The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 45

LIRA

I’d been in the library for what seemed to be hours, my eyes straining in the lamplight, tracing the spidery script of royal ledgers and estate inventories. Trying to find out what could have gotten my father killed. I still couldn't find anything tangible and the recent events in the palace had made questioning Evander about his family's private archives and records impossible.

My finger, smudged with ink, paused on a line in a brittle ledger detailing the cobstruction of a new sect in the Dragon's keep. It was years ago, but it was only a few weeks before my fathers death. And he was the one overseeing the project. It was his last assignment. My heart gave a hopeful thud. A lead. Finally, a real lead.

The sound of a door clicking shut broke the silence.

I froze, my head snapping up. The library was supposed to be deserted at this hour. Footsteps, quiet but assured, echoed on the marble floor. I slowly closed the book, the soft thud sounding like a thunderclap in the quiet.

He emerged from between the towering bookshelves, and the sight of him sent a jolt through my system. Crown Prince Cassian, but not as I’d ever seen him. Dressed not in royal finery, but in a loose white shirt, unbuttoned at the throat, and dark breeches. His hair was disheveled, as if he’d been running his hands through it, and he held a glass of amber liquor. He looked… unguarded. And dangerously magnetic. His sharp eyes scanned the room and landed on me with an unnerving lack of surprise.

"You're either very brave or very reckless, sneaking about the library at this hour," he said, his voice a low, smooth murmur that seemed to vibrate in the space between us. "Especially with everything that has been going on."

I masked the frantic beating of my heart with a deliberate, slow shrug, closing the book with finality and slowly sliding a romance book on top of it. "I didn't realize I needed any permission to read, Your Highness."

A smirk played on his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes, which held a weight that unsettled me. He crossed the room, setting his glass down on a nearby table with a soft click. He leaned against the edge, folding his arms, his presence dominating the secluded nook.

"You don't. It's just… weird." He tilted his head, studying me. "I thought you'd be more bothered by the whole incident. That it might make you stay inside your room, like the others. But you're different. The rest of them are barricaded in their chambers, scared the killer will come for them next. But you… you're here. You look… relaxed. Are you ever bothered or worried?"

My pulse hammered against my ribs, a trapped bird desperate for escape. I forced my voice to stay level. "About what? Why would I worry about a killer when I'm probably the last lady on his list? I'm no competition to the other girls, and everyone here knows it." I met his gaze, hoping my lie looked like humility.

Cassian pushed off the table and took a step closer. The air around him seemed to crackle. His tone grew softer, but the intensity only amplified. "Then why stay? You've struggled here, more than most. Why not just bow out gracefully?"

*For my father. For the truth you and your family buried.* The words screamed in my mind. I could feel him testing me, his gaze like a physical pressure, trying to peel back the layers of my facade.

"I want to prove I belong," I said, the lie tasting like ash. I met his gaze with feigned determination. "To prove that I'm more than just some girl from the outskirts. I know no one expects me to come this far, but I believe I can go even further. I don't care much for winning, but let's see just how far I can go."

For a long, deafening moment, he was silent. His expression darkened, his jaw tightening as if he were weighing each of my words and finding them wanting. Then, unexpectedly, his voice dropped, losing its edge and gaining a raw, unsettling vulnerability.

"Well, you don't need to compete for that."

The words, so soft, so direct, caught me completely off guard. I opened my mouth, a flimsy reply on my lips, but he cut me off, his gaze locking with mine, holding me captive.

"You don't need to prove yourself to me, Lira," he said, and the way he said my name felt like a caress. "I already see you. I see all of you, and I like you for who you are. I don't want any part of you to change."

The air fled my lungs. The world tilted. His words hung between us, heavy and impossible. For a terrifying, fleeting moment, I wondered if this was all a game to him, or worse, if he could somehow see right through me, past the lies and the desperation, to the vengeful daughter hiding beneath.

The door creaked open, shattering the spell. I looked away quickly.

A palace guard entered, bowing apologetically. "Your Highness, I've been looking all over for you. I have some information about the investigation."

"Speak," Cassian said, his voice casual, but his body had gone rigid.

The guard's eyes darted nervously between me and the prince.

Cassian let out a short, impatient breath. "You can speak."

The guard cleared his throat. "There has been a development. The poison… it's been identified as iridaxin. A rare and expensive toxin. It can't even be found in Aurelia, it must be shipped in from Xardoss."

Ice water trickled down my spine. *Iridaxin.* The name meant nothing to me, but its implications were clear. This wasn't a crime of passion. It was a calculated move by someone with power, resources, and a cold-blooded resolve. Someone dangerously close to the throne.

Cassian's gaze flickered to me, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. "Thank you," he dismissed the guard, his voice clipped. "That will be all."

As the guard retreated, I moved to slip away, my mind reeling. But Cassian's hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around my wrist. His touch was firm, his skin warm against mine, and it sent a shock through my entire system.

"Be careful, Lira," he said, his voice low and commanding, devoid of its earlier softness. "If we are dealing with someone this powerful, then there's more at stake here than you realize. It might do you some good to stay in your room for the next few weeks."

His touch lingered for a heartbeat too long before he released me.