“She has shown no sign of gifts.”
Edmond shook his head. “Would you even know what to lookfor? It is written that Bavadrin gifts do not always fall into the realm of elemental control like ours. If only you had let the two-” He silenced himself when my eyes widened with sudden realization.
“Tell me that you did not send those two youths to lay their hands on her the other night.” I barely managed to keep my tone neutral.
Iver’s head swiveled to Edmond. “How devious.”
Edmond paid Iver no mind, instead keeping his eyes locked on mine. “Fear and threat of death is often useful in flushing out such things. And it would have never even come from you. She wouldn’t have been the wiser for it.”
My jaw clenched. “I said to stay away.”
Edmond did not back down. “And I have. We all have. But she is a potential threat. If she is more than just a Bavadrin woman then we need to contain her and not allow her free reign.”
“I will not tell you again,” I said slowly. “Keep away from her.” My claws lengthened on their own accord.
Edmond’s gaze dropped to my hands before he dipped his head. “I apologize for overstepping.”
Iver chuckled under breath.
There was a knock at the door, and Kole stuck his head in. “Your Highness, may I have a word when you have a moment?”
Iver smirked, enjoying Kole addressing me so formally and unbothered by the tension trapped within the room. “And where is your delicious little friend?”
Kole ignored him. “When you have a moment,” he said to me once more and began backing out of the room.
“Kole, now is as good a time as any.” I was fairly certain that I knew what he wished to discuss. It seemed everyone wanted to debate our guest’s activities. My claws retracted.
Kole glanced at my brothers before entering.
“Well.” I moved my hand through the air invitingly. Mypeaceful evening had come to an abrupt end and there was no point in dragging out the torment. Kole and my brothers wished to discuss Ariana and so we would. Of course, there was a chance that Kole wanted to speak of something else, but I would bet otherwise.
“You are letting Eislyn teach Ariana to fight,” he stated, thinking carefully about his next words.
“Your issue is Eislyn. However, she is a splendid teacher and a skilled fighter.” Iver spoke before Kole completed his thought. “From what I recall, she could have you lying on your back with hardly any effort.”
Kole clenched his hand into a fist, though he did not rise to Iver’s comment.
“Eislyn is . . . untamed.” Kole’s eyes were icy cold as they focused only on me. The strain of not responding to Iver’s methodical jabs was clear in the thinning of his lips.
“Just because you could not control her does not mean she is untamed.” Iver’s tone remained casual as he continued to prod with his words.
Kole gritted his teeth. “Do not push me, Iver.”
“Why? You going to push me back?”
“Ariana will be fine spending time with Eislyn,” I said before they could escalate things any further.
Iver made his remarks partially because he was a fool who enjoyed playing with fire, using his words as sparks to set the world ablaze, only to then run away and watch the destruction he created from a safe distance. He also pressed Kole on this particular matter as a misguided attempt at helping him. Iver saw the history between Kole and Eislyn as something that Kole needed to get over. So Iver pushed him, crawling under his skin and driving him mad in an effort to numb him to the pain.
“She took her to a dining hall.” Kole informed me of something I already knew.
“I told Eislyn she could take Ariana wherever she believed was safe to do so.”
Edmond frowned. “You are letting others get to know the Bavadrin yet keep her away from us. Why?”
I shot him a glare. “We want her to see us as friends. That is more likely to happen if she spent time with those who did not look forward to killing her.”
“I do not look forward to such a thing.” Edmond’s eyes grew larger as if he took offense. As if he had not set forth a plan to have her attacked in the middle of the night. He had no qualms about taking a Bavadrin life.
