The Weight Of Remaining

CHAPTER 5

The city felt different after midnight.

Quieter.

The crowds had thinned. Most of the taverns were beginning to close. Lantern light reflected off wet cobblestones, casting long shadows across the streets.

Neither of us spoke for several minutes. I wasn’t sure if it was awkward or comfortable silence and the fact that I couldn’t tell annoyed me.

“So,” I said finally. “If this turns out to be a cult, I’m leaving.”

“No cults.” A warm laugh escaped him.

“That’s exactly what someone in a cult would say.” I shrugged.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” he teased.

Silence settled between us again. I hated how quickly I’d gotten used to walking beside him. The realization alone made me suspicious.

Kaiden turned down another street. Then another. The buildings around us gradually changed. The lively center of the city gave way to older districts with wider roads and larger estates. Fewer people.

Eventually we stopped in front of a tall wrought-iron gate.

I frowned.

The estate beyond it stretched farther than I expected. Stone walls and manicured gardens. A large building sitting at the center of the property. Warm light glowed through dozens of windows.

I don't know what I expected to see, but it definitely wasn't this.

I looked at Kaiden.

Then back at the estate.

Then back at Kaiden.

“This is your secret base?” I asked in confusion as this building was anything but secretive.

“It’s a little more complicated than that.” The corner of his mouth twitched.

“You’re living in a mansion.” I stared at him.

“It’s not a mansion.” he stared back

“It’s absolutely a mansion.”

A sigh escaped him.

“Fine.”

“Thank you.” A smug smile formed on my face

The gates opened before either of us touched them and I immediately looked toward the shadows surrounding the entrance.

Someone was watching.

Amazing.

Nothing says “trustworthy organization” like being silently observed.

Kaiden noticed where I was looking.

“Relax.” he said as if I wasn't about to follow a stranger inside a creepy mansion.

“I don’t think I will.” I said as my gaze drifted toward the estate behind him. If anything, seeing it up close was making this decision significantly worse.

I followed him through the gates and the closer we got, the more obvious it became that the estate wasn’t just a home.

Security wards shimmered faintly beneath the stone pathways. Protective runes had been carved into parts of the architecture. Whoever owned this place had money.

The front doors opened before we reached them. Warm light spilled across the entrance hall.

And immediately I heard-

Arguing?

Not tactical discussions. Not military briefings.

Arguing...

I paused.

“…Are they fighting?”

“Probably.” Kaiden sighed.

“Should we help?” I asked concerned.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re arguing about cards.”

“What?” I blinked in disbelief.

He pushed the door open wider.

“Trust me.” he said already annoyed by what was waiting on the other side of the door.

The sound hit me instantly. Someone shouting that another person was cheating. Someone else insisting they weren’t. It sounded less like an elite monster-hunting team and more like a family gathering that had gotten slightly out of control.

Which somehow made me more nervous. Because monsters were predictable. People weren’t.

I stepped inside.

The common room opened up before me. A large table occupied the center. Several couches sat near a fireplace. Maps and mission reports were scattered across nearby shelves. Weapons rested against one wall. But the room itself felt lived in.

Six people looked up almost simultaneously. The room went silent as the argument stopped.

Every eye landed on me.

One dark-haired woman sitting cross-legged on the couch looked between me and Kaiden.

“Oh.” She slowly smiled.

A blond man near the table immediately straightened.

“Oh.”

A second person leaned forward.

“Oh.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“He brought home a girl.” The blond man pointed at Kaiden.

Kaiden closed his eyes.

The woman laughed.

I considered turning around and leaving immediately.

Honestly, it was still an option.