Chapter 4: The Poisoned Kiss
803 Words
"You knew," I snapped, slamming my palm against the cold stone table. "You knew it was my family that night."
Kade didn’t flinch. He stood on the other side of the war chamber, arms crossed, shadows licking his face from the torchlight.
"I didn’t know it was them, Aria. Not then."
"Don’t you dare lie to me." My voice cracked. I hated that. I hated the tremble, the weakness. I wanted to sink my teeth into his throat. "You led the raid. You gave the command. You watched my home burn."
He stepped forward, slow and heavy like every footfall weighed more than he could carry. "I was given forged orders. The Council told me the Moonfalls were harboring traitors. You think I wanted your blood on my hands?"
"You should’ve questioned it," I hissed. "You knew my father. You knew him."
"I trusted the chain of command," he said, and there was something dead in his voice now. "And I paid for it. Every damn day since."
I stared at him. The silver thread on his shoulder cloak gleamed under the flickering light. Blackthorn royalty. I wanted to claw it off.
"My mother died screaming. My sister hid in the cellar with a silver blade through her stomach." I could feel the heat in my throat. "What did you do, Kade? Watch? Or turn away?"
"I pulled my men off once I saw the truth," he said, jaw clenched. "But it was too late. I was too late."
"You were the truth," I spat. "You were the one holding the sword."
He shook his head. "No. No, I wasn’t the one who—"
"You still led them there."
Silence wrapped around us. Heavy. Awful. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
He stepped even closer. "You think I haven’t played that night over a thousand times in my head? I see it every time I close my eyes."
"You should see it when you’re awake."
Then the air changed.
I didn’t hear a sound. No breath. No footsteps. Just the instinct.
I spun — too slow.
A blade hissed through the space where my throat had been, slicing the air.
Kade roared. Not shouted. Roared.
Steel clashed behind me. The force of his lunge knocked over the iron brazier. Flame licked the edge of the war map.
I ducked, heart slamming. Another strike missed me by inches.
"Who the hell—" I started.
"Stay down!" Kade barked.
The assassin moved like a phantom. Masked. Fast. Blades in both hands. But Kade matched him blow for blow, snarling like a beast backed into a corner.
I lunged for the spear on the wall. Ripped it free.
Kade slammed the assassin against the pillar.
The mask slipped.
Kade froze.
"No," he breathed.
I stared.
It couldn’t be.
"Jax?" Kade said. Quiet. Broken. "What are you doing?"
The man smirked, blood on his lip. "Finishing what you were too weak to do."
I looked at Kade. His expression cracked — shattered.
"You know him?" I asked.
"He was my brother in arms," Kade said, voice hoarse. "My best friend."
Jax’s eyes cut to me. “She’s the poison in your veins, Kade. The Council was right. She’s already breaking you.”
Kade’s fists clenched. "You're working for them?"
"I’m saving you," Jax snarled.
He lunged again — toward me.
Kade moved faster than I’d ever seen. Steel rang out. Sparks flew.
I spun and slammed the blunt end of the spear into Jax’s ribs. He grunted and staggered.
Kade struck low, sweeping his leg. Jax fell.
Before I could react, Kade’s hand was on my arm.
"Are you hit?" he asked, eyes scanning me.
"No," I whispered. "I’m fine."
"Good."
And then he kissed me.
It wasn’t soft.
It wasn’t gentle.
It was rage and grief and adrenaline crashing into each other like a storm. His hand tangled in my hair. My fingers dug into his chest. We hated each other. We needed each other. Every breath was fire.
He pulled away, breath ragged.
I blinked, dazed. "That—wasn’t a strategy."
"No," he said. "It wasn’t."
Jax groaned.
We turned.
But the bastard was gone — vanished into the smoke and shadows.
Kade cursed, chest heaving. "He was supposed to be dead. I saw him fall during the battle at Hollowfang."
"You didn’t see him buried," I said.
"No," he muttered. "No, I didn’t."
I touched my lips. Still burning.
"What the hell was that?" I asked.
"Don’t pretend you didn’t feel it too."
I wanted to slap him. I wanted to kiss him again.
"Kade, if your best friend just tried to kill me, then someone’s feeding him orders."
He looked at me, eyes storm-dark. "This marriage was never meant to save us — it was meant to bind you."
- Writer
