Chapter 74 Kaelen offers help 1

Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Kaelen offers help 1

Talia’s POV

I gathered my notes and books from the library and walked back to the room.

My arms were full, and the papers kept slipping. I had carried them all at once, because I did not want to make two trips. The hallway was empty, and my footsteps echoed on the stone floors as I walked with hurried steps to my room.

When I reached the room, I pushed the door open with my shoulder and set everything on the desk.

I immediately went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, letting the warm water wash away the stiffness in my shoulders. Then I dried myself and pulled on a pair of jeans and a soft green top.

The color was brighter than what I usually wore, but I liked how it looked against my skin.

I stood in front of the small mirror in the corner of the room and studied my reflection. The green brought out the faint hint of color in my cheeks, and my eyes looked brighter than usual. I had never paid much attention to what I wore before, because in Cresswood, I wore whatever Vivienne and Celeste threw away, and I was grateful to have anything at all.

But here, in Blackmoor Valley, I had choices, because Kaelen had given me choices.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and turned away from the mirror.

The girl in the mirror looked different from the one who had arrived in Blackmoor Valley weeks ago. That girl had been scared, broken, and she was always waiting for the next blow. This girl stood taller, her shoulders were back, and her eyes were clearer.

I did not know when I had changed, but I had.

Still, there was no time to think about clothes or get lost in the past, as I had a trial to prepare for.

A knock came at the door.

"Luna," a servant called. "I have brought your breakfast."

I opened the door, and the servant carried the tray to the desk. There was a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh berries, a side of crispy bacon, a slice of buttered bread, and a cup of hot tea.

I sat down and ate, but my mind was still on the Stoneclaw Pack. The oatmeal was warm, and the bacon was salty, but I barely enjoyed any of it.

The door opened while I was finishing my tea, and Kaelen walked in. His gray eyes moved to the desk, with the piles of notes and books spread across it.

"I see you have been busy," he said.

"I have been trying," I answered.

He walked to the desk and picked up one of my notes. He read it, and then set it down.

"Are you ready for the trial?" he asked.

"I am trying to be," I said.

He was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I can help you."

I stared at him. "What?"

"I can coach you on negotiation, but that is if you want," he said.

Kaelen rarely offered to help with anything. He usually just watched from a distance, looking cold and unreadable.

I had learned to read his silences.

The way his jaw tightened when he was thinking, the way his eyes softened when he looked at me sometimes, and the way he stood just a little closer than he needed to. He would never admit it.

But this was different.

I was starting to understand him, and that scared me more than the trial.

I had noticed the way he watched me in Mooncrest Hall, during the celebration, and during the trip back to Blackmoor Valley. The way his gray eyes followed my movements, assessing, and calculating. I thought he was judging me, and waiting for me to fail.

But maybe I had been wrong.

Maybe he was not watching to see if I would fall, but rather, maybe he was watching to see if he needed to catch me.

"Why now?" I asked.

He tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"You have not offered to help before. So why now?" I asked again.

He was quiet for a moment. "Because now you need it," he said.

I nodded. "Okay."

We packed up all the books and papers I had left on the desk, then he led me to his private study on the second floor.

I had never been in this part of the pack house before. The hallway was narrower here, and the torches were spaced further apart. The door at the end was made of dark wood, and carved with symbols I had never seen before.

Kaelen pushed it open and stepped aside, waving his hand for me to go first. Then I walked in.

The study was larger than I expected. Bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, filled with old books and scrolls and documents. A large desk sat near the window, covered in papers and maps. The fire in the hearth had burned low, and the room smelled of leather and old paper.

I walked to the shelves and ran my fingers along the spines.

Then I saw a book about negotiation. It was on one of the highest shelves, and it was too high for me to reach.

Instead of waiting for Kaelen to get it, or asking for his help, I grabbed the study ladder and climbed.

"Talia," Kaelen said behind me. "What are you doing?"

"I see the book," I said. "I can reach it."

But at that moment, the ladder shook. I stretched my arm to reach for the book, with my fingers brushing the spine, but then the ladder slipped.

I gasped, as my feet lost their grip, and I started to fall.