Maya's POV
Derek wasn't dying.
He was barely conscious, thrashing against Nina's restraints while she pumped some kind of antidote into his system. But he wasn't dying.
"Poison," Nina said without looking up from her work. "Nightshade variant. Someone slipped it into his food three hours ago. He'll survive, but it was close."
My knees went weak with relief. Then rage took over. "Who?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Cassandra appeared in the doorway, arms crossed. Her smile was sharp. "The new arrivals get poisoned on their third day here. Quite the coincidence."
"Get out," I snarled.
"This is my medical wing—"
"It's mine," Nina interrupted coldly. "And she's right. Get out, Cassandra."
Cassandra's eyes flashed, but she left. The threat in her posture was clear: this wasn't over.
I stayed with Derek for two hours while the antidote worked through his system. When he finally opened his eyes, the first thing he said was: "Maya, I'm sorry."
"For what? Getting poisoned?"
"For being useless." His voice was weak, broken. "You're out there changing kingdoms, and I'm just... dead weight. A target."
"You're my brother. That's never useless."
But doubt crept in. Was he a target? Or was someone trying to send me a message?
When Derek fell asleep, I found Kaden in his office, studying reports. He looked up when I entered, and something in his expression softened.
"How is he?"
"Alive. Angry at himself." I collapsed into a chair. "Someone tried to kill him."
"Or tried to distract you." Kaden's eyes were sharp. "The poisoning happened exactly when you were supposed to present your resource analysis. Convenient timing."
My blood ran cold. "You think it was sabotage? To stop me from proving myself?"
"I think you have enemies here already. And they're smart enough to know that hurting Derek hurts you more than anything else."
The words hung heavy between us. He understood. Understood that Derek was my weakness, my soft spot, the one thing I'd sacrifice everything for.
"I won't let them win," I said quietly.
"I know." Kaden stood, moved around the desk. "That's why you're going to finish what you started. Present your analysis. Prove you're not just lucky."
"Derek—"
"Has Nina and my best guards watching him. No one touches him again." His voice went hard. "I made a deal with you, Maya. Thirty days of your brilliance for my protection. I keep my deals."
The intensity in his eyes made breathing difficult. "Why do you care so much?"
"Because you're—" He stopped, jaw working. "Because I need you functional. The Territory War is coming, and you're my advantage."
It should have sounded cold. Clinical. But the way he looked at me told a different story.
"Fine," I said, standing. "Let's go prove I'm worth the trouble."
The war room was packed when we arrived. Kaden's entire council, plus a dozen department heads I'd been studying all week. And front and center—Cassandra, wearing a smile that promised violence.
I pulled up my holographic displays, and the room went silent.
"Your resource distribution is killing this kingdom," I started. No preamble. No apology. "Food allocation: forty percent goes to military forces who comprise fifteen percent of your population. Civilian workshops are understaffed by thirty percent, creating production bottlenecks that cost you twelve hours of output daily. Your defense perimeter has three critical weak points that anyone with basic tactical training could exploit."
I walked them through everything. Charts. Numbers. Projections. The room stayed deathly quiet.
"These are Cassandra's systems," someone whispered.
"And they're bleeding us dry," I said flatly. "Reorganize according to these plans, and your kingdom's output increases by thirty-five percent within two weeks. Minimum."
Cassandra stood slowly, her face white with rage. "Those are MY systems. I designed them. They work."
"They worked," I corrected. "Past tense. Four months ago, they were adequate for a new kingdom. Now you're three thousand people strong, and you need optimization, not just organization."
"You've been here three days—"
"And I've spent seventy-two hours doing nothing but analyzing your failures." I met her eyes, refusing to back down. "I'm not here to make you feel good about your work. I'm here to win a Territory War. If your ego can't handle being wrong, that's your problem."
The room erupted. Half the council shouting agreement, half defending Cassandra, everyone talking over each other.
Then Kaden's voice cut through the chaos: "Enough."
Instant silence.
He looked at Cassandra. Then at me. Then at the projections still glowing between us.
"Can you deliver on these numbers?" he asked me.
"Yes."
"In two weeks?"
"Thirteen days. I work fast."
Kaden's smile was dangerous and approving. "Then do it. Full authority to restructure as needed. Anyone who doesn't cooperate answers to me personally."
Cassandra made a sound like a wounded animal. "You're replacing me with her?"
"I'm utilizing my resources efficiently," Kaden said, his voice ice. "You're still strategic operations chief. But Maya is now co-director of all kingdom systems. You'll work together."
"I won't—"
"You will. Or you can leave my kingdom." His eyes went cold. "Your choice, Cassandra."
For a moment, I thought she might actually attack me. Her hand went to her weapon, fingers twitching. Marcus tensed, ready to intervene.
Then Cassandra smiled—bright, brittle, terrifying.
"Of course, my lord. Whatever you command." She looked at me. "I look forward to working with you, Maya. I'm sure we'll learn so much from each other."
The threat was clear. This wasn't cooperation. This was war.
She stormed out, and the room slowly emptied until only Kaden and I remained.
"You just made a powerful enemy," he said quietly.
"I noticed."
"Can you handle her?"
I thought about seven years of surviving abusive bosses, manipulative coworkers, every person who'd tried to make me feel small. "I've handled worse."
"No, you haven't." Kaden moved closer, and my awareness of him sharpened. "Cassandra's killed people who got in her way. She's not a corporate rival. She's a survivor who sees you as a threat to everything she's built."
"Then she should have built better systems."
His laugh was unexpected—genuine, surprised. "You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid."
"You've said that before."
"I'm still trying to figure out which." He studied me, and the air between us felt charged. Dangerous. "You're not like anyone I've met here, Maya Chen. You should be terrified. Instead, you're reorganizing my kingdom and making enemies like it's easy."
"It's not easy. I'm terrified every second." The admission slipped out before I could stop it. "But I've spent my whole life being small and safe and invisible. And it got me nowhere. So maybe it's time to be loud and dangerous and impossible to ignore."
"You're definitely impossible to ignore." His voice went rough, and he was close now. Too close. Close enough that I could see silver flecks in his gray eyes. "That's becoming a problem."
"Why?"
"Because I can't afford distractions. Can't afford to care about anyone. Caring gets people killed in the Wastes."
"Then stop caring."
"I'm trying." His eyes dropped to my mouth, and my breath caught. "It's not working."
The moment stretched, electric and terrifying and filled with possibilities that could destroy us both.
Then Nina's voice crackled over the comm: "Kaden, we've got a situation. Eastern perimeter just reported movement. Looks like scouts from the rival kingdoms."
The spell broke. Kaden stepped back, his expression shifting to cold command. "On my way."
He looked at me one last time. "Get started on the restructuring. And Maya? Watch your back. Cassandra doesn't forgive. And she doesn't forget."
Then he was gone, leaving me alone in the war room with my racing heart and the terrifying realization that I was falling for the most dangerous man in the Wastes.
And he was falling back.
Which meant we were both doomed.