#Chapter 275: Nicholas Snapped

Julian and I stayed out in the woods until just before dawn, when we finally made our way back toward the palace. Just as we broke the tree lines and came into the field on the outside of the gardens, Julian stilled. I stopped beside him and looked at him curiously. His gaze seemed to be fixed on something, so I followed the length of it to see Nicholas walking toward us. His hands were curled into fists. His shoulders were straight, tense. His jaw was locked and his mouth a hard line. His golden eyes were burning with anger, visible even in the dim light. Mark followed along behind Nicholas, speaking to him but not touching him. Nicholas didn’t acknowledge Mark at all. “Julian…” I said, half in warning, half because I wasn’t sure what else to say. “It will be fine,” Julian said. His gaze was fixed on his brother. His own body was beginning to tense. We’d been up all night. He must have been exhausted. But you would have never guessed it looking at him like this. His focus was inte