of the memory glistened in Chayce’s eyes.
“We need to talk.” Jackson spoke softly, all of the previous anger gone.
Chayce kept eye contact for a moment, but the hostility no longer existed in his stare. He leaned closer to Mia. “I’ll see you later.” He gave her a quick one-armed embrace, then stood.
“Sure, see you around.” She grinned her usual contagious smile and returned her attention to the pages before her.
Dakota’s jaw flexed.
“Knight.” Chayce nodded toward Dakota, apparently oblivious to the other man’s discomfort.
Dakota acknowledged him with a nod before once again giving Mia his full attention.
Jackson pushed back his chair and stood. He stared at Dakota for another few seconds, hoping his friend would look up. He didn’t. “Mia?”
She tucked her hair behind her ear as she glanced up.
“Do you know where Ryleigh is?”
The hair popped out and tumbled forward to cover her big, blue eyes. “She was in our chambers a little while ago. She’s probably still there.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you guys later.”
Dakota finally looked up, and Jackson shot him a quick, questioning look.
Dakota simply shrugged and glared past Jackson toward Chayce. “I’ll talk to you later.” The statement was filled with promise, and Jackson had no doubt he’d get an earful once they were alone.
Jackson followed Chayce across the room, but when his brother started to pull out a chair, Jackson stopped him. Anything they said would echo through the mostly empty room. “I’d like to talk somewhere more private.”
Chayce stared at him, his eyes filled with challenge.
Ignoring it, Jackson headed toward the throne room. No one would have any reason to be in there—unless something went wrong again—so it should offer the most privacy. Chayce’s footsteps echoed behind him a moment later. He slowed and allowed his brother to catch up, but they didn’t speak until they’d entered the room and the guards closed the heavy doors.
“What is it Jackson?”
Jackson stopped halfway across the chamber. He studied the large tapestry hung high on the wall behind the thrones. Deep red fabric surrounded his family crest. The royal family of Cymmera, a family Chayce was a part of. Two sets of crossed swords hung just below the tapestry. The swords his mother and father had carried, had used to defend their home. They would have expected their sons to join together and rule the kingdom they’d loved. Jackson sighed and turned to face his brother. He’d hoped to make this conversation pleasant, but so be it. There were obviously issues to resolve first.
Chayce stood with his feet apart, arms folded across his chest, jaw set in a hard line. “Unless this involves going after the man who killed our father, we have nothing to say to each other.”
Temper flared. Jackson quickly tamped it down. “In a way it does.”
Chayce’s stance relaxed somewhat, his arms falling to his sides, but his black eyes remained hard, expressionless, his mouth a firm line of disapproval.
Jackson searched for patience. “I…no…We need to start taking control around here.” Jackson swallowed hard, desperate to dislodge the words that were caught in his throat. “Look, Chayce…I apologize. I should have gotten a better grip on things before now. It’s been…difficult to manage all of my responsibilities and still—”
Chayce opened his mouth.
Jackson lifted a hand to cut him off before he could speak. “Please. Let me finish first. Then I’ll listen to any arguments you might have.” Or stand here and seethe while you whine about things not going your way. Jackson massaged the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger—a gesture he’d seen his father repeat a thousand times, only now, Jackson understood the frustration behind it.
“We’re going to go after Kai—”
“It’s about time y—”
“After we strengthen our own kingdom.” He braced himself for the barrage of angry comments to
“We need to talk.” Jackson spoke softly, all of the previous anger gone.
Chayce kept eye contact for a moment, but the hostility no longer existed in his stare. He leaned closer to Mia. “I’ll see you later.” He gave her a quick one-armed embrace, then stood.
“Sure, see you around.” She grinned her usual contagious smile and returned her attention to the pages before her.
Dakota’s jaw flexed.
“Knight.” Chayce nodded toward Dakota, apparently oblivious to the other man’s discomfort.
Dakota acknowledged him with a nod before once again giving Mia his full attention.
Jackson pushed back his chair and stood. He stared at Dakota for another few seconds, hoping his friend would look up. He didn’t. “Mia?”
She tucked her hair behind her ear as she glanced up.
“Do you know where Ryleigh is?”
The hair popped out and tumbled forward to cover her big, blue eyes. “She was in our chambers a little while ago. She’s probably still there.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you guys later.”
Dakota finally looked up, and Jackson shot him a quick, questioning look.
Dakota simply shrugged and glared past Jackson toward Chayce. “I’ll talk to you later.” The statement was filled with promise, and Jackson had no doubt he’d get an earful once they were alone.
Jackson followed Chayce across the room, but when his brother started to pull out a chair, Jackson stopped him. Anything they said would echo through the mostly empty room. “I’d like to talk somewhere more private.”
Chayce stared at him, his eyes filled with challenge.
Ignoring it, Jackson headed toward the throne room. No one would have any reason to be in there—unless something went wrong again—so it should offer the most privacy. Chayce’s footsteps echoed behind him a moment later. He slowed and allowed his brother to catch up, but they didn’t speak until they’d entered the room and the guards closed the heavy doors.
“What is it Jackson?”
Jackson stopped halfway across the chamber. He studied the large tapestry hung high on the wall behind the thrones. Deep red fabric surrounded his family crest. The royal family of Cymmera, a family Chayce was a part of. Two sets of crossed swords hung just below the tapestry. The swords his mother and father had carried, had used to defend their home. They would have expected their sons to join together and rule the kingdom they’d loved. Jackson sighed and turned to face his brother. He’d hoped to make this conversation pleasant, but so be it. There were obviously issues to resolve first.
Chayce stood with his feet apart, arms folded across his chest, jaw set in a hard line. “Unless this involves going after the man who killed our father, we have nothing to say to each other.”
Temper flared. Jackson quickly tamped it down. “In a way it does.”
Chayce’s stance relaxed somewhat, his arms falling to his sides, but his black eyes remained hard, expressionless, his mouth a firm line of disapproval.
Jackson searched for patience. “I…no…We need to start taking control around here.” Jackson swallowed hard, desperate to dislodge the words that were caught in his throat. “Look, Chayce…I apologize. I should have gotten a better grip on things before now. It’s been…difficult to manage all of my responsibilities and still—”
Chayce opened his mouth.
Jackson lifted a hand to cut him off before he could speak. “Please. Let me finish first. Then I’ll listen to any arguments you might have.” Or stand here and seethe while you whine about things not going your way. Jackson massaged the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger—a gesture he’d seen his father repeat a thousand times, only now, Jackson understood the frustration behind it.
“We’re going to go after Kai—”
“It’s about time y—”
“After we strengthen our own kingdom.” He braced himself for the barrage of angry comments to
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