Something was off, and this time it wasn't the air.

In the puddle beneath her foot, she caught a piece of the reflection of the sector behind them. The skyline brightened the night with shades of blue from the skyscrapers in the distance. Each team had its own separate facilities on opposite sides of the Chess compound.

By foot, it would take them at least half an hour to get to where London Town was. It was set up on purpose so that the two teams could handle their own business without having to deal with someone else hearing their plans.

Katherine, on the other hand, believed that it had everything to do with forcing them to bond with each other. If you were going to put your life on the line for someone, it would probably help if you knew something more than their name.

She stood with her arms folded across her chest as she stared at the fifteen people who were spread across the living room. She'd grown up with a few of them. Dax, one of her Pawns, had been her sparring partner for almost six years. Reign, her left rook, had been a squad leader in her platoon before she'd switched out her enlisted ranks for officer ones. Outside of Dax and Reign, the only other people she knew were Sebastian and Minho.

Before the night ended, Katherine would make her way to the Frost house next door where she was assigned. Each sector had been given seven houses that were tailored to the needs of the metahuman factions and the main house that served as a common gathering space.

After the last Chess season, there had been a few upgrades due to the nature of the games. The Flamers house had been made fireproof because people had a habit of burning it down at least once before they could even reach the sixth challenge.

The Terrain house now had earthquake sustainable material in its foundation since arguments there often resulted in the building coming down. Even the Frost house had a temperature-regulated upgrade; the house never dropped below thirty-two degrees.

"Earth to Katherine," Minho waved his hand in front of her face.

Katherine blinked a few times as she escaped her thoughts. "I'm all ears."

Minho rolled his eyes. "Did you need to get a perfect score, Kat? You just couldn't resist yourself could you?"

She furrowed her brows as she turned to him. "You were in the same room. Last I checked; you did the same thing."

He sighed. "I didn't know what you'd gotten."

"Oh really?" Katherine laughed, turning to face him. "You didn't use your powers on me, Minho? You didn't do what you do to everyone?"

Minho stared as her, his blue eyes turning darker by the minute. She'd hit a nerve bringing up his powers. She could see the electricity dancing across his eyes as he clenched his fists. "You know why I can't read your mind."

"No one told you to put a block on me," Katherine hissed at him. "You did that on your own."

"I did it to protect you." Minho reached out for her.

"I don't need protection," she shook her head. Everything was about protection with Minho. Protection from this. Protection from that. If protection needed a spokesperson, Katherine would nominate Minho.

"Maybe," he stepped forward. "But these challenges change you. You don't exit as you entered. That block on yourmind means I can at least try to protect you while we are in there."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" she raised an eyebrow as Minho chuckled. Katherine bit her lip as the sound of his laughter filled her ears. Without even trying, Minho found ways to make even serious conversations intimate.

"It is," Minho stared at her. "If you're trying to find out about your adoption and why your mother let it happen."

Katherine's jaw dropped as Minho closed the space between them. Before he could protest, Minho pulled her through the same door they'd entered through and led her to the backside of the house. When they made it outside, she pushed away from him; thunder rumbling in the darkness of night.

Rain begun to fall before she had the time to notice that her dress was clinging to her body leaving her slightly exposed to him. Katherine kept her gaze on the ground as she listened to his footsteps approach her position. One look at Minho and she knew she was going to lose the argument.

"You don't know me, Minho," Katherine chuckled sadly. "Not like you think you do."

"Oh really?" Minho pulled her so close that their noses were touching.

"Yes," she whispered as her heart began to pound against her chest.

"You were adopted. Your aunt raised you most of your life."

"How did you know that?" Katherine stepped back from him.

"Finding information isn't as hard as you think," Minho hesitantly placed a hand on her waist closing the distance yet again.

He leaned down until his head was in the crook of her neck. Katherine's body froze as Minho closed the space between them. "All it takes is one search into the dark sides of the Grid."

"Minho..."

"They are watching you, Katherine," he murmured in her ear. "The Republic doesn't want you winning this."

"Is that what you're trying to save me from?" she whispered back. "Them watching me?"

"Partially," he nodded. "Now play along."

"The rest?" Katherine closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Minho flinched under her touch as he slid his free hand around the other side of her waist keeping her as close to him as possible. Katherine could feel her heart beating against his as his fingers lingered over the small of her back.

"You don't need to know the rest," he exhaled. "Just let me handle it."

"You started," Katherine poked his chest. "Now finish."

"You're playing a dangerous game," Lightning flashed across the sky as Minho looked away from her. Katherine noticed an all too familiar emotion flash across his face.

Guilt.

"I play a dangerous game every time I step foot in our battalion."

"Katherine..."

"What are you trying to save me from?" Katherine whispered against his neck, her lips brushing his skin. Minho grunted as Katherine teased him.

"There are whispers that the royal families are going through a succession change. Princess Melena has been moved down a place." Minho exhaled as he leaned into her. Katherine found herself staring at his jawline as he clenched his teeth. "That causes problems in my own house."

"I didn't know Melena held a place in your family's succession," Katherine began to play with the loose strands of his hair as she waited for a response.

Of course, Melena held a place in his succession. Not at all surprising.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you all damn day," Minho chuckled as he turned his gaze back to her. "You're too damn stubborn to listen to anyone."

"I'm listening to you now."

"Melena is no longer The Crown Princess," Minho leaned in and whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine. "And that presents quite the problem for me, love."

It presents a problem for all of us.

Katherine fought her composure as Minho whispered in her ear again. She never knew how much a whisper could weaken her. "I thought Maxim had all the power."

Melena's middle name might as well be power.

"He did before succession changed."

Katherine laughed as she tried to keep any sign of worry off her face. "This doesn't even concern me."

Oh, but it most definitely does.

"It does," Minho bit his lip; a habit Katherine had taken from him. "Elias still has legal precedence over what happens to you."

Of course, he does. Even in death, Mom still managed to put Elias in charge of me.

"Get to the point, Minho."

Minho glanced down at Katherine's lips and before she could protest, the space between them was finally closed. The kiss was hungry, forceful and needed. It said a million things that neither of them were willing to say aloud. Minho dug his nails into her hips as he pinned her against the wall of the house. A moan escaped his lips while Katherine's hands moved through his hair lightly tugging in sync to his ragged breaths. His kisses moved from her lips to her ear, each one more demanding than the last.

"The point is," Minho murmured as he kissed the small spot beneath her ear. "You are now your brother's heir. If you die in this game, it will be the end of my family's reign."