She'd known that when she made her choice. Had weighed her love for Tula against her duty to her mate, partnership against conscience, and chosen the harder path. But knowing it and living it were two different things.
The knock on their apartment door made them both straighten up.
Areana's heart stopped, then restarted again too fast. This was it. Tula was moving into position.
"I'll get it." She slid from Navuh's lap.
Her legs felt unsteady as she crossed to the door, but she locked her knees and kept her movements smooth.
One of the maids, Rashida, stood in the hallway, her eyes wide and anxious. "My lady, I'm so sorry to disturb you at such a late hour, but it's Lady Tula. She's out in the garden in her nightgown, and she refuses to come inside."
"The indoor garden?" Areana feigned ignorance.
"No, my lady. She's outside the harem. I think she's heading to the cliff."
Areana assumed a concerned expression and tensed her shoulders. "Did she say why she's out there?"
"No, my lady. I tried to convince her to return to her room, but she just waved me off." Rashida's hands twisted together. "She was crying and muttering to herself. She didn't look okay."
"What's going on?" Navuh's voice came from behind her.
Areana waved a dismissive hand without turning. "Nothing important. Just Tula having a tantrum. I know how to handle her."
She could feel him studying her back. "Handle it quickly. It's late."
"I'll do my best." Areana stepped into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind her. Only then did she release the breath she'd been holding.
Rashida led her toward the elevator, chattering nervously. "Lady Tula is acting so strange. I know it's not my place to say this, but I’m worried that she might do something she shouldn’t."
"She's just distraught," Areana assured her. "I'll take care of her."
As the elevator door opened and she stepped inside, Areana realized that she was still wearing her slippers, and the delicate silk would get ruined walking outdoors, but going back to change into proper shoes was out of the question.
It was bad luck, and she couldn't risk any when so much was on the line. She could always get new slippers.
The elevator doors opened into the topside pavilion, and Areana followed the maid out through the glass doors. "You can go back inside," she told the young woman.
Rashida wrung her hands. "What if I'm needed?"
Areana put a hand on the maid's shoulder. "You've already done your part by alerting me to the situation. From here, I need to do it alone. Lady Tula will not open her heart to me with you present. Some things need to be said in confidence." She pusheda slight thrall into the maid's mind, assuring her that everything would be okay and that she should go to sleep.
Rashida dipped her head. "Yes, my lady. You know best."
Areana stepped out into the humid night air. The temperature had dropped slightly since sunset, but it was still warm, sticky, and her silk slippers soaked through immediately from the damp grass. They squelched with each step as she walked down the path leading to the cliff.
The sparse garden lights grew even sparser as she neared the cliff area. Per her request, this section was deliberately left dim for a better view of the stars over the ocean.
A pale figure in white stood near the cliff's edge.
Tula looked ghostly in the faint moonlight, her white nightgown clinging to her body and making her pregnancy obvious to anyone who bothered to look more closely. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders, uncombed and wild.
Areana's chest tightened. This was really happening. After all the planning, all the careful preparation, they were here. Soon, Tula would be gone.
Free, not gone.She was going to finally be free.
Forcing her feet to keep moving, Areana closed the distance between them.
Tula didn't turn at her approach, just stood staring out at the ocean. But Areana saw the tension in her shoulders, the way her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. Was it part of the act? Or was she really so anxious?
