I sighed.
We were nearly back to my room when I asked, “Any advice for tonight?” Up to that point, my interaction with the Lysian royals was largely limited to Erik. I knew little about his brothers and even less about what they thought of me.
“Erik will make sure they are all behaving,” Kole replied.
“I don’t need his protection,” I said. Irritation coated my words.
Kole’s lips curved at the side. “You do not know them. You may appreciate the protection yet.”
“And here I thought you knew me better than that,” I answered, and he smiled fully.
“Well, I look forward to hearing what you make of them,” he said with a grin.
When we got back, I quickly showered and prepared for a dinner that I did not want to attend. I did not know what Erik’s brothers thought of me, but I was fairly certain they neither liked nor trusted me, though I did not blame them for that. Unfortunately, I was not in the mood to try to sway them otherwise.
19
ERIK
Tension flooded the room. It simmered in the space between us, making its presence known yet withdrawing enough that it was difficult to pin down where it stemmed from. Ariana had entered silently with Kole by her side. She did not appear happy, but she at least seemed more at ease.
I went around the table, introducing everyone by name to her. She smiled tightly and gave brief nods by way of greeting. The dinner began awkwardly, my brothers stealing glances at the Bavadrin while she did her best not to acknowledge any of it.
“So, how did the trip go?” Edmond asked casually, after taking a bite of meat.
“Fine,” Ariana answered shortly.
Iver released a low laugh. “What went wrong?” His gaze drifted from Ariana to me, eyes rimmed with an edge of playful intrigue. He was completely undisciplined. “Well?” he probed when neither Ariana nor I leaped to answer.
“Ariana wanted farmers to leave their city to gather food. But the way their farming is set up, many groups would need to go,and we did not have enough Lysians to accompany them all. So, Edda offered for each family to leave a loved one behind who is to be executed if any of them do not return within the allotted time,” I explained to my brothers, hoping that shining a light on the dark cloud that enveloped the room would cause it to evaporate.
“Ashes, that’s one brutal old bird,” Edmond commented. Not that he cared, but it was unusual for someone to willingly put their own in danger so easily. Iver’s mouth hung open. Thankfully, it was not filled with food.
“I think I’d like to meet this old bird,” Iver said once he stopped gaping.
I couldn’t help but sigh. “I agreed to it.”
“It seems reasonable enough,” Jorn stated in support with a nod.
“I’m sure ourguestthinks otherwise,” Iver pointed out, his gaze lingering on Ariana. Her jaw clenched, and she stopped eating. She stared so intensely at the table in front of her that it would have caught flame if she had my conjuring abilities.
“She does,” I replied, earning Ariana’s gaze to cut to me.
“Sheisn’t really yourguestthough,” Ariana said, truly speaking for the first time since dinner began. “Sheis a pawn.Sheis a Bavadrin, not a Lysian.Sheshould not be trusted.” Her eyes carved into me as she spoke. “Sheis nothing more than a means to an end.”
Silence spread through the room like an angry river drowning us in its stream. Even Iver made no sound. Gone was any flicker of delight he had previously shown.
“You are more than that,” I answered.
Ariana laid her fork down gently. I had not even realized she had been holding it. “Please, tell me what I am, Erik.”
“You haven’t exactly spent much time with her,” Iver chimed in, seeming to go to Ariana’s defense. Gone was any ounce of hesitation he had just shown. Back was the air of amusement.
I gritted my teeth in an attempt not to snap his neck.
Turning, I looked at Ariana. “You are someone who has been put in an impossible situation. You have endured much pain in your life, enough to ruin someone’s outlook on it entirely. Yet, you still harbor kindness. I regret the pain I have been responsible for inflicting on you, but this is something I need to see to the end. That does not mean that any of this will be your end. Ariana, I do not wish you harm.”
She released a huff of breath as if none of what I said surprised her, nor was it enough for her.
