“I’m fine though,” I added quickly. “Did you decide?”By the Four, don’t make me fight to stay.
He nodded. “I sent Skelly on his way this morning. You’re staying with us.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Will I be able to visit Melaena and the others here once in a while?”
He glanced at Melaena, who sent him a pointed look. He shrugged. “If Asher doesn’t cause any trouble, and no one suspects the dancers’ involvement with the heist, then I suppose you can.”
Melaena clapped her hands twice, beaming. “Excellent! Now that’s settled, I’ll leave you to your business.”
The moment she left, the air thickened with tension.
Aiden took a step closer, and my eyes darted to his waist to see if he still carried his knives.
He froze, his face stricken. “I’m not going to hurt you, Kiera. I never should have—” He growled, raking his hands through his hair. “I acted without thinking. Maz says I always assume the worst in people. But when I thought you were eavesdropping with ill intent, that you might be an enemy...” He dropped his hands, lifting them palm-up toward me. “I hated it. I didn’t want you to prove me right. Forgive me.”
Gods, that hurt. Worse than Melaena’s words. He had no idea that I’d fed most of his plans to his worst enemies. He found trust so difficult, yet he extended a morsel of it to me—the person who deserved it the least.
Yes, he planned to kill my father. Yes, he had kept—and still was keeping—secrets from me.
But I had lied to him. Many times. And I wasn’t even sure I was on the right side of the lie anymore.
“I forgive you,” I whispered. Would anyone forgive me?
Aiden’s hands fell back to his sides, regret still lining his face. “Thank you. We should go. Ruru and Maz are waiting for us. Your knives and cloak are over there.” He pointed to a table.
I belted the knives to my waist and threw my cloak over my shoulders. It was probably terribly hot outside, but I didn’t want anyone seeing my knives.
Aiden walked over to a carved wooden panel in the wall and pressed his thumb to the center of a sun. The tunnel sprang open behind the tapestry that I’d left askew the last time I was in here.
“Aren’t you worried that I know the secret now?” I tried to tease him, but my voice came out uncertain.
He glanced at me over his shoulder. “If you’re going to visit Melaena, you should know how to make a quick escape should Asher—or someone worse—come looking for you.”
I bit my lip as I followed him into the tunnel. Asher would never come looking for me. But others might.
The door swung shut, leaving us in damp darkness.
“Shall I go first to scare off spiders?” Aiden’s deep voice spoke ahead of me.
Perhaps we were both trying to ease the awkwardness.
I threw up my hood with a shiver. “Yes, please, and let’s hurry.”
This time, I trailed my fingertips along the uneven walls of the tunnel instead of holding onto Aiden. Then I remembered the spiders and unsheathed two of my knives to feel my way through instead.
Before long, we surfaced in the warehouse. I blinked dust from my eyes as I studied it. My imagination hadn’t been far off when I’d come here blindfolded. A long, low domed building filled with an assortment of crates, barrels, and boxes. Shafts of clouded light pierced through small holes in the walls and the roof.
But my curiosity for this place had dimmed considerably after everything that had happened in the last few days. Unless...
“Is this where you’re keeping the gold?” I asked.
“Only yours.” Aiden hefted a small, bulging sack and handed it to me. “Your cut.”
I weighed it in my palm. “It’s heavier than I expected.”
“You earned it.”
My stomach soured. Earned it. And Asher paid the price. I doubted this would have been enough to appease Father. He would have killed Asher, anyway.
