Taranis held up a hand. "No, Val, it wasn't like that. Yelena sawthat this path was the only way to keep Mag Argatnél safe and you as well."
"I don't need anyone keeping me safe! What the fuck, Yelena? They cut off your fucking hand! I would never ask anyone to suffer through that, not for some vague chance that a fae king might try to turn me to his side. Did you really believe that I could be turned so easily, that you were willing to go through that?"
Valentine knew he had to stop. He was so angry, he could barely breathe. Under that, he was hurt to the very core. He was a lot of things, but he would never betray his family.
Yelena stood up and glared across the table at him. "It was my damn hand, Valentine. My family. My king. If I were faced with the same choice, I would do it again. And again. I was trying to protect you, you ungrateful, fucking asshole."
She turned on her heel and marched out of the room. Valentine was shaking, and his vision was blurring.
Stop her, his dragon demanded, and his teeth gritted against the pain of its claws on his mind.
"She didn't think you were going to turn into some kind of evil spy," Avallach said softly. "You have no idea what Midir is capable of doing to someone like you. He would have taken your mind and used you like a weapon to point at the family. You would have had no choice. She knew that hurting us and destroying the city would have torn you apart."
"She could have sent me a letter about it. She shouldn't have made the decision without telling anyone," Valentine said, his jaw aching. "I don't know why she would care how it would hurt me."
Valentine jumped as he was hit on the head with a bread roll. Emyr had thrown it. "Maybe instead of pouting, you should go andaskher instead of being a prick to all of us," she snapped.
Valentine ignored her and turned to look at Taranis. "Did you know?"
His uncle shook his head. "She only told me today. Go after her, Valentine. I can't have you two fighting. I need you both too much right now."
Valentine nodded and got to his feet. He looked at Avallach. "I'm sorry for everything you have suffered because of this. I will find a way to make it up to you."
"It's not the first time I've had a beating, lad, and it won't be the last. Go and make peace with my little sister, and that will be a debt repaid," Avallach said, waving him on.
Valentine was through the door when he heard Vidar ask, "Has he always been like that?"
"Since Mom died, he's been closed off," Reeve replied. "And he?—"
Valentine shut out whatever else his brother had to say and hurried down the hall. He didn't want to think about his mother now. He had failed her when she had needed him the most. He thought learning his lesson by following his visions and saving Yelena would somehow make up for that past mistake.
He was wrong again, because if it weren’t for him, she never would have been there in the first place.
Yelena might hate him for it, but he wasn't going to carry another innocent death on his soul if she decided to martyr herself. It had to end now.
Hunt,his dragon growled.
"Hunt," Valentine agreed, his smile all fangs as he began to stalk his prey.
14
Valentine walked through the halls to the healers' wing where Yelena and Avallach had been recovering. Her room was empty except for a healer cleaning it.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
"Lady Yelena is no longer staying in our care," the healer said, stripping the sheets from the bed. Her scent hit Valentine hard, and he wanted to bury his nose in it.
"Do you have any idea where she could be?" he asked.
The healer's brow furrowed. "I imagine she has gone back to her own apartments. I don't see why..."
Valentine didn't let them finish before he was stalking back out into the halls. He had no idea where to go, so he stopped and tried to think clearly. It was next to impossible with his dragon snarling at him.
Valentine didn't know where Yelena's apartments were. He didn't want to ask the others. He would find her another way.
He hadn't checked for the silvery string of light since he hadrescued her. He had believed it was the power of his vision that led him to her. Maybe he could find it again.
Valentine closed his eyes and reached for his magic. The part of him that had tracked her was his dragon, so he nudged it.
