Chapter 207: You care

"What?" His voice carried a mocking amusement. "You want to run now after hearing enough?"

Her eyes widened. He knew. She spun around, ready to flee. She never made it. A strange pressure suddenly wrapped around her body. It wasn’t physical, yet it felt stronger than any hand could have been. Her feet moved against her will, carrying her out from behind the plants. Yuki’s breath caught.

"No."

She tried to resist, but her body continued forward until she stood beneath the moonlight. The man towered over her. Up close, his height was even more intimidating.

Yuki had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes, and the sheer presence rolling off him made every instinct in her body scream at her to retreat. Her face drained of colour. The man studied her silently. His silver hair fell over one shoulder, glowing almost white beneath the moon.

"You knew I was there," Yuki whispered.

He gave a quiet scoff. "If I can read your mind, you think I can’t easily pick up your presence?" he sneered.

Yuki swallowed. The words she wanted to ask seemed to stick in her throat. Who are you? What are you to Aevia? Her fingers curled tightly against her dress.

"Who are you?" she finally managed. "What’s your relationship with Aevia?"

A slow smirk appeared on his lips. "Still the curious type, aren’t you?" he chimed.

There was a teasing quality to his voice, but Yuki sensed immediately that he had no intention of answering. Her jaw tightened.

"Then why couldn’t anyone see you?" she asked quietly, voicing the question that bothered her the most.

His smile deepened. It was not a normal smile. There was meaning behind it, as though her question amused him because she was nowhere near the answer. Yuki’s unease grew. Before she could ask anything else, a cold gust swept through the garden. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. When she looked up again, he was gone. Yuki stumbled backwards. Her eyes darted around the garden.

"Yuki?"

His voice whispered directly beside her ear. She froze. She could feel his breath against her skin. Her head snapped towards the sound. Nothing. Only empty darkness.

"That is an interesting question."

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Yuki didn’t wait. She turned and sprinted. Branches clawed at her dress as she tore through the maze. Leaves brushed against her face, catching in her hair as she stumbled around corners without bothering to check where she was going. She didn’t care. She just needed to get away. Eventually, she spotted an opening. Yuki burst through it and stopped, gasping for breath. She had reached the opposite edge of the maze.

A narrow river flowed beneath an old stone footbridge, its surface reflecting the moonlight in broken silver streaks. Tall grass swayed gently along the banks, and willow branches dipped towards the water, their leaves brushing the surface whenever the breeze passed.

Somewhere nearby, crickets chirped softly, the peaceful sounds of the night completely at odds with the chaos inside Yuki’s head. She stood there for several seconds, trying to catch her breath. Then she slowly climbed onto the bridge.

The cool stone pressed beneath her fingers as she walked towards the middle. Once there, she lowered herself onto the stone edge and stared down at the water. She had no intention of returning to the dome. Not yet. She was exhausted. Every second of the evening seemed to have placed another weight on her mind.

The wedding, the mysterious man, Aevia’s strange behaviour, Alexander’s adoption announcement, the triplets, Declan. It was all becoming too much. Her head suddenly spun. Yuki frowned and pressed a hand against her temple. The alcohol had finally caught up with her.

"Nine glasses," she muttered under her breath. "Maybe that was a little ambitious."

A weak groan escaped her as she closed her eyes. For a while, she simply sat there. The river continued flowing beneath her. The wind whispered through the trees. Her breathing gradually slowed. Then soft footsteps approached from behind. A calm, familiar voice broke through the silence.

"I guess you want to call it a night, then."

Yuki’s heart skipped. Her eyelids slowly lifted. She turned her head. Kaden stood a short distance away. His hands were tucked into his pockets, his black hair slightly tousled from the night breeze. His blue eyes watched her with an expression she couldn’t quite read. Yuki’s brows furrowed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "You shouldn’t be here." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Eloise wouldn’t be pleased that you left her."

Kaden stared at her for a moment. He had been asking himself the same question since he left the reception. Why was he here? He could have stayed inside. He could have continued listening to Eloise complain about not being allowed to drink. He could have danced with someone else. Instead, somehow, his feet had carried him after Yuki.

"You’re drunk," he said finally.

Yuki’s eyebrow rose. "What does me being drunk have to do with you?" she taunted.

Kaden stepped closer, his shoes scraping lightly against the stone. "When you’re drunk enough to run through a garden maze when no one is chasing you, it becomes concerning." His mouth twitched. "And believe me, those jobless nobles would find it very important to have a story to discuss tomorrow."

Yuki stared at him. Then she burst out laughing. Her laughter floated across the quiet river, bright and completely unrestrained. Kaden’s expression faltered. Something strange twisted in his stomach. He looked away for a moment, suddenly fascinated by the river.

"What is so funny?" he asked, his voice slightly more flustered than he intended.

Yuki grinned. She shifted on the stone ledge and looked up at him through narrowed eyes.

"Did you follow me from the dome?" she asked, taken aback.

Kaden’s jaw tightened. "I happened to come this way." He forced the words out, but they sounded unconvincing even to him.

"Oh, really?" Yuki drawled, and he replied immediately, perhaps a little too quickly.

"Yes."

Her grin widened. "Don’t tell me the great Kaden Ravencourt is worried about me."

Kaden looked back at her. For once, he had no immediate response. The tips of his ears burned. Yuki noticed. Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Oh my goodness." She covered her mouth, trying not to laugh again.