Fi’s stomach fluttered, stirred by the assertive tilt of his jaw.
Stop it. Focus.
She pulled out a chair from the kitchen table for Boden. Without taking eyes off Antal, he sat, a stiff motion that she’d have preferred to end with him missing his target and tumbling ass to floor. Drama queens, both of them. Not that she could blame Boden for keeping wary around a daeyari, but Antal’s bristle was…
Guarded. Distrustful. Far more than he had been with her this past week. His last attendantshadturned on him, she supposed. Betrayal must hurt, even for immortals.
“All right, Fi.” Boden kept his glare on the daeyari. “I’m all ears.”
“Would you like some coffee first?” Fi asked.
“How long has he been here?”
“Icould use some coffee.” She pressed a hand to her temple, fighting a headache. “And liquor.” That probably wouldn’t help the headache.
“Fi.”
“No coffee then. Fair.” Fi crossed her arms and slouched. She’d have preferred to collapse into a chair, but instead stood awkwardly between Boden and Antal, lest their glaring escalate. “After the explosion in Thomaskweld, I… met Antal.”
Antal huffed. A strong contender for today’s “not helping” award.
“His attendants tried to sacrifice me,” Fi clarified.
Boden nearly fell out of his chair.
“But Antaldidn’teat me. As you can see.” She gestured to her intact person. “Now, we’re going to get rid of Verne. Together.”
She looked to Antal for backup.
“Yes,” he said, unenthused. “That is, apparently, what we’re doing.”
Void stop her from slapping him, just to see what would happen.
Boden gawked at Fi. At Antal. Back to her. “So there’s a deposed daeyari lurking in the forest above my village? How long has he been here?”
“Off and on…” Fi muttered. “For a couple weeks.”
“Weeks?Why didn’t you tell me!”
“I didn’t know what to tell you!”
“What about my people? Are they in danger?”
“Calm down, Boden, he’s not going to eat any villagers.”
“Unless someone’s offering,” Antal grumbled with the enthusiasm of a wet cat.
Fi shoved his antlers. Antal snarled.
Boden looked stunned. Not at the fang-flashing immortal, but atFi.
She didn’t want to look at him. She didn’t want those tired, worry-creased eyes picking her to pieces. She’d rather stare at her boots, watch the droplets of snow melt onto far less judgmental floorboards. But she had to look at him. She had to stand tall like there wasn’t the weight of a village on her shoulders, tip her chin up as if she weren’t fighting to stop it quivering.
Because the moment she stopped pretending, she’d shatter.
“You want to fightVerne?” Boden’s voice cracked with disapproval.
Fi’s fists clenched, tingling her energy burns. “We have to do something. We both heard Astrid’s demands. We both know Nyskya isn’t safe.”
