chapter506

On the balcony next door, Iceblade kept to the shadows, dressed head to toe in black. Across from him, Lydia stared him down, her eyes icy and unblinking. For a long moment, neither of them said a word. Then Iceblade finally spoke, his voice low. "If I told you it wasn't me, would you believe me?"

Lydia didn't even hesitate. "Was it you?"

They both knew what she meant. The bullet pulled out of Connor had the Blood Oath mark on it. Whoever managed to hurt Connor wasn't just any assassin. And Iceblade was definitely up to the task.

He gave her a tired look. "It wasn't me. Not tonight."

He meant he hadn't been involved in tonight's attack, but he wasn't saying he'd always stay out of it in the future.

Lydia narrowed her eyes, her voice firm. "But you knew what they were planning." Iceblade was about to answer when a sudden thump interrupted them. Both he and Lydia heard it. In a split second, Iceblade vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Grace was frozen in shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Lydia really working with the people trying to kill Connor? Who could even get close enough to hurt him? And what was Lydia's real connection to these people? What was she after? Was it the same thing Grace wanted?

She leaned in, desperate to hear more, but her foot slipped and hit the door. The sound made her heart stop. Instantly, she clapped a hand over her mouth. As she turned to run back into her room, a shadow flickered on her balcony.

A man in black appeared, moving like a ghost. His face was angelic, but the cold, lethal energy around him made her blood run cold. He felt like death itself.

Grace's voice shook as she raised her hands. I..... I didn't hear anything. Seriously, I didn't hear a thing!"

Iceblade's lips curled into a small, chilling smile. Is that so?

"Yes, yes! I promise, I didn't hear anything!"

He looked amused. "But what if I think you did?"

Grace's fear spiked. The look in his eyes was so cold and dangerous, her legs

turned to jelly and she stumbled back. Before she could scream, Iceblade flicked his

wrist. A sharp, chemical smell hit her, and everything went black.

After making sure Grace was out, Iceblade slipped back to Lydia.

"I gave her something. She won't remember any of this."

Grace wasn't a threat to Lydia, but Lydia needed to figure out what Grace was really after and who was

backing her. For now, Grace was still useful.

"Is Connor part of your mission?" Lydia cut right back to the chase, not wasting a second.

Iceblade hesitated, then nodded. "You could say that."

Connor was a target, no point pretending otherwise now that Lydia knew.

Lydia's eyes went ice-cold as she faced him, like she was staring at a dead man.

Iceblade and Lydia had been

through hell together. You could call

them childhood friends, but they'd always walked different paths Not quite enemies, not quite friends.

"You've put me on your blacklist, haven't you?" Iceblade let out a bitter laugh.

Lydia's face didn't change. You're the one who wants him dead."

Going after Connor meant going against her.

He met her gaze, hurt flickering in his dark eyes. "How long have you even known

him? How long have we known each other?"

"We were never on the same side," Lydia said, her voice steady.

Iceblade let out a soft, wounded laugh. "Yeah. People like me only belong in the dark. That's all we're good for."

Lydia's voice dropped, almost gentle. "If you're willing to leave Blood Oath, I can help you."

For a second, something sparked in

Icebladene

eyes, a glimmer of hope

But it faded just as quickly e allowed up by the darkness.