Alara sat on the bed for a long time after Darius left, staring at the closed door.
Stay away from the east wing.Why would he even say that? If he didn't want her curious, he shouldn't have mentioned it at all.
By the time Mara returned with a tray of food, Alara had made up her mind. She needed to see it.
"Soup again?" Alara asked, forcing a smile.
Mara set the tray down. "It's good for you."
"Good for me, or just easy for you to make?"
"Both." Mara tried not to smile, but Alara caught it.
While Mara fussed with the tray, Alara asked casually, "So… what's in the east wing?"
Mara froze for half a second before answering. "Storage."
"Storage? Really? What kind of storage?"
"Just… storage," Mara repeated, avoiding her eyes.
Alara leaned forward. "You're a terrible liar."
"I'm not lying."
"You hesitated," Alara said. "That means it's important. Which means I'm definitely going to find out."
Mara's voice hardened. "Don't. He wasn't joking when he warned you."
"I'm not scared of him," Alara lied.
"You should be," Mara said quietly.
That silence between them said more than anything else could.
When Mara left, Alara waited. She listened to the footsteps in the hall fade. Then she put on the pair of slippers Mara had given her and slowly turned the doorknob.
Unlocked.
She stepped into the hall, heart pounding. The place was quiet—too quiet.
Alara moved down the corridor, the floorboards creaking under her weight. She passed several doors, all closed, until she reached the main hall where the hallway split.
Left was the way she'd seen Darius come from before. Right was the east wing.
The air felt colder the moment she turned right.
Every door she passed was locked. The walls here were older, the paint chipped, the light dim. She was halfway down the hall when she heard something.
A muffled sound—low, almost like a growl.
Her breath caught. She inched closer. The sound grew louder, sharper. Not quite human.
Alara reached for the nearest door, but before her hand touched the knob—
"Alara."
Her whole body stiffened. She turned slowly.
Darius stood at the end of the hallway, hands in his pockets, eyes locked on her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"You're a terrible listener," he said finally, his voice dangerously calm.
Alara swallowed hard. "I was just… exploring."
"This is not a place you explore." He started walking toward her, each step echoing in the hall.
She backed up slightly. "Then tell me what's here! You can't expect me to just—"
"I expect you to follow my rules." His tone cut like ice.
"I'm not a dog, Darius."
"No," he said, stopping right in front of her. "You're something far more stubborn. And that will get you hurt."
"What's behind these doors?" she pressed, her voice trembling more from adrenaline than fear.
"Something you're not ready to see."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you'll get until you prove I can trust you."
Her fists clenched. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "By not doing exactly what you just did."
For a second, they just stared at each other. His eyes were unreadable, but there was something in them—anger, yes, but also something else.
Then he took her arm, not roughly, but firmly enough that she couldn't pull away, and led her back down the hall.
When they reached her room, he pushed the door open and guided her inside.
"Stay here," he said, his voice lower now. "And don't make me come get you again."
She stood there, glaring at him. "What if I do?"
He gave her a small, humorless smile. "Then you'll see what a real cage feels like."
The lock clicked, leaving her alone again.
Alara sat on the bed, her pulse still racing. Whatever was in the east wing… it wasn't just "storage." And she wasn't going to stop until she knew the truth.