Erik searched my face, though he made no move to close the distance. “What is happening? Why are you afraid?”
My fear– he smelled it.
I couldn’t answer him. Instead, I stood before him like a silent coward.
“Are you… are you afraid of me?” His voice grew low, a look of disbelief passing over him.
I shook my head no, though was uncertain. “I just… I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know?” He went completely rigid.
“The timing of your arrival, it...” I tore my gaze from him and looked at Gorm. “Would it be noticed if he stayed here for a little bit?”
Gorm snorted. “No one would notice. He can even come to work with me tomorrow. A big healthy guy like this would be useful.”
I glanced at his leg. “Not with your foot like that.”
Gorm grunted. “Young lady, you think Clause will ensure I get fed if I do not work?”
“I’ll make sure of it.” I turned to Erik, who was still staring at me.Uncertainty dug its talons into me.
“Should I leave?” He asked, his voice so low I was uncertain I heard correctly.
“What?” My throat closed up.
“Do you want me to leave here?” Pained eyes searched mine for an answer I could not fully provide.
“No I–” I looked at the ground, trying to collect my head. “The timing of your arrival is just… I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on.” I was drowning in the uncertainty surrounding me.
Erik stepped towards me, reaching for me. I moved back before he could touch me. A look of hurt flashed across his face and it ate me alive. Guilt wrapped around me so tightly I could hardly draw in a breath.
“Will you stay here?” I asked.
“Where are you going?” Confusion painted his face with a frown.
“There’s somewhere I am needed. I hope it will help clarify some things for me. And then I will explain as much as I can. I just need you to wait here. Please.” I paused, searching his face, but found nothing threatening.I trusted him. In my gut, at my core, Erik was the truth. Yet, my mind somehow became poisoned, and I doubted how much of my gut to trust. “Will you wait?”
He shrugged. “I have nowhere else to be.” He seemed at a loss for words.
I glanced at Gorm who said, “I’ll keep an eye on him. He will be okay here.”
I nodded. “Stay off the foot.” I turned, glancing at Erik. “I’m sorry. I’ll be back.” I left the two of them in thick, uncomfortable silence.
My heart raced, pulse throbbing in my head.
Unease coated me in a heavy film that I could not shake. Something was happening. Though I could sense it, I was also blinded by it. What was going on?
I would have been shaking if I were not moving quickly down the hall, heading towards the secrets Clause believed he could unveil. My steps were swift and silent, fueled by a mixture of adrenaline and fear.
I turned down the hall the throne room was off of and saw Soren at the end, standing guard by the open door. His jaw clenched when he glanced my way, noting my approach.Something about it only worsened the dread coursing in rivers through my veins.
As I drew closer, voices seeped out.
I paused by the door. Holding my breath so that I could hear the next words clear as day.
“Are you sure you wish for this? Our agreement was made long before her birth. Whether she knows it or not, you are, after all, Ariana’s last living relative,” Clause said, voice as smooth as silk.
My entire body tensed, and the dread coursing through me melted into something so much worse. Something that had not even a name.I had no living blood relatives, at least none that I knew of.
