"Where’s Ivy?" Damon asked the female attendant, who was eyeing them the entire time.

"She is running an errand outside the eastern wall. Do you want me to fetch her?"

"That would be great. Thank you."

The female attendant nodded before hurriedly walking away. She walked with the practised posture of someone who knew how to appear well-mannered in most environments.

Beside him, Nyla watched her leave before suddenly turning toward Damon. "I’ll be in your room."

Damon rose a brow. "My room? Why?"

Nyla shrugged.

"Don’t take too long," she said with a wink before turning and walking away before he could follow up, which was most certainly intentional.

Damon, however, didn’t dwell on it.

His gaze turned back to Jax, who stood near the far wall of the grand hall, taking in the space with the particular attention of someone memorising exits. The Dark Knight stood beside him, completely motionless, doing the work it always did without needing any explanations.

Eve had settled against a nearby wall, legs crossed, watching everything with quiet amusement.

Ivy arrived four minutes later.

She crossed the grand hall with the composed stride she used when she’d been pulled away from something important. Her eyes found Damon first, as they normally did, before she noticed Jax and paused midstep.

The moment that followed was complicated in a way that the room couldn’t fully understand. Ivy and Jax had known each other from the central station. They were never close, but for a short time, Ivy did trust him to carry out his duties, the duties he had abandoned when he left the central station.

Jax looked at her with the expression of someone who hadn’t expected this specific encounter, while she looked at him with the expression of someone who had already decided how to deal with him, and it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

"Why is he still alive?"

"We found him when observing the people from the other citadel. It turns out he was with them this entire time. I figured we could use him to get information."

Ivy stayed quiet for a moment, clearly thinking it through before turning toward her female attendant.

"Take him to the cell, then fetch Hana to interrogate him."

"I’ll keep my summon on him," Damon added, "If he tries anything, he’ll die."

Ivy nodded.

"You know I’m right here," Jax suddenly said, shocked by how easily they discuss his death.

"Good," Damon replied. "Then we won’t have to repeat ourselves."

With that, the attendant led Jax away. He went without resistance, though he didn’t really have much choice with the Dark Knight eager for him to try anything.

Once they were gone, Eve pushed herself off the wall and also left the grand hall. Surprisingly, she did so without any of her usual teasing. She simply brushed her hand across Damon’s shoulder and told him she would see him soon, which was much more restrained compared to her usual antics and left.

Ivy and Damon stayed behind for a moment.

"We can’t trust him," Ivy said.

Damon nodded. "I agree. But if Hana can get any information out of him, it’ll be worth bringing him here."

Ivy stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again.

"Get some rest," she said. "We will have the council meeting in the morning so we can discuss any further details for everyone to hear then."

"Agreed."

She held his gaze one beat longer than necessary, then turned and walked away.

Damon didn’t linger behind. With her gone, he too was on his way back to his room.

Although he barely managed to enter the southern tower before a familiar figure appeared at the base of the stairs. She was leaning against the wall with the posture of someone who had been there for a little while, though would never openly admit it.

"Eve?" he raised a brow.

"Done with your chit-chat?" she asked.

"Were you waiting for me?"

She followed him as he continued to climb the stairs of the tower, neither of them speaking, her footsteps a quiet constant behind his.

He was aware of her the way he was always aware of things that hadn’t declared their intentions yet. Then, once they reached a floor he had never stopped at, she grabbed his arm and pulled him sideways before pushing him through an unfamiliar door.

The room was fairly large, only a hint smaller than Damon’s, with almost identical style of furniture inside.

The second the door clicked shut behind them, Eve’s heels clicked one more time, bringing her right in front of Damon before her arms coiled slowly around his neck, her gaze never leaving his.

"It’s hard to catch you alone these days~"

Her eyes lit up with something Damon couldn’t quite name in the moment.

"Was there anything you wanted to talk about?" he asked, his gaze trailed around the surroundings, taking mental note of the room they were in.

Due to his far superior strength, the girl would never have been able to pull him anywhere if he refused to move, but surprised by her sudden action and interested in what she was playing at, he allowed it in the moment.

Damon took a moment to take a good look at her.

The way her short, jet black hair framed her pale face. The way her red lipstick brought all the attention to her lips, which looked like quite a meal. The sweet scent of her perfume, which made her presence unforgettable, and the way her mini dress clung to every curve of her body, leaving just enough to the imagination to make the rest impossible to ignore.

She was stunning, and she was completely aware of it.

Noticing his gaze, her arms tightened slightly around his neck.

"You’re staring," she murmured in a pleased tone.

"So?" he asked, not bothered by getting caught.

She leaned toward his ear, her voice barely more than a whisper. "So you should do whatever comes to your mind~"