“I’m sorry. I truly am,” I whispered. “I just . . . I needed to talk to him.”
Some of the desperation within must have bled to the surface, for the hard lines of Landin’s frown softened and he unfolded his arms.
“I know that experience was probably impossibly difficult for you. Watching the Lysian’s punishment. Still, you can’t just walk into the dungeon and order me or Willis around. We care for you, and it puts us in a difficult situation when you ask for such things. It’s reckless and not fair to us.” His brown gaze eased.
“I won’t ever ask you to do anything like that again and risk Fraser’s wrath,” I promised him.
He ran his tongue over his teeth. “Good.” Landin’s shoulders relaxed, and he leaned back on his hands, though his eyes remained fixed on me.
My attention drifted to the fire. The dancing flames licked the logs with long flickering red strokes. I always found comfort in watching flames as they moved across surfaces, devouring anything standing in its path. However, on that night it strangely brought me unease. As if the flames could somehow escape their confines, threatening the world around them.
“What’s the matter?” Landin asked, his voice softening with concern. “It’s not only what was done to the Lysian that troubles you.” He knew me so well.
“Something terrible is coming.” I turned to him, stopping myself before saying more.
He frowned again, shifting to lean towards me. “Something Edda has seen?”
“Yes, and no.” My head was beginning to pound painfully.
“Whatever it is, I will protect you.” He vowed with complete certainty.
My heart sank. “I don’t want you to.”
Landin looked at me, confusion surrounding him.
“Listen, if what I think may be coming truly is, then when it arrives, I need for you to stand down.” I reached for his hand, taking it in both of mine. His fingers were fabulously warm against my cold ones. “Let what needs to happen, happen.”
“What are you talking about?” He looked at me as if I were crazed, brows furrowed, creating a prominent wrinkle between them.
“Just do your best to stay away from it.”
“Away from what?” Concern sharpened his voice. “You aren’t making any sense. And if you are in danger, then I certainly will not be running away and hiding.”
I lightly squeezed his hand with desperation. “Look, I can’t explain this. Just know that something horrible is looming, but that I will be fine. I need for you and Willis to be fine too.”
“The Leader Superior know about any of this?” he asked, pulling his hand out of mine. His brown eyes were clear and wide as they searched my face for a hint as to what I was alluding to.
“He won’t listen to reason, Landin. Don’t tell anyone what I shared with you, only Willis. No one else must know. Edda said that if I sounded an alarm that it would end in more death.”
His frown deepened in response. He probably thought I had gone mad.
“It may be nothing. You know how finicky Edda’s predictions can be,” I said, offering him a sliver of comfort. I did not know if he was more worried due to what I shared with him or about my possible loss of sanity.
“Yeah, you don’t seem to think this one is finicky, Ariana,” he pointed out.
I drew in a deep breath. “You’re right. I fear this one is true, but I hope I am wrong.” A silence settled between us, only the crackling of the fire could be heard for a few minutes. “Well?”
“Well, what?” He looked from the flames in my direction.
“Do you promise?” It was as though we were children again and I was asking him to keep something silly a secret. Landin always kept my secrets—the silly ones and the big ones that could destroy everything.
“I promise not to tell, and that I will try to stay out of the unknown troubles you seem to think are heading for us. But it isn’t my fault if trouble doesn’t stay away from me.” He shrugged a single shoulder.
I sighed while the mood instantly lightened between us. “You are truly something, my trouble-shrouded friend.” I offered him a small smile.
“You know it, for you’re one of the troubles drawn to me.” He raised a brow.
“I wonder what it is about you that draws us troubled folk,” I pondered.
