“I am not brave. I simply do not wish to die, nor do I wish it for my people.”
“You entered my cell when I was in your prison,” Erik pointed out. “That action was the opposite of wanting to live.”
I swallowed. His gaze tracked the movement, falling to my throat, lingering there before lifting to my eyes once more. I clenched my hands into fists to keep from touching my neck,refusing to let him see my discomfort and the threat that even his gaze possessed.
My actions were foolish that day I entered his cell. Still, I did not like what he was insinuating. “You were an unknown danger. I will say it again. Is it not more dangerous to turn and run from a wolf than to face it?”
“It sounds like I am the wolf in that scenario,” he said with a smirk that seemed to evaporate the threat I felt just moments ago.
I might have found a nerve. The stories of the Lysians’ admiration of physical strength rang true, for the King preferred to be seen as a predator and not a simple plant. “In that scenario, perhaps you were.”
We both turned to view the stars once more.
Erik stayed with me on the balcony, even as the moon began crossing the sky.
We did not speak again but simply existed beside one another. Being around him when his focus was on the stars was easier. In the moments when his gaze drifted back to me, it became difficult to think clearly. My focus gravitated to him as if monitoring for signs of aggression from a wild animal I found myself in close contact with. Yet when his attention shifted to something else, his presence was almost comforting in those moments.
I shouldn’t have wanted the company of the Lysian who took me as a prisoner and had my father killed before me, yet I found an odd security in him. Everything Erik did was for his sister, to protect his family and the Lysians. Even in his confrontations, he was compassionate. He spared my people from unnecessary bloodshed when his Lysians attacked. He spared Landin.
I just didn’t know if his behavior was true to who he was or if it was a tool to win my easy compliance with his endeavors. I wanted to believe that he was good. But there was a thread of suspicion that I couldn’t shake. He was a Lysian King after all, and I had always been told that Lysians were aggressive and unpredictable.
12
ARIANA
The last thing I remembered was looking up at the stars. It was as if the night sky covered me in a blanket of twinkling darkness that felt strangely safe. I eventually fell asleep only to wake in my bed still dressed in the clothing worn yesterday. Erik or Kole must have moved me from the balcony.
I frowned, for they touched me without my knowing.
Light seeped in through the window. Golden strands filtered through in bright rays, landing on the wooden floor, warming wherever it touched. Nothing in the room appeared out of place, even the bag I brought from home still lay in a chair, appearing untouched.
The door was shut, and I wondered whether I was locked in.
Rising out of bed, I crossed the room. My hand hesitated over the knob for a heartbeat before trying it. The heavy wood creaked open, and I nearly sighed in relief.
Kole sat in a chair, staring in my direction. The sight of him gave me a start, and I jumped. I would have fallen backwards had my hand not still been on the door handle for support. It was creepy. Who stared like that?
“Do you ever sleep?” I squeaked the question, my heart somersaulting with surprise.
His lips twitched, undoubtedly hearing the galloping in my chest. “Hardly. And I’m terribly bored. Care to go for a walk?” he asked, and I could have leaped for joy at the invitation. Was I ever ready to get out of that lovely prison of a room? Yes, I certainly was.
“Just let me get changed.” I closed the door, splashed water on my face, and put on some clean clothing, the last of what I brought from home.
The time for collecting intelligence was finally upon me, and I was about to have a tour guide. Everything was perfect. A smile found its way to my lips.
The empty feeling from last night still lingered in the dark corners of my mind. However, it was largely pushed to the side, no longer holding me in its grip. I focused on the task at hand: to gather information. The rest did not matter and so I held those thoughts in the shadows, keeping them from stepping into the light and being fully observed.
When I emerged from the room once more, Kole rose to his feet with ease. He shifted as if stretching stiff muscles before leading me through the halls. Once outside, he took me through the streets, which earned me curious and at times ugly looks from the Lysians. Knowing the stories we told of the Lysians, I could only imagine what they must have told themselves of us.
Kole picked up his pace to a brisk walk, placing me on the verge of a jog. I hoped to get a better sense of the immediate surroundings, but he guided me through and away from the densely populated areas until we were at the edge of the woods.
I bit back a frown. The woods were not likely to offer much information. Glancing back at the town, I tried to think of a way to get us to explore that area. What was their capitol like, or otherLysians for that matter? Where were their closest cities? It seemed like there weren’t any between my capitol and theirs.
When I turned back, I found Kole’s crystal eyes watching me.
He did not trust me. Until I earned some of that trust, he likely planned on keeping me as far away from the others as possible. The area permitted for me to explore was unlikely to change anytime soon. I glanced at the forest, trying to keep the disappointment from my face. Either way, I gained access to more than a single room. It was progress.
Though my home was also woodland in nature, it was vastly different. The trees that surrounded my home were impossibly tall, at least three times the size of the trees in their forest. It also smelled different. Both carried the scent of green earth but there were subtle undertones that were unfamiliar. Despite the differences, being in nature brought me comfort, at least while in the sunlight.
