes fluttered open, I was in a soft, candlelit room.
Familiar perfume clung to the air, it was sweet and heavy.
The courtesan's room.
Lana stood by the window, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. When our eyes met, her mouth curled ever so slightly, it was not a smile.
"You're awake."
I blinked hard, still groggy. "Where's… Prince Jesse?"
She looked at me weirdly then she said. "He said he had a few remaining matters to attend to. Told me to keep an eye on you until he returns."
I tried to sit up. "Thank you. I'll leave now—"
"Stop," she snapped, tone sharper now. "He said you're to stay put the moment you wake. That's it's an order."
I froze mid-motion.
Her gaze was cool and indifferent. "Sit down."
I hesitated… then slowly lowered myself back onto the silk-draped cushions.